VMI showing intensity amid change in fall camp
Scott Wachenheim made some coaching changes in the spring, promoting former wide receivers coach Patrick Ashford to offensive coordinator, and hiring Nick Reveiz as defensive coordinator. After a spring of learning, the Keydets have put their knowledge to the test. Utilizing full pads on the sixth day of camp, and showing what they know during live periods Saturday morning.
Lawsuit filed against VMI claims school violated Gov. Youngkinโs order prohibiting divisive training
A lawsuit has been filed against the Virginia Military Institute and the VMI Board of Visitors, claiming that the military college has violated Governor Glenn Youngkinโs policies that prohibit divisive training.
Starting QB for VMI vs. The Citadel not revealed quite yet
VMI is in a good spot versus The Citadel this week with both starting quarterbacks healthy. Season starter Seth Morgan was injured two weeks ago against Cornell. Collin Ironside stepped in and has passed for four touchdowns in two games. Morgan has been cleared for Saturday, making both ready and available if called upon.
VMI picked 2nd by Media in preseason poll
The Keydets are coming off that spring season SoCon title, and auto bid into the FCS playoffs.
VMI put four players onto the first team All-SoCon preseason team this fall.
First team honorees include senior receiver Jacob Herres, offensive lineman Marshall Gill, defensive back Ethan Caselberry, and Linebacker Stone Snyder. The Keydets are the defending champs but they are not the favorites to repeat, as the media has chosen them second and the coaches poll has them third.
Historic first as VMI names woman as highest-ranking cadet
For the first time in its 182 years, VMI chose a female cadet to hold the highest-ranking position a student can earn. Cadet Kasey Meredith was named Cadet First Captain and Regimental Commander. โSheโs a superstar,โ said Lara Chambers, the first female alumnus appointed to the VMI Board of Visitors. Chambers said that as a female cadet, she wanted to be treated the same as the men. In a statement to 10 News, she writes in part:โI want to congratulate Cadet Kasey Meredith on her historic achievement.
VMI no longer names expelled students during โdrum outโ ritual
LEXINGTON, Va. โ The Virginia Military Institute will no longer name expelled students during their middle of the night โdrum outโ ceremony. The over 100+ years old ritual involved waking up the entire corps of cadets to the sound of beating drums. Part of that ritual has been the naming of recently expelled cadets. Campus officials tell WSLS 10 News the ceremony is meant to remind students of the honor code they have agreed to follow. VMI would not tell us the last time a โdrum outโ ceremony was held โ citing the privacy of cadet disciplinary matters.
VMI no longer names expelled cadets during โdrum outโ ritual
LEXINGTON, Va. โ The Virginia Military Institute has altered its ritual of expelling cadets by waking them up in the middle of the night to the sound of beating drums. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the school is no longer announcing the expelled studentsโ names during the so-called โdrum outs.โ The practice involves waking up the entire corps of cadets. The difference was that the cadets were not identified as they would have been in the past. The Post reported in December that Black students were being disproportionately expelled and shamed by name in drum-out ceremonies. Bill Wyatt, a VMI spokesman, declined to confirm Tuesdayโs ceremony to the newspaper.
VMI football attains its first national ranking as FCS member
VMI ranked for the first time as an FCS competitorLEXINGTON, Va. โ The Keydets are nationally ranked for the first time since joining the FCS college football classification, checking in at No. This comes on the heels of a Saturday home win over Mercer, 41-14, a team VMI had never beat at home. โThe VMI football team is honored that our efforts have been seen as worthy of inclusion in the FCS Top 25 poll,โ said VMI head coach Scott Wachenheim. AdIn 1982, VMI was reclassified into the Division I-AA ranks which later became the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). It never attained a national ranking as an FCS member, but did receive votes in 1991, 2002, and 2019.
VMI beats Mercer 41-14, off to first 3-0 start since 1981
LEXINGTON, Va. โ Reece Udinski ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and VMI beat Mercer 41-14. VMI is off to its first 3-0 start since 1981 and snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bears. โI think that the running game helped us out with the throwing game. Udinksi was 26-of-36 passing for 242 yards, including a 27-yard score to Leroy Thomas for a 34-0 third-quarter lead. Ethan Dirrim caught two touchdown passes for Mercer in the fourth quarter.
