Transfer Update

There are almost always questions when a student-athlete transfers from DI to DII. The reasons for transferring are varied - lack of playing time, legal issues, grades, homesickness, or other personal issues are the most common explanations. In the age of the internet, it is relatively easy to find information, but too often, only a portion of the story is told.

Soon after we posted the story on Cade Shaw transferring from Rice University to Texas A&M-Kingsville, we received a few emails "informing" us of an arrest back in April, in which Shaw and Cody Bauer (his roommate) were charged with firearms possession in a prohibited place.

As we do when we receive tips, we began researching the story, and a much more complete picture emerged.  What our tipsters failed mention was that Shaw and Bauer had already been cleared of those charges by a grand jury on May 31.  The grand jury issued a no bill, clearing both students' records.  Tyler Garrett of KRISTV reported that the gun did not belong to Shaw and was never in his possession.

We appreciate our readers sending us information, whether it be tips, links to stories or even first-hand information.  We get some really good stuff to share.  However, we feel it is our duty to perform some due diligence to ensure accuracy and completeness.  If the intent is inform and share information that might not otherwise get to a wide LSC audience, then bring it on.  If the intent is to try and cast a negative light on another LSC school, just know that it won't be posted without being looked into.

Texas A&M-Kingsville - 2010 Recruiting Class

Need Help:

QB - Billy Garza (2nd LSC South) has moved on, after passing for almost 5,500 yards and 40 TDs the last two years. Both primary backups from the past two seasons are back, Nate Poppell in 2009, and Daniel Ramirez in 2008 (redshirt in 2009). Poppell only attempted 7 passes last season, but Ramirez got a fair amount of playing time in 2007 & 2008.

DL - lost three defensive tackles, including Chicago Bear signee, Jimmy Saddler McQueen. Starting DE's Matt Romig (HM LSC South as a RS Frosh) and Mike Talamantez return, as does DT Dondi Cooks. After leading the LSC in run defense in 2008, the team fell to 9th, giving up 131 yards per game, and totalled just 19 sacks.

Need Depth:

RB - Fred Winborn (1st LSC South, 1,295 yds, 17 TDs) and Connell Davis (HM LSC South, 491 yds, 8 TDs) return, but both are seniors. Myron Brew returns after missing all of last year with injuries.

OL - Lost 4 year starters in Markeith Wesley (two time 1st LSC South) and Jorge Guerra (2nd LSC South) plus two top backups. The three returning starters - Colby Lowrie, Trent Perkins and Timothy Byerly - are seniors. Perkins and Byerly were HM LSC South in 2009. The line did a good job last year, allowing just 14 sacks, and helping the running game average 5.1 yards per carry and 185 per game, both tops in the conference.

LB - Lost Jeff Edwards (2nd LSC South) and Arlen Childress. Returning are Marcus Sanders, Hector Sobers and Aaron Buckley, who combined for 107 tackles. Sobers is the lone senior of the three.

DB - lose starters Eric John (HM LSC South) and John Reeves (2nd LSC South) as well as backup Stuart Moffitt (HM LSC South) who combined 164 tackles. Starters DeIra Glover and Corey Robertson (both 2nd LSC South) return at safety, and Derrick Thomas at one corner position. Returning reserves include Marc Kinney and Mardrick Johnson. That quintet combined for 240 tackles, 15 for losses, 6 Ints, and 17 passes broken up. Four of those five will be seniors. The pass defense gave up 228 yards per game, but were 8th in pass efficiency defense.

Good Quality/Depth:

WR - Ryan Lincoln (2nd LSC South), Damian Couthren, Sherman Batiste (both HM LSC South) and Darryl Malone combined for 148 receptions, for 1,922 yards and 10 TDs. Lincoln and Malone will be seniors.

The Javelinas should get some immediate help from OL Keenan Woods, at DL - Johnny Tivao, Zane Brown, Marquis Singleton and Darnell Hicks, at LB - Junior Tivao, Tressor Baptiste, and Roman Pula and DB - Arron Fisher and Quincy Williams. Down the road, look for Josh Schneider, who threw for 3,900 yards and 38 TDs, and was named the 3A breakout player of the year by Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine. Tre'vion Johnson was a San Antonio Express 1st Team All Area and HM All State after rushing for 1,400 yards, while Jerreal Minor was named to the second team. Charles Coleman rushed for 2,280 yards and was a third team All-State 5A and Josh Washington was an honorable mention. For the defense, keep an eye on DLs Rambo McAfee (a double signee with Blinn) and Henry Greathouse, and DBs Forest Jones, Cody Brooks (HM All-State) and Jeff Phillips.

LSC Ranking - 2

Overall Grade- A+

The Javelinas recruited well across the board. Young talent at QB, RB, OL, DL and DB and immediate help at OL, LB, DB and especially the DL.

LSC Roundup 1-29

Recruiting Center

Men's Basketball News
Pondering a reversal of fortune for MSU
Greg Giddings was listening on the radio Monday night when Rashad Austin swished a pair of free throws to give Midwestern State a 78-76 win over Northeastern State. The former MSU player and coach said he rarely looks backward.

“My wife hates that I seemingly refuse to reminisce,” Giddings told me. “That being said, I can still obsess about that game.”

“That game” also came to my mind when the final seconds ticked off the D.L. Ligon scoreboard on Monday. What if Derek Cline’s 28-foot prayer had bounced off the rim back then like Dominique Gaines’ shot just did? That 2003 loss would not have haunted Giddings these past seven years.

That game in Tahlequah turned out to be his last as MSU’s head coach.



Recruiting News
Javelinas pick up two commitments. Josh Schneider (QB LaGrange) has committed to Texas A&M-Kingsville. Josh picked the Javelinas over Tarleton State, Eastern New Mexico, UTSA, SFA and Lamar. Also, Payne Neesen (OL Tuloso Midway) has also indicated that he will sign his letter of intent next Wednesday.

Jake Sims (Ath Corpus Christi Carroll) will be heading to Texas State. Midwestern State and Abilene Christian were two LSC schools that were recruiting him.

Baseball and Softball News
Rams picked second in LSC preseason poll
WT softball team ranked No. 22
ACU baseball, softball teams picked for high LSC finishes

LSC Roundup 1-20

Recruiting Center (Updated)

Men's Basketball News
Buffs try to hand MSU second loss of season
The Midwestern State Mustangs opened men's Lone Star Conference play last week by losing to Angelo State. Tonight, it will be the West Texas A&M Buffs who receive the chore of playing a ticked off Midwestern State squad, which happens to be regarded as the best team in the LSC men's race.

"I can promise you they are very aggressive and their transition offense is very, very good," said WT coach Rick Cooper when asked of his opinion on Midwestern State. "We do have our work cut out for us."

ASU basketball capsule
The Rams look to get back on track and move back over .500 in LSC South play tonight when they travel to Kingsville to face the Javelinas. ... ASU is coming off a 78-62 loss to Tarleton State on Saturday. LaMarshall Corbett led the Rams with 25 points. Shavar Burch added 12. Derrick Webster and Johnny Barnes each had seven rebounds to lead the team. ... Kingsville is coming off a 72-62 loss to Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. ... Kingsville leads the all-time series 45-43. The teams split their two meetings last season. ... ASU will be back in action Saturday when the Rams host Abilene Christian.

ENMU Basketball Capsule
ENMU beat the Texans 77-72 in overtime at Greyhound Arena in the regular-season finale in February 2007. That was the Hounds’ last South win until beating Abilene Christian last week to open division play. It’s also the only win for ENMU over Tarleton in the last 23 meetings. The Texans lead the all-time series 25-7, including 14-2 at Stephenville. … Tarleton leads the LSC in scoring defense (56.4 ppg) and FG percentage defense (35.8), and ranks second in scoring margin (14.7) and 3-point FG percentage (30.7). … Scoring leaders for the Texans are 5-11 junior G Corin Henry (11.9 ppg), 6-8 senior F Jeremiah Wilson (11.7) and 6-4 junior G Devon Hllls (11.6). Wilson tops the team in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and blocks (28). … Tarleton is 11-1 at home this season. … The Texans took last year’s meetings 64-41 at Portales and 64-55 at Stephenville.

