tai.isAtsq j 4ini a ij_iA Ihrend Beacon Lance Sabol tops Penn State Behrend with 11 goals this season. He has yet to celebrate any of his scors with anything more than a smile. PSU FOOTBALL Terrelle Pryor returns to PA, schools Lions 1 1 1 f It o . 10 4„ A SHAWN ANNARELLI sports editor Returning to his home state of Pennsylvania, Ohio State's glorified quarterback Terrelle Pryor put to rest any question that he is the next great college football player. And he did it against the coach ,tb i V friended him and the team he scorned to wear Buckeye Red and Silver. "Not to take away from Penn State, but it was big to come home," Pryor said. "I haven't been back to Pennsylvania in a really long time. There are a lot of people who came here to watch me play." Days before Ohio State played at Happy Valley, Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator Tom Bradley received a teasing text message from Pryor. The two consider each other friends off of the field. He told Bradley not to, "send Terrelle Pryor's stat line CMP AM' YDS TD INT RSH YDS TD 8 17 125 2 0 5 50 1 all of those blitzes at me." Entering last Saturday's con test, Penn State's defense led the nation in sacks, and Pryor led the Big Ten in being sacked. Bradley ignored Pryor's plea and dialed up the blitzes. He did not expect Pryor to have the right answer every time, as the Lifts did not sack him once. ' Pryor's first big play of the game came on a second and goal from the seven-yard line. Pryor took a five-step drop and was met at the end of his drop back by unblocked line backer Navarro Bowman. The old Terrelle Pryor might have panicked, but this time he intuitively sidestepped the blitz. Consequently, defensive line man 011ie Ogbu momentarily eyed up Pryor from behind, but Pryor stepped up in the pocket to avoid him, too. Pryor took a split-second to make his next move, aban doned the pass play and bolted UNIVERSITY GATE APARTMENTS NOW LEASING FOR FALL 2010 NEW COMMUNITY CENTER LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS - On-site Office and Laundry THE ENTRANCE FROM - Hungry Howie's Pizza PENN STATE BEHREND Wifi Student Lounge - Exercise Facility - Fully Applianced Kitchens - High Speed Internet in All Bedrooms - Free Parking - Central Air Conditioning - Walking Distance to Class - Two Full Baths NEW 3&4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS FEATURING ALL PRIVATE BATHROOMS Lance Sabol: The silent assassin SHAWN ANNARELLI sports editor Every time junior Lance Sabol scores a goal, he heads back towards his midfield posi tion as if nothing has occurred. He likes it that way. "I do not celebrate for my self," Sabol said. "I would rather celebrate a victory with the team than showboat my own goals." Isn't it odd that the leading goal scorer of one of most dom inant AMCC soccer teams is so modest, so unexcitable? "When he was young I used to tell him to be humble," said his father, Larry Sabol. "He has never been the one to rip off his shirt screaming and carry ing on. He is a good, kind kid." He does not have much use for words against opponents, either. "I take a passive aggressive approach to playing," Sabol, the marketing major said. "I try not to respond to other players' trash talk. I just play my game." When Sabol was eight years old, he started to become seri ous about soccer while playing on a traveling team. He honed his skills as he devoted time to playing spring, summer, fall and indoor winter soccer. "It was the only field sport Lance wanted to do," his father said. "Everyone knew he had a gift on the field, but his mother and I didn't push him. Lance has played his whole life be for the end zone. He beat All- American linebacker Sean Lee to the goal line and began what would be a 24-7 upset over Penn State. It is at this moment that everyone watching witnessed Pryor elevate his play to an new level. "This was my first time to lead the team and lead the of fense and score some touch downs against another big team," Pryor said. "It felt pretty good to lead the team." Lead he did. He passed for 125 yards with no turnovers and two touch downs, along with five rushes for 50 yards and another touch down. Pryor's decision making was the most impressive part of his performance. "He did a good job of taking what he had," Lee said. "He didn't make a lot of mistakes, which was big for them. When ever he saw he had something, he took it. That was smart of him." Pryor put on a clinic for good www.universitygateapartments.com (814) 899-5160 cause he loves it." Around this time Sabol met an iconic figure, Matt Hayden, a varsity sports player eight years older than Sabol. "I met him at an annual soc cer clinic called 'Kids Night'," Sabol said. "He was one of the best players on the varsity team, and he wore my number." Sabol would come to mirror his play after Hayden's