Family Feud
August 30, 2006 10:49 AM | General
August 30, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Whenever West Virginia and Marshall meet in any sport, the game takes on a greater significance to the people of the Mountain State. The battle can pit mother against daughter, father against son, and cause good friends to be at each other’s throats for that one day out of the year.
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| Senior safety Aaron Meckstroth is facing his hometown school on Saturday.
M.G. Ellis photo |
Now imagine how West Virginia senior safety Aaron Meckstroth feels.
The Huntington, W.Va., native grew up in the shadows of Marshall University and admits that until he came to WVU, he pulled for the Herd.
“I grew up a Marshall fan. I went to all their home games. I remember watching Chad Pennington, Randy Moss and Byron Leftwich. I was at all of them,” Meckstroth said.
However, Meckstroth’s connection to the Marshall program runs much deeper than just being a fan. His father Rick Meckstroth was a freshman linebacker on the 1970 Marshall team in which 37 players, 12 coaches and university staff members, five flight crew members and 21 Huntington residents died tragically in a plane crash while returning from a game at East Carolina. The elder Meckstroth was not on board because freshmen were not allowed to travel in those days.
Meckstroth marvels at how far the Marshall program has come since the tragedy.
“My dad talked to me about how they had to recruit players from the basketball team and from the student body just to field a team. Marshall has come a long way. They went from the plane crash to nothing to where they are now,” Meckstroth said.
Being a state native and having been on the other side of the rivalry as a fan, Meckstroth has a full understanding of what this game means to the people of West Virginia. He senses that his teammates are beginning to grasp it as well.
“As the game gets closer the guys from out of state are really getting the gist of how much this means to West Virginia and the people here. There are going to be thousands and thousands of people here and it should be a great game for the fans,” Meckstroth said.
Meckstroth admits that with all of his ties to the Marshall program, the decision to come to WVU was one of the most difficult of his life.
“It was a big decision for me. When it came down to recruiting time it was between West Virginia and Marshall. I was an invited walk-on at both places. I wanted to go to a I-A program and play against the best competition. I just believe West Virginia was the best fit for me defensively and coaching wise. Another factor was Marshall was five minutes from my house and that is a little too close for me. I wanted to get away,” Meckstroth said.
Meckstroth says it has been an interesting adjustment for his friends and family to trade in their Green and White of Marshall for the Old Gold and Blue.
“I’ve got a lot of friends that go to Marshall and are hardcore Marshall fans so I get some stuff when I go back home. My family is rooting for me first, but they also like Marshall. They are pretty much on both sides but in this one they will be rooting for me,” Meckstroth said.
Above all else, Meckstroth is just thrilled to be involved in a game that means so much to his friends and family.
“I’m glad this game happened this year and not next year so I get to participate in it. It is going to be really special for me. I can’t wait for game day,” Meckstroth said.
Briefly:
“We haven’t had a lot of rain here the last month but we got some wet-ball work (Monday) and we’ll get some more in,” Rodriguez said. “It’s amazing because the forecast said there was no chance of rain on Saturday and now it’s flipped the other way.
“I just hope it’s not like that, one, for the fans because you don’t want them to have to sit in the rain. And two, sometimes bad weather changes things in the game tat you have no control over for both teams and that further complicates the execution part of it, especially offensively.”
“I think they came into camp in good shape and I think they worked hard,” he said. “We had some people miss some time and we’re not a team that is so talented that we can just show up and beat you. We’ve got to execute; we’ve got to have guys that don’t make silly mistakes and all that. We have talent, but we don’t have enough to just show up and beat anybody.
“I think our guys know that.”
“There has been a lot of attention but I don’t think it has been overburdening,” he said. “It hasn’t been for me and I don’t sense that from the players. I just think we’re anxious to play the game because at this point in time every is tired of practicing against each other.”
“I think it starts with Bradshaw,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a great back, he makes a lot of people miss and he always gets positive yards.”
John Antonik also contributed to this report
