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Letter to the editor

Pair making mark at Wake Forest

By NANCY MORGAN, Times Sports Correpondent
Published December 16, 2007

Louis Frazier Clearwater and Kevin Marion (Dixie Hollins) played various sports from their early years through high school, but football was always No. 1.

The last four years at Wake Forest, offensive lineman Frazier and wide receiver Marion made an impact on the Demon Deacon team.

"A lot of people encouraged me when I wasn't sure I had the ability to play at this level," said Frazier, 22. "The ACC is very quick, and I've been thankful for the opportunity."

After being redshirted his freshman season, Frazier worked his way into the starting lineup, where he has been his last two seasons. This year, Frazier was third on the team in knockdown blocks with 42 and participated in 601 offensive plays grading out at 85.4 percent.

"From the time I played pee-wee football it was obvious I couldn't catch a pass, so I was moved to the line early on," Frazier said. "That, plus growing to 6-4 and weighing 315 pounds, the line was where I needed to be. To be an effective offensive lineman, you need to be able to ID the defense, be agile, have quick feet and good hand-to-eye coordination, especially in pass blocking."

Frazier's prowess was not limited to the football field, and the biology major excelled in the classroom. Last month, Frazier was named to the ESPN The Magazine academic All-America first team. He maintained a 3.76 GPA and plans to enter Wake Forest's medical school this summer.

Marion had been limited to one season of high school football after two knee injuries, but when Wake Forest was willing to take a chance on him, he responded. His first season, Marion was second on the team in rushing and was the squad's key punt returner. The next two years, Marion continued to be a threat and this season the senior averaged 6.5 yards rushing and 31.3 on kick returns, including a 98-yarder.

"The key to the wide receiver position is consistency - it's not all about speed - and catching the ball and then doing something with it," said Marion, 23. "Returning kickoffs is about vision, speed and using your natural ability.

"Getting to and winning the ACC championship last year was an exciting highlight for me. I've never been part of anything so big, and I'll never forget it."

Both Frazier and Marion dreamed of going to a bowl game during their collegiate careers, and to advance to their second consecutive one, both said, is more than a dream come true.

Last year, Wake Forest played in the Orange Bowl against Louisville. On Dec. 29, the Deacons face Connecticut in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.

MORE FOOTBALL: Chip Brinkman (Clearwater Central Catholic) is a junior wide receiver for the Demon Deacons, as is senior Trey Schmidt (Shorecrest). Brinkman averaged 8.1 yards on 24 catches. Schmidt has been a squad member since his sophomore year.

- Ferrum College starting punter T.J. Grzesikowski (Seminole) received honorable mention on the All-USA South Conference team after posting a 39.4-yard punt average. The freshman recorded 1,774 yards in 10 games with a long of 61 yards.

- Coast Guard senior punter Jesse Harms (Lakewood/Naval Academy Prep) earned his third consecutive All-East Region first-team selection. Harms led the New England Football Conference with a 40.7-yard average.

-Parker Miles (Countryside) had eight tackles for Richmond in its 55-35 loss to Appalachian State in the I-AA semifinal. In 13 games, the defensive lineman recorded 41 tackles, 10th on the team.

- Richmond defensive back Derek Hatcher (Berkeley Prep) of St. Petersburg posted 27 tackles in 13 games.

VOLLEYBALL: Tampa senior Katelyn Dixon (Countryside) was named to the AVCA Division II All-America first team for the second consecutive year. The outside hitter averaged three-plus kills and three digs per game. In the NCAA Elite Eight against Washburn, Dixon led Tampa in kills (18) and digs (18).

- Florida Southern junior right-sider Ashley Martin (Seminole/Winthrop) was named second-team All-America. Martin led the team in kills (439) and points per game.

- Senior Beverly Stasis (Countryside) was named second-team All-America. In her four-year career, the outside hitter was Florida Southern's and the Sunshine State Conference's leader in kills with 2,001.

- Florida Southern senior libero Daryl Baby (Clearwater) posted a career-high 13 digs in the NCAA South Region final against Tampa to bring her total to 1,632, third best in school history.

BASKETBALL: Stetson's Brittany Carannante (Clearwater) collected a season-best five rebounds in a 54-43 loss to South Alabama and a season-high eight points in Stetson's first win, 62-48, over Bethune-Cookman. The freshman guard is fourth on the team in points with 5.6 per game.

- Junior guard Rachel Hammond (Clearwater) scored a season-best 13 in 19 minutes for Liberty in a 76-40 win over Binghamton. Hammond hit 5-of-5 field goals, including a 3-pointer.

- UCF senior Mike O'Donnell (Largo/NC State) is second on the team in points with 12.3 per game. The guard had a career-best six steals and added 11 points in a 76-67 loss to Ole Miss.

-Josh Neri (Pinellas Park/St. Petersburg College) is the starting point guard for Warren Wilson College. The senior is averaging 14 points with four assists and two steals.

News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan, 445-4119; e-mailed to namorgan@tampabay.rr.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include phone number.

[Last modified December 15, 2007, 21:16:35]