NORTHBROOK, Ill. – For a select group of college football players, including Tarleton's Jacob Rowe, the words “sacrifice” and “commitment” extend far beyond the football field to places that don’t require helmets and shoulder pads. Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) today have announced the 22 student-athletes chosen for the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams®, honoring dedicated and hard-working student-athletes for their off-the-field achievements and selfless contributions to their communities.“This is a great honor for Jacob, our football team and our University,” said Tarleton head football coach Sam McElroy. “There are a great number of kids that do things throughout the year to help others, and for Jacob to be singled out as one of the best means a great deal to us. He certainly deserves this award and the things he does to help others is wonderful. We know he will continue to serve because that is who Jacob is.”
ARN Lone Star Conference rankings
1. ACU (4-0) — The offense takes a step forward, and the defense does a fine job against a potentially explosive Southeastern team. Now, can they shut down — or keep up — with the No. 1 offense in the nation in Eastern New Mexico this week?
2. Texas A&M-Kingsville (4-0) — The Hoggies keep on squealing, rooting up 530 yards on offense last week against Northeastern State (Okla.). They’ve got the sixth-best offense in the nation, and they’re not too bad on defense either — ranked No. 7 in the nation.
3. Midwestern State (4-0) — Who says they don’t play defense in the LSC? The Mustangs are ranked No. 4 in the nation in total defense, and QB Zack Eskridge is ranked No. 2 in passing efficiency.
Lone Star collision: No. 17 Midwestern State takes aim at Angelo State
SAN ANGELO, Texas — The Midwestern State University football team went into this season picked to finish fifth in the Lone Star Conference South Division, just one spot ahead of Angelo State — its opponent this week. After allowing just 16 points in four games this season, and outscoring their opponents by an average score of 44.5-4, the Mustangs have moved all the way up to No. 17 in this week’s American Football Coaches Association Division II poll.
After soundly defeating four schools with a combined 3-12 record, MSU will get its toughest test of the season Saturday against the 3-1 Rams at San Angelo Stadium. It is the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams.
Javs gear up for West Texas A&M
CORPUS CHRISTI — For the first time since Don Carthel arrived on the West Texas A&M campus four-plus years ago, the Buffaloes aren’t striking a lot of fear in their football opponents. The Buffaloes have posted at least 10-win seasons under Carthel and have reached the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of his four seasons as coach. They have unleashed a spread-out passing style of offense that has since become the choice of poison for teams in the Lone Star Conference, as well as the rest of the country’s college squads.
This year, some of the gaudy offensive numbers still are being posted. But at 1-3 entering Saturday night’s Lone Star Conference South Division opener against 10th-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville, West Texas isn’t strutting as haughtily as it had been.
“I don’t know if this bunch has played well enough to get any swagger yet,” said Carthel, who in four seasons has moved into third on WT’s all-time list of coaching wins with 45. “They’re going to have to earn their stripes. That has yet to be done. We’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot of improving to do before we can be with the upper part of this conference.”
MSU's Tanner shows off speed
Anyone looking at Andy Tanner when the Midwestern State Mustangs go to an offensive formation with four wideouts might think he is the possession receiver of the foursome — and he may be. But don’t make the mistake of believing he is the stereotypical “slow, white guy.”
Do that and he’s liable to make you pay — just like he did last Saturday night against the Incarnate Word Cardinals.
He caught five passes for a career-best 146 yards and three touchdowns — including the Mustangs opening score where he caught the ball on a bubble screen and ran 80 yards for the TD. But the 5-11, 185-pound senior opened up quite a few eyes on that play. After catching the pass from Eskridge, it appeared Tanner would probably get a first down after he turned the corner. Several Cardinals had the angle on him and could simply push him out of bounds. But those players never got the chance as he sprinted by them, down the sideline to tie for the third longest reception in school history.
“I come out here and work hard every day,” Tanner said. “Coach says to expect success; expect to win; expect to catch every ball; and expect to make big plays. That was what I was trying to do. Once I got by everyone I was just thinking, ‘Don’t get caught and score.’ At that time we needed a big play from somebody on offense. The defense had just made a big play, but we were rusty and not looking good. We needed someone to spark us.”
