FAIRMONT —
Ben Landis accepted numerous congratulations and pats on the back Thursday evening following his team’s big 27-16 come-from-behind victory on the road over Clarion (Pa.) University at Memorial Stadium.
However, Fairmont State’s 6-3 junior punter from Johnstown, Pa. did a great job as usual of being modest and acknowledging all of the well-wishers with a simple “Thank you” and a small grin.
Still, someway, you just know inside he had to be absolutely beaming with pride.
Landis missed the entire 2009 football season with a torn ACL in his kicking knee. The injury occurred during an intramural basketball game prior to spring drills in 2009.
After months of rehab and hard work Thursday night marked the return of Landis to the football field and for sure it was a triumphant one in more ways than one as he was named Co-Special Teams Player of the Week in the West Virginia Conference along with the University of Charleston’s Corey Hill.
Fairmont State actually earned double honors from the conference this weekend. Junior cornerback Ryland Newman was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Week by the league along with Glenville State’s Donald Marshall.
Landis punted eight times in the FSU victory for an average of 43.5 yards per punt. He placed five balls inside the Golden Eagles’ 20-yard line, including two inside the five yard line. He had a long punt of 50 yards and six punts of 40 or more yards.
“I’m really proud of Ben,” said FSU coach Mike Lopez. “How about the job he did? To be honest we didn’t know what to expect from him coming off of that injury, but what a factor he was in the win. I’m very happy for him and obviously we’re very happy he’s back and healthy again.”
Newman, on the other hand, helped spark FSU to its come-from-behind win. Trailing 16-7 midway through the third quarter Newman, a 5-11, 185-pounder from Ranson who also plays point guard on the Falcons’ basketball team, picked off a Clarion pass and raced 54 yards to the end zone to make it 16-13. The TD was the first of 20 unanswered points by the Falcons in the win which improved them to 1-0 on the year.
Newman also tied for game-high tackles honors with 11, including one for a loss.
Hill, a 6-foot, 190-pound freshman linebacker from Leetonia, Ohio, who shared special teams honors with Landis, helped set up a Charleston touchdown just before the half by blocking a punt deep in Mars Hill territory. The ensuing one-yard TD run by UC’s Jordan Roberts gave the Golden Eagles’ a 28-6 halftime lead en route to a 42-20 victory.
Marshall, a 6-foot, 230-pound junior linebacker from Wichita, KS., racked up 16 tackles, including four sacks in Glenville's 44-10 win over West Virginia Tech. He also forced three fumbles and recovered one.
The league’s Offensive Player of the Week was Concord running back Brian Kennedy. The 5-8, 170-pound junior from Centreville, Va., rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries in the Mountain Lions’ 20-17 road win at Lenoir-Rhyne. Kennedy also caught three passes for 27 yards to help Concord improve to 2-0.
Duane Cochrane
Landis, Newman earn WVC honors
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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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