GameDay Grass 3D goes down at Lawrence Free State

Crews at Free State High School took the first steps in revamping athletic facilities Tuesday as they started laying turf on the previously grassy football field.

This is the beginning of a project at Free State and Lawrence High School that will cost about $12 million to complete.
"It's been a while coming," said Tom Bracciano, the school district’s operations and facility planning director.

Lawrence High School is undergoing the same process, but Bracciano said that work is about a week behind.

"We hope to be finished with the football field by Jan. 20, then they'll move up to the baseball field,” he said.

The Free State field alone is costing near $890,000 to install. Bracciano said he'd originally hoped the field would be finished by Jan. 1, but the recent cold weather and snow had postponed the project.

"The ground's been frozen, and it's not really appropriate to put the turf down, so we got a little delayed by that, but they're still really making really good progress," Bracciano said.
After the football field, focus will shift to the baseball fields, then the soccer fields, followed by the softball field and tennis courts at Lawrence High School.

"Our goal is to have seven fields done by mid-April," Bracciano said.

Ole Miss Rebels surge past Texas Tech in Cotton Bowl

Ole Miss isn't just the team that handed Florida its only loss. These Rebels are seriously on the rise.

Behind Jevan Snead's passing, Dexter McCluster's squirming runs and some big returns by Marshay Green, No. 20 Ole Miss overcame an early deficit and beat No. 7 Texas Tech 47-34 Friday in the final Cotton Bowl played in the stadium of the same name.

The Red Raiders (11-2) converted a pair of early turnovers into a 14-0 lead, but Snead led the Rebels to touchdowns on their next three drives, followed by a go-ahead field goal shortly before halftime. Once Green returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, Ole Miss (9-4) was well on its way to capping coach Houston Nutt's first season in grand style.

This was Ole Miss' sixth straight win, matching its longest streak since 2003, when Eli Manning was a senior. That also was the last time the Rebels had been to a bowl.
This roll began when Ole Miss was only 3-4 and coming off consecutive losses following its stunning upset at the Swamp.

Although Texas Tech pulled off huge comebacks in its last two bowls, McCluster ended any such thoughts by barreling into the end zone with 4:34 left. When Rebels fans finished clapping, they began chanting ``S-E-C! S-E-C!'' They did so again with 1:37 left after Ole Miss snuffed out a 2-point conversion attempt, then again following a recovered onside kick.

A little louder and the chants might've been heard at the Big 12 offices about 12 miles away. Still, the message that the fourth-best team in the SEC, according to the polls, is better than the third-best team in the Big 12 will certainly be noted as schools from these leagues - No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Oklahoma - meet next week in the national championship game.

The Red Raiders had a direct path to playing in that game until getting crushed by the Sooners in late November. At the time, they were unbeaten and ranked second, the highest mark in school history.

Getting drubbed in two of the last three games takes some shine off Tech's season, and kept senior quarterback Graham Harrell from going out with the school's record-setting 12th win.
Harrell's consolation was several statistical feats: most career touchdowns in major college football (four in this game made it 134 for his career, breaking the record of 131 set by Hawaii's Colt Brennan) and first player with two 5,000-yard passing seasons. Harrell was 36-of-58 for a Cotton Bowl-record 364 yards, giving him 5,111 yards this season. Only five other quarterbacks have cracked 5,000, including Brennan and two others from Texas Tech.

This was the 73rd Cotton Bowl and the last in its namesake home. The game is moving next year to the $1.1 billion stadium being built by the Dallas Cowboys. The bowl founder's widow handled the pregame coin toss and the dates 1937 and 2009 were painted on the field between the words, ``Celebrating 73 years.''

AstroTurf Statement Regarding AP Story

An article published on Dec. 18 by the Dallas bureau of the Associated Press has again raised questions about the safety of synthetic turf. The story focuses on nylon turf fibers, and mirrors an identical scenario that played out in New Jersey over the spring and summer which prompted an inquiry by the U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. On July 31, the CPSC concluded that based on materials testing and forensic toxicology, synthetic turf – including the nylon variety in question – poses no risk to human health under any reasonable circumstance. Yesterday’s article did not mention the CPSC report. All AstroTurf system fibers, including nylon RootZone® fibers, have been tested and evaluated for safety and pose no risk to the health of children or adults.


