This Issue: Nov. 5, 1998
Troy State ready to decommission ColonelsKenneth Roedl/Sports Editor
When it comes to scheduling Homecoming opponents, the Southland Football League doesnÕt give you easy choices. SaturdayÕs game against Nicholls State is no exception. TSU (6-2, 3-1) will host the SFL foe in its 1998 Homecoming game. The Colonels (2-5, 1-2) have had three opponents in common with the Trojans, with losses to Samford and Northwestern State and a victory over Sam Houston State. TSU defeated Samford 27-23 and Northwestern State 14-13. In the SFL, Nicholls State has lost its games by no more than two points. They were defeated by Jacksonville State 21-20 and Northwestern State 28-26. The ColonelsÕ other losses have come at the hands of Division I-A Louisiana Tech and Northeast Louisiana, the most recent a 58-26 loss to La. Tech. Head Coach Larry Blakeney said the Trojans continue to have their hands full this week. ÒOur job doesnÕt get any easier,Ó Blakeney said. ÒIf we do a good job of coaching and preparing for our games, then we will have the chance to win our league and enter the playoffs. ÒWe have the opportunity but it will take some doing.Ó Blakeney also said the Colonels are likely to pass frequently. ÒThey (Nicholls State) have gone almost totally to the passing game. Their quarterback is a fierce competitor, carrying the load for them,Ó Blakeley said. ÒThey will try to run a little bit, but if itÕs not there, they will go to the shotgun.Ó Blakeney said the team understands that the celebration hinges on who wins the game. ÒThe thing that puts the icing on the cake is who wins,Ó Blakeney said. The Colonels are the top-ranked team in the SFL in passing offense and second in the league in total offense. Nicholls State has averaged 234.9 yards per game, scoring nine touchdowns and completing 55.5 percent of all passes thrown. The Colonels quarterback Brad Zeller leads the passing game, completing 56 percent of his passes this season. Zeller is also the teams second leading rusher, carrying the ball 86 times and gaining 301 net yards. Zeller has scored four rushing touchdowns and averages 43 yards per game. Aiding Zeller in the running game is Tawaski Anderson. Anderson has averaged 4.9 yards per rush for a total of 306 yards this season. Anderson has scored six of the teamÕs 10 rushing touchdowns. The Colonels 134.6 rushing yards per game average may come to a halt when the face the TrojansÕ SFL leading rushing defense. TSU has allowed an average of 82.3 yards per game and 17 points per game. The defense is led by Anthony Rabb and Al Lucas, who have combined for 134 tackles. Eric Sloan leads the team with six picks and an average of 22.8 return yards. Matt Allen and Lawrence Tynes add a second dimension to the game for Troy State. Allen is punting for an average of 43.2 yards and Tynes has hit 11-of-15 field goals, with the four misses coming from 40 yards or more. AllenÕs punts have pinned the opposing teams inside their own 20-yard line on 19 occasions. The success of the teamÕs offense could be traced to number of weapons TSU enlists. In the ground game, Troy State has used five different running backs, with Phillip Jones and Wayne Thomas proving to be the latest threats. Thomas, a redshirt freshman, has gained 262 yards in four games, averaging 5.6 yards per rush. He has also averaged more than 100 yards in the past two games. Jones has added 267 yards to the teamÕs 1227 rushing yards and, like Thomas, went over 100 yards against Northwestern State. Each tailback has scored two rushing TDÕs. Brock Nutter, TSUÕs quarterback, is 72-of-124 in passing, and has thrown six interceptions and seven touchdowns. Nutter has also scrambled for 109 yards. As a team, Troy StateÕs offense has averaged 133.6 passing yards and 153.4 rushing yards each game. The game will begin at 3 p.m. Return to the top of the Sports Section |
Injuries taking toll on TSU football teamStacy Benefield/Staff WriterAt least three starting Trojans will sit out the Homecoming football game this week when Troy State University plays against Nicholls State. Marcus Spriggs, a senior defensive lineman; Brent Harrison, a sophomore offensive lineman; and T.J. Heatherly, a sophomore free safety are sitting out this weekÕs game due to injuries. In addition, it is possible that four more playersÑ Steven Kelley, a junior tailback; Tony Donelson, a senior tailback; Nick Colbert, a sophomore linebacker; and Terrell Smith, a junior linebackerÑ may not play due to injuries. ÒWeÕve been without about three starters every game this year, after we got going,Ó said Larry Blakeney, head coach for the Trojans. ÒItÕs been common.