FAIRMONT — One of the best sights during the first few days of Fairmont State’s preseason football camp was seeing Henry Richardson back on the field.
Richardson, FSU’s 6-foot, 210-pound senior outside linebacker, suffered a fracture in his femur where it joins the knee last season in the Falcons’ wild 46-42 come-from-behind victory over Shepherd University in week four. He was lost for the remainder of the year and missed all of spring drills.
The speedy, athletic Richardson, who had 19 tackles, including three for losses and a pair of sacks prior to getting injured last fall, has been cleared to play, but Falcon coach Mike Lopez still wants to remain cautious with him.
“We’re going to let Henry dictate to us how much he can go,” said Lopez. “That was a major injury and a very big blow to our defense last year. When he went down our defense just wasn’t the same because he was one of our key leaders.
“We’re thrilled to have him back because he’s the type of kid who goes out there and makes plays all over the field. At the same time, though, we want him for an entire season so we don’t want to rush him back into action. He’s a tough young man, though, and come Aug. 27 he’s going to be ready for us.”
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FSU sophomore nose guard Devin Johnson may likely be lost for the 2009 season. Johnson, who played in all 11 games last fall and was credited with 10 starts, is battling mononucleosis and is not permitted to do any on-field work for a minimum of six weeks.
The 6-foot, 280-pounder from Gaithersburg, Md., had 43 tackles last season, including three for losses and one sack. He also recovered one fumble.
In his place the Falcons are looking for a combination of redshirt freshman Travis Bunner (6-2, 310) of Parkersburg and true freshmen Jack Charles (6-1, 325) and Nick Schrader (6-2, 280) to split time filling the void.
Both Charles and Schrader have been impressive early on in camp. Charles is from Gateway High School in Pittsburgh where he helped lead the Gators to a pair of WPIAL title game appearances, while Schrader comes to Fairmont from Jonathan Alder High School in Plain City, Ohio where he played for former Falcon great Barry Blackstone and helped lead the Pioneers to the playoffs three straight times.
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Fairmont State’s offensive line has been bolstered by the addition of Marshall University transfer Josh Evans. The 6-4, 320-pound junior offensive guard started all 12 games for the Thundering Herd as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors from league coaches and media members.
In 2008 Evans started the first six games of the season for Marshall at left guard, but lost his first-string position to Chad Schofield in the final six games.
The former Class A All-State selection from Fayetteville High School considered transferring to Football Championship Subdivision powers James Madison and Appalachian State, but academics played a major role in his decision to transfer to FSU. Had he decided to transfer to an out-of-state school, Evans stood to lose 21 to 25 credit hours toward his degree in sports management and marketing.
Right now Evans, who has two years of football eligibility remaining, is on track to complete work on his bachelor’s degree in May. By staying in West Virginia all of his hours will transfer.
He plans to begin work toward his master’s degree in the fall of 2010.
Evans has been slowed early on in his first FSU camp by a strained quadriceps muscle, but should be ready to go for the Falcons’ opener Aug. 27 at Duvall-Rosier Field against Clarion (Pa.) University.
Duane Cochrane
Richardson back with FSU after injury
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Falling short: SLIDESHOW
For Fairmont State’s men’s basketball team, the story this season has been an all-too familiar one.
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Lady Falcons top State, extend streak: SLIDESHOW
Kaitlin Snyder and Hailey Garrett combined for 43 points to help lead Fairmont State’s Lady Falcons to their third consecutive victory, 87-78, here Monday evening over visiting West Virginia State at the Joe Retton Arena.
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Lady Falcons halt UPJ’s winning ways: PHOTOS
One of the hottest teams in the West Virginia Conference paid a visit to the Joe Retton Arena on Wednesday evening and received a rude welcoming from Fairmont State’s Lady Falcons.
Pitt-Johnstown, winners of three in a row and eight of its last 10, got thoroughly dominated for 32 of the game’s 40 minutes as FSU halted the Lady Mountain Cats’ winning ways with an 88-66 victory. -
UPJ wins thriller over Falcons, 92-87
It was an electric atmosphere here Wednesday evening at the Joe Retton Arena.
Unfortunately, Fairmont State University’s men’s basketball team ran out of juice in the waning minutes and fell, 92-87, to visiting Pitt-Johnstown. -
Glenville completes season sweep of Falcons
Glenville State can make a living playing Fairmont State this season in men’s basketball.
That’s because half of the lowly Pioneers’ four victories this season have come at the expense of the Falcons.
Thursday evening here at the Jesse R. Lilly Gymnasium, Glenville State completed the regular-season sweep of Fairmont State, rolling to an impressive 80-59 victory over the floundering Falcons. -
Streaking Lady Pioneers hold off late FSU rally
Glenville State, the second-place team in the West Virginia Conference, shook off a horrid shooting performance in the first half, caught fire from the field in the final 20 minutes and rolled to a 92-78 victory over visiting Fairmont State here Thursday evening at the Jesse R. Lilly Gymnasium.
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Garrett, Lohr lead Lady Falcons past A-B: PHOTOS
Fairmont State possesses two of the more talented true freshmen in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season in Hailey Garrett and Emily Lohr.
Saturday afternoon at the Joe Retton Arena that duo combined for 36 points and nine rebounds to help lead FSU to 66-56 victory over visiting Alderson-Broaddus. -
Battlers top Fairmont State for 13th straight win
Despite heroic efforts from its dynamic duo of Steve Custis and Isaac Thornton, Fairmont State University’s men’s basketball team couldn’t derail red-hot Alderson-Broaddus here Saturday afternoon at the Joe Retton Arena.
The streaking Battlers posted an 81-70 victory over the Falcons for their 13th straight win. -
FSU gets much-needed win over Rams
Chris Thompson was perfect.
Steve Custis and Isaac Thornton were their usual selfs and Mike Hurd stepped up big time off the bench.
As a result, Fairmont State University’s men’s basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak and got a much-needed, 80-66, victory over visiting Shepherd University Wednesday evening here at the Joe Retton Arena. -
Lady Pioneers hold off late FSU rally: PHOTOS
Glenville State senior guard Beth Deren buried a trio of 3-point field goals in a span of less than a minute late in the second half to help the Lady Pioneers hold off a fierce Fairmont State rally and record an 88-80 victory here Saturday afternoon at the Joe Retton Arena.
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