Every day throughout the U.S., children and youth, as well as collegiate and professional athletes, play football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and other sports on artificial turf. Parents, coaches and kids alike deserve to be fully informed about the research and science behind the safety of the materials used in these fields to avoid causing undue alarm among the many families whose children use them with regularity.

Please watch the video from our press conference on this issue in New York earlier this year

Attached below are links to the:

• CPSC statement


• CPSC report


• Statement from the Synthetic Turf Council


• Contents of the AstroTurf press conference held in May, 2008

Birdville ISD Superintendent addresses high lead levels in stadium’s turf

This week, many media outlets began reporting a story of high levels of lead found in the AstroPlay field turf at the Fine Arts/Athletics Complex (FAAC). Though the basis of the story is true, I want to take this opportunity to share with you additional information the media did not report.

BISD student-athletes consider themselves lucky when faced the the alternative hazards associated with real grass fields.

I want to begin by assuring you that individuals who have played on the field at the FAAC are not and have not been in danger of lead poisoning.

In recent laboratory tests, the district learned a portion of the field under the main playing surface contained lead levels above those set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on a child ingesting soil. Unfortunately, the EPA has not established any regulations or guidelines for artificial turf, so the testing company, TraceAnalysis, Inc., had to speculate on the levels. The report said, "Ingestion of a turf field does not occur at the rate of soil ingestion ..."

"Synthetic turf is, and has always been safe," Dr. Blair Leftwich, TraceAnalysis, Inc. director, shared with BISD. "In over 40 years of EPA oversight and OSHA regulated manufacturing, there is no scientific or medical evidence that synthetic turf poses a human health or environmental risk from lead." He also stated that with no EPA standards for synthetic turf, any conclusions on health risks are merely speculative.

Dr. David Black, forensic toxicologist with Aegis Sciences Corp., said, "a 50 pound child would have to ingest over 100 pounds of synthetic turf to be at risk of absorbing enough lead to equal the minimum threshold of elevated blood lead."

Dr. Davis Lee, Ph.D., Executive in Residence at the Georgia, Institute of Technology School of Polymer, Textile, and Fiber Engineering, said, "If a green synthetic turf field containing lead chromate is still green, then the lead chromate is still in the yarn. If the Chrome Yellow pigment had leached out, the field would likely be blue.'

We take this matter very seriously, and the safety of our students is our number one priority. Based on the information provided to the district, we do not believe there is any current risk since the lead levels in the uppermost fibers, the portion of the field that individuals are in contact, are well within acceptable range.

"Studies to date are insufficient to make a determination of human health effects," TraceAnalysis reported. In addition, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said, "There is no indication that exposure to the turf could pose any harm. We are not recommending at all, communities shut down their playing fields."

BISD will continue to monitor the turf and will be proactive in addressing any issues associated with the continued safety for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Waddell



Link

McCallie Installing Artificial Turf At Spears Stadium

Artificial turf is coming to The McCallie School, but it won't be blue as in Boise State blue."We are the Big Blue here at McCallie, but the turf will look as close to natural grass as possible," McCallie athletic director Bubba Simmons said Friday.

McCallie plans to install AstroTurf's GameDay 3D Grass on the playing field at Spears Stadium. The GameDay 3D was recently ranked the closest to grass in a study at Michigan State University.

It has also received a two-star certification by FIFA Soccer.Construction crews are already taking topsoil from the field and moving it to the practice field west of the stadium to alleviate drainage problems there.

"It's supposed to go from the mud hole it is now to a finished product by February and ready for all our spring sports," Simmons said. "We simply needed a multi-purpose facility and the turf made sense."

It will make the field available for everybody from our sports teams to dorm competitions to summer camps. Spears Stadium is the focal point on campus and this will allow us to use it for a lot more of our needs."