style. Hayden holds Norwin High's career record of 71 goals while Sabol follows be hind with 27. It was difficult for Sabol to catch up to his icon as he under went hernia sur gery right before his junior sea son, and frac tured his ankle to begin his sen ior campaign. The hernia surgery kept him out almost six weeks, but he played on the ankle "It was my senior year," every season I want to celebrate a championship with my team mates." Sabol said. "How could I not play with my team?" Despite the fracture, Sabol earned First-Team All-WPIAL honors. Now Sabol dons the number seven Penn State Behrend Blue and White jersey. Sabol likes to wear the same Geneva College shirt under his playing jersey and the same quarterbacking on Ohio State's final scoring drive. He dropped back to pass four times and made the correct reads on each play while under pressure. On second and 11 from mid field Pryor passed to an open DeVier Posey. Posey caught the pass, but seemingly did not at tempt to keep his feet in bounds. On the next play Pryor boot legged left and did not read any receivers open downfield. Only Bowman separated Pryor from a first down. Bowman's only responsibility on this play was to mirror Pryor's actions. He did, but not well enough as Pryor beat Bow man to the corner and picked up 12 yards and a first down. Later in the drive, on third and three from the Lions' 16 yard-line, Pryor was flushed out of the pocket but spotted fullback Zach Boren open near the line of scrimmage. The two connected for a five-yard gain and another first down. On the last play of the drive Pryor bootlegged right and had pair of black socks under his playing socks. The rituals do not stop there. Sabol teams up with Teti to start run and stretch before every game. The two players like to joke around about any thing to keep loose. "One time he came back to school and told us a story about how he caught 35 fish on a sin gle fishing trip," Teti said. "I didn't know whether or not to believe him, but it is something I mess with him about a lot." After stretch ing, Sabol gets carried away in his own thoughts. "At the end of Lance Sabol Junior, Marketing come about just during pre-game warm-ups. He dreams about it, too. "Sometimes I dream about scoring impossible goals with bicycle kicks or from 40 yards out into the corner of the net," Sabot said. The moment on the field that Sabol says "has defined my soc cer career so far" came early this season against Geneseo. It was the championship game of the Herb Lauffer Me the option of throwing to three different receivers With two receivers covered deep in the end zone Pryor checked down to running back Brandon Saine. Saine was virtually uncov ered. The linebacker that was supposed to be covering him, Josh Hull, was more concerned with the actions of Pryor and errantly followed the quarter back's movement before realiz ing he had left Saine open in the flat. Saine scored and Pryor glee fully skipped off the field on his way to his first big collegiate win. "Our game plan was to stop Pryor," Ogbu said. "We didn't do it. We failed." When Pryor committed to Ohio State, he told head coach Jim Tressell that he wanted to play 'like Peyton Manning.' Tressell told Pryor that they would work on that, but first they have to do what it takes to win. Finally, Pryor seems to be getting the message. BEHREND BEACON November 13, 2009 www.thebehrendbeacon.com morial Tournament. Sabol and the Lions were aiming to take the tournament title to kick start the season. With control of the game near the 22 minute mark, Behrend charged into Gene seo's territory. Senior Jerry Tortella served the ball across the middle of the field where Sabol was waiting for an oppor tunity to score. "The pass was hard," Sabol said. "I knew I was not going to be able to control the pass. I just reached out hard and tried to redirect it." Sabol's toe caught a piece of the ball just outside of the six yard box. The shot beat Geneso's goaltender, Mike Madarasz, into the back of the net. "I usually think about scor ing for the team, especially before big games," Sabol said. These ambi tions do not The goal proved to be the game-winning score. "It set the tone for the team's season," Sabol said. "We set high standards to win games, tournaments and champi onships." Sabol has always had the competitive edge to be a win ner. "I was always on winning teams as a kid," Sabol said. "At the end of every season I want to celebrate a championship with my teammates." His only AMCC Champi onship came as a freshman in 2007. Is 2010 the year for num ber two? It will be if he has anything to say about it. Sportsillustrated com Terrelle Pryor led Ohio State to a 24-7 victory over Penn State. He ran for a touchdown and threw for two more with no turnovers. 4 VP
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