Javelinas ranked No. 16 in football poll - Corpus Christi Caller
Mustangs enter 2010 season ranked No. 19 by AFCA - James Robinson - Wichita Falls Examiner
MSU ranked No. 19 in preseason poll - Times Record News
Brazos Valley Cheers On John Randle's HOF Induction
Shane McAuliffe
KBTX
John Randle entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history, but getting to this point wasn't easy. Randle was a walk on to every program he ever played for from high school to the NFL.
"I want to thank my hometown of Mumford, Texas, population 150. I also want to thank Hearne, Texas where I went to High School," said Randle at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.
Back in the 1980's John Randle got his start in football at Hearne High School. Now the NFL Hall of Famer is passing along his NFL knowledge to current Hearne Eagles.
"He walked around the field, saw me, saw what I was doing wrong and corrected me," said Kanavious Jeffery a senior at Hearne High.
His few minutes with Randle has left a lifelong impression.
"It's a big thing to us because here in Hearne, he's a big deal. I'm proud," said Jeffery with a big smile.
Amarillo Globe News
The West Texas A&M football team - the preseason pick to win the Lone Star Conference South Division title - begins preseason practices Thursday. Players are scheduled to report today.
Amarillo Globe-News assistant sports editor Dave Henry takes a look at the Buffs in Thursday's edition and online at amarillo.com.
Bob Forrest
Ada Evening News
Ada — East Central University football coach Tim McCarty can be excused if he looks like a man in a hurry when the Tigers open preseason drills Monday.
From his team’s first practice (at 2 p.m. Monday) until the Tigers leave for Kansas to play Fort Hayes State in their season opener on Sept. 4, McCarty and his young staff will have less than four weeks to get 70-plus holdovers from last fall and this spring and arguably the most talented recruiting class in school history on the same page.
“Three and half weeks is never enough time,” McCarty said. “But we’re like every other team — we’re going to play that opening game after three to four weeks of practice. We’ve got a lot to do to get our kids executing at a high level.”
From his team’s first practice (at 2 p.m. Monday) until the Tigers leave for Kansas to play Fort Hayes State in their season opener on Sept. 4, McCarty and his young staff will have less than four weeks to get 70-plus holdovers from last fall and this spring and arguably the most talented recruiting class in school history on the same page.
“Three and half weeks is never enough time,” McCarty said. “But we’re like every other team — we’re going to play that opening game after three to four weeks of practice. We’ve got a lot to do to get our kids executing at a high level.”
LSC Fall Sports Preview: Southwestern Oklahoma
Nick Eatmon
LoneStar Conference Website
This is the second of a 16-part series, analyzing the fall sports of each school in the Lone Star Conference. Today will feature Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Football
The silver lining that second-year head coach Dan Cocannouer sees in last year’s 1-10 season isn’t the overall record, but the way things finished down the stretch of his first season as coach of his alma mater. After watching his team lose the first six games by a combined score of 288-59, things started to turn around in the last four games. Although the Bulldogs only won one of those last four – a 14-13 victory over East Central, they did have a seven-point loss to Northeastern State, a 28-24 loss to Panhandle state and a 15-12 defeat to eventual LSC North champion Texas A&M-Commerce.
“Last season we looked like a junior high team, personally,” Cocannouer said. “But we got better as the season went on. The thing is, we’ve gotten better. We learned a lot last year. We’ve got some good things taking place at Southwestern. This spring was very productive for us. We brought in a few guys that will make us older. We’ve got some JUCO kids coming in and the young guys that had to play last year learned a lot. We should be a better team this year.”
Like any team, it starts with quarterback and that is an area of concerning with the departure of Steve Day, the school’s all-time leading passer and a four-year starter. Many candidates will try to fill those shoes, including sophomore Houston Johnson, the only player on the roster to take a snap for the Bulldogs. Johnson will compete with the likes of Dustin Stenta and Josh Dorman and transfers Jace Johnson and Mike VanDeripe.
At least the Bulldogs have a little more certainty at the other skill positions, led by transfer running Isaac Tucker, a standout back at Citrus College in California. Sophomore tight end Ryan Corbin has the potential to be an all-conference performer. Corbin had 22 catches for 147 yards as a true freshman, and along showed the toughness to take a few carries at running back when called upon. Junior receiver Bruce Hatton isn’t the biggest player on the team, but Cocannouer says he might be the toughest.
“He’s probably the strongest player pound for pound on our team,” Cocannouer said. “He was our offensive MVP last year.”
Hatton was mostly a receiver for the Bulldogs, catching 43 balls for 382 yards. He also had 107 rushing yards with and led the team with 501 kickoff return yards.
The offensive line returns junior guard Stephen Sears, a second-team All-LSC pick last year, along with tackles Kane Bryen and John Niutei.
Defensively, linebacker Fred Leak earned first-team All-LSC honors last year, recording 96 tackles in 2009. Junior-college transfer Preston Nichols-Margain was a standout linebacker at Golden West College the last two years and should provide immediate help inside. Senior defensive tackle Tim Stephenson anchors what should be a rather young defensive line. The Bulldogs are hoping TCU transfer Henry Niutei, the younger brother of guard John, will help in the middle of the line.
The secondary returns safety Shane Scott (100 tackles) and Jesse Wright. Cornerbacks Mario Long and Marvin Tribble should add depth at cornerback.
“This year, we have high expectations,” Cocannouer said. “That’s just the way I am. I just feel like we’re going to win all of our ballgames. I don’t know how we’re going to do it; we’re just going to find a way. That’s the attitude I think we need to have.”
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