Don Burgess Blog

Eagles Back In Action Following Holiday Break

2012-01-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas with family and friends.

We travel to Lynchburg tonight for a 7 p.m. tip-off. You can listen to the game on 96.1 FM beginning at 6:30 pm. Lynchburg returns all five starters and has four transfers on a very talented and athletic LC team.

Before we return home on Jan. 11th (Wed.) vs. Guilford College at 7 p.m. (Hope to see you at Nininger Hall) we will play at Randolph-Macon on Jan. 7th (Sat.) at 2 p.m.

After the two games in the Don Glick Classic we played at Ferrum and then we went to play in the Daytona Beach Shootout where we lost to two very good teams - Taylor Univ. (Ind.) (ranked #14 NAIA) & North Central (Ill.). Several guys played very well against top competition which will hopefully prepare these younger guys for ODAC games. While our games were in Daytona Beach the team stayed in Orlando. While in Orlando the team was able to go the Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat game on Dec. 21st. Thanks to a good friend who works with the Magic, my team was able to get onto the floor during warm-ups. It is amazing how BIG Dwight Howard and LeBron are in person. Then on the 22nd the team went to Islands of Adventures. This was a good trip that allowed our young team to play against top competition while also allowing them to bond and grow. The experience of the trip should pay dividends down the stretch for our program.

We have lost a few games after starting the season 4-2. The guys are playing hard and together while we are still trying to find consistent production from our 13 healthy bodies –all freshmen and sophomores. Cody Griffith, our leading scorer has missed six games and Daniel McClain, our leading rebounder has missed for 4 games. Unfortunately, we just received the news that Daniel will be out for the season with a torn ACL.

Currently, we are 1-1 in ODAC play which has us in the middle of the pack early on. We (the staff)have told our guys we have 14 conference games that we need to take one at a time and continue to get better each day so we are playing our best basketball come late February (ODAC tourney).

I want to thank everyone who attended our Don Glick Classic and donated a canned food item to the local food pantry. We were able to help reach out to over 100 families in the immediate area during the Christmas Holidays.

Also, at the top of the blog is a photo from our Holiday Hoop Clinic which is a FREE clinic for boys and girls during the Don Glick Classic. With the support of our partner - Wal-Mart of Dayton - each child receives a Bridgewater College basketball t-shirt, basketball, popcorn chicken and drink. This is just a small way for our basketball program and Wal-Mart of Dayton to give back to the community before Christmas.

Eagles Travel To Randolph Tonight

2011-11-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and was able to enjoy quality time with family and friends.

Before the Thanksgiving break the team visited with the 4th grade and 1st grade classes at John Wayland Elementary school for our Read with an Eagle Program. Please view the link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=SUP59IfE7bo

Our program enjoys visiting with the local elementary schools and reminding the students that reading is FUN and how important it is to read as much as you can while you are young.

Today we will depart to play Randolph College at 7 pm – you can listen to the game locally on 96.1 FM.

This will be like every ODAC game - a tough road test. Randolph is preseason pick #5 in the ODAC and return Senior Derrick Woods-Morrow, who is averaging a double-double, and Colton Hunt (junior) an All-ODAC selection last year.

I am pleased with the progress we are making. Once again, our young guys will have to step up and consistently produce with the quality minutes that they earn in order for us to successful throughout the season.

We are 2 -1. We were able to bounce back with a win over Johnson & Wales on Saturday Nov. 19th in the Hilton Garden Inn Classic at Guilford College after a loss on Friday to a very athletic and junior/senior loaded Greensboro team.

It was Great to see Coach Leatherman and Derrick Hodge ’92 and his family at the Hilton Garden inn Classic in Greensboro, N.C. I hope to see many more BC Alums and fans on the road as we travel and play in your area.

We will play at Guilford College on Saturday Dec.3rd at 3 p.m. Then we will host the Don Glick Classic on Dec. 9th (Friday) and Dec. 10th (Saturday) at Nininger Hall. If you bring a canned food item then you will be admitted to the game for free. These items are collected by the Men’s Basketball team and given to the local area food bank which will provide for over 100 families for the Christmas Holiday.

Cyndi Justice does an outstanding job of getting the local youth involved with our game day activities. I want to thank the Dayton /Bridgewater youth football cheerleaders for taking the time to do their cheer routine at our halftime of the Averett game and they helped to cheer us to victory as the team could hear their “DEFENSE” chant from the upper bleachers. Also, thanks to Brady Hylton (son of Becky Hylton in the Alumni office) for singing the National Anthem.

Best of luck to women’s Basketball this week as they travel to Va. Wesleyan today. The women will host Randolph College on Saturday Dec. 3rd at 2 p.m.

Go EAGLES!!!

The Season Begin Tonight

2011-11-15T10:40:00.001-08:00

Nov.15, 2011

Well, the 2011-12 season is officially here! We host Averett University tonight at 7 p.m. in Nininger Hall.

I hope the students will come out and fill the Nininger NUTS section and be the 6th MAN that every basketball team needs.

We travelled to High Point University this past weekend and played a very talented yet underrated HPU team. They had two all-conference guards (Nick Barbour & Shay Shine) and one of the BEST college athletes in the country in Corey Law (6’6” 225 lb).

Our guys played hard in front of a great college basketball crowd. We did not shoot well from the floor even though we had open looks, but we were able to compete on the boards, which is a concern because of our size. We had several young guys step up and play well against HPU. It is always good for us to play a Division 1 opponent early in the season. The team works hard in the preseason and this is a good way to reward them, yet remind them we have a ways to go as a team.

Averett is a very athletic team that has four guys who are between 6-3 and 6-5 and they can score inside and outside. They like to get up and down the floor so, it is imperative that we communicate and stop the ball in transition defense. Also, we have to do an excellent job of rebounding because they have so many athletes going to the offensive glass. Offensively we have to attack to score yet be patient to take a GREAT shot instead of a good shot.

I hope to see you and all of the BC fans in Nininger Hall tonight at 7 p.m.

Alumni Game A Big Success!

2011-10-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Once again, I want to thank all of the former BC men’s basketball players, coaches and their families for coming to our Alumni Game (Even years vs. Odd years) following the football game this past Saturday.

