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[NOV. 17, 2001]  In front of a gathering of family and friends, Lincoln High School senior Andy Knopp inked a deal to play baseball at Western Illinois University after his local playing days come to an end in the spring.

Knopp was noticeably happy about all of the support and acknowledged it throughout the 30-minute press conference that started Thursday at 4 p.m. in the main offices at the school.

Coach Pat Hake also seemed quite pleased with the proceedings and pointed to it as yet another sign of the continuing emergence of Lincoln baseball.

Once again the LDN brings you the REAL inside story, as we spoke with Andy’s future coach, Stan Hyman, via telephone Friday morning. This is what coach Hyman had to say:

"We are excited to add Andy Knopp to our roster. He brings us lots of versatility. He can play both the infield and the outfield, and he can also pitch. That made him very attractive to us because we can use him in varying roles. In terms of depth, he’s the kind of player that gives us the necessary depth to accomplish our goals. Andy was one of 12 signees that we’ve inked during this early signing period, and he is a part of a tremendous recruiting class. That is important to us, as we played the 50th toughest schedule in the country last season.

"Another big change over here at WIU is that we are bringing the program up to a national level. We recently tore up our infield and rebuilt it. Now it looks like a major league infield. Improvements like that and adding a stellar recruiting class can do nothing but help us.

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"The biggest thing about recruiting Andy was that he is a quality young man. We know that he will give us a solid effort in the classroom and out on the field. We pride ourselves on looking for solid kids from solid families and schools, and we think we have found that with Andy. He brings the kind of quality that we are looking for in our program."

The LDN hopes to do a full feature on Knopp in the future, but we have these notes now:

—WIU is a Division I program with a schedule approximating 56 games. Included on their schedule are dates with such notables as Nebraska (sixth in the nation last season), Iowa, Missouri, Kansas State, Illinois, Illinois State, Bradley and Southern Illinois. They also hope to play a game next season in the Minnesota Twins’ "Twinkie Dome," the Metrodome, and they also have scheduled a tournament in Hawaii.

—Knopp figures to be penciled in the lineup somewhere as a middle infielder, probably at second base, which is a position that he is quite comfortable with. Insiders say that he will probably be called on to do some pitching as well. Again, according to insiders, Knopp is the first Lincoln Railer in 10 years to sign with a D-I baseball program directly out of high school!

CONGRATULATIONS, Andy!

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 17, 2001]  Gregg Alexander had 8 points and started ISU's first game as a true freshman, as the Redbirds held on for a 74-70 win over Weber State in their home opener yesterday.  Congratulations to Gregg and to the Redbirds.  For more info, click here for Todd Kober's story on the game.

[NOV. 17, 2001]  Occasionally this season LDN will bring you some post comments by the game’s principal players and coaches and from our staff. 

We’ll start with last night’s chance encounter with Coach Bill Self.  LDN photograher, Tom Seggelke and I literally ran into him as we were leaving the Assembly Hall.  Thinking I’m sure, that Tom and I were with ESPN or Fox Sports News, he immediately asked us who we were.  We told him and he talked to us anyway! 

He seemed to be very happy with his team’s performance and told us that he was most pleased with their defensive effort.  I wanted to plant a seed with him to possibly open the door for future exclusive LDN interviews, so I pointed out to him that we have a mutual friend…former Oral Roberts star center, Jay Henderson.  Jay is a veteran of the LCC (Mayfield era) basketball camps.  Self seemed to think that that was pretty neat.

I asked him if he felt better now that this game was behind us and he said, definitely.  I then offered him congratulations and wished him good luck on the season and he said, “Thanks.”  Tom was very moved by his response.

Quotes:

Coach Mark Few

I put us in this situation (by scheduling this game).  You have to play A- basketball at best to win in this environment and we didn’t.  We didn’t take care of the ball or execute well enough to exploit some things.  They took us out of option A and B and so we dribbled around trying to make something happen rather than trusting your teammates.

Illinois is a very good basketball team.  They are a great defensive team.  They spread you out and High-Low you.  There were times in their offensive where all five players touched the ball.  Those are signs of a championship team.  Their unselfishness impressed me.  But I’m the one who scheduled this game.

It was a great college basketball crowd.

I would only grade us out at a C or a C-.  Our offense was not vintage Gonzaga basketball tonight.  Illinois should be credited for that.  They do what we call help on help.  Last season we were eliminated by Michigan State and they killed us on the boards.  It was our goal to improve on that area and I think we have.  But, I would’ve swapped that tonight for better offensive execution.

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Gonzaga’s Dan Dickau

We can’t get any big name teams to come up and play us in Spokane, Washington.  I love to play on the road in great arenas like this one.  I/we had too many silly turnovers to put us in a position to win. 

The LDN asked him how far he thought he could take his team… “I want to take them as far as I can.  I have a lot of confidence in myself and in my team to get us there.”  There was so much pride in the hall with all of the Orange shirts…it reminded me of the great support we get back home in our kennel!

Brian Cook

In the 2nd half I needed to post-up closer to the basket.  I got some lay-ups and got to the free throw line and that helped me get going.

The LDN asked if Cook called for the ball when he’s in the flow or if they run plays especially for him… “No, coach wants us to pass the ball on the perimeter and he wants us big guys to really move without the ball.  He wants us to get in the seams and not to force it.  We have confidence in each other and we trust our offense.”

Stray arrows

I admit my skepticism towards our crowd was certainly unfounded.  They came out in force last night and their support was thundering.  It may have been the best early season crowd that this reporter has ever seen and I’ve been a follower since 1975!

Many Lincolnites were on hand to help the crowd do its thing.

