From the Quad

From the Quad

11/17/2021 1:37:00 PM | General

Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
 
Good Afternoon Demon Deacon Nation!
 
After an incredible 72 hour weekend which included seven (!) Demon Deacon triumphs, your Wake Forest student-athletes, coaches and staff have been right back at it over the last two days gearing up for another big stretch starting tonight with the men's basketball game in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  
 
But with so much of our everyday routine consumed by the next game, event and task, it's important to make sure we don't forget to pause and recognize special moments in time like the incredible atmosphere and once-in-a-lifetime impressions our entire Wake Forest and Winston-Salem community experienced Saturday night inside an electric Truist Field.
 
Saturday's football victory over No. 16 NC State capped an undefeated home season marked by back-to-back sellouts for the first time since 2006. Coach Clawson encapsulated these sentiments best in his postgame press conference as he said, "What a night. Just to have all the students and all the fans rush the field. Packed house. It was a big-time college football game and a big-time environment. What a great job by our students and our fans."
 
While enough cannot be said of the dedication and incredible effort of  Coach Clawson, his staff and our student-athletes over the past eight years, that home field advantage is also a credit to the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black, our spirit squads, operations staff, gameday workers and the entire Winston-Salem and Triad community for bringing energy to Truist Field every week!
 
And, even with the stands packed and concourses crowded, both the majority of Deacon fans and our Wolfpack guests were loud and proud throughout the game. I appreciate the hospitality and civility that predominated and made it a true collegiate atmosphere. From the winning tailgate scene, to fans getting to the gates early and patiently and even the "orderly" postgame field rush and celebration, everyone together created the first class and fun atmosphere which makes us all proud to be Demon Deacons.
 
In addition to our Wake Forest Athletics staff, it takes a synchronized effort of more than a thousand dedicated folks from our 12 external production partners to put on a safe and festive game day for our student-athletes and fans alike.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are proud to salute these friends for helping deliver The Best Fan Experience in North Carolina: Additionally, I would like to thank our campus partners including: And, we appreciate the partnership and investment of our leading sponsors: Two incredible individual examples of the Pro Humanitate spirit of our community are Danny Tucker and Nancy Via. Danny is a longtime Department of Transportation employee who with his dedicated staff spends countless hours setting up "way-finding" signage and cones to ensure all fans safely and efficiently get to Truist Field. Meanwhile, Nancy and our campus police department dispatch manage the gameday hotline fielding hundreds of inquiries throughout the football season. Her friendly attitude and knowledgeable assistance are second to none! I am grateful for the hard work and collaborative effort of Danny, Nancy and every single person behind the scenes making it all happen for Deacon Nation!
 
It was also fun to see ACCN's The Huddle broadcast live all day from Truist Field and capture the incredible moments and atmosphere throughout the day. Be sure to give @ACCNetwork a follow on social media and leave them a comment about your favorite memory of last Saturday!
 
And how about America's Skydiving Team Pregame Flag jump! Their effort was dedicated to Army Corporal Jacob R. Carver who passed away on Nov. 13, 2010, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
 
Trailblazer Award Spotlights Wake Forest's Leadership Integrating Sports in the South
The Robert Grant & Kenneth "Butch" Henry Trailblazer Award ceremony on Saturday afternoon before the football game was one that I will remember forever. I encourage you to watch the interview Bob Grant did with ACC Network's Kelsey Riggs and EJ Manuel on Saturday morning on ACCN's The Huddle where he spoke of the courage President Harold Tribble, AD Dr. Gene Hooks and Coach Bill Tate in making Wake Forest  the first Division I institution in the South to integrate its athletics programs.

November to Remember - Deacs Playing on the Big Stage
Those seven Demon Deacon victories last weekend included an NCAA Southeast Region Championship by our men's cross country team and an NCAA Tournament women's soccer win over Harvard
 
Tomorrow night, men's soccer begins their 11th-straight NCAA Tournament with a first round match against Mercer at 6 p.m. at Spry Stadium. On Saturday, our nationally ranked men's cross country program will race for the NCAA Championship at 11:10 a.m. in Tallahassee. Meanwhile, Coach Tony da Luz and our women's soccer team will be in Ann Arbor to take on No. 9 Michigan at 6 p.m. on Friday for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16. The match will be broadcast on NCAA.com.
 
And, I am hearing lots of the Deacon faithful, including four busloads of Wake Forest students, are heading to Clemson for Saturday's noon ESPN kickoff. The Demon Deacons are No. 10 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and can clinch the Atlantic Division title with one more win and a berth in the Dec. 4 Subway ACC Football Championship Game in Charlotte!
 
Basketball Time in The Joel
Bring your family, friends or a neighbor to Joel Coliseum for men's basketball tonight at 7 p.m. and for women's basketball on Thursday at 7 p.m. We have a busy stretch coming up with a pair of men's basketball  (Saturday at 4 p.m. // Tuesday at 8 p.m.) and women's basketball (Sunday at 6 p.m. // Saturday, Nov. 27) home games through the Thanksgiving weekend!
 
Be sure to get your tickets for men's basketball's ACC-Big Ten challenge match up with Northwestern on Tuesday, Nov. 30th. 
 
Dr. Wente Set to Deliver Presidential Address
Dr. Susan R. Wente will share her first presidential address on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at 9 a.m., in the Sutton Center. The address will be livestreamed and you will be able to find the recording on the president's website! I can't say enough about President Wente's energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the Wake Forest experience in her first five months in office. I appreciate her high expectations and commitment to excellence across our campus community!
 
Volleyball Senior Day Set for Sunday
After finishing off a season sweep of Virginia, Coach Randi Smart's improving volleyball program is 14-12 and chasing our first winning season since 2010. Admission is free inside Varsity Arena for volleyball's Senior Day! Last Friday's match featured a surprise recognition of retiring Vice President of Campus Life Penny Rue. Dr. Rue is among Wake Forest volleyball's biggest fans and she is the embodiment of our University's Pro Humanitate spirit.
 
Join me in giving our Wake Forest faculty and staff a tip of the Deacon Hat for the multiple awards our University earned from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for nonpartisan student voter participation efforts in the 2020 Election! Wake Forest earned the North Carolina Campus Voting Challenge for the Most Improved Voter Turnout Award and the DemocrACCy Most Improved Voter Turnout Award! Additionally, Wake Forest has earned a Gold Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge!
 
From the Quad Big 3!
  1. As we battle to put the pandemic behind us, Wake Forest Athletics asks that you please wear your mask at all times inside Joel Coliseum and Varsity Arena.  
  2. It's bowl planning time! For Wake Forest families, it's now an annual Thanksgiving tradition to talk about all the bowl trip possibilities to follow the Deacs. Click here and you can fill out this preorder form to register for tickets
  3. Reserve your 2022 spot at Truist Field! Season ticket deposits for the 2022 season are available now for $50.00. New or existing season ticket holders can visit GoDeacs.com/tickets to make their deposit online, or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 during normal business hours. Wake Forest football is 15-2 at home since the start of the 2019 season and this year's perfect 6-0 mark was our first undefeated home record since 1979. Let's keep it going in 2022!
In closing, throughout the season you have helped us get better by sending your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu. Please let me know what you enjoyed the most this season or perhaps the name of someone who helped make your Truist Field experience great. 
 
Thanks, and…
 
Go Deacs! 

Currie Signature 

John Currie
Director of Athletics
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