FAIRMONT — Another season, another record-setting year for Zack Page.
Fairmont State’s diminutive, but ultra-talented return man is like a fine wine. He just gets better and better with age.
In a season chalked full of disappointment for Fairmont State’s football team, the play of Page week in and week out was like a breath of fresh air.
For the third straight season Page established school records this fall for kickoff returns (43) and kickoff return yardage (1,221). No player in NCAA Division II this season returned more kickoffs or compiled more kickoff return yardage. He also ended the regular season ranked ninth in the nation with an average of 28.4 yards per return.
And the good news for Fairmont State fans is Page, a 5-8, 175-pounder from Plain City, Ohio who returned two kickoff this year for touchdowns, will be back next fall to write a final chapter in the record books — not only Fairmont State’s, but the NCAA’s.
Page currently has 105 career kickoff returns for 2,628 career yards. He needs a mere three yards to pass Winona State’s Dave Lundy (2,630) for the all-time NCAA Division II lead in career kickoff return yardage and 12 more kickoff returns to top Fort Lewis’ Johnny Cox (116) for the all-time D-II lead in career returns. Lundy set his mark from 1991-94, while Cox established his national record from 1990-93.
“I’m not going to lie,” said Page with a grin. “I do look at the records. I strive to beat those. I think that’s what you should do. It motivates me. If I break the records or not it doesn’t really make a difference to me. I just love playing football and I try to give 100 percent every play.
“I had a good year, but I’ve always been a player who feels like every year I can get better and I can do better. You can never be satisfied with what you did the previous season. You have to work to get better and this off-season I’m going to work harder than ever to get stronger and faster.”
Page has indeed done that in his three seasons at FSU. As a freshman he returned 26 kickoffs for 600 yards. Last fall he finished with 36 returns for 807 yards and this season he demolished his previous records with 43 returns for 1,221 yards and a pair of TDs.
Page, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5, will be the first to tell anyone one of the big keys to his success is the players who surround him on the Falcons’ kickoff return team.
“The guys have done a great job of blocking for me all year long,” he said. “I mean really they do a phenomenal job of blocking. Heck, half of the time I don’t even get touched.
“To be honest the records really aren’t mine. They’re ours. They open the holes and all I have to do is run. As a return guy, that’s all you can ask for. I can’t complement them enough.”
Despite his individual success, Page was still visibly upset Saturday afternoon following the Falcons’ 27-19 loss to West Virginia State which ended the Falcons season at 3-8 overall and 3-5 in the West Virginia Conference.
“You know it seemed like the whole story of our season was that nothing really bounced our way this fall,” said Page. “All of us who are returning need to learn from this year, build off of it and make ourselves better. We need to all remember how this feels. We were 3-8 and for me personally I don’t feel too good about that. How can you?
“We need to file this away, remember it and work our butts off in the off-season in the weight room, in spring ball and over the summer.”
Duane Cochrane
FSU’s Page rewriting records
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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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