Next up for the Illini:

Monday night at home versus Eastern Illinois in actually the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament which will resume in Vegas Thanksgiving weekend.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 17, 2001]  The Lincoln Christian College Preachers defeated the St. Louis Christian College Soldiers last night 80-64.

The Preachers managed to gain an early lead and hold it for most of the game.  Tension was high, however, as the teams were rarely more than 20 points apart.  A two-team scramble for an escaped ball did manage to lighten the mood by causing a six- or seven-man heap on the floor.

The Preachers’ star players were Matt Clark, with 25 points and 2 assists, and Joel Searby, with 20 points and 6 assists.  Joel Searby is a newcomer to the team, having just transferred from Elmhurst College.

Team standings:

10  Matt Clark  7-2-25

11  Jake Raymer  2-0-4

12  John Holderby  1-0-3

14  Aaron Johnson 0-0-0

21  Anthony Cerniglia  1-0-2

23  Zack Below  0-0-0

24  Ben Brodfuehrer  2-0-4

25  Jim Turney  1-1-3

31  Mike O’Conner  0-0-0

33  Antoni Okusami  4-0-8

40  Josh  Grooms  5-0-10

43  Joel Searby  7-1-20

44  Mike Lerot  0-0-1

First half       17-2-44

Second half  13-2-36

Game total    30-4-80

“The good news was we got to play everybody.  The bad news was the starters tried to do too much.”-- Coach Randy Kirk

[NOV. 17, 2001]  NORMAL--Olympia native Tricia Gaither is the newest member of the Illinois State softball family. Gaither signed a national letter of intent with the Redbirds on Wednesday.

After helping Olympia High School to the Class A State Tournament in each of the last two seasons, Gaither will come to the Redbirds with no real defensive home. This provides for very little concern to Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer because of abundance of offensive skills.

"Defensively I have no clue where I will play her," Fischer said. "But I think the real asset she has is the ability to lead-off and put the ball in play. She can slap, bunt, hit with power and has great speed to go along with that."

Gaither set the Olympia batting record as a sophomore with a .457 average. She then followed that up by outdoing herself in her junior season by hitting at a .466 clip, with 35 stolen bases and a .509 on base percentage, leading to an all-state selection by the Illinois Coaches Association.

Fischer feels that good coaching in both the summer and high school seasons has led to Gaither's fundamentally sound game.

"Tricia is a very fundamentally sound ball player also, which proves that she is a product of good coaching in both high school (Olympia) and during summer ball (Oly Fire)," Fischer said.

[Nate Bargar, ISU athletic media relations]

[NOV. 16, 2001]  NORMAL — Illinois State football players Andy King and Adam Waugh have been named to the 2001 Verizon All-District V Academic Football Team. They are now eligible for consideration on the academic all-America ballot.

This is the ninth consecutive year that the Redbird program has had representation on the all-district team, and it is the fourth-straight year that more than one Illinois State player has been honored. The District V team is chosen annually from I-A and I-AA football players from the four-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

King, a senior offensive tackle from Lincoln, is on the Verizon team for a second time. He has started all 10 games for the Gateway Football Conference’s No. 2-ranked team in passing offense. King has started in 40-straight games and is a volunteer with the Redbird Ambassadors community service group. He carries a 3.49 grade-point average in telecommunications management.

Waugh, a senior outside linebacker from Libertyville, carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in political science. He is a three-time selection to the all-district team and was awarded the 2001 National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship. A 2000 Verizon Academic All-American, Waugh was named a 2001-02 Bone Scholar, the highest undergraduate academic honor at Illinois State. He was also recognized as the 2000 and 2001 Illinois State Male Student-Athlete of the Year. He has started all 10 games for the Redbirds and has been credited with 76 tackles.

To be considered for the Verizon team, a student-athlete must be a starter or an important reserve who carries a minimum grade point average of 3.20. The voting is done by sports information directors within each district.

The Verizon Academic All-America Team will be announced Dec. 10.

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2001 Verizon Academic All-District V Football Team

QB: Wayne Ewing, Butler, 3.65, biology

RB: Matt Collins, Butler, 3.36, secondary education

RB: Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois, 3.26, marketing

WR: P.J. Fleck, Northern Illinois, 3.20, elementary education

WR: John Standeford, Purdue, 3.50, elementary education

TE: Jon Eckert, Ball State, 3.99, accounting

OL: Travis Barclay, Ball State, 3.98, physics

OL: John Crowther, Notre Dame, 3.68, finance

OL: Andy King, Illinois State, 3.49, telecommunications management

OL: Austin King, Northwestern, 3.29, secondary teaching

OL: Gene Mruczkowski, Purdue, 3.71, movement-sport sciences

K: Travis Dorsch, Purdue, 3.81, psychology

DT: Kyle Budinscak, Notre Dame, 3.27, business

DE: Jason Frank, Northern Illinois, 3.22, liberal arts and sciences

DT: Dan Kwapinski, Minnesota, 3.55, biology

DE: Kemp Rasmussen, Indiana, 3.20, kinesiology-teacher prep.

LB: Landon Johnson, Purdue, 3.51, general health sciences

LB: Ryan Lemberg, Valparaiso, 3.35, elementary education

LB: Adam Waugh, Illinois State, 4.00, political science

DB: Nick Bamber, Valparaiso, 3.81, sports management

DB: Joe Gonzalez, Indiana, 3.59, accounting

DB: Bill Stanton, Valparaiso, 3.58, political science

DB: Sean Wieber, Northwestern, 3.34, political science

Illinois State vs. Weber State game notes
[NOV. 15, 2001]  The Illinois State-Weber State game is Friday, Nov. 16, at 7:05 p.m. at Redbird Arena (10,200) in Normal.

About the game

This is the earliest regular-season start for the Redbirds since 1998, when Illinois State opened on Nov. 15 against Oakland. Illinois State and Weber State will be meeting on the hardwood for the first time in the history of the two schools.

