Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 3, 1995 TAG: 9511030051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
To get an idea about Mark Ivey, pop in a videotape of his Appalachian State team at Marshall this year.
The Mountaineers were in the midst of a low-scoring game in their archrival's stadium. The Southern Conference championship almost certainly would go to the winner.
No time for mistakes. Ivey, a Fieldale-Collinsville High School alumnus, wanted his teammates to remember that.
Marshall was driving when one of Ivey's teammates on the defensive line jumped offsides. Ivey tried to overlook it, just passing along an encouraging word.
Next, a stunt was called. Everybody ran it on the next play, except for Mr. Offsides.
``I just kind of tackled him right there,'' Ivey said.
That wasn't all.
``He sent him off the field,'' said the man who usually does such things, Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore. ``There's no bowing up back at Mark Ivey.''
Ivey gets respect even though he doesn't ask for it. There may be reasons for that. He's a senior. He's 6 feet 2, 252 pounds. And he makes sure everyone knows how high the stakes are for these Mountaineers.
Appalachian State has been in the I-AA top five all year. They moved to No. 2 with their victory over the Thundering Herd on Oct. 21. That's one of the things they'll bring to VMI's Alumni Memorial Field at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
``It's been kind of a treat,'' Ivey said of the ranking. ``But it hasn't been a whole lot different, other than on Sundays when we pick up the paper and our names are right there.''
The Mountaineers also will bring memories of the Keydets' shocking 26-23 upset victory last season. At the time, Appalachian was No.10 and VMI was 0-10. The loss cost the Mountaineers the Southern Conference title.
``That really put a damper on our season,'' Ivey said. ``A lot of people look at it and say we lost to a big scrub team, but that's not true. They looked good.''
Although the Mountaineers say that loss has come up in conversation throughout the season, they refuse to use the word ``revenge'' when discussing it. That's partly because of respect, and partly because of their nightmares of a little running back who torched them for 225 yards and two touchdowns last year.
``Their tailback [Thomas Haskins] is incredible,'' Ivey said. ``He's the best we've faced by far.''
As a right defensive tackle, Ivey bears some responsibility for stopping Haskins. This season he is 11th on the team in tackles with 39 and third in sacks with three.
The Mountaineers broke a school record with 12 sacks in the East Tennessee State game. Appalachian State has 31 sacks; the next best in the league is Marshall with 21.
The Mountaineers might have more if they still had another former Timesland star on their team. John Huffman, a 1994 Northside High School graduate, played as a true freshman last season. He started the final four games of the year and made 10 tackles.
At 6-3, 288 pounds, Huffman had lined up beside Ivey. ``We actually hung out a lot,'' Ivey said. ``But I don't know if he wanted to come back.''
Huffman was an academic casualty in the off-season. His teammates and coaches wish they still had him.
``We sure could use him,'' said sports information director Rick Covington. ``He was really coming on for us.''
Perhaps if Huffman still were there, Ivey wouldn't have had to throw anybody off the field at Marshall. Of course, if it has to be done, Ivey will do it. ``Some of us guys have been here four or five years,'' he said. ``People don't question us.''
They must know better.
``He's one of those old, tough, gritty, blue-collar, roll-up-your-sleeves players,'' Moore said. ``I wish I had a truckload of Mark Iveys.''
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB