Courage that goes beyond the field
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There are not many places where this statement is more true than at St. John Fisher College and the University of Rochester. For the past three years, the two neighboring schools have met in an annual game called the Courage Bowl, and it has changed the lives for numerous people all over the USA and even internationally.
The idea for the Courage Bowl came in 2005 by St. John Fisher volunteer assistant coach Gary Mervis, who is also the founder of Camp Good Days and Special Times, a summer camp on the shores of Keuka Lake for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Mervis started the camp in August 1980, the summer after his daughter Teddi was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1979 at age 9.
He saw a segment on the Today show around the same time his daughter was diagnosed about a hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., that had an outdoor program that got cancer patients away from the hospital setting, if only for a few hours.
“I was so impressed at this program that I contacted the Today show to find out more about it,” Mervis said in a telephone interview this week. “We didn’t have anything like this in Rochester at the time. So I started (an outdoor program) in 1980 with 21 kids from Buffalo, 21 from Syracuse and 21 from Rochester. Through this, Camp Good Days was born.”
And the camp has grown exponentially since -- more than 1,500 campers from all over the world took part in a weekly session this summer on at the camp on Keuka Lake.
“Cancer robs them of the special time of childhood,” Mervis said, whose daughter died in February 1982 at the age of 12. “They lose the sense of invincibility at a young age. We want to give them back some of the childhood that cancer takes away.”
Mervis, who has been an assistant at St. John Fisher for the past 18 years, said he got the idea for the Courage Bowl driving home from the camp one day in July 2005.
“I heard a woman yelling at kids throwing a football in a car. This was at the time of the year when the Bills were setting up training camp, and I got to thinking about kids dreaming about playing football and scoring the winning touchdown. The idea for many of our kids playing college football is almost unbelievable, so I thought, ‘What’s a good way to give our kids a chance to be part of a team?’"
So he went to St. John Fisher head coach Paul Vosburgh, sports information director Norm Kieffer and athletic director Bob Ward about the idea of the game, and then spoke with the staff at Rochester as well.
Both sides loved the plan.
“It was a pretty easy sell for both us and U of R,” Kieffer said.
“It was a beneficial idea for both teams,” said Rochester sports information director Dennis O’ Donnell.
For the game, Mervis and his staff pick six campers to be honorary coaches -- three for St. John Fisher and three for Rochester. These six come up to the field for a practice, eat with the players at the pregame meal, travel on the bus to the stadium, go in the locker room with the teams, lead the team onto the field and participate in the coin toss. They are also on the sideline during the game.
“It gives the kids an experience they’ll never forget,” Mervis said. “Because when the games are over, you don’t always remember the scores of the games, but you do remember the players, the coaches, and being a part of that team.”
One camper, a boy by the name of Steve Taylor, was an honorary coach the first year, and had received a jersey with all the players signatures on it. He was so proud of that jersey, Mervis said, that he refused to wear the hospital gown at the hospital and insisted on wearing his St. John Fisher jersey.
“He took his coaching job seriously,” Mervis said.
Ward said one of the things he notices is how the players from both teams respond to the significance of what the game stands for.
“After the game, both teams go to midfield, take a knee and listen to the coaches and Gary speak,” Ward said.
Part of the experience actually happens a few months before the first snap. Players, coaches and administrators from both teams make a one-day trip to the camp during the preseason to see what the camp is all about.
“We get to know (the kids) on a little more of a personal level,” Kieffer said.
“One of my concerns was seeing how the players would respond,” Mervis said. “My fears were alleviated when I heard Mark Robinson say that the game was secondary to the kids. And it’s the same way for players at U of R.”
Fans have also responded very well to the event. In the first year of the game, it drew nearly 6,000 fans to Growney Stadium, a record for an on-campus event at St. John Fisher. Then last year at Rochester, the game drew nearly 4,200, despite the threat of rain and with the game being televised locally.
This past week, it drew another nearly 6,000 fans and was broadcast live.
“The first year, it was the biggest crowd at Growney. Even bigger than the Bills’ practices or scrimmages,” Mervis said.
In the end, it’s all about making life better for those who have had to struggle with a life-threatening disease.
“Camp Good Days became a memorial for Teddi,” Mervis said. “I needed it more than it needed me. I couldn’t do anything about the cancer, but I could help the kids get back some of their childhood.”
Ward sums it up very succinctly.
“Gary Mervis is a saint. He’s dedicated his life to this to make sure some people have a better life.”
The motto of the camp is, “Where courage knows no boundaries,” which is where the game gets its name and judging by all the people involved, I would say that’s an understatement.
To donate to Camp Good Days, visit their Web site at www.campgooddays.org, call the camp at (585) 624-5555 or write the camp at Camp Good Days, 1332 Pittsford-Mendon Road, Mendon, NY 14506.
Craziness in Week 3
Footballwise, Week 3 was a crazy one in the East Region, with many surprises, upsets, and top teams falling.
Two top-25 teams in the Empire 8 went down with then-No. 9 Springfield succumbing to the NJAC’s Montclair State, 33-30, and then-No. 24 Ithaca losing on the road to E8 foe Hartwick 32-30.
Montclair State quarterback Michael Jump had an efficient day -- 13 for 23, 170 yards and three touchdowns.
The Red Hawks went up 33-23 at the end of three quarters, withstood an eight minute, 38 second drive that resulted in a touchdown, and stopped the Pride on two fourth downs in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Springfield senior quarterback Chris Sharpe still ran 31 times for 142 yards and four touchdowns, but he was like Carson Palmer on Sunday on this day ... an excellent offensive day, but just not enough to get a victory.
Another big upset on Saturday was Ithaca falling to Hartwick.
