DON McCORMACK
Star Beacon
August 26, 2008 03:30 am
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Paying another visit to the variety store...
Reflections
Jaimie Frasure will realize a dream on Saturday when he plays in Ohio Stadium for the Youngstown State Penguins against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday.
But the former Lakeside great couldn’t help but reflect on his gridiron beginnings last night as he spoke about the game in Columbus.
“I’ve been playing football since I was 7,” he said with a laugh. “My first team was the Ashtabula Jets playing midget ball.
“That was my team!”
That’s where he caught the bug, so to speak.
“I knew right away I loved the game,” Frasure said. “I loved everything about it.”
And that itch has never been scratched.
“I went on to Columbus Junior High and then to Lakeside,” he said. “Playing for Coach (Jay) Corlew there was a great, great experience.”
Having earned All-Ohio recognition as a junior at linebacker, Frasure struggled through a torn tendon as a senior.
“All of a sudden, the phones went silent on me,” he said. “The colleges quit calling.”
Enter Sean Allgood, who starred at Ashtabula High School and then played collegiately at Northern Illinois.
“Coach Allgood really saved me in terms of the recruiting process,” Frasure said. “He helped me make sense of a lot of things that were going on then.”
Frasure said it’s all worked out, though.
“Turns out, YSU is the perfect place for me,” he said. “I’m comfortable here, I like the school and I’m playing football.”
Being in the defensive-line rotation against the nation’s second-ranked team means Frasure is enjoying success on the field. However, he’s also doing well off the field.
“I had a 3.2 grade-point average last semester,” the health and physical-education major said. “I’m doing well in the classroom.”
And the 21-year-old hasn’t forgotten his roots, either.
“I want to become a teacher and a football coach,” he said. “I remember how important all of my coaches and teachers were to me growing up and I hope to be able to give something back.
“I’ve never forgotten how much fun I had fun playing as a kid. I want to help other kids to have the same opportunities I did.”
Block party
One other caveat on Frasure — he will line up as part of YSU’s wedge on its kickoff return team.
“It’s a blast!” he said. “I’ve always been a contact guy, and with all those big guys running all the way down the field at full speed, it usually means there’s a lot of bigtime collisions.
“I like that!”
Dept. of additions
In the list of 100-yard passers for the area from Week 1 of the high school football season, yours truly neglected to mention Madison’s Mitch Krotz.
The Blue Streak senior two-way standout completed 11 of 20 passes for 158 yards in Madison’s tough 14-10 loss at Normandy on Thursday night.
McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
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DON McCORMACK Star Beacon