In a recent article about the new turf at Joplin (Mo.) High School, Joplin Globe Executive Sports Editor Lance Ogden wrote, "The GameDay Grass Astro Turf 3D surface looks and feels like real grass, and the base under the synthetic turf appears to be good, old-fashioned soil.''"We've been to look at fields where this is installed," Simmons said.

"We feel this will be a great playing surface that will meet our multi-purpose needs."The football coaches and athletic directors we have talked to are extremely pleased with the surface and its durability. They also tell us that they are averaging fewer injuries as well, from minor to major."

The track will remain around the field at Spears Stadium."We just think the artificial turf enhances all our sports needs," Simmons said. "We are really excited and enthusiastic about it."

Reebok and GeneralSports Venue/AstroTurf Join Forces for First-Ever R&D Effort Focused on Footwear-Surface Interaction

Industry Leaders Seek Performance and Safety Gains for All Athletes

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Reebok and GeneralSports Venue, the exclusive U.S. licensee of the AstroTurf® brand of synthetic sports turf products, announced today that they are joining forces to study the interaction between athletic footwear and field surfaces for athletes ranging from professionals to amateurs.

The goal of the research collaboration is to help improve athlete performance and help reduce injury risk through the development of better shoes and synthetic sports surfaces. Reebok will spearhead footwear product development while GSV/AstroTurf will focus on synthetic sports turf. The AstroTurf brand was selected based on the advantages of its vertically-integrated manufacturing assets, including the scientific research, design and engineering used to produce sports turf that is among the most technologically advanced in the world.

“GSV/AstroTurf is clearly the leading innovator in synthetic turf, making them our first choice for this unique partnership,” said Don Gibadlo, Vice President of Cleated Footwear at Reebok.

“Instead of studying the interface between the cleats and surfaces already in use, we will be the first to test these products in the conceptual phase, helping us produce innovations that will enhance performance and safety for athletes in field sports at all levels around the world.”
The research effort will analyze footwear-surface interactions, on both synthetic turf and natural grass, for an evolving range of athletic dynamics and an array of athlete types, from NFL linebackers to NCAA soccer players and Little League outfielders.

“As a global leader in performance athletic footwear and the official supplier to several of the world’s elite professional sports leagues, Reebok is the ideal R&D partner,” said Chris Plunket, Senior Vice President of Operations for GSV/AstroTurf. “As industry leaders, it is our shared responsibility to improve both performance and safety, the top priorities of athletes, coaches and management at every level, by leveraging our collective expertise to put the products of the future on a fast track to the marketplace.”

The research will be conducted at various venues nationwide, including on a GameDay Grass 3D™ surface from AstroTurf recently installed at Reebok’s global headquarters in Canton, Mass., with state-of-the art equipment for mechanical and biomechanical testing. Until now, most shoe-surface interaction studies have used cleats and surfaces already on the market, focusing almost exclusively on the incidence of injuries as opposed to performance enhancement.

Reebok and GSV/AstroTurf

Lake Orion advances to Michigan State Championship Game

Lake Orion Dragons shutout Fordson 38-0 last Friday for the opportunity to face Rockford at Ford Field in the Michigan Division 1 Championship Game. Lake Orion will look to avenge their only loss this season, which was the opening game to Rockford.

Lake Orion’s second possession started after a Fordson fumble, recovered by Jared Lee at the Lake Orion 44. Nine plays later, Branden Oakes dove into the end zone from two yards away. Oakes added a 44-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter for a 21-0 Dragon lead at halftime.

The Dragons (12-1) scored in the second half on a three-yard run by Daniel Ney, a 26-yard field goal by Jeffrey Heath, and a 21-yard touchdown run by Marques Stevenson. Heath made all four extra-point kicks.

“We attacked, played aggressive,” said Lake Orion coach Chris Bell about the early lead. “For us to come out, shut them down and keep Fordson (12-1) off the board — I think that says a lot about our kids.

“Someone asked me Week 1 if I’d like to see Rockford again,” Bell added. “And I said I’d love to because that would mean we’re doing something good.”