The probable starters

(Position, number, name, height, weight, class-letters, hometown, ppg, rpg, apg)

Illinois State Redbirds (0-0)

F, 2, Gregg Alexander, 6-4, 190, Fr.-HS, Lincoln

F, 23, Baboucarr Bojang, 6-9, 205, Jr.-TR, Greenville, S.C.

F, 33, Shedrick Ford, 6-5, 220, Sr.-1L, Macon, Ga., 12.1, 5.8, 1.1

G, 12, Tarise Bryson, 6-1, 175, Sr.-3L, Decatur, 22.8, 3.9, 2.4

G, 15, Randy Rice, 6-0, 165, Sr.-1L, Springfield, 3.7, 2.6, 4.4

Weber State Wildcats (0-0)

F, 24, Chris Woods, 6-4, 200, Sr.-3L, East Chicago, Ind., 7.5, 4.5, 1.1

F, 35, Stephan Bachman, 6-10, 245, Jr.-2L, Dietlikon, Switzerland, 10.3, 3.9, 0.9

C, 50, Pat Danley, 6-8, 235, Jr.-1L, Gary, Ind., 6.3, 5.1, 0.3*

G, 3, Jermaine Boyette, 6-2, 185, Jr.-1L, Hammond, Ind., 19.1, 3.4, 4.2

G, 22, John Hamilton, 6-3, 185, So.-1L, Greenfield, Ind., 5.7, 1.9, 1.0

Note: Stats are from the 2000-01 season and (*) indicates blocks per game.

The coaches

Tom Richardson is 31-29 in his third season at Illinois State. He is assisted by Chad Altadonna, Anthony Beane and Doug Novsek. Weber State is coached by Joe Cravens, who owns a 33-24 record with the Wildcats and 88-76 overall. He is assisted by Kirk Earlywine, John Stroia and Andy Jensen.

Ticket information

Tickets for Illinois State home games can be purchased from the ticket office at Redbird Arena, (309) 438-8000.

Redbird radio network

Mark Johnson, play-by-play; Mike Matthews, color; Bruce Evans, sideline (home only); R.C. McBride, studio host. Affiliates: WJBC (AM 1230, Bloomington), flagship; WINU (AM 880, Highland); WZOE (AM 1490, Princeton); WFMB (AM 1450, Springfield).

Web ’Birds

All Illinois State broadcasts can be heard on the Internet at either events.yahoo.com or wjbc.com. The latter also carries Tom Richardson’s weekly call-in show, which alternates, depending on the schedule, but generally airs each Thursday from 6:07 to 7 p.m.

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The Illinois State athletics web page, at www.redbirds.org, includes direct links to www.events.yahoo.com and www.wjbc.com to access the WJBC/Redbird radio network broadcasts. In addition, for home games, live stats are available.

About Weber State

•  Weber State is located in Ogden, Utah, and enrolls 16,000 students. The

•  Wildcats are members of the Big Sky Conference.

•  Head coach Joe Cravens is in his third season at Weber State. He owns a 33-24 record after a head coaching stint at Idaho. He also was the interim head coach at Utah during the 1989-90 season.

•  In 2000-01, the Wildcats posted a 15-14 record and were 8-8 in league play, with a fifth-place finish.

•  Like the Redbirds, Weber State went 2-0 in the exhibition season with a 92-73 win over Westminster College and a 104-59 victory over Montana State-Northern.

•  Against Westminster College, Weber State shot 55.4 percent from the floor and had five players in double figures. Nic Sparrow led the way with 18 points, Chris Woods and Jermaine Boyette each chipped in 15, while Stevie Morrison and Marlon Carter each added 11.

•  Boyette poured in 17 points against Montana State-Northern to lead the Wildcats. Weber State shot 56.2 percent from the field and had six players in double digits. Morrison added 15 points, while Woods and Stephan Bachmann each tossed in 12. Carter and Pat Danley chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.

•  Boyette earned first-team All-Big Sky honors last season and was a 2000-01 first-team All-District VII selection. He was the league’s second-leading scorer with 19.1 points per game and led the conference with 2.17 steals per contest.

The series

This is the first meeting between the two schools. Illinois State is undefeated against schools hailing from Utah. The ’Birds are 2-0 against Utah State, their only opponent from the Beehive State.

For openers

Under Tom Richardson, the Redbirds are 2-0 in season openers and 1-1 in home openers. In the last decade, Illinois State is 5-5 in season-opening contests and 6-4 in home openers.

Two for one

The game against Weber State has been tabbed as a "Kitchen Cooked 2-for-1 Night." Fans purchasing a $10 upper-bowl ticket will receive a second ticket free.

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

[For more ISU Redbird game notes, see http://www.redbirds.org/MB/default.taf.] 

GFC lineman of the week fit for King
[NOV. 14, 2001]  NORMAL — At the weekly press conference, Illinois State’s Andy King made reference to taking credit for Willie Watts’ 200-yard rushing effort Saturday against Indiana State. On Tuesday, the Gateway Football Conference backed up King’s claim by naming him the offensive lineman of the week.

It was only fitting that the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Lincoln High School product was the driving force paving the way to Watts’ big rushing game on Senior Day at Hancock Stadium.

King helped ignite the Redbird second-half rushing attack en route to a 31-17 win over Indiana State. He graded out at 82 percent, while posting 12 knockdowns without a missed assignment or a sack. The Redbirds posted 200 rushing yards and 311 total yards in the second half, while out-scoring the Sycamores 28-7 in the final two periods.

King and the Redbirds will close out the 2001 season at Southwest Missouri State on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

[To read another article on Andy King, click here.]

