Former Mohigan happy in Orange
http://www.dailymail.com/story/Sports/WV...+in+Orange
Wednesday October 11, 2006
by Jacob Messer
Daily Mail sportswriter
MORGANTOWN -- Unlike other in-state prep products who were spurned by West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez, Syracuse kicker and Morgantown native Patrick Shadle won't be aiming for a recruit's revenge Saturday when he plays in his hometown for the first time in his college career.
"I pretty much made up my mind after my junior year of high school," Shadle said. "When I figured I had the potential to play in college, I decided I wanted to get out of town and see what else this country had to offer.
"I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship offer up here. That was my only one. So, that made my decision real easy. It would have been a tougher decision (if WVU would have offered a scholarship).
"It would have been a blast to play in Morgantown in front of my family and friends. But I'm happy being up here. Everything is working out."
Fifth-ranked WVU (5-0) will play host to unranked Syracuse (3-3) in its Big East Conference opener at noon Saturday in Mountaineer Field, where a sellout crowd is expected for the homecoming game.
It is the league's television game of the week and will be aired on WCHS locally. It also will be broadcast by ESPN Regional.
"I'm hoping (my reception) will be good," said Shadle, who grew up 15 minutes from WVU and Mountaineer Field.
"Maybe somebody will throw a few boos out there. I'm not too worried about it. It will be fun to be back in Morgantown."
Rodriguez and his staff chose Pat McAfee instead of Shadle in their 2005 recruiting class.
"At the time, I know some of the locals gave me a hard time because we signed Pat McAfee instead of Patrick Shadle," Rodriguez said.
"There was one guy who made that decision and that was me. That was a hard one, too.
"That was really hard because Patrick Shadle can kick the ball, he has a very strong leg, he comes from a great program and he is an outstanding young man. But we only had enough scholarships for one (kicker)."
Rodriguez thinks he made a wise choice with McAfee, who has made 76 of 77 extra points and 15 of 24 field goals in his college career, including 28 of 28 extra points and 4 of 6 field goals this season.
"Pat has been pretty good," Rodriguez said. "He kicked as a true freshman, which is very rare to do. We thought at the time we needed somebody who could come in as a true freshman and be ready to go right away.
"I have also seen how Shadle has come on this year in his second year. He has done an outstanding job kicking for the Orange."
Shadle has converted 14 of 14 extra points and 9 of 10 field goals this season.
"I'm excited about it," said Shadle, a 5-foot-8, 203-pound sophomore who missed his only attempt as a true freshman last year (a 39-yard field goal attempt in a 31-0 win over Buffalo). "I just have to stay focused and keep my mind on the task.
"Every time I'm out there, I'm dead-set on putting it down the middle."
His only miss this year came in a 20-13 double overtime loss to then-No. 14 Iowa. He shanked a 45-yard field goal with 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.
"That one has been flushed down the toilet already," Shadle said. "I did watch it on film after the game. It was a situation where that was my first pressure kick this year.
"I did pretty much the same thing I did the year before when I got in and goofed it a little bit and hit the ground with my foot.
"I watched that, learned from it and probably will never watch it again."
Shadle redeemed himself when he nailed a 41-yard field goal with 0:06 left to tie the score, 10-10. He added a 19-yard field goal in the first overtime.
That game and that kick helped Shadle, a three-time Class AAA All-State first-team selection at Morgantown High School, where he made 9 of 14 field goals and 78 of 82 extra points for a state-record 105 kicking points as a senior.
"I really started to calm down and find a little groove," Shadle said.