Lake Orion High School has played their home games on GameDay Grass XPe from AstroTurf since 2005. The 90,325 sf GameDay Grass surface at Dragon Stadium is right next to another 92,000 sf GameDay Grass XPe soccer field.

Lake Orion High School is playing for its 1st State Championship in football and GSV/AstroTurf wishes the Dragons the best of luck!

Greeneville to host TSSAA Final Four on GameDay Grass 3D from AstroTurf

Greeneville High School advances to the Final Four of the TSSAA Playoffs after an exciting 35-28 double overtime win over the Sullivan South Rebels at Burley Stadium on Friday, November 21. Greeneville (11-2) will host the Maryville Rebels (13-0) on Friday, November 28, 2008, at 7:00 PM at Burley Stadium in Greeneville. It will be the second Final Four appearance for GHS, with the other coming in 2000, when Greeneville travelled to Maryville before losing 12-28.

Earlier this year, GameDay Grass 3D was installed at Burley Stadium. An advanced hybrid system which according to third party testing most closely replicates natural grass, GameDay Grass 3D utilizes a proprietary technology called Root Zone™, a simulated thatch layer at the base of the turf system that replicates the underlayer of root fibers and thatch found in natural grass. The density of the RootZone, providing stability, cushion and consistent performance over time, means that less granulated rubber infill is required, reducing the problems related to infill migration and “fly-out.”

Best of luck to the Greene Devils!

Learn more about Greeneville High School Football

Booker T. Washington High School routs Gulf Coast in FHSAA Class 4A Playoff game on GameDay Grass 3D

Torrence Moise completed 13 of 15 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns for Booker T. Washington as they beat Gulf Coast 55-32 in front of a crowd of 500 at Milander Stadium.

''When he's clicking, the offense's clicking,'' Booker T. Washington coach Earl Tillman Jr. said.
Booker T. totaled 429 yards on offense and advanced to play district runner-up Hallandale, which defeated Naples Barron Collier.

Naples Gulf Coast finished its season 7-4. Gulf Coast quarterback Jeff Schmidt passed for 211 yards, and rushed for 75 and two touchdowns. Shawn Normil led Gulf Coast with 100 rushing yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.

Gulf Coast totaled 406 yards on offense, but that didn't bother Tillman. His team was hampered by injuries, and freshmen and sophomores filled in.

''We tried to give all the kids and opportunity to play and played a lot of young guys so they can get some experience, especially during post season play,'' Tillman said.

Dwight Hopkins lead Booker T. Washington rushing with four carries for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Last season, Gulf Coast lost 49-0 to Booker T. But on Friday, it played tough enough to take an early lead. With Gulf Coast leading 7-0, Moise led Booker T. to touchdowns on the first five drives of the first half.

Booker T. tied the score with 7:32 left in the first half on Moise's 1-yard run. 6. Freshman kicker Angel McBoyle hit the first of seven extra points to make the score 7-7.

Booker T. took the lead to stay when Moise capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar to make the score 14-10 with 1:08 left in the quarter.
Booker T. scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a 35-10 lead at the half.

Just seven seconds after the start of the second quarter, Booker T. defensive end Lynden Trail batted a pass by Schmidt, intercepted it and returned the ball to Gulf Coast's 4. Eduardo Clements scored on the next play to make the score 21-10 with 11:48 in the second.

Booker T.'s Willie Williams made the score 28-10 when he capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Moise threw his second touchdown pass, a 3-yarder, to give Booker T. a 35-10 lead.

Gulf Coast put up 22 points in the second half to make it interesting, but Booker T quarterback Jeremiah Hay completed 6 of 7 passes for 72 yards, including a touchdown pass Ricky Delancy that made the score 42-10.

Tony Gallon made it 48-24 with an 18-yard touchdown run with 5:24 left in the fourth. Hopkins' 61-yard touchdown run made the score 55-32.

Dawson's 56-yard FG the difference for Browns after Lindell's miss on MNF

Phil Dawson wasn't about to quit during Cleveland's latest fourth-quarter meltdown. Turned out, neither did the rest of the Browns.