Lincoln Christian College vs. Missouri Baptist
[NOV. 14, 2001]  The Preachers fell to the Baptists 79-68 in Tuesday’s game at St. Louis. Up at halftime by two, 40-38, the Preachers lost their edge during the second half of the low-scoring game.

High scorers were Clark, 16, and Searby, 17. Clark also had five rebounds, six assists and two turnovers, while Searby had five rebounds, three assists and five turnovers. Okusami made three rebounds, two assists, seven turnovers.

LCC stats: Clark 7-2-16, Holderby 5-0-10, Below 4-0-10, Turney 1-0-2, Okusami 3-0-7, Grooms 3-0-6, Searby 7-2-17.

[LDN]

ISU will initiate shuttle service for basketball fans
[NOV. 14, 2001]  NORMAL — Before the Illinois State men’s basketball team takes the floor against Weber State on Friday night for the first regular-season game at Redbird Arena, the Illinois State Athletics Department will begin offering a free shuttle bus service for Redbird fans.

The bus service, which will be implemented for all Redbird home games, will shuttle fans between the motorcycle instruction range, located on Gregory Street, west of the Illinois State golf course, and the south entrance of Redbird Arena. At the completion of the game, the shuttle bus will pick up fans at the south entrance on College Avenue.

In addition to the free shuttle service, there are also $3 parking lots at the soccer and baseball complex on Adelaide Street and by University High School. There will signs indicating the locations of the $3 parking lots and the shuttle bus parking lot.

Illinois State fans will also notice a change in traffic patterns at the completion of the game. All patrons in parking lot G-53, at the west corner of Main Street and College Avenue, will exit right onto College, while the patrons in the Turner lot, F-62, will be able to only turn left onto College.

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[Click here for  larger map]

Any westbound traffic west of Main Street on College Avenue will be diverted south onto Old Dry Grove to Kingsley Street. It is recommended that traffic waiting at the east corner of Main Street and College Avenue turn either north or south onto Main Street, as opposed to continuing west through the intersection. All traffic at Old Dry Grove and Dry Grove will be required to travel south onto Kingsley Street.

These traffic patterns will be in effect immediately following each home game and will remain in effect until game traffic subsides.

A map laying out the new parking policies and procedures is available on the department website at www.redbirds.org. Tipoff for Friday’s game against Weber State is slated for 7:05 p.m.

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

[NOV. 14, 2001]  NORMAL — A block of tickets for the Illinois State-Illinois men’s basketball game in Champaign on Dec. 18 will be available to Illinois State students starting on Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Redbird Arena ticket office.

Ticket prices for the event are $16 and will be available for purchase until noon on Nov. 21.

Students will be allowed to purchase only one ticket and must show a valid Illinois State ID. All tickets are reserved seating, so groups should buy their tickets together.

For more information, please call the Illinois State ticket office at (309) 438-8000.

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

No. 24 Notre Dame next for Redbirds
[NOV. 14, 2001]  NORMAL — "Getting competitive" is Illinois State volleyball coach Sharon Dingman’s theme for her team’s trip to play No. 24 Notre Dame at 6 p.m. (Central time) Wednesday at the Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center.

Dingman respects Notre Dame, which breezed through the Big East regular season 12-0 and stands as the No. 1 seed in this weekend’s Big East tournament.

"Notre Dame has a lot of size and a lot of skill," said Dingman, whose Redbirds are 14-11 overall, 10-6 in the Missouri Valley. "Plus, they have played very well at home."

That last point may have been understated; the Irish, 18-5 overall, are 11-0 at home and have won 33 of 35 games at the Joyce ACC this season. Setter Kristen Kinder has plenty of scoring weapons around her. Notre Dame has five players who average between 2.25 and 3.45 kills per game and four players averaging more than one block per game.

Dingman, whose Redbirds are coming off a 3-0 loss at Southwest Missouri State, want some momentum to take into the final conference weekend and into the post-Thanksgiving State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Nov. 23-24 at Redbird Arena.

"We played a fairly noncompetitive match at SMS from most positions," said Dingman, whose Redbirds are sitting as the No. 5 seed in the Valley tournament. "We need to re-establish that we can play with a competitive spirit in every match. I think we want to do that. We had a very competitive practice on Monday."

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Illinois State may have its leading hitter, junior Megan O’Connell, back for the Notre Dame match, although Dingman said O’Connell would not start. The Redbird head coach figures to stay with her lineup, which moved Becky Weber from setter to O’Connell’s left-side post and installed freshman Kelly Rikli at setter in the past two matches.

"Kelly has done a great job, for someone who has not played much, then was asked to run our offense," said Dingman. "We still need Becky as involved as possible; we made her a primary passer (at the SMS match) because she wants to be involved in every play and we need her to be involved in every play."

The Redbird offense hit .358 in a 3-0 win at Wichita State, Rikli’s first career start. Even though the Redbirds didn’t hit well at SMS, setting didn’t appear to be the major cause.

"We want to show we’re competitive against the likes of Notre Dame," said Dingman. "Win or lose, we want to compete. That will help us get ready for this (final Valley) weekend and next weekend as well."

To finish the season, the Redbirds play back-to-back dates with Indiana State at 7 p.m. Saturday in Redbird Arena and at 4 p.m. (Central time) Sunday in Terre Haute. The Saturday match will be the regular-season home finale for Weber, Abby Lewis, Brandi Petelle and Megan Stephenson, the four Redbird senior players.

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

Note: The "web-zine" www.rollshot.com features a story posted Monday about Redbird volleyball and Redbird fans.

[NOV. 13, 2001]  Brian Cook led the Illini to victory in a 111-60 win over Lincoln University at Jefferson City, Mo. Brian topped the scoring with 20 points. Corey Bradford had 17 points and seven rebounds. Frank Williams scored 13 points, with five rebounds and four assists.

