Over The Pylon

Since we’ve taken some time off from the blogging happy fun time for the holidays, allow us to give you the cursory “We hope you had a great holiday…” kind of sentiment. With that, though, time for some Cardinal news as 2015 dawns. To the BSU release!

Ball State head football coach Pete Lembo has announced the arrival of three student-athletes who have signed grant-in-aid papers to play football for the Cardinals.

James Gilbert and Morgan Hagee graduated from their respective high schools in December and have enrolled at Ball State for the beginning of the 2014 spring semester. Jacob White, who signed a national letter of intent with the Cardinals last February, sat out the 2014 fall semester and has enrolled in classes this spring.

“We are pleased to welcome Jacob, James and Morgan to Ball State as we begin the spring semester,” Lembo said. “These three young men are truly excited to join our football program and the Ball State community. By enrolling midyear, they will have an opportunity to begin bonding and competing with our returning players this winter and spring. We look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead to help them successfully adjust to life as an NCAA Division I student-athlete.”

Gilbert graduated from Arsenal Tech High School in Indianapolis after playing football for Coach Anthony Henderson. A 5-10, 190-pound running back, Gilbert set the school’s career record for rushing yards with 4,817. He was the Indianapolis Public Schools Player of the Year in 2014 and earned all-state honors this past season. A three-time All-City player, Gilbert was named Tech’s Most Valuable Player as a sophomore and junior.

Hagee graduated from Plainfield High School in Indiana after playing for Coach Brian Woodard. He earned three letters for the Quakers and was named to the All-Mid-State Conference First Team and Academic All-Conference squad as a senior. Hagee, a 5-11, 165-pound placekicker and punter, made 11-of-14 field goals with a long of 49 as a senior. He connected on 25-of-26 extra point kicks and averaged 35.8 yards per punt in his final season. In his career, Hagee made 16-of-21 field goals and 58-60 extra points while averaging 36.0 yards per punt. He set the Plainfield school records for field goals in a game (3), field goals in a season (11) and field goals in a career (16). Hagee was named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top-50 All-State Team plus was selected All-Hendricks County as a senior. With a 3.76 grade-point average in high school, Hagee plans on majoring in interpersonal communications at Ball State.

White is a 2014 graduate of Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois where he earned three letters in football for Coach Rich Tarka. An All-West Suburban Silver Conference selection as a junior and senior, White was Hinsdale Central’s Most Valuable Player in his final season. The 6-0, 215-pound, linebacker was a team captain as a senior and tallied 69 tackles while also rushing for 429 yards with four touchdowns. He managed 137 tackles with five sacks and four quarterback hurries in his career. White tallied a 4.23 GPA on the school’s 5.0 scale (equivalent to a 3.23 GPA on a 4.0 scale) and plans to major in entrepreneurship at Ball State.”

So welcome to those new Cardinals and we’re only like 8 months away from the 2015 season. Let’s go!

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