Ó Spriggs injured his shoulder in the Northwestern State game on Oct. 31. He is expected to return next week or the following week. Spriggs has been invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 16. The game at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif., will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. He has also been invited to play in the 50th annual Senior Bowl on Jan. 23. Harrison suffered a concussion at practice in late September and will not play again this season. ÒBrent has had more than one concussion, and itÕs very bothersome to us for a kid to have a concussion,Ó said Blakeney. Harrison had at least one concussion in high school and this is his second at TSU, said Blakeney. ÒI think an early comeback from an injury like that is more liableÑ more apt to have a recurring injury and another concussion, at this point, would certainly end his career or damage his health,Ó he said. The TrojansÕ team physician, Dr. James Whiteside, told Harrison that he would no longer be able to play football, Blakeney said. When referred to a neurologist in Birmingham, Harrison was given the option to sit out this season and try to go back on the field next season. ÒSo thatÕs what he has planned on doing and weÕre going to be there for him and try to make sure that we do everything we can,Ó said Blakeney. ÒNot only to condition him down in the weight room in the shoulder and neck area and to get him any kind of protective equipment that we can get him to give him that opportunity, but also have a close, watchful eye on him.Ó Heatherly injured his knee in the first game of the season against Alabama State on Sept. 5. ÒT.J. is probably out for the year but is working out daily and rehabilitating from knee surgery,Ó said Blakeney. ÒIf we get to the playoffs, and it looks like T.J. can really help us, and heÕs really feeling good, and the doctors deem that heÕs well, then we may risk playing him.Ó Blakeney said that if the Trojans donÕt make it to the playoffs, then Heatherly has the opportunity to get a hardship ÒredshirtÓ because he was hurt early in the season. Then, Heatherly would be eligible to get this year back, he said. ÒIf he plays one snap in one game, he looses his redshirt,Ó he said. ÒIf he doesnÕt play at all, heÕs got three more years instead of two.Ó Kelley broke his jaw in the Samford game on Sept. 26. He has not played a game since, but he is practicing with the team. Donelson was also injured in the Samford game. He suffered an ankle injury. He played in the Southwest Texas game but re-injured his ankle and had to sit out last week. ÒHeÕs a guy that may be ready for duty this week,Ó said Blakeney. Colbert injured his shoulder in the Southwest Texas game and played hurt last week, but the shoulder was very tender, said Blakeney. He should be back this week according to Blakeney. ÒKnowing the kind of kid he is and the competitor that he is, heÕll find a way,Ó said Blakeney. Smith also injured his shoulder in the Southwest Texas game. He tried to warm up last week but was unable to play. He has been practicing with the team this week and Blakeney said that he will probably play this week, but his shoulder is still sore. Blakeney said that there is a good chance that the questionable players will play against Nicholls State. ÒThey go to rehab two or three times a day,Ó he said. ÒWeÕve got until Saturday afternoon at 3 oÕclock to get them ready.Ó Although injuries tend to be common in football, it is not easy to be prepared for them, said Blakeney. The Trojans prepare for injuries by having good players to back up the starters and by having a strong sports medicine department to take care of the injured players. They also depend on strength and conditioning training as a preventive measure. ÒYou never prepare for it as a coach, as far as seeing a player go down and seeing him hurt,Ó said Blakeney. ÒYou work so hard with them. They try so hard, and they compete so hard and then, bang. ThereÕs an injury, and theyÕre out for a week or theyÕre out for a month or theyÕre out for the whole season, and thatÕs hard to accept because of what theyÕve put in it to try to get there. ÒIf a young man has an injury for a period of time or even a year, then you have the next guy step up.Ó Blakeney said the Trojans can also depend on the team doctors and the trainers in the sports medicine department to do a tremendous job. John ÒDocÓ Anderson is the chairman of the department of sports medicine. The team doctors are Whiteside, James Andrews and Mickey DiChiara. Chuck Ash is the head of the athletic trainers. Bobby Templin is the associate athletics trainer. Student trainers in the sports medicine curriculum also assist the Trojans. ÒTheyÕre good and very dedicated to getting the players well,Ó said Blakeney. Richard Shaughnessy is the strength and conditioning coach. Under Shaughnessy, the team members work out in the weight room and do cardiovascular exercises. ÒItÕs tailored somewhat to positions, but you think about the nature of this game that we play, itÕs a collision-type sport,Ó said Blakeney. ÒThey have to have their joints tied together pretty good with muscle mass, but itÕs all natural, itÕs all work, itÕs all sweat and preparation.Ó Return to the top of the Sports Section |