It was a close game that came down to the end with the ODD years defeating the EVEN years. Brad Williamson ’85 drained several 3-pointers, Ashley Watson ’93 is still jumping out the gym (yes, he can still dunk) and Dan Shomo ’97 showed off some nice post moves on the right block for a few points. Jay Strotman ’06 dropped a few “dimes”, Kris “Bulldog” Cecil ’09 was running the point for his squad and Michael Oblitey ’10 got two dunks on the fastbreak off of the VERTICAL (wow)!

Also, I want to thank coach Alvin Green, coach Tim Meyers and my wife Stephanie for all of their help behind the scenes to make this event successful.

We had a GREAT turnout that included Coach Leatherman and Coach Bobby Stevens ’74 (still Top 5 in assists at BC with 342), Lindsay Woolfolk '59, Jim Ellis ’67, Jim Upperman ’68 (BC's all-time leading scorer with 2,237 points), Wes Allen ’76, Tom Wright ’76 (BC's all-time leading rebounder with 1,112 boards), Brad Archer ’89, Craig Shoemaker ’90, Derek Hodge ’92, Matt Stevens ’02 and Matt Ross ’10.

Former players who played included Brad Williamson ’85, Ashley Watson ’93, David Brimmer ’94, Dan Shomo ’97, Jay Strotman ’08, Kris Cecil ’09, Rob Rice ’09, Matt Drewer ’09, Andrew Cathlin ’09, Segar Jordan ’10, Dominic Trawick ’10, Michael Oblitey ’10, Drew Maynard ’11, Mark Gibbs ’11, Justin Brake ’11 , Rick Maloney ’11 and Kyle Hammond ’11.

Next year please mark your calendar as we will have our second (Even vs Odd) Alumni game during the Homecoming weekend following the football game. I hope for this event to evolve for ALL of our BC former basketball players and their families to participate in some capacity. This is YOUR and OUR program!

Below you will see a couple photos from the event. Teammates and families had an opportunity to catch up on old times. We also had old uniforms, yearbooks and media guides on display. It was a sight to see how the game shorts have changed over the years.

Go EAGLES!

Coach Burgess

The Season Is Almost Here!

2011-10-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of more days and our 2011-12 season officially begins. We will have our first official tryout on October 15th before the football game. Our lone senior Cody (Cooter) Griffith just stopped by the office and is just excited as the coaching staff (Tim Meyers and Alvin Green) is about the upcoming season. I will speak more about the team in my next blog once our roster is finalized after tryouts.
It has been an eventful past few weeks for the Burgess family and the men’s basketball program. My father and I were inducted into the Harrisonburg High School Hall of Fame along with eight other quality young men and women. I am truly honored and humbled by the selection to go into the Hall of Fame and entering the HOF with my dad leaves me speechless.
Also, Mark Gibbs ’11 got married to Erin Cartwright ’10 (a former BC Lacrosse player) and my wife and I attended. It was a beautiful wedding filled with lots of love and in attendance were several BC alums as well as several former student-athletes. I wish the couple much happiness!!!
Earlier this week, Coach Willi and I spoke at the Shenandoah Valley Athletic Club dinner which is an engagement I look forward to attending each October. The Club does a great job of supporting all of the athletes from each of the local colleges and high schools in the area. If you have not attended one of the dinners of the SVAC, you should.
This weekend is Homecoming weekend at BC. The Hall of Fame banquet is on Friday the 14th. Congratulations to all of the inductees and their families. Coach Bill Leatherman is being inducted on Friday and I am looking forward to seeing him and all of the former BC basketball players. On Saturday after the football game we will have an ALUMNI GAME beginning at 4 p.m. in Nininger Hall. I want to invite folks to come over after the football game and enjoy visiting with the alums.
Signed up to play are Brad Williamson ’85, Sean O’Connell ’85, Ashley Watson ’93, Jacobie Napier ’06, Kris Cecil ’09, Rob Rice ’09, Matt Drewer ’09, Matt Ross ’10, Segar Jordan ’10, Dominic Trawick ’10, Michael Oblitey ’10, Drew Maynard ’11, Mark Gibbs ’11, Justin Brake ’11, Rick Maloney ’11 & Kyle Hammond ’11. We are still looking for others to play.
Even if you are not interested in playing please stop in the gym to fellowship with your fellow teammates.
Best of luck to all of the BC teams competing this weekend.
GO EAGLES!!!!!

Alumni Game Scheduled For Oct. 15

2011-09-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!

Today is the first day of classes for the 2011-12 academic year on the beautiful campus of Bridgewater College.

These guys pictured to the right will be missed on our campus as they are embarking on a new chapter in their lives - the “real world”. The photo includes Rick Maloney, Mark Gibbs, Justin Brake, Drew Maynard and Kyle Hammond after graduation.

Rick Maloney is an account management associate at the Corporate Executive Board in Washington, DC. He resides in Arlington.

Mark Gibbs is working at Normal Balance Company as a patient associate/personal trainer. Mark also resides in Arlington.

Justin Brake is teaching fifth grade at McGaheysville Elementary School and is the head boys basketball coach at Elkton Middle School. Justin is living in Harrisonburg.

Drew Maynard is a physical education teacher at Crozet Elementary School in Albemarle County and an assistant boys basketball coach at Albemarle H.S. Drew is continuing his education at West Virginia University to obtain a Master’s degree in sports management. He is living in Earlysville, Va.

Kyle Hammond earned his degree in allied health science and is working and living in Bluefield, W.Va.

These guys along with several other BC alums will return to campus on October 15th for an ALUMNI GAME (even years vs odd years) following the football game. The game will begin at 4 p.m. in Nininger Hall.

If you are a BC Men’s Basketball alum and have an interest in playing please contact the basketball office at 540-828-5403.

And, congratulations to our fall sports this past weekend on their teams' success!

Senior Night

2011-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

We are in the last week of the regular season of ODAC play. We play tonight at 7 pm vs Emory & Henry in Nininger Hall and we play @ Roanoke College on Saturday at 2 pm.

Tonight is “SENIOR NIGHT”. Please come out and support our Men’s Basketball team this evening and give a strong farewell on “SENIOR NIGHT” to Mark Gibbs, Rick Maloney, Justin Brake, Drew Maynard & Kyle Hammond as they will play their last home game in Nininger Hall. These five young men are outstanding ambassadors for Bridgewater College and our Men’s Basketball program. We do not have the total # of wins which we want to have but this young and unproven team has improved throughout the season.