With a confident nod to coach Romeo Crennel, Dawson went out and calmly hit a career-long 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left that sent Cleveland to a 29-27 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night

Dawson's fifth field goal of the game capped a wild finish. The teams traded leads during a 46-second span in the final 2 1/2 minutes -- after the Browns appeared ready to squander a 13-point lead for the third straight week. And the game wasn't decided until Buffalo's Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 38 seconds remaining, allowing Cleveland to run out the clock.

Suddenly, the Browns (4-6) have something to feel good about after they were on the verge of unraveling. Running back Jamal Lewis even questioned whether his teammates had quit during a 34-30 loss to Denver on Nov. 6.

"We got tired of what happened the previous two weeks, getting a lead and losing it in the fourth quarter," receiver Braylon Edwards said. "As a team, we rallied. We came together when we were supposed to and made the plays necessary to win."

Brady Quinn earned his first win in the second career start for the 2007 first-round draft pick. And the Browns' once porous defense -- which allowed 993 yards of offense in its previous two games combined -- held the Bills to 334 yards while generating four turnovers.

"You can't say enough," Crennel said. "The guys hung in there. They played as a team, and it was good enough on this night."

Give Crennel credit, too. Without hesitation, he made the decision to send Dawson out after the Browns' seven-play, 28-yard drive stalled at the Bills 39 after Edwards couldn't hold onto Quinn's pass at the right sideline on third-and-10.

"On the spur of the moment, you've got to be confident," Dawson said.

NFL.com Video Highlights

"So as soon as we threw the incomplete pass on third down, I was ready to go. I gave Romeo a nod, and he had the confidence to send me out there."

It was a better ending for Dawson, too. He missed a potential game-tying 54-yard field goal in the final minute of a 14-11 loss at Washington on Oct. 19.

It's the Bills (5-5) who now face questions about unraveling. They've lost four straight -- their longest skid since 2005 -- and five of six, looking nothing like the upstart team that opened the season 4-0.

Much of the blame for this loss falls on the shoulders of quarterback Trent Edwards, who threw three interceptions on his first four possessions, putting the Bills in a deep hole.

"It's frustrating right now. I don't really have any good answers," he said. "I'm frustrated with myself and the way I performed."

The miscues -- two poor reads and a pass tipped by defensive tackle Shaun Rogers at the line of scrimmage -- were an extension of the troubles Edwards had in his previous three games. Over a 10-quarter span, including the first quarter against Cleveland, he threw eight interceptions, lost two fumbles and gave up a safety.

Lindell took the loss much harder. He was emotionally upset and dejected as he spoke with reporters.

"Yeah, you have to make it. It's ridiculous," said Lindell, who was good from 26 and 31 yards. "I missed my line. You have to make those."

Suddenly, the Bills' chances of ending their eight-year playoff drought are in jeopardy. The team has fallen from first in the AFC East to last in the span of a month. And so much for the poise and confidence the team showed in securing three consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks earlier this season.

"It's not where we want to be, obviously," coach Dick Jauron said. "It doesn't feel like a free-fall, at least not to me. I can tell you, being around them, they hurt."

The loss spoiled a breakout game for running back Marshawn Lynch, who had a season-best 119 yards rushing and added a team-leading 58 yards receiving, including an 18-yard touchdown. Rookie Leodis McKelvin also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, one play after Cleveland's Jerome Harrison scored on a 72-yard run that put the Browns up 23-13 to open the fourth quarter.

Josh Cribbs also scored on a 2-yard run for the Browns, and Edwards had 104 yards receiving.
"I can't say enough for this being a big win for our team," Quinn said. "We ended up winning in the end. It wasn't the way we wanted to, but a win is a win."

FHSAA Playoff Game to be played on GameDay Grass 3D

The Gulf Coast High School football team's first-round Class 4A playoff game against Miami-Washington on Nov. 21 will be played at Milander Stadium in Hialeah.

The site was released on the Florida High School Athletic Association site on Tuesday. Because not every high school in Miami has its own football stadium, games are usually rotated among multiple sites.