The opening game for the 2001-2002 season begins at 7 p.m. Friday at the Assembly Hall in Champaign. The Illini will face the perennially tough Gonzaga of Washington.

[LDN]

[For a game report from the Fighting Illini website, click here.]

Game notes for Illinois State vs. Southwest Missouri 
[NOV. 13, 2001]  The Illinois State Redbirds (2-8, 2-4 Gateway Football Conference) will play the Southwest Missouri State Bears (5-5, 2-4 GFC) on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 1:30 p.m. at Plaster Field in Springfield, Mo.

This is the 22nd meeting between the two schools, and Southwest Missouri State leads the series 11-9-1. The series began in 1971, and the two schools have played every year since 1985. The Redbirds have won the last two meetings and four of the last seven. Illinois State is 5-4-1 against the Bears at Plaster Field.

Illinois State — Denver Johnson is in his second season at Illinois State. He spent the previous three campaigns at Murray State, where he compiled a 21-12 mark as the Racers’ head coach. Johnson, 43, is a 1981 graduate of Tulsa. He owns a 1-0 mark against Southwest Missouri State.

With seven wins last season, Denver Johnson is in select company. That total is the most by a first-year ISU coach since Gerry Hart won eight in 1972. Only four ISU coaches have won six or more in their first year — Johnson, Hart, John Keith (eight in 1907) and George Binneweis (six in 1908).

Southwest Missouri State — A familiar face to Illinois State football, Randy Ball is in his third season at Southwest Missouri State. Prior to guiding the Bears, Ball was the head coach at Western Illinois for nine seasons, after serving as the Leathernecks’ offensive coordinator for seven seasons. Ball had a one-year stint at Truman State as the offensive coordinator in 1982 after coaching Illinois State’s offensive line for three seasons, from 1978 to 1980. Ball got his start in collegiate coaching at Missouri Western State and was the offensive line coach for one season. His record at Southwest Missouri State is 15-17 (three seasons). His overall record is 79-58-1 (11 seasons).

The Bears are 5-5 on the season and 2-4 in league play. Southwest Missouri State has won three-straight games, including two on the road. It is the first time the Bears have won three in a row in Randy Ball’s SMS tenure, and the first time overall since 1998. The Bears have finished 5-6 each of the past four years. With a win over the Redbirds, SMS would have its first winning season since 1996.

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This schedule is rank

Over the course of Illinois State’s last seven games, the Redbirds have faced five ranked opponents. The toughest stretch by any team in the Gateway Football Conference included Southwest Texas State (No. 19), Western Illinois (No. 14), Youngstown State (No. 5), Northern Iowa (No. 9) and Western Kentucky (No. 7).

With the 42-14 upset win over No. 9 Northern Iowa, Illinois State has defeated at least one ranked foe for the fifth-straight season. In 2000, the Redbirds defeated No. 4 Western Illinois and No. 17 Eastern Illinois in back-to-back games. In 1999, the ’Birds downed three ranked opponents, after posting wins over a ranked team in each of the 1998 and 1997 campaigns.

Heading into the Northern Iowa game, offensively, Illinois State had three plays result in a gain of 40 yards or more (the longest a 43-yard pass from Dusty Burk to Vito Golson against Western Illinois). Saturday against Northern Iowa, the Redbird offense exploded with a 77-yard scamper by Willie Watts for a touchdown and a 75-yard TD pass from Burk to Golson.

Eleven Redbirds have double-digit starting assignments to their credit, including Andy King, who has started 40-straight games in his Illinois State career.

Adam Waugh, senior, LB, 42

Andy King, seniors, OL, 40

Ted Wulf, senior, OL, 36

Aaron Peterson, junior, OL, 28

David Bull, senior, DL, 25

Mark Schaeve, senior, TE, 20

Willie Watts, senior, RB, 20

Dusty Burk, junior, QB, 19

Vito Golson, junior, WR, 16

Stuart Sands, junior, DE, 13

Tristan Davis, sophomore, RB, 12

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  In Class A volleyball, Mount Pulaski lost their semifinal game against Quincy Notre Dame on Saturday, 8-15, 15-9, 15-8. They then played Augusta Southeastern, who lost to Breese Mater Dei 15-12, 15-6. Mount Pulaski defeated Augusta Southeastern 15-6, 15-1. Breese Mater Dei defeated Quincy Notre Dame for the championship 15-8, 15-7.

Final standings of winners at the Class A state tournament:

1. Breese Mater Dei, 35-7-1

2. Quincy Notre Dame, 27-16

3. Mount Pulaski, 35-8

4. Augusta Southeastern, 38-5

[LDN]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Lincoln Gator Swim Club competed at Olympia over the weekend, Nov. 9-11.

Top 20 results

Alberta Danley —  200 free, 1^st, C, 3:50.52, team record; 500 free, 2^nd, C, 8:59.91, team record; 25 back, 11^th, B; 25 free, 2^nd, B; 25 fly, 5^th, B; 200 free, 2^nd, C; 100 IM, 3^rd, B; 50 fly, 9^th, C; 25 breast, 4^th, B; 50 free, 3^rd, B.

Sarah Fuller —  25 free, 9^th, C; 25 fly, 17^th, C; 100 IM, 12^th, C; 25 breast, 12^th, B; 50 free, 12^th, C.

Brittney Purdue —  25 back, 4^th, C; 25 free, 7^th, C; 25 fly, 20^th, C; 100 IM, 16^th, C; 25 breast, 16^th, C; 50 free, 15^th, C.

Brennan Elsas —  200 IM, 1^st, B, 3:23.51, team record; 25 back, 1^st, A, 19.16; 25 free, 1^st, A, 16.23; 25 fly, 2^nd, A; 100 IM, 1^st, A, 1:28.66, team record; 25 breast, 2^nd, B; 50 free, 1^st, A, 34.08.