L to R: Kyle Hammond, Justin Brake, Rick Maloney, Coach Burgess, Mark Gibbs, & Drew Maynard

Next week we will begin the ODAC tournament on Tuesday (Feb. 22nd); teams and location are still TBA. Hope to see you tonight on SENIOR NIGHT! If you are in the Roanoke area this Saturday please come out and cheer us on at 2pm.

GO EAGLES!!!

Getting Back into the Thick of Things

2011-01-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy and Safe Holidays and were able to enjoy your time with family and friends. Our Basketball team returned to practice after a long holiday break on Dec. 30th –as anticipated some guys were in better shape than others when they returned. We did a lot of the basic passing, catching, shooting, & running to get our legs back to where they need to be.
Our program was very active in the community over the Holiday Break. Thanks to your help with a canned food donation during the Don Glick Classic we were able to feed 100 families from the local area during the Christmas holidays. Below is a picture of the canned goods with the MBB team and Bridgewater Inner Church Food Pantry representative Roscoe Burgess.

We also held a FREE Holiday Hoops Clinic for Boys & Girls that live in the Shenadoah Valley area. We partnered with Walmart of Dayton and manager Brian Cipoletti to provide a basketball, t-shirt and lunch to each participant. Our team and coaching staff instructed drills on the basic fundamentals of basketball but more importantly we talked about setting goals, making the right choices, & doing well in school.

We return to Nininger Hall on Jan. 5th (Wed.) at 7 pm vs Lynchburg College. Then we will play Randolph Macon on Jan. 8th (Sat.) at 3 pm. So, come out and support us in two very important ODAC conference games.

Eagles Preparing For Glick Classic

2010-12-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, I want to ask you to please keep Tim Meyers, our assistant men’s basketball coach and his family in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of his wife Diane Meyers this past Friday (Dec.3, 2010).

I hope all of the BC Family members had a happy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday. Our basketball team had a Thanksgiving dinner together at Traditions Restaurant (thank you H M Apartments).

We then traveled to Newport News, VA to participate in the CNU Invitational with CNU, Wesley (DE) and York (Queens, NY). We lost to CNU the first game. Then the team bounced back and won by a point on a Rick Maloney jump hook with a few seconds remaining on the clock, against York (Queens,NY) University on Saturday. Kyle Hammond was named to the All –Tournament team. In our win vs. York we had four players (Cody Griffith, Kyle, Drew Maynard, & Rashad Moore) score in double figures.

Our first ODAC conference game was on Thursday, Dec.2 vs. Randolph College. This was a tough loss to a very good and gritty team that shoots the ball very well from the perimeter. We lost by one point and on paper we had four guys in double figures, shot 52.7% from the floor and had an even total in the rebounding column.

Saturday, Dec. 4 we played against Guilford College and unfortunately had a long drought of 7 minutes where we did not get a basket. The guys are continuing to work hard to become better. We have showed glimpses that we could be a really good team but in the best D3 basketball conference in the country you have to play 35- 40 minutes of “good “ basketball to get the win. As guys began to accept and learn their new roles we will surely get to playing quality basketball for more than 35 minutes.

We have the prestigious Don Glick Classic coming up on December 11-12, 2010 at Nininger Hall.
On Dec. 11th at 6 pm EMU plays Averett. The Eagles will play Bluefield College at 8 p.m. Bluefield is coached by former University of Virginia standout player Richard Morgan.

On Sunday. Dec. 12 EMU and Bluefield College play at 2 p.m. followed by Bridgewater vs. Averett at 4 p.m.

A CANNED FOOD ITEM will get you in FREE to these games. Items will be given to the local Food Bank for the Holidays. Last year we were able to provide food for more than 50 families in the local area. I hope to be able to increase that number to 70 this Holiday season. With your help we can.

We hope to see you at the Don Glick Classic.

Congratulations, to the women's basketball team as they are playing very well and compiling some very good wins this season. Keep up the good work.

Eagles Season Underway

2010-11-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last blog. We are playing in the EMU Classic tonight at 6 p.m. vs. Southern Virginia University. SVU is a team of very talented aggressive scorers who do not get rattled. They always have 3-4 3-point shooters on the floor at all times and each one of their players can attack the rim off the dribble to score. Please come out and cheer us on tonight. We will play on Saturday at 6 p.m. vs. Penn St.- Brandywine in the EMU Classic.

Our team had a tough loss on the road at Averett University. Averett had several quick guards who posed a problem for us as they repeatedly got to the rim to score. With the loss however, we did do some very nice things which we can build on but giving up 90 points is not one of them. I told the team “we scored enough points (76) to win a lot of games this season yet we gave up enough points to lose a lot of games this season.” We spent a considerable amount of time in our next practice working on our defensive principles.

Rick Maloney with 14 points and 11 rebounds played exceptionally well in the paint. Kyle “Hornacek” Hammond finished with a career high 27 points and 4 assists. He hit his first 4 of 5 from the 3-point line – we need him to consistently score for us this season. Freshman reserve Rashad Moore came off the bench to score 21 (going 9 – 10 from FT line). I am very excited to coach this particular team because each practice and each game someone is coming into their new role for this team. We have returners who are being asked to do a lot more things which they were not asked to do in the past (score & rebound) and we have a handful of freshman who are needed to produce early in their college career to help this team. When all of these new roles become more familiar and more comfortable to each player then we will become a better team throughout the year.

Our program “Read with an EAGLE” has been receiving very strong and positive feedback from the students, parents of the children and BC student-athletes Our men’s basketball student-athletes visit John Wayland Elementary School at least twice a month with the Kindergarten classes and read to the kids (4 -5 kids per BC student-athlete). Also, we visit with the 4th graders and a 4th grader will read 8-10 minutes to a player. This is very beneficial to both parties because of the relationships which are being formed while we emphasize the importance of reading.

We have received a few more requests from other elementary schools who want to adopt our “Read with an EAGLE” program. We will have pictures of each of our players on future blogs.

