National Championship selects.

Copyright Graham Beck 2012

For more work from Graham Beck check out grahambeck.wordpress.com

Men’s hockey prepares for the National Championship with Hockey East contests, Frozen Fenway, and the Beanpot.

Copyright Graham Beck 2012

More Sweet 16 photos from Graham Beck along with football, soccer, and hockey.

Copyright Graham Beck 2012

A collection of basketball photos from Heights editor Graham Beck including shots from the Sweet 16 at TD Garden and BC Basketball against Clemson and Duke.

A collection of Heights editor Graham Beck’s top photos from this year including the Beanpot, the National Championship, football, basketball, baseball, and soccer.

Copyright Graham Beck 2012

BREAKING: Harris Permanently Dismissed From Football Team

By Greg Joyce, Sports Editor

Boston College’s all-time leading rusher, Montel Harris, will not be suiting up in the maroon and gold next fall, after he was permanently dismissed from the football team today. Head coach Frank Spaziani made the announcement in a statement.

“Montel Harris has been permanently dismissed from our football team due to a repeated violation of team rules,” Spaziani said. “We are grateful for his contributions the past four seasons and will support him in completing his degree requirements and in his future pursuits.”

Harris’ status for the fall was up in the air, after his battle with a reoccurring knee injury. The Jacksonville-native had been sidelined for the entirety of spring football, trying to avoid another setback with his left knee. Harris underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last August to try to repair his knee, but went down just a month later after he re-aggravated his injury.

In his three-plus seasons on the Heights, Harris ran for 3,735 yards, and if he had been able to play this fall, he could have had the chance to break Ted Brown’s ACC rushing record.

A combination of Deuce Finch, Andre Williams, and Tahj Kimble will now be depended upon heavily in the backfield for BC, as they were for much of last season when Harris was out with the injury.

(Photos by Graham Beck / Heights Editor)

On Saturday, The Heights got the chance to follow around senior captain Anthony Melchionda in his pregame routine before Boston College’s game against Wake Forest. The Eagles went on the win the game 6-1, and swept the weekend series.

“I think we’re used to it. Even though we had some [seniors] this year I think we’re all used to the youth. I think what it’s going to enable—and the biggest thing I’m trying to get from these guys— is that I’ve got to have leadership. There’s got to be a step, someone or more than one, taking the team and being a leader and taking ownership of this team. Not the coaches telling you everything that has to happen. Somewhere for us to be a great team that locker room has to take ownership and they’ve got to take this to the next level. If you can do it as sophomores, then holy cow, will that help you as juniors and seniors. Once again, it may be more difficult next year because we don’t have that leadership and that older guy that helps you, but I think in the long run we make look back, and I believe this, you’ll say that really makes us great now because they went through all this stuff as younger kids.”

“We didn’t name a captain last year, and I think I’ll wake up one day and I’ll know it or they’ll know it. We don’t know it yet, and that’s just part of our issue right now. It’s just a unique team since nobody’s been through it yet. I don’t feel like anybody’s ready to do it if they’re being honest. They don’t feel like they’re secure enough in themselves to lead and serve the others when they’re still worried about themselves, and I understand that. It may happen over the next six months and it may not, but it’s going to happen. We’re going to constantly challenge them to take that and we’ll get somebody, we will.”

— Coach Donahue on the lack of upperclassmen given Matt Humphrey’s departure and his squad’s current lack of a captain.
I think the offensive side, and the defensive side, are light-years away from where we’ve got to be. That’s not how we’re going to play. We were basically trying to design a plan where our guys can compete for 40 minutes in the ACC against those teams. It’s not like we were trying to figure out how we’re going to beat teams in the long run. We’re going to play fast, we’re going to try to score 75 to 80 points, we’re going to mix up defenses, we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to play nine to 10 guys. All the things I just said just weren’t realistically options with such youth and inexperience and weak bodies and cardio fitness. All those things have got to be terrific—and, you know, just not enough pieces. So I think we are really far away, but what I do like is I think the guys are willing to learn, I think there’s a good skill level, I think as they get bigger, stronger, and more experienced you’ll see all of the things we’re trying to do come into light as each guy gets better at every position. — Coach Donahue when asked at what point in the season his team really got a grip on his motion offense.
I think we all have challenges at every program to sell playing time and opportunities, but you know what I’m pretty honest with every kid—and this is nothing against the guys who are here. I told these guys that no one earned the starts this year. It’s not like they beat out a sophomore or junior or senior who had been playing. Essentially, someone had to play, and that’s where the challenges are. I told them that everyone coming in here, I’m trying to get guys that will help us win in the ACC, so they’re probably going to want your job. Your responsibility is to get better and better, so personally you don’t lose your job if you’re playing already. You’re trying as a sub to beat those guys out, and then all of us are trying to get better. I think it’s actually, if I’m honest with a guy, I’m saying that no one’s secured this spot. I may say in two years, you know, returning now look at this kid’s freshman and sophomore years and now he’s our junior, and at the same time I’m recruiting a guy at the same position, that’s a lot harder. Right now, I think there are still great opportunities, and I said that to our guys. That’s the challenge. You’ve got to continue to get better. No one really beat someone out and earned it this year. You’re going to have to do that from now on. — Men’s basketball head coach Steve Donahue on if the number of players in the rising sophomore class make recruiting more challenging. Check out the full interview in tomorrow’s issue of The Heights.