Zach Ziemba —  25 back, 3^rd, B; 25 free, 4^th, B.

Emily Hauter —  50 back, 16^th, C; 100 free, 9^th, C.

Sam Wood —  400 IM, 2^nd, C, 6:53.50, team record; 500 free, 1^st, C, 7:20.21, team record; 50 back, 1^st, B, 41.64; 100 free, 2^nd, B; 200 fly, 5^th, 3:26.82, team record; 50 fly, 5^th, B; 100 fly, 4^th, A; 50 breast, 10^th, B; 100 breast, 1^st, B, 1:49.34; 50 free, 5^th, A.

[to top of second column in this report]

11 and 12 girls

Elizabeth Freed —  100 IM, 16^th, C; 100 free, 19^th, C.

Brie Ernst —  500 free, 2^nd, B; 200 IM, 3^rd, B; 100 free, 3^rd, A; 100 breast, 13^th, B; 100 back, 10^th, B; 100 fly, 3^rd, B; 200 free, 1^st, B, 2:16.96; 50 free, 4^th, A.

Brennan Elsas broke two of his own team records this weekend. He set records in the 100 and 200 IM with times of 1:28.66 and 3:23.51.

Alberta Danley also broke two of her own team records in the 200 free with a time of 3:50.52 and in the 500 free 8:59.91.

Sam Wood broke three team records this weekend. He set records in the 500 free (7:20.21), 400 IM (6:53.50) and in the 200 fly (3:26.82). Sam qualified for the A meet in the 100 fly with a time of 1:31.21. He has already qualified for the A meet in the 50 free.

Gabrielle Ernst qualified for the A meet in the 100 free with a time of 1:01.86. She has also qualified in the 50 free.

Sarah Fuller achieved her first B time in the 25 breast this weekend with a time of 27.89.

[Heidi Heidbreder,
Lincoln Gator Swim Club coach]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Lincoln Christian College played Multnomah Bible College Saturday in the Cincinnati Bible College Classic.  LCC was down 41 to 37 at the close of the first half but pulled ahead in the second half, scoring 39 points to Multnomah’s 21 and winning the game 76-62.  High scorers for LCC were Matt Clark with 36 points and Joel Searby with 17.

LCC team stats

Matt Clark  13-1-36; Jake Raymer  0-0-0; John Holderby 2-0-6; Aaron Johnson  0-0-0; Anthony Cerniglia DNP; Zach Below  3-0-6; Ben Brodfuehrer  DNP; Jim Turney  1-0-3; Antoni Okusami  3-0-7; Josh Grooms  0-0-1; Joel Searby  7-1-17

[LDN]

[NOV. 12, 2001]   Derik Hollyfield poured in 31 points to lead Lincoln College to an 87-73 victory over Rend Lake in the finals of the Rend Lake Classic on Saturday. The victory runs the LC record to 3-2 for the season.

Lincoln jumped out to a 49-37 halftime lead thanks to 63 percent shooting (17 of 27).  The Lynx finished the game with a shooting percentage of 57 percent. Lincoln had a 33-23 edge on the boards, with Hollyfield leading the way with nine. 

Joining Hollyfield in double figures were Amir Major with 16 and James Roberson with 10.  The Lynx finished the game with 26 of 33 at the free-throw line.

Lincoln College (87) — Paris Williams 1-2-1-2-3; James Roberson 4-10-2-3-10;Josh Clark 0-0-2-2-2; Gene Reed 0-0-0-0-0; Mike Fowler 3-4-0-3-7; Steve Turner 4-5-0-0-8; Andrew Kehr 0-0-0-0-0; Mike Sams 1-3-2-2-4; Amir Major 4-7-8-8-16; Derik Hollyfield 9-15-11-13-31; Sam Jackson 3-5-0-0-6. Totals 29-51-26-33-87. Three-point goals: Hollyfield 2, Fowler.

Rend Lake (73) — Troy Maurer 0-1-2-2-2; Drew Porter 2-4-0-0-4; Rod Ross 4-10-2-2-11; John Goughenour 1-2-2-2-4; Lawrence Barnes 4-8-0-1-8; Chevus Jackson 4-6-0-0-11; Matt Burkett 1-4-0-0-2; Stuart Heinzmann 3-4-0-0-6; Joel Jaye 5-9-1-3-12; Bronson Smith 5-7-1-2-11; Reginald Roberson 0-1-0-0-0; Justin Hill 1-1-0-0-2. Totals 30-57-8-12-73.  Three-point goals: Jackson 3, Ross, Jaye.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College sports information director]  

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Four players scored in double figures as the Lincoln College women’s basketball team defeated McKendree JV 80-66 Saturday.  The victory runs the LC record to 3-0 for the season.

Ronni Beebe led the Lady Lynx attack with 20 points on 5-of-17 shooting and 9 of 12 at the foul line.  Joining the LC sophomore in double figures were Sabrina Harper with 15, Sarah McLaughlin with 14 and Jesse Dullard with 10.

Lincoln College finished the game shooting 43 percent from the floor while the best the hosts could do was 37 percent.  Lincoln had a 46-42 rebounding edge in the game, with McLaughlin leading the way with eight.  In addition to scoring 20 points, Beebe dished out five assists, one more than Angie Bossingham.

Lincoln College (80) — Scott 1-6-0-0-2; Bossingham 3-7-0-0-8; Beebe 5-17-9-12-20; Harper 7-13-1-1-15; Dullard 5-11-0-1-10; Lamb 0-0-0-0-0; Bausley 1-2-0-0-2; Story 0-1-0-0-0; McLaughlin 6-9-2-3-14; Calhoun 3-5-0-0-6; Massenburg 1-1-0-0-3; Sims 0-1-0-0-0; Melker 0-1-0-0-0. Totals 32-74-12-18-80. Three-point goals: Bossingham 2, Beebe, Massenburg.