Also, I want to get the information to everyone that for our game on November 24th at 7 pm at Nininger Hall. We will be recognizing the Rockingham County Recreation Department Football players and Cheerleaders at halftime of our game. ALL fans are invited to come to this game admission is FREE to everyone. We invite all friends , family and fans to this game. This is just a small way that our men's basketball program can say THANK YOU for your support just before Thanksgiving. Please spread the word.

Thanks to the ALUMNI team which we played on Oct. 23rd. The Alumni Roster : Jay Strotman, Matt Drewer, Andrew Cathlin, Dominic Trawick, Michael Oblitey, Matt Ross, Jake Johnson, Rob Rice, Justin Reavis & Michael Jenkins. I look forward to having this game each year so the fans and community can reconnect with our former players. I want to establish an alumni game for ALL former players to play against each other EVEN YEARS vs ODD YEARS – yes all ages are welcomed to participate.

Congrats to the women’s basketball team with a good win last night. Come and cheer us on this season – GO EAGLES!!!!

A New Season Is Upon Us

2010-10-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

We have had one week of practice with our team. We had tryouts on October 15-16 during fall break and we had a large turnout. Having tryouts mean you have to have “cuts” which are always one of the most difficult parts of my job.

The guys have been working hard and our practices have been very competitive. It is a unique situation with is having five seniors who are eager to increase their production collectively (12 ppg & 10 reb) from last season and freshmen who are eager to earn substantial minutes for us this season. As a coach you love to see “healthy competition” because that is what makes a competitor want to compete. Also, I am very grateful for my two assistant coaches (Alvin Green and Tim Meyers) who will return for another season at BC.

On Thursday we will have our ODAC media day in Salem. I am curious to see where we will be selected because we did lose are top three scorers (Dominic Trawick 22 ppg, Jake Johnson 12 ppg, & Segar Jordan 8 ppg) from last season.

Our current team has been very busy not only with practice but also with different community service projects. I spoke to the students (Grades 5 – 8) and staff at Skyline Middle School to “kick off” their Character Week at the school on October 18th. Our entire team went to John Wayland Elementary School to read to all of the Kindergarten classes on October 21st. We have a program intact called “READ with an EAGLE” and we will visit different elementary schools throughout the year. Below are two different web links from Oct. 21st.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKn6bw878TA

Here’s the link from WHSV TV 3

http://www.whsv.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5213223&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

This Saturday is a BUSY weekend for ALL Bridgewater College fans.
NOON – Women’s Soccer is hosting ODAC playoff game vs W & L
1 pm - Football vs Emory & Henry (Senior Day)
3:30 pm – Women’s Basketball Spaghetti Dinner in Nininger Hall
Men’s Basketball vs ALUMNI team in Nininger Hall
Please come out and support your Bridgewater College Eagles

Alumni Roster : Jay Strotman, Matt Drewer, Andrew Cathlin, Dominic Trawick, Michael Oblitey, Matt Ross, Jake Johnson, Rob Rice & Justin Reavis.

Have a GREAT Day and I look forward to seeing you this weekend.
Go EAGLES!

Graduation Wrap-Up

2010-05-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have attached a picture of graduation from May 16, 2010. My wife and I were in attendance to congratulate all of our BC graduates as they are about to enter into the “Real World”. In our two short years on campus we have had an opportunity to get to know a lot of the graduates – are very proud of you ALL. We had 5 of our guys walk across the stage and receive their diploma which is one of the most gratifying moments for a coach to watch. Throughout my years in the coaching profession “Graduation Day” always puts a big smile on my face to see young kids come to a quality institution such as Bridgewater College and then to see them mature over the years into quality young adults as future leaders of our society.

Dominic Trawick, Segar Jordan (Cum Laude and Flory Fellow), Jake Johnson, Matt Ross, and Michael Oblitey will be deeply missed on our beautiful campus. They will always be welcomed to come and visit with the current MBB team. I hope that each one of them will have much success with their future endeavors.

Our guys finished the spring semester in the class room with six of them posting over a 3.0 GPA and three of these members were on the NABC Honors Court list (3.2 GPA or higher ). We all know how difficult it is to be a student-athlete with the time constraints to juggle both academics and athletics –GREAT JOB!

As you see from the picture above we will lose over 80% of our scoring and rebounding due to graduation which should serve as motivation and give a sense of urgency for our returning team members and incoming freshman to work diligently in becoming a better basketball player/teammate. What these guys do over the summer (off –season) will be a direct indicator for our success during the season. We have to get stronger in the weight room and better on the court, over the summer. It is not a hard recipe to follow – “players at any level are made in the off-season!” The returning guys will be expected to step up their level of play and the incoming freshmen are expected to come in and compete for quality minutes this season. We had four teams from our conference make it to the Final 8 and two to the Final Four. Our schedule last season was ranked #10 in the NCAA.

I hope everyone will have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Summer is about to officially begin for college athletics as the first session of summer school begins next week.

-Coach Burgess

EMU, Senior Day

2010-02-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

I want to say “Thank You” to all of our fans which came out to support us last night over at EMU. As always when we (BC and EMU) play each other it is a “packed house” on either campus. It was an outstanding college basketball atmosphere which all student-athletes enjoy playing in.

Our team played hard but unfortunately we came up short. If we make a few FT’s, box out and get one or two more defensive rebounds, or if we make one or two more of our missed layups – who knows what the outcome may have been.

Our record is not a strong indication of our team’s growth and development throughout the year. We have the #10 toughest schedule of ALL NCAA Division 3 teams. We have competed against Top 25 teams and unfortunately lost, but kept it close to the end. If we continue to play hard and yet smarter then hopefully we will make a run in the ODAC tournament.

This Saturday we host Lynchburg College at 2 pm. They have an All –Conference guard (Steven Echols) and a Division One transfer, post player, Nathan Campbell who have been putting up strong numbers all season long. Please come out and support our team for our last HOME Regular Season game. We will have a ceremony at the beginning of the game to honor our Seniors (Dominic Trawick, Jake Johnson, Segar Jordan, and Matt Ross). Everyone knows about Dom, Jake, and Segar but Matt (Matty Ross) will be missed just as much around our program. Matt, is a young man who wants to become a basketball coach and he will be a successful coach in the future. He has sacrificed much of his social life as a college student to be in the trenches with this program for 4 years. Because of his work ethic, passion for the game, and his outgoing personality he has a bright future in the coaching profession.

Once again, thank you for your support thus far and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Mark your calendar MBB ODAC tournament begins on Tuesday Feb.23rd at 7pm. We will host our 1st round game at 7 pm.

The Sixth Man!

2010-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we just completed our first day of classes for the spring semester and we just completed our first “wave” of conference games – wow how time sure does fly past us. It is hard to believe that after we play at Averett University on Saturday we will have only 6 conference games remaining.

In the always competitive ODAC conference ( 4 teams ranked in the Top 12 NCAA) we are sitting on a 5–5 conference record. Yesterday, I found out from our student-assistant coach (Matt Ross) that our game schedule is currently ranked the 10th toughest schedule in all of Division III. With us losing our two games from the San Juan Classic, because of the DC Blizzard, it set us back somewhat as a team. Not playing those two games over the December break cost us the opportunity for our players to get valuable experience as a team in game situations. We played Dec.17 and then did not play a contest again until Jan. 2. As a former student-athlete in a team sport, that long of a break without having a competition allows your team to take a step backward instead of forward because of the little things, especially the intangibles (speed, timing, and competing) of the game.

I would like to thank all of you who have been supporting this team throughout the season. We had two good home wins over the Christmas break (Roanoke and H-Sydney). Then we went on the road to Guilford (#2 in NCAA) and battled hard vs. a very good team. We came up short and lost by 12 points in a very strong effort by our team. Then we returned home for a game at home vs EMU (#7 in NCAA) – what a GREAT college basketball atmosphere. Our guys played together and played hard throughout the game. It was good to see so,many fans cheering for their teams as well as several fans in attendance just to experience the excitement of the “Poultry Road Rivalry”. We then headed down to Emory and Henry (Wed. night) and battled a very tough team that has a record that is no indication of the talent which they have. They made 14 three-pointers against us and have multiple scorers on the floor at all times. We were able to get a very good and needed “road win”. We will be back in action at Averett University on Saturday at 3 pm. Then we return home to play Va. Wesleyan on Feb.3 (next Wednesday). Please come out and be our “6th MAN” at Nininger Hall.

Above is a photo of the canned goods which were received at the Don Glick Classic. We received over 600 items which were donated to the Inner Church Food Pantry for the holidays. From L to R: Matt Ross, Segar Jordan, Roscoe Burgess (Inner Church Food Pantry representative), Don Burgess, Russell White, Cody Griffith, and Alvin Green) Thank you for your support and enabling us to help local families.

Holiday Trip Memorable For Eagles

2009-12-22T12:08:00.000-08:00

First and foremost I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season from the Burgess Family and the BC Men’s Basketball team. This is a time for us all to enjoy our precious time with family and friends and be mindful of the true blessings which we do have.

Yes, we (the Basketball team) did make it back from Washington DC and NO, we did not get to San Juan. As I scheduled this San Juan trip last spring I was looking for an opportunity for my team to have a 1) “a team bonding” experience, 2) an educational trip, 3) play a few basketball games and 4) enjoy the 80 degrees weather. Well we were able to check off 3 of the 4 which are mentioned above with #4 not getting checked off the list. We were snowed in the Marriott Dulles Airport since Friday (Dec. 18th) which is a very nice hotel with all the amenities you could ask for as a traveler (indoor pool, Jacuzzi, full service restaurant, workout room, business center, etc.). Also, we were less than a ¼ of a mile from the Dulles Airport. We were most definitely able to bond as a team. From an educational view, 10 years from now the players will be able to say they were a part of the DC Blizzard of ’09 (as the Washington Post and other media outlets were calling this historic event), and they actually used a net and a floatation ring (“lifesaver”) as the basketball hoops in the indoor pool to play a competitive b-ball game.

I am very proud of the way my team carried themselves throughout the whole ordeal. The guys were very disappointed but I told them “that we can still make something good out of this trip, it is how you approach this situation at hand and we will approach it with a positive attitude”. I reminded them that we are fortunate enough to have a hotel with heat and with food because there were THOUSANDS at Dulles who did not have the “means” to get to a hotel or have food. The only accessible road on the Dec. 19 was the “loop” from the airport to the Marriott. The airport closed down which meant the kiosks and eateries were all closed.

I know the Bridgewater alums and BC Family would have been proud of them as well because the guys handled themselves in a “first class” manner at the hotel and became a “hotel favorite” of the thousands of folks staying at this hotel. The travel party had to wear one of two BC sweat suits during the entire stay because we all had packed our bags with items suitable for 80 degrees weather. As we walked thru the large lobby to our team meals down in the restaurant you would see the attention which the team attracted because of the way they handled themselves. Other families and business folks who were stranded as well at the hotel became very interested in BC and our program. I must say that the players were the “celebrities” of the hotel. As you walked past the other hotel guests you would hear them say “that is the Bridgewater College Men’s Basketball team that WAS going to San Juan”. Our guys made a very good first and lasting impression on the hotel staff (the manager complimented me on our guys’ attitude and professionalism) compared to other college teams which have stayed at this hotel in the past.

On Dec. 18 we departed the Bridgewater College campus en route to the Dulles Marriott for our flight was scheduled for 8 a.m. the next day. We had a scheduled bus departure of 3 am on the 19th but when the weather forecast was given we decided to go up the evening of the 18th so, we could be on the property of the airport with our hotel location. JP of Travel Mates was a “trooper” to get us to DC safe and sound as we traveled in the snow flurries. That evening we called American Airlines (AA) just to make sure our flight was still scheduled - everything was good.

Dec. 19th: Set the alarm for 4 am to call AA for the flight status – All Good. 4:15 a.m. the phone rang. It was Turner Travel Agency (Charles and Polly), who did an exceptional job of communicating and taking care of the necessary paper work for the refund. Charles had called to say he just checked with AA and the flight is a “go”. So, we got the travel party to our reserved shuttle bus for our 5 a.m. departure to the airport (checking in a group of 20 you want to be early). We checked our bags, headed to the gate B71 en route to SAN JUAN, PR departing at 8 a.m. - ON TIME. As we walked the concourse we looked at the departure screen and noticed that we were one of about 10 flights not in RED letters – CANCELLED. We noticed a few flights taking flight so our outlook was very positive as the snow was falling heavily from the sky.