MSU seeks to bounce back
The basketball season is only two months old, and first-year head coach Grant McCasland is about to find out something about his Midwestern State team that he hasn’t had to learn in the first 66 days on the job — how it rebounds from a loss.

That’s both literally and figuratively.

After winning their first 14 games, the Mustangs finally lost last week, 84-76, on the road at Angelo State.

Not good timing since this was the first of 12 important Lone Star Conference South Division games.

“If practices are any indication — and you don’t know if they are until you go play — we have improved on the glass,” said McCasland, whose team was out-rebounded 45-30 in the loss to ASU.

MSU slips to No. 11 in the NABC Coaches Poll
No other LSC school receives votes.

LSC Weekly Basketball Release
LSC Basketball Quick Notes
After one week of divisional play, six men's and four women's teams have jumped to the top of the standings with perfect conference records. Teams are competing for one of 16 spots, eight on both the men’s and women’s side, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be held in Bartlesville, Okla., March 3-7.

The LSC men have a 134-94 overall record so far this season, including a 71-43 mark in the South Division and 63-51 in the North. In league crossover play the South has the advantage, 26-22. In the NCAA South Central Region, the men’s teams are currently 24-11 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 3-2 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

In men’s games played last week, the LSC had one player score more than 30 points, eight over the 20-point mark and eight double-digit rebounders, while six recorded double-doubles.
Points, Men: 32, Dominique Gaines, NSU at CU
Rebounds, Men: 14, Jamaar Burke, CU vs NSU
Assists, Men: 10, Eric Cazenave, UCO at ECU
Steals, Men: 7, Eric Cazenave, UCO vs SE

Players of the Week
NORTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Dominique Gaines, Northeastern State, Jr., Guard, Muskogee, Okla./Muskogee HS
Gaines helped lead Northeastern State to a 3-0 week by scoring 71 points, 54 of those coming in a pair of LSC North Division contests. For the week, the 6-3 junior guard connected on 18-of-36 shots from the field (.500), was 5-of-12 from the arc (.417) and 30-of-40 from the charity stripe (.750). After a 17-point output against Rhema (68-33 win) where he played 28 minutes, Gaines came back to score a career-high 32 points in a 70-62 decision at Cameron, which snapped the Aggies’ eight-game home winning streak. Gaines was 6-of-9 from the floor, 3-of-4 from the arc and made 17-of-21 free throws. He narrowly missed a rare triple-double with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the RiverHawks’ 70-66 win at home against Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday. NSU is 11-5 overall, 2-0 in LSC North action, and has won its last five outings.

NORTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Dauntae Williams, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Guard, Missouri City, Texas/Elkins HS
Williams had another dominating week, especially on the defensive end, as UCO opened LSC North Division play with a pair of easy wins. The junior guard averaged 8.5 defensive rebounds (9.0 overall), 4.0 steals and 1.5 blocked shots in routs of East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma while adding 21.0 points and 6.0 assists a contest. Williams had 26 points, a season-high 12 rebounds (11 defensive), five steals and a block in a 106-88 road win over ECU, then had 15 points, six rebounds (all defensive), three steals and two blocks in a 94-62 home victory over SOSU.

SOUTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Victor Reid, Eastern New Mexico, Jr., Forward, El Paso, Texas/Cochise CC
Reid shot .542 from the field and averaged 16.5 points per game, enabling Eastern New Mexico to snap a 24-game LSC South Division skid, including 12 straight road games. He scored 20 points and grabbed seven boards against Abilene Christian and followed with 13 points and eight boards at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Reid’s performance allowed the Hounds to snap the Javelinas’ 13-game home winning streak.

SOUTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Bijan Dotson, West Texas A&M, Sr., Forward, Oakland, Calif./Hamilton HS
Dotson grabbed four defensive rebounds while blocking two shots a recording a steal in WT’s 79-68 win at ACU. He also grabbed eight rebounds and played a role in the Buffs holding TAMUK to just 38 percent from the floor in the win over the Javelinas. For the week, he had 14 rebounds (nine defensive) while blocking three shots and recording two steals to help WT to a pair of wins to open LSC South play.

Women's Basketball News
Lady Buffs seek new start after seeing win streak end
The West Texas A&M Lady Buffs will try to start another basketball win streak when they meet Midwestern State today at Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls. WT had its 11-game win streak snapped at Abilene Christian on Saturday as it dropped to 1-1 in the Lone Star Conference South Division.

The Lady Buffs are 31-8 all-time against Midwestern State and have won 10 straight meetings dating to Feb. 2, 2004. WT is playing its second straight road game and is in the midst of a six-game stretch in which the Lady Buffs will play four road games.

''We treat every division game as a big one, and this is no different,'' Lady Buffs head coach Krista Gerlich said. ''We haven't had to come back from a loss very often this season. Our goal is to go there and try to take care of business and come away with a win.''

Javelinas women seek ninth straight home win
The Texas A&M-Kingsville women’s basketball team goes after its ninth consecutive home victory tonight when it hosts Angelo State in a Lone Star Conference South Division game at the Steinke Physical Education Center. A&M-Kingsville’s men, meanwhile, face the Rams and are attempting to snap a five-game skid and revive an offense that has struggled of late. The women’s game starts at 6 p.m. followed by the men.

The women (13-4) are coming off a 77-61 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday to improve to 1-1 in the South.

“As long as we play good enough to win, that’s what counts. I think we’re back on the upswing,” A&M-Kingsville women’s coach Scott Hyland said.

“Right before Christmas we were really playing well. We did some really good things up in Austin at the tournament there against Texas A&M-International and St. Ed’s. At times we looked really good.”

ASU basketball capsule
The Rambelles look to get back over .500, both overall and in LSC South play tonight when they travel to Kingsville to face the Javelinas. ... ASU is coming off a 61-35 loss to Tarleton State on Friday. Camille Perkins led the ’Belles with six points. The 35 points was ASU’s lowest point total since the 1976-77 season and the third-lowest point total in school history. ... Kingsville is coming off a 77-61 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. ... ASU leads the all-time series between the two schools 35-25. The ’Belles have won four of the last five meetings between the two teams including both meetings last season. ... ASU will be back home Saturday when the ’Belles host Abilene Christian.

ENMU Basketball Capsule
ENMU has lost five in a row overall, and the Zias have dropped 14 consecutive South games dating to a 75-56 home win over Midwestern State in their 2007-08 finale. … The TexAnns were coming off a loss at Texas-Permian Basin on Jan. 11 before winning their last two. They are 8-0 at home this season, winning by an average margin of 33 1/2 ppg, and have won 12 consecutive home contests dating to last season. … Tarleton ranks first in NCAA Division II in scoring margin (29.2) and third in scoring defense (50.8 ppg). … Scoring leaders are 5-11 junior P Brittnie Haley (12.4 ppg), 6-0 senior C JoAnne Jones (11.6) and 5-6 sophomore G Shelby Adamson (10.6). Haley and Jones both average more than six rebounds. … Jones, who is shooting 61 percent from the field, needs 19 points to reach 1,000 for her career. … Tarleton won last year’s meetings 68-63 at Portales and 77-56 at Stephenville. The TexAnns lead the all-time series 10-5 and have won eight of the last nine.

MSU women home to face No. 11 West Texas A&M
It has been 30 days since the Midwestern State women played a home game, and for the first time in several seasons the Mustangs had some good fortune while on the road.

Tonight they’ll be trying to duplicate that success in the friendly confines of D.L. Ligon Coliseum as the No. 11 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs come calling for a Lone Star Conference South contest.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. as both the Mustangs (6-8, 0-1) and the Lady Buffs (17-2, 1-1) are coming off losses in their last ball game.

West Texas A&M drops two spots to #11 in the latest USA Today WBCA poll. Tarleton enters the poll at #24 and Northeastern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville receive votes.

LSC Weekly Basketball Release
LSC Basketball Quick Notes
After one week of divisional play, six men's and four women's teams have jumped to the top of the standings with perfect conference records. Teams are competing for one of 16 spots, eight on both the men’s and women’s side, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be held in Bartlesville, Okla., March 3-7.

The LSC women are 134-102 overall, with a 75-41 mark in the South and 59-61 in the North this season. In league crossover action, the South Division holds a 38-18 record over its North opponents. In the NCAA South Central Region, the women’s teams are currently 25-11 combined versus Heartland Conference squads and 5-4 against the MIAA.

On the women’s side, the league had one player score over 30 points, 16 score more than 20 points and 18 double-digit rebounders, while 14 posted double-doubles in action last week. Top performances included:
Points, Women: 30, Mattilyn McIntyre, A&M-C vs CU
Rebounds, Women: 16, Destiny Brown, SE vs TWU
Assists, Women: 9, Kat Kundmueller, ACU vs ENMU
Steals, Women: 7, Two players

NORTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Mattilyn McIntyre, Texas A&M-Commerce, Jr., Guard, Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas-Little Rock
McIntyre scored a season-best 30 points and grabbed a season-best eight rebounds as the Lions’ snapped a six-game losing streak in an 84-78 win over Cameron. Four of her rebounds came on the offensive side to match a season-high. Prior to that, she had 18 points and five rebounds against Southwestern Oklahoma State. She went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line against Cameron and a perfect 4-for-4 against SWOSU. Five times in 2009-10, she has made all of her free throw attempts.

NORTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Kayla Weaver, Texas Woman’s, Jr., Guard/Forward, Aquilla, Texas/Aquilla HS
Weaver averaged a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in three games including 15.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in two LSC North Division games. She scored 13 points and then-career-high 10 rebounds (9 defensive) in an overtime victory at Southeastern Oklahoma in the LSC North Division opener. Weaver then recorded career-high 18 points and 14 rebounds (10 defensive) in an 18-point victory over East Central. She also added two key blocks in the first half to help the Pioneers build a 12-point halftime lead and added two steals in the second half as TWU built a 24-point lead. Weaver also had a team-high 12 points and 7 rebounds (5 defensive) in LSC Crossover game against Tarleton State. TWU started 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2006-07 season.

SOUTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Jody Meyer, Abilene Christian, Sr., Center, Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS
Meyer helped push ACU’s winning streak to five straight games last week with wins over Eastern New Mexico (71-55 in Portales, N.M.) and No. 9 West Texas A&M (69-67 in Abilene). ... Meyer -- ranked eighth in the nation in rebounding and No. 1 in the LSC in offensive rebounding -- averaged 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, including her 11th double-double of the season (19 points, 13 rebounds) in the win over the Lady Buffs. ... Meyer filled up the stat sheet in ACU’s third straight home victory against West Texas A&M, hitting 7 of 12 shots from the field for 19 points, converting all five of her free throw attempts, collecting 13 rebounds (seven offensive boards), two assists and two blocked shots.

SOUTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Sonya Sundberg, Tarleton State, Jr., Guard, Keller, Texas/Central HS
Tarleton had allowed Angelo State to pull within four points (18-14) with 7:32 left in the first-half on Saturday until Sundberg forced a turnover and a steal that led to a 6-0 run by the TexAnns. The run helped propel the TexAnns to a 14-point halftime lead and an eventual LSC South Divison-opening win (61-35). Sundberg was mostly responsible for guarding ASU’s leading scorer, and held her to just nine points on 3-of-13 shooting, with three of her nine points coming from the foul line. Sundberg and the TexAnns held ASU to just .220 shooting on the night and their lowest point total in over 33 years when Stephen F. Austin held ASU to 32 points back in 1976-77. Sundberg then went on to hold a TWU guard to just seven points, which was almost half her average, in Tarleton’s 71-50 win over the Pioneers on Monday. She had 10 steals for the week with three against UTPB, three versus ASU and four at TWU.


Recruiting News
From the Waco Tribune: Centex 25 Players considering LSC schools
16. Jarrod Hall WR - 6-5 205 - University HS - offers from WTAM, ACU, and TAMC
22. Nick Richardson DT - 6-2 205 - Waco HS - ACU
23 Davionte Dobbins DB - 6-1 180 - University HS - ACU, ASU, WTAM
24. Cruz Chaires DB - 6-1 175 - McGregor HS - Commit to Tarleton State
----------------------------------------------------
Layton Dworaczyk (RB - Blanco HS) has interest from TAMK and ACU (as well as Mary Hardin Baylor).

Kelo Webster (RB - Keller HS) is looking at Angelo State and Wheaton College in Illinois.

Junior Tivao tells us that he and his brother Johnny Tivao will be playing for Texas A&M-Kingsville. They both played ball at Cerritos College where Junior was a starting linebacker and Johnny was a JC Gridwire 2nd team All-American defensive tackle.

Torian Oakley (RB - Conroe Oak Ridge) has committed to West Texas A&M.

Ryan Cyr (QB - Conroe Oak Ridge)reportedly has a visit set up to Eastern New Mexico and Bryant University..

Glenn Hill (San Antonio Churchill HS) has committed to Incarnate Word. He threw for 652 yards and 5 TDs and ran for 444 yards and 6 TDs last year in just five games. UIW recruited him as an athlete.

Football News
Buffs will open season against Grand Valley St.
The 2010 football season for the West Texas A&M Buffs features a season-opener at the second-best team in the nation last year and five teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Buffs kick off the season Sept. 2 at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., home of the Lakers, who opened the 2009 season with a 37-23 win over the Buffs at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. GVSU fell to Northwest Missouri State, 30-23, for the D-II national title, and returns nine starters on both sides of the ball. Matt Mitchell was named head coach at GVSU earlier this month, replacing Chuck Martin, who resigned to be defensive backs coach at Notre Dame.

Recruiting Insight - Lawrence Syon

Today, we have Lawrence Syon, defensive back from Houston Bellaire. Lawrence had 4 interceptions in just 5 games as a junior, and followed that up with a strong senior season - 57 tackles, 42 solo, and 2 interceptions, one of which he returned for a TD. He really turned it up a notch in district, with 39 tackles (28 solo) in the final four district games.

Profiles: Takkle, Scout

Q - Lawrence, what an outstanding senior season in a very competitive district. What will you remember most from your time at Bellaire?
LS - I remember the first day i attended Bellaire as a junior and how my DB' coach pushed me to become a better athlete, a better person, and one of the greatest DB's that he has ever coached

Q - Tell us a little bit about recruiting. When did colleges start coming around? Was it ever a distraction?
LS - Kansas, Colorado, and Iowa State came around to see me during the spring. I would and still continuously get mail from Kansas (3-4 letters a week), but the smaller school have been calling me and are showing more dedication to get me into there school. At first the big D1 colleges were a distraction, when they started to come around during the end of my Junior year, but now my opinions are still open but the smaller D-1AA and D-2 school im likeing more espically when i have a great chance of playing in the playoffs. I havent got a change to play in the playoffs yet and I' am hungry for a chance to do that.

Q - Who are the schools interested in you?
LS - Texas State, Texas A&M Kingsville, Eastern New Mexico, Sam Houston, UTSA are all the school that i know are interested in me but now i get schools coming to Bellaire alot lately. Abilene christian came to visit the other day. They seem really interested in me and the recruit loved my size.

Q - What schools are you most interested in?
LS - Iam interested in all the schools, me signing will just depend on the vibe i get from them, what the program is about, how much the program is committed to wining and doing watever it takes to win, and openings in the DB position

Q - How big of a role do academics play in your decision? Have you decided on a major?
LS - Academics plays a big role, i made some mistakes as a freshman and sophomore in highschool and tragedy that has struck my household didnt help my decisions at all. Now I' am blessed with a lil brother that turns one years old December 5th that i need to set an example for and there has been plenty of young children who are looking up to me, so all i want is a second chance in Academics. I want to major in sports medicine and business.

Q - What strengths do you have that will help you be successful at the collegiate level?
LS - Me dedication to the game of football. I have been playing since i was five and i have been in love with it ever since. My work eithic is like no other. I went from catching passes every single day in the offseason ever since the end of my sophomore year, to having ex-NFL player Marcus Wilkins being my mentor and personal trainer, Isiah Coleman as my personal trainer, NFL Quarterback Guru Jerry Rhome inviting me to a private training session. I think that you can be blessed with talented, but success is something that has to be worked for, and believe or not there are different levels of success and the more hardwork and focus you put into it the higher and more successfull you will be .

Q - Any advice for guys that will be going through this process in the next year or two?
LS - To not worry about recruiting until after the football season, and stay focused on your grades. If you don't worry about the recruits and play hard, they will come to you.

Q - What teammates do you think have the ability to play at the collegiate level? Are they being recruited?
LS - Most Definitely my teammate Able Puntes and Jaun Rodriguez. Able lives in the weight room and he is always hyped in practice and games. The man can flat out play outside linebacker and Jaun is a beast on the o-line he might not be blessed with a lot of height but he not that short either. He gets tons of pancakes it just him getting injured made him not get that much attention.

Thanks Lawrence. We look forward to seeing you play on Saturdays soon.

LSC Basketball Outlook

The final three were added this morning.
From the conference office, the LSC Basketball Preview Series.

Southwestern Oklahoma
Tarleton State
East Central
West Texas A&M
Texas A&M Commerce
Texas Woman's University
Eastern New Mexico
Central Oklahoma
Angelo State
Southeastern Oklahoma
Texas A&M-Kingsville
Cameron
Midwestern State
Northeastern State
Abilene Christian

LSC Roundup 11-16

WTAMU tops ACU to win fourth straight and 11th overall league title
No. 6 West Texas A&M dropped the first set but rebounded to top Abilene Christian, 3-1, in the Lone Star Conference Volleyball Championship game in front of a crowd of 1,569.

WT will hit road for v-ball regional
The No. 6 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs will travel to Warrensburg, Mo., for the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, the D-II women's volleyball committee announced Sunday night.

WT (34-3), the third seed in the eight-team field, will face sixth-seeded Truman State (24-12) on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Host Central Missouri is the top seed, while Washburn earned the second seed.

ACU misses volleyball playoffs
The Abilene Christian volleyball team won’t be advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs, despite putting together a 29-6 record — its best since 2005. West Texas A&M (31-3), which beat ACU 3-1 in the Lone Star Conference tournament final on Saturday, is the only LSC team to get in. The No. 3-seeded Buffs play No. 6 Truman (24-12) in the first round of the South Central Region tournament on Thursday in Warrensburg, Mo.

The three conference champions in the region, plus the next five highest ranked remaining teams advance to the region playoffs. ACU was ranked No. 8 in the region, but for the second straight year an unranked team kept ACU out of the playoffs. Dallas Baptist got the eighth and final spot by winning the Heartland Conference tournament. The Patriots (20-16 play No. 1 seed Central Missouri (32-4) in the first round.

Lions Volleyball Adds Five for 2010
Texas A&M University-Commerce head volleyball coach Mark Pryor announced recently the signing of Kayla Bond, Chelsee Hudson, Alyssa Hatton, Ciara Holmes and Jordan Neal to letters of intent.

===============================================================
WTAMU advances in NCAA Regional
No. 13 West Texas A&M defeated Truman State 1-0 on Sunday afternoon on their home field in Canyon, Texas in the second round of the NCAA South Central Regional.

The Lady Buffs' Becky Hewson put home a shot early in the second half and goalkeeper Kelly Skehan made three saves to preserve the shutout victory.

WTAMU (15-2-3) will play No. 22 St. Edward's on Friday in San Diego, Calif. at 2:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the national quarterfinals. The teams played Sept. 11, with the Lady Buffs winning 1-0.

#3 Buffs fall in NCAA-DIV. II Regional Final, 3-1, to #1 Fort Lewis
After a delay due to weather conditions, the West Texas A&M men's soccer team was unable to find their offensive rhythm during Sunday's NCAA regionals final round and were defeated by #1 Fort Lewis College, 3-1.

WTAMU defeats MSU in first round of NCAA regional
No. 3 West Texas A&M defeated Lone Star Conference foe No. 8 Midwestern State 3-0 on Friday afternoon in Durango, Colo., in the first round of the NCAA regional, after the teams played to two ties during the regular season.

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Javelinas' season ends in double OT classic - With Video
Texas A&M-Kingsville and Tarleton St. squared in a playoff battle that will be remembered by both sides for years to come, and in the end it was the Javelinas that saw their season come to an end.
Related: Area College Football Roundup: Nov. 16, 2009
Related: State/Southland roundup
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'Belles start basketball season with LSC title on mind
The Angelo State University women’s basketball team is out to put a disappointing 2008-09 season behind it. A season ago, the Rambelles went 16-12 and lost in the first round of the Lone Star Conference tournament. They failed to make the regional tournament for the first time in eight seasons.

Eight returning players will be joined by a talented freshman class to try to get the team back to the top of the LSC and the South Central Region. ASU opens the 2009-10 season tonight at home against St. Edward’s. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Junell Center.

Lady Buffs win opener; reserves provide spark
West Texas A&M Lady Buffs head coach Krista Gerlich didn't particularly want to open the basketball season with a pushover game. Instead, the Lady Buffs took on Incarnate Word, which won 21 games last season, returned a handful of seniors and played in its first South Central Region tournament.

Gerlich came away from Sunday's opener before 790 fans at the First United Bank Center happy with what she saw. The Lady Buffs forced 27 turnovers of which they converted into 28 points en route to a 59-50 triumph.

Hot second-half helps MSU women take opener
An 11-0 run to end the half gave the Harding Bison a 31-24 lead over the Midwestern State women Sunday afternoon. But something Mustangs head coach Noel Johnson said during the intermission must have made a difference.

MSU responded by shooting 70 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes, while limiting the visitors to 27 percent as the Mustangs opened the 2009-10 season with a 69-58 win in D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs will play in the Skyhawk Classic in Durango, Colo., this weekend facing Western State on Friday and Fort Lewis on Saturday. They return home on Nov. 29 for a 2 p.m. game against Northeastern State.

Hagen spurs Mustangs past Trinity
Chris Hagen scored seven of his game-high 22 points during a decisive 8-minute stretch to lift Midwestern State to a 63-52 win over Trinity Sunday afternoon in the St. Edward’s Shootout.
The Mustangs (1-0) close the tournament against the host team tonight at 7 p.m.

Hagen and Mustangs answered the bell after NCAA Division III Trinity chiseled away at a one-time, 12-point Mustang lead to tie the contest at 45-45 on a Ryan Beall jumper with 8:42 to play.

“At that point, you want to see which one of your guys is going to be the one that decides you’re not going to lose,” said Grant McCasland, who won his first game as MSU’s coach. “He was that guy tonight.”

Greyhounds ready to make some strides
Bronchos Host Emporia Monday
Opening Disappointment
PITTSBURG, Kan. (Nov. 15) -- No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma dropped a disappointing 70-69 season-opening decision to Pittsburg State here Sunday afternoon when the Gorillas converted a last-second three-point play.

Javs Open Season on Right Foot
KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville women’s basketball team picked up where they left off last season by defeating Lone Star Conference North Division rival East Central University, 81-57 on Sunday afternoon at Kingsville Hampton Inn Court. (box score) The Javelinas (1-0) struggled from the field in the first half, but were scorching hot in the second half making 50 percent of their shots. They outscored the Tigers (0-1) 26-8 over the final 10:45.

Lady Tigers drop opener at TAMUK
KINGSVILLE, Texas ? East Central failed to overcome 30 turnovers and 36.2 percent shooting as host Texas A&M-Kingsville rolled to an 81-57 season-opening victory over the Lady Tigers Sunday afternoon in a Lone Star Conference women's crossover basketball game on Hampton Inn Court.

Lions Win Season Opener Over St. Edward's, 73-60
Senior Ronnie Morgan had the first double double of his career, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, to lead Texas A&M University-Commerce to a 73-60 win over host St. Edward's in the season opener on Sunday afternoon in Austin at the 2009 St. Edward's Shootout.

RiverHawks Win Home Opener
RiverHawks behind Jasmine Webb win home opener over Missouri Southern 67-50

M. Basketball: SE Drops Double OT Thriller
DURANT, Okla. ? Despite having six players, including all five starters, score in double figures, Southeastern was unable to hold off a second half rally by Oklahoma Baptist which sent the game to a pair of overtimes before handing the Savage Storm a 106-101 loss on Thursday night.

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Bronchos Place Seven
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 14) -- Heavyweight Dustin Finn knocked off the defending Division I national champion en route to a runner-up finish in leading seven Central Oklahoma placers at the Central Missouri Open here Saturday.

LSC Scoop Game Previews - Week 11

Yuck, 4-3 last week, bringing the season tally to 56-19.

Last Week's Games
West Texas A&M 66, Northeastern State 23
The Buffaloes continue their late season assault, blowing out Northeastern State by 43. Brittan Golden had his best day as a Buffalo, catching 7 passes for 178 yards and 3 TDs. Taylor Harris and Tanner Marsh combined for 464 yards and each had 3 TD passes. Keithon Flemming rushed for 110 yards and 3 TDs and also caught 4 passes for 26 yards all in the first half. WT has now won 4 in a row, averaging 44 points a game during that stretch.

Central Oklahoma 42, East Central 25
The Bronchos jumped out to an early lead and kept ECU at arm's length the rest of the day. Jason Palmer had a big day, rushing for 146 yards and 2 TDs, and Brandon Noohi threw for 230 and rushed for 61. Josh Phillips had a big day for the Tigers, throwing for 305 yards and 3 TDs, but ECU was held to just 3 yards rushing.

Midwestern State 50, Eastern New Mexico 17
The Greyhounds tied the game at 10 with 3:55 remaining in the first half, but it was all Midwestern State from that point on, with the Mustangs outscoring ENMU 40-7 the rest of the way. The Mustangs threw for 356 yards and rushed for 300, including a 73 yard TD run by Brandon Kelsey as time expired.

Oklahoma Panhandle State 28, Southwestern Oklahoma 24
The Bulldogs took a 24-14 lead early in the third quarter, but turnovers doomed two other scoring opportunities as Panhandle State squeaked out the win. Bruce Hatton scored all 3 SWO TDs, and Steve Day threw for 256 yards. Panhandle State's Darryl Brister was the star for the Aggies, as he ran for 227 yards and 3 TDs, including the game winner with 2:51 in the game.

Texas A&M-Commerce 27, Southeastern Oklahoma 17
With a 3 point lead and the Savage Storm driving, TAMC got another big defensive play, as Cory Whitfield sacked Justin Pitrucha, forcing a fumble that Stephen DeGrate picked up and ran 55 yards for the game clinching score. Marcus Graham rushed for a season high 166 yards and one TD, and Taylor Fore had a 47 yard TD reception to lead the Lion offense. Justin Pitrucha threw for 300 yards but had three turnovers in TAMC territory. Daniel Nichols had another TD reception and trails Romar Crenshaw for the Savage Storm career record, he also needs 37 yards receiving for 3,000.

Tarleton State 21, Angelo State 14
The Texans shut the door on Angelo State's playoff hopes, while keeping theirs alive in this defensive battle. The Rams drove 72 yards on their opening drive for an early 7-0 lead, but the Tarleton defense clamped down, picking off a pass on the next drive and forcing the Rams to punt on 6 of the next 7 possessions. Tarleton's offense got off to a slow start, the result of good ASU defense and poor field postion in the first half, but was able to put together three long scoring drives and take a 21-7 lead with just under 12 minutes in the game. Markeith Jones picked off a Scott Grantham pass inside the Ram 10 yard line keeping the Rams alive. After driving 87 yards for a TD, Angelo State recovered the onside kick, only to fumble the ball and game away six plays later. Roderick Smith rushed for 104 yards and a TD, while Devin Guinn caught 8 passes for 129 yards and 2 TDs. Josh Neiswander had 233 yards passing for Angelo State.

Abilene Christian 47, Texas A&M-Kingsville 35
The Wildcats played like a cornered animal scoring 37 straight points in the second and third quarters. During that stretch, the defense forced 3 punts, 3 turnovers and a safety, while the offense had two touchdown drives of over 80 yards, as well as converting the turnovers into TDs. In a matchup of the top two rushing offenses, ACU outgained the Javelinas 167 to 50. Billy Garza did throw for 309 yards and 3 TDs, with over half of the yardage coming in the fourth quarter. Fred Thompson led the Wildcat defense with 9 tackles, 2.5 for losses, 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. ACU was flagged for 5 personal foul penalties during the game.

This Week's Games
#7 Texas A&M-Commerce at #12 Southwestern Oklahoma - Mismatch of the week
The Lions look to end 2009 on a very upbeat note. With a win, the Lions would even their record at 5-5 and wrap up the LSC North title - their first outright divisional title since the LSC split into two divisions in 1997. TAMC has enjoyed their LSC North schedule, winning all four games to date by a 28-20 margin. On the other hand, the Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 13-25 in their four games, avoiding a winless season with a last second game winning touchdown two weeks ago against East Central. Look for the Lions to head to 2010 with confidence winning 5 of their final 6 games, TAMC 28-14.

#8 Southeastern Oklahoma at #13 East Central
Barring a major upset in Weatherford, the Savage Storm will be the LSC North runner-ups. Over the past 8 seasons, Southeastern Oklahoma has finished first or second in the LSC North, compiling a 29-10 divisional record. The offense has played well this season, averaging 32 points and 390 yards per game, but the defense is giving up 30 points and 387 yards, with Southwestern Oklahoma the only D2 teams they have held to under 24 points all season. Lucky for them, they are facing an East Central squad that has only broken the 20 point barrier three times all season (but interestingly, all in the last four games) and scored just 31 points total in their first six games. SOSU in a snoozer 32-14.

#11 Northeastern State at #10 Central Oklahoma
The Riverhawks offense has shown some signs of life, scoring 92 points the past three weeks (compared to 91 in the first 6 weeks). The defense however has been shredded, giving up 153 (compared to 173 in the first 6 weeks). The Broncho's offense has also stepped it up lately, averaging 32.5 points in LSC North games (compared to 18.3 against everyone else), and the defense has tightened up a bit, but is stilling allowing too many points at 29 per game. Expect a lot of points in this one, with UCO coming out on top 38-31.

Incarnate Word at #9 Eastern New Mexico
Interesting set up in this one - Incarnate Word joins the LSC next year and will compete in the South division, with the Greyhounds moving to the North. ENMU should be compete for the divisional title right away - over the past three years, they are 0-18 in the LSC South, but 6-3 in crossover games. JJ Harp should continue his impressive season and needs 3 TD passes to claim the team single season record - he could have that in the first quarter. ENMU 49-14.

#6 Angleo State at #4 Texas A&M-Kingsville
For the first time since 2005, this season ending rivalry game has playoff implications. Angelo State is the most improved team in the conference, but has run into stiff competition late in the season, dropping games to ACU, WT and Tarleton. In those three games, the Rams were outscored by an average of 14-34 and outgained by an average of 323-435. Meanwhile Texas A&M-Kingsville has been a Jeckyll and Hyde team this year. 2-2 on the road with an average score of 25-34, and 6-0 at home and an average score of 36-18. Coupled with the home field advantage is the fact that the Javelinas must win to have a shot at the playoffs. TAMK 35-27.

# 5 West Texas A&M at #2 Tarleton State
Talk about a monkey on your back. Since 2005, the Texans have had a shot at the playoffs three times heading into this game, and three times the Buffaloes sent them home short of their goal. The last two games weren't even close, with WT outgaining Tarleton by a 604-311 margin and outscoring them by an average of 45-7. But that was the past and this is the present. So what about this year? Well the Texans are 9-1, ranked number 7 in the latest AFCA poll, and more importantly #3 in this weeks NCAA Super Region 4 poll. West Texas is just 5-5 and far removed from playoff contention. They also happen to be the hottest team in the LSC right now, winning their last four games by an average of 44-21 and gaining almost 500 yards per game. Tarleton has also won their last four contests, but have not been nearly as dominant. We have to go with the hot hand, WT 35-21.

#3 Abilene Christian at #1 Midwestern State - Game of the Year (Part VI)
Can't the NCAA just call this a playoff game? You have #12 at #9, and whoever comes up short will almost assuredly not be playing next week. And that will be a shame, but losses earlier in the season that put them in that position, not this game.

How they stack up
Scoring offense - MSU 38.3, ACU 32.9
Scoring defense - MSU 12.6, ACU 18.5
Rushing offense - ACU 183.3, MSU 152.1
Rushing defense - ACU 34.3, MSU 102.8
Passing offense - MSU 287.1, ACU 211.5
Pass efficiency offense - MSU 183.5, ACU 125.7
Passing defense - MSU 213.9, ACU 231.8
Pass efficiency defense - MSU 94.2, ACU 111.4
Total Offense - MSU 439.2, ACU 394.8
Total Defense - ACU 266.1, MSU 316.7

Not much to separate the teams on paper - the Mustangs have shown a little more offense, while the Wildcat's defense has been a bit better.

ACU leads the LSC in rushing with Darryl Richardson and Reggie Brown combining for over 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing. Mitchell Gale bounced back after two subpar outings, with 289 yards and 2 TDs against TAMK. Edmund Gates had his third 100 yard receiving game and had a 72 yard TD reception, his longest of the season. The offensive line did their job as well, not allowing a sack and doing a solid job with run blocking. The defense has allowed 300 yards just three times this season and leads the nation against the run - just 34.3 yards per game. Kevin Washington has come on of late, giving ACU a dynamic pair of linebackers - a combined 89 tackles, 23 for losses totalling 108 yards and 9 sacks. Tony Harp is the leader in the secondary, and has a team high 52 tackles. Aston Whiteside will look to add to his 12.5 TFL and 8 sacks as well.

MSU will counter with an offense led by Zack Eskridge. Eskridge currently leads the NCAA in QB efficiency with a rating of 187.97 (Billy Malone had a 189.66 rating in 2008 for comparison). More impressively, he hasn't had a bad game all year - his worst rating was 154.8 against West Texas - and he has 27 TD passes to just 5 interceptions. Andy Tanner remains his favorite target and now has 61 receptions for 999 yards and 11 TDs. Sheldon Galloway (25 catches for 255 yards and 3 TDs the past 4 games). With the absence of Marcus Mathis, BeeJay Mathis has picked up the slack at running back, running for 299 yards over the past four games. The Mustangs defense has been good also, but not quite at ACU's level. Five of the last six opponents have gained over 300 yards with Tarleton getting 509 and Eastern New Mexico 458. Surprisingly, their opponents over that period were only able to convert that yardage into 17 points per game, with only Tarleton scoring more than 21. Ryan Craven, Danny Jackson and Micah Hill head up the secondary (9th best in the nation in pass efficiency defense), while linebackers Emmanuel Bagley and Matt Ellerbrock have combined for 99 tackles, with 13 for losses.

For Midwestern State to win, they will need another great outing by Eskridge, since it is unlikely that they will run the ball too effectively. The Wildcats will be looking to stuff the run and get pressure on Eskridge, and they have the players to do it. On offense, they need to run the ball enough to keep the MSU defense honest. The big intangible here is big-game experience, and that is in ACU's favor. ACU in a slug-fest 21-17.

LSC Scoop Game Previews - Week 10

We only hit 4 of 6 last week, giving us a 52-16 record for the season.

Last Week's Games
Midwestern State 43, Central Oklahoma 16
The Bronchos kept it close for a while, trailing just 23-14 at the half, but the Mustangs pulled away in the second half for a comfortable win. Zack Eskridge was impressive once again, hitting 15-20 passes for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns. Andy Tanner was once again his favorite target, catching 4 passes for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Mustangs moved up to number 4 in the NCAA regional poll.

West Texas A&M 43, Angelo State 15
Winners of their last three games, the Buffaloes are playing their best ball of the season, and possibly the best of any LSC team. Taylor Harris threw for 414 yards with 2 TDs and no interceptions, with Stephen Burton and Tyson Williams combining for 15 receptions, 335 yards and both TDs. Keithon Flemming chipped in with 117 all-purpose yards and 2 rushing TDs. Angelo State fell to 6-3 on the season, and clings to playoff hopes by a thread.

Southwestern Oklahoma 14, East Central 13
After three quarters, the Tigers looked to have this game under control - leading 13-0 and outgaining the Bulldogs by a 241-154 margin. But Southwestern Oklahoma turned things around, shutting down ECU's offense, and exploding for 184 yards in the fourth quarter, topped off by a 19 yard TD pass from Steve Day to Johnathan Haggerty as time expired.

Southeastern Oklahoma 45, Northeastern State 35
Justin Pitrucha threw for 362 yards and 6 touchdowns, as the Savage Storm outlasted Northeastern State. Daniel Nichols caught 14 passes for 185 and 2 TDs, while Michael Goodlow and Baylen Laury also had 2 TD receptions each. NSU's Kenny Davis threw for 251 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed for 65 yards and another TD for the Riverhawks.

Texas A&M Kingsville 38, Eastern New Mexico 31
The Javelinas rushed out to a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter, and held off Eastern New Mexico. The Greyhounds twice pulled to within a TD in the fourth quarter, but TAMK answered with a 32 yard TD run the first time, and was able to run out the clock after ENMU made it a 38-31 game with 3:24 to play. Fred Winborn rushed for 263 yards (breaking Johnny Bailey's TAMK record) and 3 TDs to lead the way. J. J. Harp returned from a one game suspension, throwing for 324 yards and 3 TDs, but had an interception returned for a TD in the first quarter.

Tarleton 13, Abilene Christian 6
Defense afficianados had to love this game. The Texans limited ACU to just 257 yards, got 3 turnovers, forced 9 punts and held the Wildcats to just two field goals. The Wildcat defense was even better for most of the night, holding the Texans to just 188 total yards, including a negative 11 rushing. But the Wildcats did have one bad play on defense - a 75 yard TD pass from Scott Grantham to Jahmeel Hobson - and that was the difference in the game.

This Week's Matchups
#5 West Texas A&M at #10 Northeastern State - Mismatch of the Week
No doubt about it, the Buffs are hot. After scoring more than 30 points just once in the first 6 weeks of the season, WT has topped that mark the past three games. The defense has also stepped up their game, giving up just 20 points a game over the past three weeks, to teams that are all averaging over 30 points per game. Meanwhile the Riverhawks offense has come alive lately, averaging 34.5 points and 377.5 yards per game the past two weeks (compared to 13 points and 240 yards per game the first 7 weeks). Too bad for them that they are playing a much tougher team this week. WT in a rout 48-21.

#11 Central Oklahoma at #13 East Central
2009 has been a disappointing season for both of these teams. For the Tigers, the prospect of a winless season looms large after dropping a last second decision to Southwestern Oklahoma last week. For the Bronchos, a 2-7 record was certainly not expected, especially with UCO riding a 7 game winning streak and national rankings coming into the season. Both defenses are down at the bottom of the LSC, but UCO's offense is middle of the pack, and that should be good enough this week. UCO 24-10.

#1 Midwestern State at #9 Eastern New Mexico
West Texas A&M may be the hottest team in the LSC right now...or maybe not. That honor could just as easily go to the Mustangs, who were the last team to beat WT. A week after giving Texas A&M-Kingsville their only loss, MSU soundly defeated Central Oklahoma. Zack Eskridge is quietly having an All-American type season at QB. His 73.3% completion rate would be a new LSC record and his 191.6 efficiency rating is higher than any in recent memory. The MSU defense has been stellar, allowing 20 or more points just twice this year and holding teams to single digit points in 5 of their 9 games this year. The Greyhounds offense could provide a challenge, as they have scored at least 20 points in every game this year. The defense however has allowed 30 or more points in 7 straight games, and just once have held a team to less than 28. Both quarterbacks should set single season team records for passing yards in this game. MSU in a blowout 42-17.