McKendree College (66) — Witt 7-13-2-4-19; Martz 3-14-3-4-9; Carroll 7-11-5-5-19; Stearns 2-8-0-0-4; Bisso 3-10-2-2-8; Harlin 0-4-2-2-2; Westlake 1-2-3-6-7. Totals - 23-62-17-23-66. Three-point goals: Witte 3.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College sports information director]  

[NOV. 12, 2001]  As the LDN descended upon Redbird Arena for our first coverage of an ISU men’s basketball game, little did we know that a former Railer would be in the starting lineup.  There was speculation along press row that Alexander would start, as Pantagraph sports editor and longtime friend of Lincoln, Bryan Bloodworth, indicated that those rumors were probably true.

Most freshmen are somewhat tentative in their first starting assignment.  They tend to make a boatload of turnovers and lots of mental mistakes.  But Gregg Alexander is not most freshmen.  In fact, Bloodworth surmised that Alexander was mature beyond his years.

A look at Gregg’s line bears that out.  Alexander connected for 10 points, including two 3’s, five rebounds, two assists and three steals as he helped ISU to a convincing 98-64 win over the EA Sports All-Stars. He also committed only two turnovers as he led the team in minutes played with 25 before a pretty large throng of Lincoln fans.  His two 3’s were bombs from the corner, as he was among a Redbird contingent of six players who finished in double figures.

ISU coach Tom Richardson praised Alexander for his contributions to the team, and in his post-game comments he pointed out that Gregg brings energy and a spark to this edition of Illinois State basketball.

A stretch just before half epitomized what the coach was talking about. After a Shawn Fountain layup — and Shawn had a great game — EA Sports was fighting to get within 10 by intermission. During the remaining three minutes and 23 seconds Alexander was simply everywhere.  He had a rebound, two free throws, a nifty assist to Shawn Jeppson, some good defensive plays and a couple of great passes.  He helped extend a 38-27 lead to 50-30 at the break. How many times did we see him do that for the Railers over the years?

[to top of second column in this article]

Also involved in the hit parade for the ’Birds was Shedrick Ford, who posted a double-double by netting 10 points and 10 rebounds. Another of our new favorite players, Baboucarr Bojang, chipped in 11 points.  Former Pekin standout Dirk Williams had a nice outing with 10 points and seven boards in just 14 minutes of action, and Shawn Jeppson added 13 points to the ISU attack. Decatur’s Tarise Bryson led all scorers with 23 points.

ISU garnered a 16-7 edge in points created off turnovers, and that could very well be an  important stat line for this team all season long.

Next up for the Redbirds is a season-opening home tilt versus Weber State Friday night at 7:05.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[To see ISU's comments on Gregg Alexander go to:
http://www.redbirds.org/MB/Alexander.html.]

[To read ISU's release on this game, click here.]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Led by 23 points from Tarise Bryson and a double-double by Shedrick Ford, the Illinois State men’s basketball team sent EA Sports Midwest All-Stars to its eighth consecutive loss, 98-64, Sunday at Redbird Arena.

The ’Birds dominated the first half, leading 50-30 at the break. With the score 22-18 with a little more than eight minutes left in the half, the Redbirds went on an 11-0 run sparked by five points from Bryson, who had 12 points through 14 minutes of action.

In the final minute of the first half, ISU led by 44-28, but then a monstrous dunk by Chad Mazanowski followed by a Gregg Alexander steal led to a Shawn Jeppson layup and a 20-point lead.

The second half started where the first half left off as the ’Birds built on their 20-point cushion on a Ford layup and a Bryson 3-pointer, giving ISU a 25-point lead.

EA Sports tried to peck away at the lead, but a balanced scoring attack caused problems all night for EA as Illinois State placed six players in double figures. Four of the five starters hit for double digits, led by Bryson’s 23. Baboucarr Bojang tossed in 11, freshman Alexander poured in 10 and Ford added 10 points to match 10 rebounds. Jeppson and Dirk Williams provided a spark off the bench, adding 13 and 10, respectively.

The Redbirds host Weber State in the season opener for both teams on Friday night at 7:05.

[Todd Kober,
ISU director of media relations]

[To read Jeff Mayfield's article on this game,
click here.]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Here at the Lincoln Daily News we don’t go to post until noon.  That means that oftentimes we get a little more time than most to absorb an athletic event.  But, no matter how much reflecting I do on Saturday’s thrilling 33-28 squeaker over the Nittany Lions of Penn State, I can’t seem to wipe the smile off of my face.

And why shouldn’t Illini fans be happy?  Sure this is the first victory over Penn State since they joined the Big Ten conference.  Sure it’s the first-ever win over college football’s all-time winningest coach on the D-I level, Joe Paterno.  Sure it probably assures the Illini of one of the most unplanned trips to a major bowl ever.  And sure, it means many Illini fans are going to spend a few winter days in the sunshine somewhere. And although sports reporters are supposed to always have the poker face going, I can’t help but be deliriously happy for a group of hardworking blue- and orange-collar Illini.

While many people want to talk about Heisman trophy candidate Kurt Kittner, or our receivers, or our running backs, I want to tell you about all of them.

But, I first want to tell you about our offensive line.  If you thought the old Washington Redskins had some “hogs” up front, you should’ve seen the job done by Illinois’ “hogs” over the Lions on Saturday.  I have rarely seen so much resolve and so much purpose as those young men showed me Saturday night. While Sean Bubin, David Diehl, Jay Kulaga, Dan Cutter, Luke Butkus, Duke Preston, Patrick Babcock Aaron Hodges, Tony Pashos and James Brown may not be household names to you, they are my heroes!  They opened up some holes on Saturday that you could’ve driven a semi through!  And when it comes to protecting the quarterback, let’s just say that I hope Mr. Kittner takes very good care of our linemen.