ASU volleyball capsule, 9/24
The Rambelles look to get back on track tonight when they travel to Abilene to face their archrival ACU. ... ASU is coming off a three-set loss to No. 7 West Texas A&M on Saturday. The ’Belles lost 25-20, 25-17, 25-17 to the Lady Buffs. Chelsea Gibson led ASU with eight kills. Kaitlyn Standard added seven. Alex Allard led ASU with 11 digs. Alex Woolsey had 23 assists and 10 digs. ... ACU is coming off a three-set sweep of Eastern New Mexico on Saturday ... ASU is 53-27 all-time against ACU. The ’Belles won last year’s match between the two teams in four sets. ... ASU will take a break from conference action this weekend when it travels to Topeka, Kan., for the LSC/MIAA Crossover Tournament.
WT Volleyball Preview
The Match: No. 7 West Texas A&M (13-2, 2-0 Lone Star Conference) at Texas A&M-Commerce (14-3, 2-0), 7 tonight, Texas A&M-Commerce Field House, Commerce.
Rambelles prepared to bounce back in LSC
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Riding a six-game winning streak, the Angelo State University women’s soccer teams opens Lone Star Conference play Friday against archrival Abilene Christian. Since a 10-0 loss to Regis to open the season, the Rambelles have gone 6-1, with that one loss coming against then-No. 3 Metro State, a 1-0 double-overtime defeat.
Over the past six games — all wins for the ’Belles — ASU has outscored its opponents 14-3. ASU’s lastest victory was an overtime win against Dallas Baptist last Saturday in which Christian Willman converted a penalty kick four and a half minutes into the extra period.
Lone Star Conference Soccer weekly release (09/23/09)
Women’s conference play kicks off
The first women’s Lone Star Conference match of the season will take place this Friday, as Abilene Christian travels to Angelo State. The first men’s conference game of the season saw a double overtime tie between West Texas A&M and Midwestern State last Friday.
Players of the Week
MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Nick Auditore, Midwestern State, Sr., F, Phoenix, Arizona/Desert Vista HS
Auditore notched two goals in the opening 25 minutes to help No. 18 Midwestern State bury Eastern New Mexico as the Mustangs rolled to a 5-0 win. Auditore, who leads the Lone Star Conference with five goals, placed two of his five shots on goal as MSU also fought West Texas A&M to a scoreless draw Friday night at the MSU Soccer Field.
MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Ryan Spence, Midwestern State, So., D, Decatur, Texas/Decatur HS
Spence helped organized a defense that allowed 16 shots and just two shots on goal last week against No. 18 West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico. The sophomore from Decatur played a key role in limiting Lone Star Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Ben Everson to three shots with just one falling on goal in Friday night’s scoreless draw against the Buffs. The No. 12-ranked Mustangs have strung together five-straight shutouts and lead the national with a 0.25 team goals against average.
WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Courtney Wilson, Abilene Christian, Jr., M, Odessa, Texas/Odessa HS
Wilson scored three goals last week including two against Dallas Baptist. Her first two points of the young season included a penalty kick late in the game to give the Wildcats a 3-1 victory over DBU. In a 3-2 victory against UT-Permian Basin, she scored the game tying goal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick to send the game to overtime.
WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Alli Miller, Central Oklahoma, Sr., D, Norman, Oklahoma/Norman North HS
Miller headed up a dominating defensive effort that carried Central Oklahoma to a pair of easy wins last week. The senior fullback and reigning LSC Defensive Player of the Year led the Bronchos to back-to-back shutouts as UCO ran its winning streak to five straight. Miller and the Bronchos allowed just nine shots in two games -- including two on goal -- in rolling over St. Mary’s (4-0) and Texas A&M International (6-0).
WOMEN’S GOALKEEPER
Mallory Whitworth, Midwestern State, Fr., GK, McKinney, Texas/McKinney HS
Whitworth made five saves and recorded her first career shutout last week to help No. 12 Midwestern State get out to its best start in school history at 5-0-1. The true freshman from McKinney made one save and played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 shutout of Northwood (Texas) Thursday night, then made four saves while playing in the second half of Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Oklahoma Baptist. Whitworth rates ninth in NCAA Division II in goals against average at 0.29 and is 11th in save percentage at .917.
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