The game has a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Washington beat Gulf Coast, 49-0, in the first round en route to the state championship last year.

Ted Hendricks Stadium was the first installation of GameDay Grass 3D. Installed in 2007, Ted Hendricks Stadium hosts located in the heart of Hialeah, plays host to over 20 high school Football games, the Copa Latina Soccer Tournament, as well as, numerous special events throughout the year.

AstroTurf pays off for BCS Top 25

Six of the Top 25 teams in this weeks BCS Rankings practice or play on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

Leading the way is #1 Alabama (10-0), who practice indoor on their GameDay Grass field in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

#3 Texas (9-1) practices on their only synthetic football field at the Indoor Practice facility or "The Bubble" as the players call it.

#11 Ohio State (8-2) practices on a full-size AstroTurf GameDay Grass field in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

#15 Michigan State (9-2) practices on their GameDay Grass field indoors at the Duffy Daugherty Football Building across from Spartan Stadium.

#19 Florida State (7-2) practices on their only synthetic football field, which is marked identically to Doak Campbell Stadium.

#25 South Carolina (7-3) practices on their only synthetic football field, their GameDay Grass XPe field located in the USC Indoor Facility.

Undefeated Alabama clinches berth in SEC Championship Game

No. 1 Alabama (10-0, 6-0) got three interceptions from Rashad Johnson and a 1-yard quarterback sneak in overtime by John Parker Wilson Saturday to win 27-21 over No. 15 LSU (6-3, 3-3) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

The win clinches Alabama's first SEC Western Division title since 1999 and secures a berth in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.

Since 2002, the only synthetic turf the Crimson Tide have practiced on is AstroTurf GameDay Grass. The 110 yard field is located in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility, which is fully heated and air- conditioned, allowing the Tide unlimited access no matter what the conditions are outside.

UTEP prepares for in-state rival Rice

UTEP (3-4, 3-1 C-USA) battles Rice (5-3, 4-1 C-USA) on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. MDT. The Miners lost at Tulsa, 77-35, in their last action on Oct. 18. Rice is coming off a 42-17 demolition of Tulane last weekend in New Orleans. The Owls are ninth in the country in passing offense (308.3 ypg), 10th in scoring offense (40.1 ppg) and turnover margin (1.13), and 15th in passing efficiency (154.07).

UTEP is 4-3 following off weeks under fifth-year head coach Mike Price, but 0-3 since 2006. This is the Miners' second bye week of the season. They lost to New Mexico State, 34-33, coming off a bye week on Sept. 20.

UTEP will play five games in the month of November for the first time since 2003 and only the second time since 1952. The Miners also had five November games in 1919, 1920, 1929, 1941, 1946 and 1952. UTEP is 5-22 in November since 2001 and has gone winless in the month in four of the last seven years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007).

The Miners are 5-10 in November under Price with a current six-game losing streak. UTEP's last victory in November was a 36-17 triumph at UAB on Nov. 10, 2006.

UTEP will need to win three of five games in November to be bowl eligible. Following the Rice game, the Miners will play at Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 8 and host SMU on Nov. 15 before capping the regular season slate with road games at Houston (Nov. 22) and East Carolina (Nov. 28).

Since 2001, the Miners have played their home games at the Sun Bowl on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

AstroTurf official sponsor of the 1st Annual David Wright Topps Camp

AstroTurf is an official sponsor of the 1st Annual Topps Camp with New York Mets 3rd Baseman David Wright on November 1, 2008 at Hofstra University.

The camp is the second in a series of Topps most recent business venture the Topps Camp program. For more information about this camp and future camps Topps is producing and for registration please visit their website at http://www.toppscamp.com/ or call the toll free hotline at 1.877.805.0660.

Bainbridge Burned on Its New Turf in 37-14 Loss

Playing its first five games on the season on the road, Bainbridge's football team made its home debut Friday night on a newly-installed turf field.

Bainbridge's opponent — Metro League powerhouse O'Dea — sure liked the Spartans' new digs.
Irish quarterback Gabe Lee passed for 178 yards and four touchdowns as O'Dea claimed a 37-14 victory to spoil Bainbridge's homecoming.

