By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
Published September 1, 2005
University of Pittsburgh receiver Greg Lee, a Chamberlain graduate, has received a considerable amount of preseason publicity.
And, well, he deserves it.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior led the Big East and ranked sixth nationally with 108.1 receiving yards a game last fall. Lee's 1,297 receiving yards is the third-highest single-season total in Pitt history, which isn't bad considering the Panthers have a long history of producing top-flight receivers (see Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant).
Lee, whose position coach is former Florida Gator receiver Aubrey Hill, was named to SI.com's preseason All-America team this week, joining the likes of Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart and Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson.
The Panthers must consider Lee a steal: He had just one other Division I-A scholarship offer (San Diego State). Pitt opens the season Saturday night against Notre Dame.
Not long after Armwood offensive lineman Bert McBride, who committed to Stanford on Monday, first arrived at high school, he received some friendly - and prophetic - encouragement from Hawks offensive coordinator Chris Taylor.
"Chris really took Bert under his wing," said McBride's mother, Alex Sink. "One day midway through his (junior varsity) football season, Chris said, "Bert, if you work at this you could be the first valedictorian football captain Armwood has ever had.' Somehow, that captured Bert's imagination.
McBride not only is a captain this fall, but carries a 6.0 weighted GPA.
How tough was Jesuit swimmer Tommy Wyher last season? Good enough to win state titles in the 100-yard butterfly (53.26) and 100 backstroke (54.31) as a sophomore.
Now he apparently is even better.
"He's bigger and stronger than he was a year ago," said Rich Rogers, who coaches Wyher's club squad, Tampa Bay Aquatics. "He's 6-foot-4. And also 6-4 wide. He's a big boy. He looks more like a linebacker and he has that mentality as well. He absolutely has a killer instinct."
Janessa Taddei, a former Plant standout now at Florida International, was named by coaches to the All-Sun Belt Conference preseason soccer team. The senior forward, one of the Golden Panthers' top offensive threats, led the team in shots (41), points (17) and goals (eight), and shared the team lead in assists (two) last season. She scored more than 90 goals at Plant.
Jesuit's football helmets have a slightly new look this season. Stickers of Tiger paws that reward achievement have been replaced by ones that resemble a steeple, principal Joseph Sabin said. Times staff writer Stephanie Hayes contributed to this report.