Cross country teams successful in AtlantaKenneth Roedl/Sports EditorThe Troy State cross country teams emphasized team effort Saturday at the Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in Atlanta, with four runners earning all-conference honors and both teams finishing in the top third. The menÕs team was led by Michael Green, who captured second place. The womenÕs team finished in third place with team captain Kelly Heinzman finishing in third place. Campbell University won the menÕs team title and Central Florida won the womenÕs. Green, an all-conference selection, claimed the individual menÕs title on the 8,000-meter course. ÒThe race went exactly as planned,Ó Green said. ÒThe plan was to just stay with the leaders for two miles and then take off for the next three. This was an easy win.Ó The win was GreenÕs fifth first-place finish this year. Contributing to the menÕs strong finish was freshman Sean Gilman, who finished 10th and was also selected to the All-Conference team. ÒThis was the first ÔperfectÕ race for me,Ó Gilman said. ÒIn all of the other ones I was either sick or injured. Everything came together today.Ó Head coach Bob Lambert was impressed with Gilman. ÒSeanÕs performance was unbelievable,Ó Lambert said. ÒA freshman isnÕt supposed to finish this high.Ó In the womenÕs competition, Heinzman was able to pass four runners in the last mile to earn her third-place finish. ÒI felt really good for the last mile or so,Ó said Heinzman. ÒI believe that if all our girls had stayed healthy, we would have won the meet.Ó LaTanya Sumlin, who was also named as an All-Conference selection, finished the race in ninth place and was followed by Kerri Britton in 14th place. Freshman Edna Caraballo finished 20th in the competition. ÒThis was a hard course,Ó Caraballo said. ÒI dropped my time by more than a minute from when we ran here earlier this season.Ó Both teamÕs are idle this week, but will be preparing for the NCAA Southern District Championships in Birmingham. The Spain Park Course hosts the competition on Nov. 14. Return to the top of the Sports Section |
Alabama teams sweep TSU volleyballKenneth Roedl/Sports EditorThe Lady Trojans put the ÒvolleyÓ into their match Tuesday night, exchanging game wins with the University of Alabama-Birmingham before losing the match 3-2. The Lady Trojans lost the first, third and fifth games, winning games two and four. Assistant coach Pam Sumner said the loss is not indicative of the team. ÒWe played a good game from start to finish,Ó Sumner said. ÒInstead of playing in spurts like we have done earlier this year. ÒThe team looked like they were having fun and, more importantly, played as though they were having fun.Ó ÒAs coaches, weÕre always looking for someone to come off the bench and play well. In TuesdayÕs match, Trisha Seevers came out and really helped the team.Ó The Lady Trojans, who are ranked No. 6 in the country in serving aces, added 13 in the loss to UAB. Sumner said the reason for that is the coaching philosophy. ÒThe two biggest things we emphasize are serving and blocking,Ó Sumner said. ÒWeÕve been able to increase our average from eight earlier this season, to about 10 the last couple of games. ÒAnother positive factor is that our girls use each game as a learning and growing experience. The losses are very disappointing but theyÕre able to leave each game knowing just a little more than when they started.