"It's nice," Bainbridge coach Andy Grimm said of his team's synthetic surface. "I wish we would have competed better and made less mistakes."

Known for its power-running game, O'Dea (5-1, 3-0) took to the air early and often as Bainbridge (3-3, 1-2) filled the box with defenders.

"They were playing up, blitzing a lot, so we decided to pass the ball," said Lee, who completed 9 of 12 passes for the game. "We've got a great wide receiving corps."

The Irish, who entered the game averaging 185 yards on the ground, took a 7-0 lead in the first

quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Anthony Espinoza on fourth down to cap off a 13-play, 70-yard drive.

Lee made it 20-0 by halftime. He hooked up with Miles Edwards on a juggling 42-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter, then found Cameron Welch wide open in a wheel route for another 15-yard scoring pass 42 seconds before halftime.

Lee's third touchdown pass of the night came in the third quarter when he found Edwards on a 4-yard slant, putting the Irish up 27-0.

"Against the other teams in our league, they've been able to bring it over the top," Grimm said of O'Dea's offense. "They've got the speed to get behind you."
Bainbridge, which was held to 50 yards of offense in the first half, finally got on the scoreboard three plays into the fourth quarter when Alex Johnson ran the ball up the gut for a 6-yard touchdown.

But Lee would strike again for the Irish midway through the fourth, hitting Chandler Gayton for a 37-yard score following a Bainbridge fumble.

Johnson, who finished with 17 carries for 59 yards, added another 6-yard touchdown late in the quarter. But the Irish victory was secure.

Grimm said his team competed hard, but had a difficult time matching up physically against an O'Dea team featuring massive linemen Danny Kistler (6-8, 318 pounds), Ben Riva (6-6, 272) and Grant Enger (6-7, 244).

"It gets tough," Grimm said. "You've got 300-plus pound guys dropping on you every play."
Bainbridge's coach said his team faces must-win league games against Lakeside and Bishop Blanchet the next two weeks.

"If we want to play a meaningful playoff game," Grimm said, "then we've got to run the table in those two."

This week on AstroTurf GameDay Grass

Saturday, October 11th (All times EST)

12:00pm - Butler at

12:00pm - Juanita at

12:30pm - Colorado at #16 on

6:00pm - Bowling Green at

7:00pm - #25 Ball State at

9:05pm - Tulane at

Camels savor that winning feeling

Luke Decock, Staff Writer

News & Observer

BUIES CREEK - Everything that happens to Campbell's football team this fall is a first anyway, but when Milton Brown walked into his 9 a.m. Monday business law class on Sept. 29, he was Campbell's first football star.

Brown's game-winning touchdown on an interception return -- his second TD and third interception of the game -- sealed a 36-27 win over Carthage (Wis.) College two days earlier, Campbell's first football win in 58 years.

Brown walked into class a hero, suddenly the star of a team that barely existed a year earlier. His whole day went like that.

"Even my piano teacher said, 'When I first met you, I knew you played football, but I didn't know you were a superstar like that,' " Brown said.

A week later, the Camels were spanked 42-0 at Dayton, a reality check if there ever was one, but the swing in emotions didn't seem to affect the Campbell players, who regarded it with a little more nonchalance than most of their college football peers.

They're focused on a bigger goal. None of them came to Campbell to win right away. That they did, after eight weeks of practice, was a huge bonus that made all the "we're part of something bigger" talk more than just talk.

"It was great to have that win for Campbell," said fullback Jordan Cramer, who played at Wake Forest-Rolesville. "We're adding brick by brick to the program, and that was one of the biggest bricks we put down."

The football team talks a lot about building, and that's certainly the case for Campbell athletics in general. The football stadium is more than half- finished, with a shiny new fieldhouse for the team and bleachers around half of the field.