VMIโs Greg Parham enters NCAA Transfer Portal
LEXINGTON, Va. โ The VMI basketball program finished the 2020-2021 season with a record of 13-12, reaching the Southern Conference semifinals. It was the most wins for the program since the 2013-2014 season and it was thanks in part to senior Greg Parham. Parham announced via Twitter he has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. I have entered the Transfer Portal due to not having a Grad program at VMI and looking for Grad Transfer opportunities. pic.twitter.com/LNph9ico7J โ Spalden Alden โน (@Alden_Ballinq) March 8, 2021VMI doesnโt offer a graduate program, so Parham is seeking an opportunity as a grad transfer.
Alvarez helps Mercer defeat VMI, gain 1st SoCon title game
ASHEVILLE, N.C. โ Neftali Alvarez scored 23 points, making a trio of 3-pointers, and seventh-seeded Mercer defeated Southern Conference tournament upstart VMI 73-59 in the semifinal round. After upsetting second-seeded Wofford in the quarterfinals, Mercer (18-10) will meet top-seeded UNC Greensboro in Mondayโs championship game. The Bears have reached the semifinals once before in 2015, but never the title game. Myles Lewis led the Keydets with 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting and also pulled down 14 rebounds. Mercerโs bench also proved to be a factor, tallying 20 points to VMIโs three points from the reserves.
Late comeback gives VMI upset win in SoCon Quarterfinals
ASHEVILLE, N.C. โ Jake Stephens scored 25 points as VMI narrowly beat Furman 91-90 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament. Greg Parham added 21 points and Trey Bonham had 14 points for VMI. Myles Lewis added 13 points. Noah Gurley scored a career-high 30 points plus seven rebounds and seven assists for the Paladins. The wins puts VMI in the SoCon semifinals for the first time since 2003.
VMI moves to 2-0 with road win at Western Carolina
Korey Bridy ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns to lead VMI to a 30-7 victory over Western Carolina. It was the second straight win for VMI (2-0, 2-0 Southern Conference), which opened its season with a 14-13 victory over then-No. VMI rushed for 199 yards as a team while Reece Udinski and Seth Morgan combined for 293 yards passing. While as a team, VMI racked up 6 tackles for loss. Saturdayโs win was the first time VMI had defeated Western Carolina since 1991 and it was the first ever Keydets win in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
VMI upsets No. 10 Furman, 14-13
LEXINGTON, Va. โ The VMI football team scored one of the biggest wins in program history Saturday with a 14-13 upset of #10-ranked Furman University from Foster Stadium. VMI took a 14-13 lead with 17 seconds left in the third quarter on a three-play, 86-yard touchdown drive. The VMI defense stopped three Paladin drives in the fourth quarter, one on a fourth-down stop, one on a punt and the last on a fumble with 47 seconds left with Furman threatening at the VMI 24. Furman got on the scoreboard first 3:53 into the contest on a Hamp Sisson to Wayne Anderson pass. VMI (1-0) travels to Western Carolina University next Saturday for a SoCon matchup at 1 p.m. in Cullowhee, N.C.
VMI downs Samford, earns 6th SOCON win of the season
LEXINGTON, Va. โ VMI held an eight point lead at halftime, setting up a momentous second half where they had a 32-9 run, on its way to a 85-56 win over Samford. The 29-point win is the largest conference victory under head coach Dan Earl as the Keydets moved to 10-1 at home this season. We did a pretty decent job against a team that presses,โ Earl said. โI thought we also did a pretty decent job of playing with a big lead and time left. His nice for him to get a milestone like this,โ said coach Earl.
โI get to be an exampleโ: VMIโs first African-American superintendent ushers in era of change
Change is in the air at VMI: masks on cadets, a controversial statue removed and new leadership at the helm. Now interim superintendent Wins was once Cadet Wins. His decision to leave Maryland and come to VMI was based largely on the opportunity to play Division One basketball. I think that I was asked to come down and at least begin the implementation of the right change,โ Wins said. Thatโs something he hopes to instill in cadets, leading by example at a school under the spotlight and creating change.
Coronavirus concerns grow at VMI after cadets pulled from quarantine for annual tradition
LEXINGTON, Va. โ As coronavirus cases lead to new restrictions at VMI, there are allegations that COVID protocols are being completely ignored. Tighter restrictions went into effect Thursday at VMI after the military college reported more than 50 new COVID-19 cases. An annual tradition at VMI that happened on Saturday is drawing criticism about COVID protocols. 10 News was told dozens of cadets were pulled out of quarantine, given rapid tests and allowed to participate if they tested negative. VMI said those cadets were supposed to be separated from the rest of the group, with protocols encouraging 10-foot social distancing and wearing masks when not exercising.