Ó The Lady Trojans got some great individual performances in the match with UAB. Sophomore Emily Larson broke 900 assists in a single season during the match, adding 57 and totaling 947. Larson also had 15 digs, seven kills, four aces and a hitting percentage of .375. This was LarsonÕs 15th game when she has had a double-double. Freshman middle blocker Karen Smith had a hitting percentage of .400 in the match, making her the team leader in hitting percentage this season with .277. Smith also had a career-high 17 kills. Outside hitters Seevers and Kelly Gibbard also kept the Trojans alive in the loss. Seevers added 15 digs, 11 kills and had a hitting percentage of .381. Gibbard had her fifth double-double of the season, recording 14 kills and 16 digs. Gibbard also had three aces. Other leaders on the court were Erika VanHootegem, who had 16 digs and 13 kills, and Angela Kearns, who recorded 10 kills, four digs and an ace. On Monday, the Lady Trojans fell to the Crimson Tide of Alabama in four games. The Lady Trojans won the first game 15-8, but paid for it in the next three. Alabama swept the match, 15-1, 15-2 and 15-7. The next home match for TSU will be Senior Day on Nov. 13 when it hosts Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Mercer at 7 p.m. Senior Day is the last game of the regular season for the Lady Trojans. Return to the top of the Sports Section |
Trojan Arena is site of basketball exhibitionChelcie Mickles/Staff WriterTroy State UniversityÕs basketball teams begin play tonight with exhibition games against teams from overseas. The Lady Trojans begin their season today. ÒLast yearÔs team basically had a struggle for several reasons,Ó said Jerry Hester, head coach of the Lady Trojans. ÒWe had a young team and we only had two seniors. Samantha Tomlinson, a premier player, did not have a good year, and our other senior, Amy Sanders, only played in eight games and had to give the game up because of a severe back injury.Ó Despite the difficulties and injuries, the Lady Trojans were able to win eight of their last 10 games, which could begin this season on a positive note. ÒWe have nine returning players and six recruits who have junior college experience,Ó said Hester. ÒThat will give us experienced players. There are a lot of players who will contribute to the team this year. LaKeisha Parrish has potential to be a premier player. IÕll be surprised if she isnÕt picked pre-season conference Player of the Year.Ó Tredena Robinson, a 5-foot-six senior, will be starting as point guard. Robinson has a strong record with the Lady Trojans. She averaged 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. RobinsonÕs best game was against Georgia State, when she scored 26 points and grabbed four rebounds. Heather Lenior, who started every game last season, will be back this year, starting at guard. Lenior was third on the team last season in scoring, averaging 9.2 points per game. She was fourth on the team for rebounds, averaging 4.6 a game. Tiffany Weems, Abby Boone and Tomekia Golatte will also be returning. One recruit for this year is Kym Howard, a transfer from Santa Fe Community College. ÒWe look for her to really help our perimeter game,Ó said Hester. Howard, at 5-6, was one of the top junior college players in Florida her sophomore year and twice led the state in free throw percentages. Howard averaged 17.1 points per game last season. Keshia Ellis comes from Wallace Community College in Hanceville. Ellis is 6Õ1Ó and averaged 17 points per game during her junior college career and averaged eight rebounds per game. Ellis suffered a stress fracture in pre-season but has been cleared to practice. Also among the junior college recruits are Shelly Webb, LaTonda Adderly and Chandra Bradford. They will be a strong addition to the Lady TrojansÕ defensive game,Ó Hester said. ÒWe want to play for our conference championship this year,Ó said Hester. ÒIf we win our conference tournament, we go to the NCAA tournament, which we experienced two years ago. ItÕs a great feeling. ItÕs great for Troy StateÕs program. We feel we can reach these goals with the people we have this year.Ó On the menÕs side, there is great optimism for this season as well. The Trojans should have a strong team returning this year. Aldo Hudson, a 6-foot senior, will return as guard, as will Joey Raines. Both Raines and Hudson were starters last year. Raines was an offensive threat last season, averaging 17 points per game and four rebounds per game. Raines was the third leading scorer for the Trojans in the 1997-98 season. Hudson is the only senior and the most experienced returning player on the team. Hudson averaged double figures in scoring last season with 10.2 points per game and 84 assists over the season. Hudson was also third on the team in steals with 31. There are several freshmen playing for the Trojans. Ryan Blankson, from Hillcrest High School in Chicago, averaged 18.2 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game during his high school career. Donnie Pemberton is from Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, Ga. At 6-6, Pemberton is described by coaches as a Òsolid freshmanÓ and was named First Team All-Region and All-Southwest Georgia in high school. Both Pemberton and Blankson will see time at guard for the Trojans. The Trojans will also