Oklahoma Panhandle State at #12 Southwestern Oklahoma
OPSU has played just three D2 teams this year, losing all three including a blowout by Truman State. On the other hand, the Bulldogs have had their best games that past three weeks, including their first win of the season. Steve Day surpassed the 7,000 yard mark last weekend while Johnathan Haggerty now has over 2,500 receiving yards. SWO gets win number two, 28-14

#8 Texas A&M-Commerce at #7 Southeastern Oklahoma
What do you make of the Lions? Are they a team on the rise, just barely missing out on beating Abilene Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville? Or, are they lucky to be challenging for the LSC North title, needing second half comebacks to beat Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State and East Central? Southeastern has been more consistent in divisional games, taking first half leads and holding off the opponents to win somewhat comfortably. The second quarter has been especially productive, with SOSU owning a 48-7 scoring advantage. Justin Pitrucha has had a hot hand, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 13 TDs the last three weeks. He needs 212 yards passing to reach 6,000 for his career, while Daniel Nichols is 237 yards and 2 TDs behind Romar Crenshaw's team records. Pitrucha's hot hand and the Savage Storm's consistency should be enough. SOSU 35-21.

#2 Tarleton State at #6 Angelo State
The Texan's loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville may have been a blessing in disguise. Since that game, Tarleton has been playing lights out, knocking off two ranked teams and holding ENMU to a season low 20 points. Last week, the defense kept the team in the game long enough for special teams and the offense to make big plays and upset the #9 ACU Wildcats. That defense is #2 in the LSC in both yards and points allowed and is tops in passing yards given up. The red zone defense has been especially stellar, allowing just 6 TDs and 5 FGs in 21 opportunities - again the best in the LSC. They will have their hands full, with an Angelo State offense scoring 30 points and gaining 405 yards per game. Junior Josh Neiswander is averaging 276 yards passing per game, and has 21 TDs with only 7 interceptions. He is 131 yards from breaking Trey Weishuhn's single season record for passing yards. He has the only LSC receiving combo with 700+ yards receiving each in Dakarai Pecikonis and V'Keon Lacy.

On the flip side, the Angelo defense has sprung some leaks lately, giving up 111 points the past three games. Calvin Fance has 14 sacks on the season. Tarleton's offense has made big plays at the right time - two fourth down conversions against MSU in the drive that tied the game, and last week's 75 yard game winning TD pass.

The Rams may be the most improved team in the LSC, but Tarleton is playing better ball right now, TSU 28-21.

Game of the Year (Part V)
#3 Texas A&M-Kingsville at #4 Abilene Christian
Neither team is playing their best ball right now. In the past five weeks, the Javelinas were soundly beaten by Midwestern State and survived four close calls. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have dropped the last two games and are in danger of missing the playoffs with any more losses.

How they stack up
Scoring offense - ACU 31.3, TAMK 31.2
Scoring defense - ACU 16.7, TAMK 21.7
Rushing offense - TAMK 191.7, ACU 185.1
Rushing defense - ACU 34.3, TAMK 110.0
Passing offense - TAMK 242.3, ACU 202.9
Pass efficiency offense - ACU 121.1, TAMK 131.5
Passing defense - TAMK 213.8, ACU 223.2
Pass efficiency defense - ACU 107.0, TAMK 121.0
Total Offense - TAMK 434.0, ACU 388.0
Total Defense - ACU 257.6, TAMK 323.8

The TAMK offense has gotten consistent results this year, scoring at least 28 points in all but 2 games. The running game leads the LSC with 192 yards per game, with a low of 122. Fred Winborn has emerged as the top threat, with 594 yards and 6 TDs over the past four weeks. Billy Garza has not been consistent this year. While he has thrown 13 TD passes for the season, he has been shut out in 3 of the last 5 games. He does spread the ball around - seven Javelinas have 12 or more catches and eight different players have TD catches. The defense has struggled a bit, giving up over 30 points the past three weeks, after not allowing more than 20 the first six weeks. They have gotten turnovers at opportune times this season helping them win several games. DeIra Glover is the leading tackler with 62 and has 2 interceptions, both of which he has returned for TDs. Jeff Edwards (5.5 TFL, 3 Ints) and Matt Romig (9.5 TFL, 6 sacks) have also come up with big plays during the season.

For ACU, its been the defense that has been consitent. They have allowed more than 300 yards or 14 points just twice all season. The run defense has been especiall stellar, with only one team breaking the century mark - and Angelo got 81 of their 101 on their final drive with the game out of reach. For the season, teams are averaging just 34.3 yards per game and 1.4 per carry. So not able to run the ball, teams have been attempting almost 39 passes and have gained 223 yards per game. Only Eastern New Mexico and West Texas A&M have topped 300 yards and 5 times, ACU has held opponents to under 200. Tony Harp (team leading 49 tackles), Fred Thompson (11.5 TFL, 5 sacks) and Aston Whiteside (11.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks) lead the defense. The offense however has hit some speed bumps the last two weeks, averaging just 278 yards and 13.5 points. The passing game has really been off, with redshirt freshman Mitchell Gale completing just 30-66 passes for 304 yards, 0 TDs and 4 interceptions. The running game picked up the slack against WT, gaining 189 yards, but Tarleton stuffed them, giving up just 63 yards with the longest run an 11 yarder. For the season, ACU is averaging 185 yards per game, good for second in the LSC behind the Javelinas. Darryl Richardson has 833 yards and 13 TDs, while Reggie Brown has 557 yards and 5 TDs. ACU likes to spread the ball around to several receivers - 8 players have at least 11 receptions.

There should certainly be a playoff atmosphere at this game, especially with the cold truth that the loser could miss out on the NCAA playoffs depending on what happens around the rest of the region. For the Javelinas to win, they will need to be able to do what no one else has this year - run the ball against the nation's top run defense. For Abilene, the key is to do what Midwestern State did to TAMK - get ahead early and not let them back within striking distance. They have the running game and defense to do that, but must get better play from the QB position. Flip a coin in this one - Javelinas win yet another nail biter 24-21.

LSC Football Roundup 10-25

LSC Game Recaps

Box Scores, Statistics

Texans topple Wildcats
Two weeks ago, the Abilene Christian University football team was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Now, the Wildcats’ playoff hopes are in jeopardy.

Scott Grantham threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jahmeel Hobson with 4:32 remaining Saturday to lift No. 11 Tarleton State over No. 9 ACU 13-6 in a Lone Star Conference game at Tarleton State Memorial Stadium.

Devin Guinn also returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter as Tarleton rallied from a 6-0 halftime deficit to hand the Wildcats their second consecutive loss.

“It’s tough, because I don’t think we executed very well,” ACU coach Chris Thomsen said. “But Tarleton did a great job — a great job on their part.”

Buffs sack ASU
Surging WT rolls up 557 yards in 43-15 rout
The only problem with West Texas A&M's win over Angelo State on Saturday night? The Buffs regret there are only two games left in the regular season.

WT, playing arguably its best football all season, continued its late season surge, knocking off Angelo State, 43-15, in front of 7,197 fans in the home finale at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

Buffs blow past Rams
CANYON — A pair of Rams set new school records, but their efforts weren’t enough as the Angelo State University football team fell to West Texas A&M 43-15 Saturday at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

Josh Neiswander completed 22 passes to give him a single-season school-record 190 completions this season and receiver V’Keon Lacey had six receptions to give him a single-season school-record 58 catches on the year.

But the Rams’ LSC title hopes and NCAA Division II playoff aspirations took a serious blow as the Buffs took advantage of good field position on several occasions and held the ASU offense in check for most of the game.

Eskridge on target again as Mustangs win 43-16
By last week’s standards Saturday night was an off night for Midwestern State quarterback Zack Eskridge he threw four incomplete passes and an interception.

But by any other standards it was well worthy of the highest rated quarterback in NCAA Division II.

Eskridge completed 15-of-20 passes for 339 yards and three scores as the Mustangs dominated the Central Oklahoma Bronchos 43-16 in front of a homecoming crowd of 7,127 at Memorial Stadium.