We get to our gate and there is a plane setting and folks waiting to depart for a flight to Miami at 6:40 am departure – cool. As the time got near to 8 a.m. the Miami passengers were delayed as their plane received a cracked windshield with the cold weather while de-icing the plane. We thought we would still be in good shape until AA announced that the Miami passengers were going to take the next plane available - yes our plane to San Juan. By the time AA made this decision it was around 10:00 am and the snow was accumulating fast as the AA crew was trying to de-ice the plane.

Meanwhile we continued to check the departure screen and were getting updated delays (8:45, 9:15, 10:15, 11 am). It began to look bleak. However, the AA representative makes an announcement “all San Juan passengers we will scan your boarding passes and have you board at another gate, just a few gates down, because they had a plane that they were de-icing for us to take. Smiles on my players faces began to appear. Then, within an hour the Miami passengers, who had been sitting on the runway for more than an hour, were brought back to the terminal (gate 81). 20 minutes later (now 11:20 am) the letters came across the departure screen were now in RED – CANCELLED. ALL flights were about to be cancelled from Dulles.

I immediately called back to the Marriott to continue our stay for at least one more night for I knew it was going to be a “mad dash” for folks trying to get lodging. This was the only hotel accessible with a shuttle for the roads were not accessible outside of the “Airport loop”. You had thousands of folks stranded, folks sleeping on the baggage claim conveyer belt, making makeshift beds on luggage. It was something you would see in a scene from a movie. I wanted to make sure our travel party had a place to sleep and food to eat. I gathered the team and explained the best case and worst case scenario to them regarding our chances to get to San Juan. You could just see the disappointment on the faces of these young men – after all they did to raise or earn the money for this trip. Meanwhile, Turner Travel was working diligently and checking all options that might get us to San Juan. There was NOT one seat available on any flight to San Juan on the 20th, 21st or 22nd from Dulles, BWI, Pittsburgh, or JFK. The basketball classic ended on the 22nd. When I had booked our team flight several months ago I knew that all the flights were going to be booked fully or close to full capacity because so many tourists fly to San Juan to also catch the different cruise lines which depart from Puerto Rico.

By the time we get our luggage, get things squared away with AA, get a shuttle to the hotel it is now 1 p.m. The guys have been up since 4:30 a.m. They were tired and hungry. So, we ate at the hotel brunch buffet, met with the team, and let them return to their rooms to catch up on their sleep.

Dec. 20th: We were snowed in at the hotel. Guys kept themselves busy swimming, video games, eating, watching football and basketball games on TV. We were trying to get back to Bridgewater but we were unable to get a bus to Dulles as parts of I -81 and I – 66 were closed.

Dec. 21st: Quick’s Bus picked us up at 9:45 am and we were back on campus after noon to find our vehicles hidden beneath two feet of snow. The BC Buildings and Ground Crew brought the shovels and a tractor while Ben Spotts and the team shoveled the cars out - another BC team effort of working together to get things done. My concern was to get back to campus in a timely fashion because several of our guys still had several hours to drive to get to their homes.

I want to say thanks to everyone that helped make our trip a very memorable trip. It was a positive experience for our travel party even if we did not get to enjoy the 80degrees weather. It will be a trip to talk about for years to come. Thanks to Turner Travel, Travel Mates and Quick’s Bus Companies, and the BC administrators (Curt Kendall / Roy Ferguson) for being supportive and keeping the lines of communication open as we were stuck in the DC Blizzard of ’09.

Lastly, thanks to the adults who got to participate in this travel experience as it took a “team effort” to keep these youngsters upbeat. Alvin Green (assistant coach), Scott Powers (Athletic Tranier),Stephanie Burgess and Mr. Charles Jordan (Segar’s dad) were also snowed in.

We will return to practice on Dec. 30th in preparation for an ODAC game at Va. Wesleyan on Jan. 2. We return to Nininger Hall on Jan. 4th to play Randolph-Macon.

Happy Holidays!!

Latest Don Burgess Coaches Show

2009-12-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

Don Burgess Show - Post Don Glick Classic

2009-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

Looking At the Susquehanna Victory

2009-11-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

I was very proud of our guys’ team effort yesterday vs Susquehanna University on the defensive end. The starters (DJ, Dom, Jake, J.Brake, and Segar) came out and set the tone on the defensive end for our team from the tip – off with energy and effort. We played hard, smart, and together which on the defensive side you usually don’t see those three elements together on a consistent basis this early in the season. Our guys have been working hard in practice – yes we still have many areas to improve in but this was a good beginning.
We (the staff –Alvin Green, Tim Meyers and I) have been reminding our guys that we have to collectively “get the job done” - it will not be one specific player who will single-handedly win the game for us. For example, rebounding we were + 15 and we had 5 or more players with 4 or more rebounds and defensively we were able to create 17 turnovers. Offensively we were able to get some points off of our defense, we executed our sets, and we were able to knock down a few shots. We still have guys adjusting to new roles which are different from their roles fo the past. As each of our guys get more comfortable and confident in not only in their own ability but trust in their teammates then we should continue to make the strides that we need to make toward February.
We had several guys in street clothes because of injuries against SU and we hope to have them all in uniform very soon.
Yes, it was my birthday on Sunday and the team gave me a very good B-day present – thank you. My family was missing from the game as my daughter had a cheerleading exhibition down at Broadway H.S. at the same time as our game. My wife was texting folks at the game to keep tabs on our score.
This Saturday (11/21) we host the Don Glick Classic. At 6 pm it's EMU vs Averett and at 8 pm BC hosts Wesley College. On Sunday (11/22) at 2 pm it’s EMU vs Wesley and at 4 pm BC vs Averett. This field consists of two teams (Wesley and Averett) which went to the NCAA tourney last season and both teams bring some very talented players to Nininger Hall. It should be an exciting weekend if you are a college basketball fan and we look forward to having a GREAT crowd on both days. The games are FREE if you bring a canned good to the game. So, if you have five family members please bring five cans of food. These donations will be delivered to the local food bank that serves the Bridgewater/Rockingham County area of families in need during the Thanksgiving Holiday. Help us fill up the shopping cart which will be in the lobby of Nininger Hall on Saturday and Sunday.
Lastly, I would like to thank the alumni players who came out and played in the fall alumni game vs BC on (Nov.7th)- Jay Strotman, Rob Rice, Josh Fox, Drew Cathlin, Michael Jenkins, Michael Oblitey, Matt Drewer and Brett Maynard. This is something we would like to have every fall so the BC fans can get another chance to cheer on former BC players. Also, a reminder we will have an alumni game in the spring semester on Feb. 20th (Senior Day) at 11 am – noon. The teams will be Even Years vs Odd Years. At noon you will have lunch amd at 2 pm and we invite you and your families to come and cheer on YOUR BC Eagles vs Lynchburg College. The alumni game will be fun and a chance to have players and families reminisce of their days on campus. Please contact the basketball office if you are interested in participating. You can play as few minutes as you want or as many as you want. Yes, we will have time outs every 4 minutes, plenty of water, and trainers available for ice afterwards.
Thank you to those who came out this past Sunday to support us. Look forward to seeing you all this weekend!

