Ewu Suspends Top 2 Qbs
Third-string Eastern Washington quarterback Harry Leons, a non-scholarship sophomore, who has never played in a college football game, will be the Eagles’ starter on Saturday against nationally ranked Idaho State after the suspensions of Brian Sherick and Scott Bond.
Sherick, a sophomore from University High School, and Bond, his junior backup, were suspended for one game by EWU coach Mike Kramer for violating unspecified team rules. Bond is a transfer from Walla Walla Community College.
According to team sources, Sherick and Bond missed curfew after Saturday night’s 40-30 loss to Weber State in Ogden, Utah.
“It’s an internal matter and will be handled internally,” Kramer said Monday. “You spend months with these guys and then they let you down like this. It’s disappointing.”
With the 6-foot-2-1/2, 185-pound Leons in the lineup for EWU (2-2), a conservative game plan would not be a surprise. Freshman Josh Lies, a 6-2, 190-pound freshman from Keizer, Ore., will be the backup.
ISU also suspended two players on Monday. Senior linebacker Ike Johnson, 22, and junior running back Thomas Washington, 21, were suspended permanently after being placed on a year’s probation for misdemeanor battery.
Johnson and Washington pleaded guilty along with two former Bengals last month after statutory rape charges against them where reduced to the misdemeanor because the 14-year-old girls involved refused to testify in open court.
Brennan still No. 1
UI quarterback Brian Brennan remains No. 1 on the depth chart entering the week of practice, Vandals coach Chris Tormey said.
Brennan was 16 of 36 with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 26-21 loss to ISU. Before the game, Tormey had said Brennan would start but backup Eric Hisaw would probably play. Hisaw didn’t play.
After reviewing videotape of the loss to ISU, Tormey said Brennan played “pretty well. Statistically, he had no interceptions and he was under a ton of pressure. He had a couple of great throws and got leveled. That one (60-yard touchdown pass) to Robert Scott was a great one and he got crushed.”
Sky stars
Weber State quarterback Bryan Martin is the Big Sky’s offensive player of the week for his 502-yard, three-touchdown passing effort against Eastern.
Martin leads Division I-AA in total offense at 414 yards per game.
Idaho State’s Josh Hays took defensive honors for his three sacks against Idaho. Northern Arizona’s Kevin O’Leary was the special team pick after he connected on 3 of 4 field goals and averaged 44 yards punting in a 37-0 shutout of Montana State.
Idaho slips
Idaho (1-2) plummeted from 13th to 24th in The Sports Network I-AA poll on Monday. Idaho State (4-0) moved up from 24th to No. 16. McNeese State remained No. 1, Montana (4-1) checked in at No. 5, Northern Arizona (4-1) is No. 18 and Boise State (2-2) slid to No. 19.
Grizzly sentenced
Justin Hazel, 22, starting right cornerback at Montana, has been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing merchandise from a Missoula Sears store.
However, his sentence was deferred, meaning he does no jail time and can have the conviction removed from his record if he has no more offenses during the six-month period. He also must serve 20 hours of community service.
Grizzlies coach Don Read said no disciplinary action has been taken, but said the incident will be reviewed now that Hazel has pleaded guilty.
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