Junior Jason Boltus threw for two scores and ran for the other three as Hartwick beat Ithaca for the first time since -- can you believe this? -- 1948.
Senior Lindy Crea caught a 60-yard touchdown from Boltus to contribute to the victory, but Crea has “done it all” for the past four years for the Hawks. (See below.)
Ithaca quarterback Dan Juvan completed 27 of 37 passes in the loss, both career highs.
Great performances
Dale Buck, a senior defensive end at Brockport State, made eight tackles, three for loss, one sack and recovered two fumbles in the Golden Eagles’ win over Cortland State. The sack was Buck’s 14th in his college career, moving him into a tie for sixth in school history.
Salisbury’s Valdase Morris only carried the ball seven times on Saturday for the Sea Gulls against Christopher Newport, but those seven carries were good ones, resulting in 104 yards and helping his team win 35-21. Morris could have had much more than that, but a 81-yard touchdown run was negated due to a penalty.
Alfred sophomore Vinson Hendrix had the best day of his young career, rushing 13 times for 257 yards, the second-highest single-game total in Division III this season. Three of the carries were for touchdowns, including two long ones (72 and 63 yards, respectively.) All three came on the first play of Saxon drives. Alfred beat St. Lawrence in an Empire 8 vs. Liberty League matchup 49-19.
Montclair State’s Cornell Hunt had 20 tackles against Springfield’s option offense.
Hartwick’s Jason Boltus, a junior quarterback, completed 17-of-23 for 301 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks upset of then-No. 24 Ithaca.
Record-breakers/milestones
Lindy Crea became the all-time leader in all-purpose yards at Hartwick in the first quarter of the win over the Bombers. The senior compiled 218 all-purpose yards in the game to raise his career total to 6,113 and pass former Hawk A.J. Pittorino.
Ithaca running backs:
Senior Jamie Donovan became the second Bombers’ player to eclipse 3,000 career yards. He gained 117 yards against Hartwick, giving him 3,048 for his career. He needs 363 to bypass Jeff Wittman (1988-1992) on the all-time list.
Senior Alex Baez is ninth on the list with 1,957 yards, and needs just 43 to become the ninth Bomber to reach 2,000.
Chris Sharpe ran 31 times for 142 yards and four touchdowns for Springfield. He has rushed for seven touchdowns in two games. He needs 52 more rushing yards to break the school’s career rushing record of 3,209 yards set by Kevin Cahill from 1997-2000.
Here and there
The Salisbury Sea Gulls are ranked for the first time in the D3football.com poll since 2005 as they knocked off then-No. 20 Christopher Newport 35-21.
The Sea Gulls, undefeated at 3-0, lead the Atlantic Central Football Conference in rushing with 306 yards a game and in scoring at 39 points per game. They now go into their showdown next week with Delaware Valley in a rematch of the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl Championship from 2006.
The defense also has racked up 15 sacks through three games, which leads the conference. The Sea Gulls’ vaunted rushing attack ran for 400 yards against CNU, and they had 433 yards in total offense overall.
Some questions in Week 3
Will Cortland pick itself up after losing to Brockport State and losing starting quarterback Alex Smith?
Will Rowan get back to prominence with backup freshman quarterback Tim Hagerty after replacing senior Joe Rankin in the second half against Wilkes?
When will Union score again? They haven’t in six quarters since scored two early touchdowns against Springfield.
A team that has picked itself up and put itself on top of the edge
Montclair State. The RedHawks beat Springfield this week after beating Wilkes in Week 1.
They are doing it mostly through the air, as the Red Hawks have out-passed the two opponents 320-171.
Michael Jump has completed 27 of 52 passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while A.J. Letizia is the leading receiver with eight catches for 186 yards and a touchdown.
The 2-0 Redhawks have a tough task this week, facing No. 7 Wesley in Dover, Del., but I think Montclair St. is for real. Even if they don’t beat Wesley, they still will have a chance to have a terrific season.
Three predictions
I got AU right, Ithaca wrong and I almost picked the exact score of the St. John Fisher-Rochester game. I guess that should count for something.
My three predictions for this week: Rowan vs. Widener -- This should be one of the best games of the week in the East. Rowan, despite the fact they have been a little down recently, is still capable of winning the whole region and Widener is a good team that played a tough Wesley team and only lost 31-17. It should be a close one for Rowan’s home opener on Friday night.
Rowan 27, Widener 20
St. John Fisher vs. Ithaca: Ithaca is a wounded animal at this point after losing to Hartwick, so St. John Fisher needs to be on its toes to not get caught in the bear trap. This game provided one of the biggest surprises of 2006 when the Cardinals spotted Ithaca 10 points in the first half and then blew them out with 34 unanswered in the second half.
Ithaca will be playing mad, and I think that’s a good thing for Mike Welch’s club. Another factoid of note: St. John Fisher has never won at Butterfield Stadium. Ithaca is 4-0 there since the series resumed a few years ago.
Ithaca 37, St. John Fisher 35
Alfred-Springfield: AU plays the Pride in both teams’ Empire 8 openers. Alfred beat up on St. Lawrence last week, but they have to avoid the same problem that St. John Fisher has to avoid -- getting caught by an opponent who was upset the previous week. Alfred’s defense will have to be up to the task of stopping All-American running back Chris Sharpe and the other host of Springfield running backs in the option offense to have a chance in this one.
Springfield 35, Alfred 21
Top 10 East Region Poll
1. St. John Fisher
2. Wesley
3. RPI
4. Hobart
5. Alfred
6. Rowan
7. Springfield
8. Montclair State
9. Worcester Polytech
10. William Paterson
Any thoughts, feedback or comments are accepted at adam.samrov@d3football.com.