Football camp heads the grapevine chatter -- or does it?

I didn’t attend either of Lafayette’s first two preseason football camp practices, but I took a look at photos on the college website and a one-minute video featuring a miced-up head coach John Garrett. I found both interesting.

I was hoping to get some first-hand stuff from someone on the Lafayette Sports Fan Forum, but they were off doing other things, I guess. I did, however, pick up some disturbing non-football grapevine information from the LSFF guys. And eventually, I did get some unofficial gossip about the football practices.

And finally, I took a long look at the roster to see what I could come up with. Anyone can do this kind of digging if they’ve got nothing better to occupy them for part of an afternoon.

From perusing the roster on the website, and comparing it with the roster in last season’s media guide and with news releases about 2018 recruits, I came up with the following:

PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER, BUT NOT ON 2018

Dante Lonardo – DE, 6 games played, 15 tackles last year.

Michael Turk – 67 punts, 42.7-yard average, long of 64 yards last year.

Brycen Mussina – QB, no play.

Austin McCrum – QB, no play.

Clay Rush – 5 games played, 4 tackles last year.

Dylan Murphy – OL., no action in two seasons.

Tom Moore –DB, played special teams, 3 games, in 2016.

Tanner Kern – OL, last played in 2015, with nine starts.

Trey Fallon – OL, no games played.

PLAYERS NOT ANNOUNCED ON TWO FRESHMEN RECRUIT CLASSES

Antonio Brewer – added before spring

Clennie Murphy – added before spring

Harrison Greenhill – Soph transfer from Army

Michael Moriarity -- Soph

Scott Fernandes – Frosh

Shane Davis – Frosh

Logan Whelan -- Frosh

PLAYERS CHANGING NUMBERS FOR 2018

Nick Pearson – WR goes from #84 to #6

Julian Spigner – WR goes from #85 to #18

Quinn Revere – WR goes from #86 to #8

Ryan Dickens – LB goes from #54 to #33

Selwyn Simpson – RB goes from #37 to #22

Otis Thrasher – LB goes from #323 to #12

Coach Garrett said on the league football media teleconference call that he expected to have 86 players dressed for the first practice. From what I ave heard, that didn’t pan out. My counter, who wasn’t a math major but is pretty good with numbers, said only 32 players were in white (defense) jerseys, unless some showed up late. DL Tony Giudice and LB Major Jordan were in street clothes and DB Dmitry Smith was handling filming. Three other players were in blue no-contact jerseys, and I’m told two of them headed for the training room after the opening stretch. I’m told 47 players were in blue (offense). Six of those were quarterbacks and four were in the kicker-snapper group. So, it looks like the dressed-to-practice number was in the 70s, not the 80s.

I’m told Becahi grad Julian Spigner had the highlight catch of the day, but it was not caught on the video. The big plays on the video were a leaping interception by Jerry Powe on a Sean O’Malley pass and a bomb TD by freshman Shane Davis (not the much-ballyhooed guy) to Nick Pearson, who got behind the defense. It was good to see a photo of sophomore J.J. Younger running the ball. The speedster missed all of last season with an injury held over from high school. Healthy, he could be a welcome addition to guys like C.J. Amill and Joey Chenoweth. That’s the small-but-might group. The video even showed Coach Garrett working on his short-pass delivery. I don’t know how he managed to work that in with all those QBs in the wings. One other player who was easily recognized was freshman OL Joshua Roberts, just on sheer size – he’s 6-7, 315 pounds according to the roster, and it’s reported to be all good weight.

Hopefully, I’ll get to practice before the Aug. 14 Media Day.  Wednesday is the first scheduled full-pads practice, so that might be a good one to see.

THE RUMOR MILL IS HUMMING

On the other-sports front, the guys on the LSFF are talking about long-time Lafayette athletics donor – and much more – Bill Rappolt being relieved of his position as chairman of Friends of Lafayette Field Hockey. That would be the same man who donated the funds for what is now known as Rappolt Field and whose rapport with field hockey alumnae, family and friends has been instrumental in raising funds for FOFH.

If it’s true that Leopards’ athletic director Sherryta Freeman has burned that bridge, someone has to ask for a pretty definitive reason. I know Bill, and I also know he had some positive vibes about the hire early on. The Athletics Department has a lot of issues that need to be addressed – if that almost two-year-old study ever materializes – but Bill Rappolt’s passion for Lafayette field hockey and support for other sports isn’t even on the list. This is mind-boggling. I can only hope things change.

I haven't spoken to Bill, who may be on vacation. Did the college destroy his vacation with a haymaker?  Not even face-to-face?  Not possible. Is it?

Want another one? I’m told Ms Freeman let it be known she didn’t think lacrosse games should be played on Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium turf, which would please the football people no end. But, she supposedly was shot down on that one.  Can all this really be happening?

Get ready for that plan Ms Freeman told me about back in May. She said then, “We are engaging in a process to launch a five-year strategic plan at the end of the summer …” That time is rapidly approaching. This is just a reminder. Sept. 21 is the final full day of the summer.