Eagles Will Scrimmage Against Alumi on Saturday

2009-11-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

First, I would like to wish both the women’s Volleyball team good luck in the ODAC tourney this weekend and our football team good luck on Saturday vs. Randolph-Macon.

We had a very busy last few weeks not just on the basketball court but also in the community. First, we were a part of the “Red Ribbon Week” at John Wayland Elementary School. We spoke to the students about making good decisions and saying “NO” to drugs and alcohol. Also, we had Mrs. Joyce Floyd’s (Justin Brake’s Grandma) special needs class from R.E. LEE High School visit our beautiful campus and shoot hoops with the team in Nininger Hall. Both of these events were wonderful experiences for each party involved. My student–athletes were able to see what a positive impact they have on kids of all ages. Also, it reemphasizes to our student-athletes what our staff tries to teach them every day in practice that you are setting an example every day in all you do - that’s for on the court and off the court.

I had the pleasure to speak at the Coaches vs Cancer Tip off Breakfast at Ham’s Restaurant where the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society for the fight against cancer. That same evening I was invited along with Coach Willi to the Shenandoah Valley Athletic Club meeting to speak about our upcoming season along with the men’s and women’s basketball coaches from JMU and EMU. This particular dinner it was a special occasion. My wife (Stephanie) and my dad attended this dinner and it was the first time that both of them heard me speak at the event. It is great to have over 100 people gather who are just passionate and supportive about athletics in the Shenandoah Valley as a whole. No matter what team you may root for – they all have a sincere interest in all sports in the “Valley”. If you have not been to one of the monthly gatherings you should attend.

Our guys have been working hard and trying to get comfortable with learning each other’s tendencies on the court. For example, who likes to post up on the right block instead of the left block, who prefers to shoot off the chest pass or off the down screen – all of these “little things” which can help you win the “close game”. We are getting better each day, some days slower than others, but that is expected with the injuries and guys getting accustomed to new roles or different roles.

Reminder for this Saturday:
The BC football game is at 1 p.m. and, from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. is the women’s basketball team spaghetti dinner AND the men’s basketball scrimmage against a BC alumni team.

The alumini team consists of class of ’09 Rob Rice, Brett Maynard, Matt Drewer; ’08 Andrew Cathlin, Josh Fox, Jay Strotman and ’07 Michael Jenkins .

I want to thank these guys for participating. Come out and enjoy the Saturday festivities.

Preseason Blog Update

2009-10-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the Pre-Season media Day Banquet in Salem, VA which was hosted by the Salem Rotary Club. The Salem Rotary Club does an outstanding job of hosting the ODAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball tournament. It is run in a first class manner and is conference tournament where the hosts and the participants are genuinely looking excited to see each other because of the quality of the event.

Yes, we were a pre-season pick at #7 for this upcoming season by the coaches in the ODAC. This is about where I had predicted us to be picked when you look at the six student-athletes which were Seniors last season (Kris Cecil, Michael Oblitey, Rob Rice, Michael Scorsome, Justin Reavis, and Rob Rice). We not only need to fill the “void” of their points, rebounds, and assists but also, the intangibles (toughness and grit) which they brought to the table for us last season.
Collectively, though with our returners and newcomers we hope to fill that “void”. This season’s captains (which were selected by their teammates) are the Seniors - Dominic Trawick, Segar Jordan, DJ Billups, and Jake Johnson. These guys did a nice job of leading the team in the pre-season and have since carried their leadership responsibilities over to our practices. Dom returns after leading the team in scoring and a 2 nd team all –ODAC selection, DJ returns a 7 ppg avg , Jake avg 3ppg until the final four games he avg. 14pts. Segar Jordan returns in the best shape of his BC career due to the hard work he put in this past summer.

Our Junior class consists of Rick Maloney, Drew Maynard, Kyle Hammond, and Mark Gibbs. These guys have been working hard in practice day in and day out. We as a team and staff are waiting and looking forward to these guys to contribute in many ways when called upon throughout the season. Drew had a very good summer in the weight room which he added about 10lbs to his frame. Kyle has been more assertive on the offensive and defensive end so far in our early practices – we need him to continue to be assertive on both ends of the floor this season. Mark and Rick are showing more confidence around the basket and have been looking more comfortable with some of their post moves which can be connected to the work which they both did over the summer.

Cody Griffith and Justin Brake are the only two which are in our Sophomore Class. Cody and Justin worked extremely hard over the summer. Cody has used last year to adjust to the college game from a guard’s perspective and returns with a stronger mentality and more confident for this upcoming season.

Our Freshman class (Lyndon Humphries, Russell White, Kordero Thompson, and Joey Geary) has been adjusting to the “college Basketball” practices. The level of play, quickness, competitiveness and intensity which has to be brought consistently not just to each practice but to each possession (offensively and defensively) in order to successfully adapt to the “college game”. They all are doing very well with this and our upper classmen have been remarkable with helping these youngsters to understand that the college game is just as much mental preparation as physical preparation. Joey and Kordero are “mixing it” up with several returning gds while Russell and Lyndon are competing day in and out with the forwards on the team.