RB Winborn breaks Bailey's rushing record in Javs win
One of the most hallowed records in Texas A&M-Kingsville history fell Saturday night at Javelina Stadium. Just as important, the 14th-ranked Javelinas found a way to slow the offensive juggernaut that has become Eastern New Mexico just enough and keep their postseason aspirations simmering.

Fred Winborn cracked Johnny Bailey’s 22-year-old single-game rushing record with a 263-yard, three-touchdown performance and the Javelinas held off the pass-crazed Greyhounds 38-31.



ENMU falls short at Kingsville
Eastern New Mexico University has still never won at Texas A&M-Kingsville, but the Greyhounds are certainly getting closer.

Junior running back Fred Winborn rushed for 263 yards and three touchdowns, but the Javelinas had to hold on at the end Saturday night to beat the Greyhounds 38-31 in a Lone Star Conference South Division game.


Coaching is way of life for both Thomsens
Abilene Christian University can thank LeAnn Thomsen for her husband’s recruiting prowess. After all, he honed those skills trying to convince her to marry him 17 years ago.

It seems it was a difficult sell.

“She was really my first big recruit because I had to recruit her to get her to marry me,” said Chris Thomsen, ACU’s head football coach. “I learned to recruit by trying to convince her to marry me. I had to throw out some key reasons why we should get married. That took a little time."

LSC Roundup 9-24

Jacob Rowe selected to 2009 AllState AFCA Good Works Team
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.

LSC Roundup 9-22

Backups get opportunities in Buffs' rout

While West Texas A&M was glad to earn its first victory of the season Saturday, besting Southwestern Oklahoma State, 41-15, in Weatherford, Okla., the Buffs got other things accomplished.

Just about everybody who got on the bus saw action against the Bulldogs. Twenty-six Buffs recorded at least one tackle. Eleven Buffs caught passes. Three quarterbacks played.

"Everybody came through healthy. That's what I'm concerned about," said WT head coach Don Carthel, whose team has battled numerous injuries.

ACU stays at No. 2 in D-II poll
The Abilene Christian University Wildcats held on to the No. 2 spot in the American Football Coaches Association Division II national poll that was released.

The top 10 spots in the poll remained unchanged, with Grand Valley State (4-0) heading the list at No. 1 with 24 first-place votes and 624 points. ACU got 593 points, and North Alabama (4-0) is No. 3 with one first-place vote and 577 points.

Javelinas remain at No. 10 in country
KINGSVILLE — There was no change among the top 10 teams in the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II rankings on Monday. That means Texas A&M-Kingsville will take its No. 10 ranking into Saturday night’s Lone Star Conference South Division opener at three-time defending conference champion West Texas A&M. The Javelinas are 4-0 for the first time since 2004 when they last advanced to the Division II playoffs. They picked up win No. 4 last Saturday, defeating Northeastern (Okla.) State 31-14 and will be making their first road trip of the season this weekend to Canyon. The Buffaloes have struggled in their first three ballgames but posted their first win of the season last weekend by beating Southwestern (Okla.) State 41-15.

MSU surges up to No. 17 in the AFCA national poll
Midwestern State rose four spots in the most recent American Football Coaches’ Association Division II Poll released Monday. The Mustangs, now ranked No. 17, are coming off their fourth win of the season after defeating Incarnate Word 49-7 last Saturday in San Antonio. The victory is MSU’s third win by 40-points or more, the second time in school history the program has had as many in a season.

Lone Star Conference Football weekly release (09/21/09)
Lone Star Conference divisional play starts this week with three South and two North match-ups. The South Division won all six Lone Star Conference crossover games last week. The South has been victorious in 16 of 18 games against the North this season.

Four teams - Abilene Christian, Midwestern State, Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville - remain unbeaten in 2009.

Players of the Week
NORTH OFFENSIVE
Adam Farkes, Texas A&M-Commerce, Jr., QB, Boston, Mass./Univ. of Maine
Farkes broke one school record and nearly set two more in his first collegiate start at Texas A&M-Commerce. Farkes set a new single-game record for passing yards as Adam Farkes recorded 447 yards passing, eclipsing the previous marks of 442 held by Buster Faulkner against Northeastern State (2004). He nearly broke the school record with 32 completions (record: 33) on 61 attempts (record: 63). In addition to his passing efforts, he ran the ball in for two touchdowns.

NORTH DEFENSIVE
Steven Harris, Southeastern Oklahoma, So., S, Carrollton, Texas/Hebron HS
Harris led all defenders with 13 tackles in Southeastern’s 33-14 loss to No. 2 Abilene Christian. He tallied three solo and 10 assisted and with that total moved into the top 10 in the conference in tackles with 8.2 per game for a total of 33 on the year.

NORTH SPECIAL TEAMS
Joe Kok, Northeastern State, Sr., P, Broken Arrow, Okla./Broken Arrow HS
Kok continued to improve on his average as he booted six punts for a 46.8 yard average with a long of 54 yards. He pinned 10th-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville inside its own 20 yard line on half of his punts on the night. The preseason All-America honoree leads the LSC in punting and among the nation’s leaders in this statistical category as well.

SOUTH OFFENSIVE
J.J. Harp, Eastern New Mexico, So., QB, Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS
Harp posted his second consecutive 600-yard passing day, connecting on 46 of his 65 attempts for 602 yards with no sacks or interceptions, to lead the Greyhounds to a 76-56 win over Texas A&M-Commerce. He tossed five touchdown passes as ENMU scored a school single-game record 76 points.

SOUTH DEFENSIVE
D’Angelo Waites, Angelo State, Sr., LB, Austin, Texas/Lanier HS
Waites led an Angelo State defense that limited East Central to just 172 yards of offense, including just 56 yards on the ground, and collected four sacks in a 29-9 win by the Rams. Waites had a game-high 12 tackles (seven solo), including two stops for a loss. He had 1.5 sacks against the Tigers and had a forced fumble. He is the Rams’ leading tackler on the season with nearly eight stops per game. ASU leads the conference with 14 sacks through four games.

SOUTH SPECIAL TEAMS
Kendrick Johnson, Abilene Christian, Jr., WR, Mexia, Texas/Mexia HS
Johnson returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first quarter, his second punt return for a touchdown this season (73-yard return vs. Fort Lewis on Sept. 5). ... Johnson joins former Wildcat great V.T. Smith as the only two Wildcats to have two punt returns for touchdowns of at least 70 yards in the same season. ... In 1948, Smith returned a punt 70 yards for a score against Southwestern and had a 71-yard return for a TD against Arkansas.

ACU in third after first day at Territory Classic
The ACU golf team shot a 7-over 295 Monday to finish the first round of the Territory Classic in third place behind St. Edwards (290) and Dallas Baptist (291). Playing at The Territory Golf Course in Duncan, Okla., Cyril Bouniol led ACU, shooting a 1-under 71. That Bouniol in a three-way tie for second, but just a stroke behind leader Santiago Quintero of St. Edward’s.

Mustangs in 6th after day 1 at The Territory Classic
DUNCAN, Okla. — Midwestern State fought through some adverse conditions Monday to place sixth at the first day of The Territory Classic. MSU shot a 301 13-over team score at the Par-72 course.

WT women's golf team tied for ninth
In Ponte Vedra, Fla., the West Texas A&M women's golf team is tied for ninth place after Monday's opening round of the Queens Invitational at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla.
The Lady Buffs shot 335 to trail first-round co-leaders Belmont Abbey and Ashland University by 24 shots.

Lady Buffs top New Mexico State, 2-0
In Las Cruces, N.M., midfielder Lindsay McHorse only took two shots during the 90 minutes she was on the pitch, but she made both count. McHorse's shots hit the back of the net in the West Texas A&M 2-0 win over New Mexico State on Monday.

The Lady Buffs (6-0-1) took eight shots against the Aggies (3-5-0) in front of 937 fans in Aggie Memorial Stadium, four in each half. The Aggies took 10 total shots. West Texas A&M keeper Kelly Skehan only needed four saves to secure the shutout win.