get a lot of help from their transfers. Two of the transfer students, Eugene Christopher and Nekolus Daniels, have played together at Pensacola Junior College. Daniels will be of strong aide to the TrojanÕs defense. During his junior college career, Daniels averaged eight points per game and four rebounds. Daniels was also selected to play in the Florida Junior College North/South All-Star Game. Christopher, known as ÒToteÓ by his teammates, averaged 16.3 points per game and five rebounds per game. Christopher was also named to the All-Panhandle Conference Team and also the Florida Junior College North/South All-Star Game. ÒWhat we get from the transfer students is experience,Ó said Billy Jefcoat, assistant coach for the Trojans. ÒThey understand what college basketball is all about and how tough it really is. They also have a great deal of maturity. ÒLast year we had a dismal 7-20 year, and we hope to rebound from that with the new talent and the added height to our team.Ó Jefcoat is optimistic about TSUÕs eligibility for the Trans America Athletic Conference Tournament. ÒThis is the first year we will be eligible for our conference tournament since we made the move to Division I, and weÕre very excited about that,Ó said Jefcoat. ÒWeÕre also excited about the new arena and getting people out to watch Trojan basketball,Ó said Jeffcoat. The womenÕs team plays at 5 p.m. and the menÕs team plays at 7 p.m. Return to the top of the Sports Section |
Trojans exorcise No. 4 Demons, 14-13Kenneth Roedl/Sports EditorIt is said that strange things happen on ÒAll Hallows Eve,Ó but one of the strangest happened in favor of Troy State this year. The fact that the Trojans defeated the fourth-ranked Demons is not the oddity, instead it is the irony that surrounds the victory. Northwestern State hosted Troy State for its 1998 Homecoming game, and brought a 6-1 record into the game. TSU hosted Northwestern State for its Homecoming game last season. TSUÕs Homecoming was the eighth game of the regular season for Northwestern State and the DemonsÕ eighth game this season was also against the Trojans. This year, Troy State defeated the Demons 14-13, handing the team from Natchitoches, La., its second loss of the season, with the first loss coming to Division I-A Missouri. Troy StateÕs first loss of the season was also to a Div. I-A team. Last season, the Demons spoiled Troy StateÕs Homecoming with a 14-13 win in Memorial Stadium. These oddities, nonetheless, are neither here nor there, as the win against NSU put Troy State in a four-way tie for first place in the Southland Football League. Troy StateÕs head football coach, Larry Blakeney, said his team knew what they were up against going into the game. ÒWe talked about setting the tables for yourselves,Ó Blakeney said. ÒAll players like to play in high-stakes games and they appreciated the win Saturday. The main thing the win proves is that this is a close league.Ó In the Trojans three wins over SFL opponents, TSU has won by a combined total of seven points. TSU defeated Sam Houston State and Southwest Texas State by three points. On SaturdayÕs win, Blakeney said the team played with more enthusiasm and came together to win a close game on the road. ÒThis is definitely one of the biggest wins in our I-AA history,Ó he said. ÒWeÕve beaten quite a few highly-ranked teams, but IÕm not sure if weÕve ever beaten a I-AA team ranked this high, on the road, in the regular season.Ó NSU scored the first touchdown in the game on their opening drive, capping an 80-yard drive with a 41-yard run by Tony Taylor. Phillip Jones and the rest of the Trojans responded with a TD of their own 4:26 later. Lawrence TynesÕ kick tied the score with 7:44 remaining in the first quarter. A fumble by Thad Buttone gave the Demons a shot at the end zone, but the TSU defense allowed only a 31-yard field goal, returning the lead to NSU. Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 20 yards, giving Troy State first-and-10 from its 44-yard line. TSU was able to move the ball 56 yards in 10 plays, with Wayne Thomas taking the ball 6 yards for the score, TSUÕs last time in the end zone. TynesÕ kick made the score 14-10 going into intermission. The Demons were the first to score in the second half, hitting a 24-yarder with 11:44 left in the game. In the scoring drive, NSU moved the ball 58 yards in 13 plays, consuming nearly six minutes of playing time. In the end, Troy State converted on a fourth-and-2 play, sustaining a time-consuming drive, which kept the ball from the NSU offense. Thomas rushed 14 times for 101 yards, and Jones had 15 carries for 118 yards. Return to the top of the Sports Section |