On the other side of campus, a new basketball arena -- more than three times the size of the old one, which was the second-smallest in Division I with 947 seats -- is now open for business.
Campbell has always punched above its weight athletically, from the basketball team to the golf-management program, and the football team will have to meet the same high standards, as a non-scholarship program with modest means. So far, the Camels are 1-5. Saturday's home game against Butler will be the first in Buies Creek since the win over Carthage.

"There's always the frustration of losing, but you can't focus on the losses too much," said Paul Constantine, a wide receiver who played at Enloe last year. "I hate when everybody says we're a new team. That's not a fall-back. That can't be our excuse."

For players like Andy Johnson, an offensive lineman from Smithfield, the win was a long time coming. He was a member of Campbell's first recruiting class last fall, a group that practiced every week as if a game was coming while the first game was still a year away.

With the football facilities still being built, they changed in an old laundry room. Now, they dress in a state-of-the-art locker room and practice on a top-of-the-line artificial turf field. A win was the only thing missing.

"Everything we've done here has been a first," Campbell coach Dale Steele said. "When you get an opportunity to get that first win, that's a little bigger first than the first scrimmage or the first practice or any of those things."

When the team got back to campus after an 11-hour journey from Wisconsin -- beginning with a 2:30 a.m. wake-up call, four hours after the game ended -- Brown wasn't the only player singled out in class. The university president showed up for the football team's breakfast meeting.

"People knew we were football players, but it was a whole different level once we finally won a game," Johnson said. "People recognize you, just walking down the hallway, and stop and talk to you."

At some levels of football, wins are taken for granted or treated like a birthright. For Campbell, one win meant everything.

Obama wows Asheville crowd on AstroTurf GameDay Grass XPe

Sen. Barack Obama told 28,000 people gathered in and around Asheville High School Memorial Stadium that his proposals would ensure affordable health care for all Americans.

Speaking for 40 minutes while in Asheville for debate rehearsal Sunday afternoon, Obama sought to tie health care problems to the broader economic slowdown and the collapse of Wall Street titans.

Asheville police said the crowd numbered 22,000 inside the stadium and 6,000 more along the perimeter.

The rally was held on GameDay Grass XPe at Asheville High School. A natural-looking turf that has set new standards for durability and performance in a polyethylene-based infill system, GameDay Grass XPe features parallel fibrillated slit film polyethylene fiber technology. Installed in 2005, the 99,049 square foot field was built for extended use and various sports and events, ranging from football or soccer games, physical education classes, to now major political rallies.

#2 Alabama prepares for undefeated Kentucky

The University of Alabama football team began preparations for Saturday’s game with Kentucky on Monday afternoon with a two-hour practice.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban talked about another challenging Southeastern Conference game on Saturday against another undefeated team that ranks first nationally in scoring defense and kickoff returns.

“They are maybe the best defensive team in the country,” Saban at his weekly press conference on Monday. “They are certainly first in scoring defense. They have a lot of guys back from last year’s team. They are physical, they play with toughness, and they make good sound adjustments in what they do. Obviously giving up five points a game they are hard to score on which makes you a good defensive team.

“Offensively they have done a nice job controlling the ball. Their new quarterback, (Mike) Hartline has done a good job of managing the offense, keeping them in the right place and have them doing the right things. Their offensive line is good. They have been able to run the ball effectively against everybody they have played against. They have shown the capabilities of beating good teams in beating LSU when they were No. 1 last year.

“They are very good on special teams. (Dicky) Lyons is a good punt returner and is their leading receiver and they lead the conference in kickoff returns. This is going to be a challenging game for us. It is no different than the game we just played relative to maintaining intensity in terms of your mental energy, not only in how you play the game but how you prepare to play the game and get ready to play the game.”

Alabama and Kentucky will meet this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CDT) in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports.

The Crimson Tide are one of four SEC teams to practice on GameDay Grass from AstroTurf in their indoor facilities. The Tide installed AstroTurf in 2002 at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility, giving them a state-of-the-art playing surface available anytime, regardless of weather.

After a recent practice on the AstroTurf surface, Alabama QB John Parker Wilson said "I thought we had a pretty good practice, the energy was good and I think practicing inside was a plus to change it up a little bit,"