Threatt a treat at press conference
10/17/2005 11:30:00 AM | Football
of The Morning Call
In a Lehigh football season filled with uncertainty, Sedale Threatt may offer at least one guarantee.
It is: win or lose, Threatt won't be at a loss for words.
Even though it was his first appearance in a postgame press conference, the sophomore quarterback was comfortable talking to the media late Saturday after he helped the Mountain Hawks rally for a 28-21 overtime win over Yale at Goodman Stadium.
Now, as he settles into the starting role as the replacement for injured Patriot League preseason player of the year Mark Borda, the big question is: How fast will Threatt become comfortable with the Lehigh offense?
He will have to get up to speed in time for Saturday's game at Bucknell and have it completely mastered in time for the Oct. 29 visit to Colgate when Lehigh's league title and playoff hopes will most definitely be on the line.
Whatever happens, the 6-2, 190-pound son of the former 76ers guard of the same name, will talk a good game.
That's what makes him so likeable to the rest of the team and even coach Pete Lembo, who has have developed a good rapport with the Valley Forge Military Academy and Mattapan, Mass., product.
''Of all the kids on the team, I'm probably the hardest on the backup quarterback at practice,'' Lembo said. ''When we talk about a sense of urgency and about being one play away from getting in a game, it applies the most to the backup quarterback position. So, I've been hard on Sedale because of that. But I also know he has strong character and I know he can take it. Some other guys can't.''
''Oh yeah, he's tough,'' Threatt said. ''Me and coach talk every now and then.''
But that comment made Lembo laugh at Saturday's postgame press conference.
''Sedale, who are you kidding, you're [the one] talking all of the time,'' Lembo said. ''You are a case in point for our open-door policy.''
Lembo then added, ''From the minute he got here, he's been a great personality for our football team. He is very outgoing and you always know what's on his mind. His enthusiasm is contagious.''
Lehigh rallied around Threatt Saturday after he came on for Borda with 7:54 left in regulation and LU down 21-13.
Threatt guided the team the final 17 yards for a touchdown, hitting Greg Fay in the right flat for the TD, and throwing left to Pete Morelli for the tying two-point conversion.
''The neat thing about the touchdown was that Sedale progressed his read the right way,'' Lembo said.
On the Mountain Hawks' lone overtime possession, Threatt got things started with a six-yard run and then handed off to Eric Rath four straight times with the ex-Pius X star finding the end zone for what proved to be the game-winning score.
Rath carried a modest 15 times for 65 yards against Yale as Lehigh threw the ball nearly twice as much as it ran it — 51 to 26.
The lopsided nature of the play-calling had a lot to do with the 21-6 deficit the Mountain Hawks were facing when it got the ball for the first time in the second half.
But the ground game is certain to become more prevalent as Threatt attempts to master Lehigh's complex passing system.
Offensive balance isn't the only thing Lembo and staff will stress as they prepare for the final five games — all Patriot League affairs.
As has been the case almost every week, there were a few too many penalties and a few too many breakdowns on Saturday, particularly on pass defense.
''We still have a long way to go,'' Lembo said. ''We have to get a lot better in all three phases of the game, but at least I know our guys will battle.''
And they will continue to battle without Borda, who, in what was probably his last game, threw for 333 yards.
Borda, who is expected to undergo surgery today on his right foot, will continue to be a part of the team. Even as reality about the injury set in early Saturday night, Borda was making plans to be with the team at Bucknell Saturday.
Threatt will appreciate the support from Borda as he learns how to become a leader himself. He has already learned a lot from Borda and others like Rath.
''I look up to our seniors; they're our leaders, and, to a degree, this is their team,'' Threatt said. ''This is their last ride. When I'm a senior, I'm going to want the freshmen and sophomores to step their game up to help our last ride. [The seniors] paid the price. They sell themselves out every day. They break bones, they bleed, they sweat and encourage us to become better players.''
This story appeared in the Monday, October 17, 2005 edition of The Morning Call. Used with permission.