Recently, we added several walk-ons which made the team after having a two day tryout. Adam Utz, Zach Dishman, Joshua Woody, and Tucker Kirby. These guys work hard and bring a very positive attitude every day to practice.
Last but not least , Matt Ross our Student – Asst. Coach. Matt is a Senior from Richmond , VA who is preparing himself to be a basketball coach in the future works very hard and represents our program in a positive manner.

I told are guys being picked 7th – we can be as good as we want to be. We have to have several guys to step into roles which they have not been accustomed to in the past. If they can accept their new roles and perform at the level which is expected of them on a consistent basis then we will be able to compete this season within our conference.
Have a safe Halloween weekend.

First Day of Practice

2009-10-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

The first day of practice came and went we had 24 guys come out for our first practice/tryout. We will have one more practice/tryout before we finalize our roster. I am very excited to have Coach Alvin Green and Coach Tim Meyers back on the bench with me this season. We were excited with having the opportunity to “roll up” our sleeves and get back into the mix of things. I will keep you posted on how the team shapes up.

I am looking forward to the Homecoming weekend and all of the festivities. We will finish practice on Friday just in time for my wife and I to attend the Athletic Hall of Fame banquet – CONGRATULATIONS to the Inductees. Also, congrats to my colleague Jean Willi for her induction into the TA Hall of Fame.

I received word that several of my players from last year’s team will be in attendance at the FB game (Justin Reavis, Kris Cecil, and Rob Rice). I do look forward to meeting other former players who I may have not personally met since arriving at BC last September. So, please stop by the Eagle Club tent so, we can “catch up”, for that is where I will be as the Asst. Director of the Eagle Club and Alvin Green (Asst Coach) will be at the game as well.

Today, I had the pleasure to visit with Bob Boyle (class of ’69 and still holds the record for the most rebounds in a game at 28) and Jason Jones (member of the 1996-97 Sweet 16 team) who both were able to meet several of the current BC players at the Career Exploration Day in Nininger Hall. A few days earlier I was able to visit with Coach Paul Hatcher (class of ’66) and his son Brandon as we toured Nininger Hall and the Men’s Basketball locker room which evolved into a very informative “chalk talk” session as we discussed some “X’s” and “O’s”. This is one of the reasons why I want to connect to ALL former BC players and establish that “brotherhood” with current and former players. http://www.bridgewatereagles.com/sports/mbkb/formerplayers

Lastly, I want to wish all of the sports which are playing this weekend – GOOD LUCK!! Go EAGLES

Getting Ready For My Second Year At BC

2009-09-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! It is hard to believe that ONE YEAR has already passed. I am very proud and honored to be the head men’s basketball coach at Bridgewater College and look forward to doing so for many years to come. It seems like yesterday when I was standing at the podium, meeting the basketball team for the first time, trying to match up player photos from the media guide with class schedules to make sure I was meeting with the correct player in our first individual meetings.

This September has a little more of normalcy to it – my family (wife and two children) is here in Bridgewater (last year they were not able to move up here until October 2008). The players are back into their routine of going to class, participating in their “fall workouts” all while enjoying being a college student on the beautiful campus here at BC As for the staff, myself, Alvin Green and Tim Meyers, we are staying busy as well with recruiting and attending as many open gyms and high school fall leagues which we are permitted to do on top of our other duties here at BC.

It is great to have the guys stop by the MBB office for their weekly academic meetings and see that they are excited to be back on the campus after being away for the summer. The BC campus is even more beautiful when all of the students return in the fall. Several of our guys (and WBB players) were counselors this past summer at our boys and girls basketball camps which we had on our campus this past June.

Our incoming freshman seem to be adapting well at BC. Those freshman are Joey Geary, guard, from Fauquier High School (which is the same school Justin Reavis attended); Kordero Thompson, guard, from Liberty – Bedford High School; Lyndon Humphries, forward, from nearby Riverheads High School, and Russell White, center, from Halifax County High School. These four freshmen have been well received by the returning players. Their smooth adjustment, so far, is largely due to our returning players taking these youngsters under their wings and showing them what is expected of them on and off the court in our program. Also, we as a staff, have a weekly meeting with the freshman where we meet on academics and provide them the guidelines on “time management of a student-athlete”.

The returning players are upbeat and excited for the upcoming season. The schedule which was released on our new website http://www.bridgewatereagles.com/ (a job well done by our Sports Information Office –Steve Cox, Tim Leister, and Cyndi Justice) has them excited because it is one of the toughest schedules they have played. We have a trip scheduled to Coastal Carolina University (Dec.12th Saturday) and were invited to play in a Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico over the Christmas Break (Dec. 19th – 23). Come and support us if you are free these days. Travel to Myrtle Beach and cheer us on against Coastal and you can get your shopping done at the outlets or you can golf during the day. Also, we have EMU, Wesley College and Averett participating in the Don Glick Classic on Nov. 21 -22. Wesley College and Averett both were NCAA tournament participants in 2009. Other non –conference opponents are Ferrum, Southern Virginia, Averett (again on Jan.30th )and Susquehanna University for our season-opener on Sunday, Nov.15th at 2 pm. Along with the always competitive ODAC schedule we will play six games against 2009 NCAA tourney participants as well as Division I opponent Coastal Carolina University.

I cannot have my first blog without mentioning the seniors who graduated this past May - Michael Scorsome, Kris Cecil, Justin Reavis, Matt Drewer, and Rob Rice. Once again, I want to say thank you to these guys and I am very proud of each of them because these guys kept a very positive attitude and worked extremely hard the entire season while adapting to a new system. Rob Rice and Kris Cecil were very worthy of their titles of “captains” on and off the court. They helped set a high standard for the captains in the future of the BC basketball program. These guys you will not see on the court this upcoming season but hopefully you will see them in the stands cheering on their BC Eagles this season. These guys will be fine ambassadors of Bridgewater College. I know Coach Leatherman is very proud of these graduates as well.

I want all former men’s basketball players to please contact our basketball office at 540-828-5403 or 5789 or email dburgess@bridgewater.edu so we can update your current contact information. We want you to please stop by and speak / visit with “YOUR TEAM” when you are in the area. Together it is “OUR” program which we want each of you to be proud of.

Best of luck to each of our fall sports teams that are competing today and Saturday.