I believe that those big guys in the trenches wore Penn State down and that it was the major factor in Illinois’ stunning comeback win.  They epitomize the heart and character of this ball club.  There is no quit in these Illini. When their backs are up against the wall, they can still think of 12 ways to win.

I will not forget your contributions this season, guys. Keep blocking and winning those battles in the trenches and you’ll carry us to heights never seen before!  We’re riding your backs and your shoulders into a history-making team.  It’s not that nobody else did anything, it’s just that I think the linemen are always overlooked.

Again, a professional journalist would probably talk about our running backs… and I will. But first I need to comment on our defense.  I know that Ron Turner’s name has been mentioned as a possible Coach of the Year candidate and deservedly so.  However, if the BCS or the AP or the UPI or anyone hands me a ballot, my vote will have to go to…

[to top of second column in this article]

Mike Cassity. “Who’s he?” you might ask.  Only the defensive coordinator who has helped totally transform Illinois’ defense and a big reason that the Illini find themselves 8-1 for the first time since 1983.  If not for a few missed or weak tackles, I would’ve moved them up the marquee board for this story.  At any rate, Cassity and his troops deserve a lot of credit for all of their contributions.

After Penn State took a 21-7 lead into the locker room at half, the Illini defense stiffened.  In fact, PSU’s only score came on another special teams breakdown on a kickoff return.  The defense pitched another second half shutout. The Illini defenders came up with four interceptions. Eugene Wilson may have played his best game ever in an orange and blue uniform, as he hauled down three INTs.  Christian Morton continued his outstanding play since he moved to the other side of the ball, as he had an important pick as well.

Now for the running backs.  Carey Davis came up with 41 yards on seven carries.  But it was Rocky Harvey who tallied 51 yards on 11 handoffs, including an exciting 20-yard TD scamper and the most important 13-yard TD jaunt of his life!  The before-mentioned heroic offensive linemen knocked bodies and heads all over the field, and by the time Harvey reached the line of scrimmage, it looked like a crime scene.  He flew over the pile and darted into the end zone as a raucous sellout crowd of 70,904 entered a euphoric state seldom seen in the annals of Illini sports history.

There were lots of other heroes, but I must mention one other group, and that is our receivers.  Even though they had a couple of critical dropped passes early in the game, overall they came up huge when the game was on the line.  Brian Hodges made a great catch on one play and rumbled and stumbled 17 yards to pay dirt.  Aaron Moorehead had four grabs for 75 yards. Carey Davis added four for 24 yards. Hodges ended up with 39 yards on three receptions. Walter Young had two big grabs for 16 tough yards.  And Harvey finished with two snags for 11 yards.

"Where was Brandon Lloyd?" you might ask  He was getting beat up in double and triple coverage.  However, he came to our rescue once again. With the Illini on the ropes, down 28-27, with not much time left and Illinois looking at a potential game-ending third and 10, he and Kittner hooked up for what was probably a game-saving 30-yard connection. Great players come up big at critical and crucial times, and Brandon Lloyd and Kurt Kittner are great players!

I should probably write about our kickers, our defensive backers and linemen, but I’m too tired. I’m deliriously tired!

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Senior running back Willie Watts, a native of Dunellon, Fla., was named the Gateway Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Redbirds’ 31-17 victory over Indiana State Saturday.

Watts scored three of Illinois State’s four touchdowns and pounded out 136 yards, all in the second half, to rally the Redbirds past the Sycamores.

The three touchdowns by Watts were the most ever in his storied Redbird career, and he finished the day with 200 yards on the ground, the second-best in his career.  He also hauled in three receptions for 23 yards.

The 200 yards pushed Watts to 1,023 yards on the season, and he became only the second player in Illinois State history to compile two 1,000-yard rushing campaigns.

Watts and the Redbirds return to action next weekend against Southwest Missouri State.  The kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.

[Todd Kober, ISU director of media relations]

[NOV. 12, 2001]  Senior defender Angie Roth and junior goalkeeper Lynley Hilligoss have been named to the 2001 Iron Kids Bread/Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team.

Roth, the 2001 Valley Defensive Player of the Year and a product of St. Louis Parkway North High School, was named to the team after a strong performance in the loss to Southwest Missouri State in the Valley semifinal game. A first-team All-Valley selection, Roth anchored the Redbird defense that held opponents to an average of 7.4 shots per game.

Hilligoss, a junior from St. Charles, recorded three saves while allowing two goals against SMS in Friday’s loss. A second-team All-MVC selection, Hilligoss led the Valley with a 0.80 goals against average and recorded four shutouts.

The Redbirds, 13-5, learn if they have an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon.

[Heather Henning, ISU athletics media relations]

[NOV. 12, 2001]   Josh Collins finished second at 125 pounds for coach Dave Klemm in wrestling at the Muskegon, Mich., open tournament on Saturday. Collins, an Olympia grad, lost the title match 19-5 to Nathan Simmons of Michigan State.

Bryan Morgan was pinned in 1:55 of the consolation match at 197 pounds by Mike Walden of Muskegon to place fourth, while Albert Schmidt was pinned in 5:53 in the consolation finals by A.J. Cook of Grand Valley State at 285 pounds.

[Bill Martinie, Lincoln College sports information director]  

[NOV. 12, 2001]  The LDN has learned that St. Louis Cardinals slugger extraordinaire Mark McGwire has walked away from the game. McGwire finished his career as fifth on the all-time home run list with 583 dingers.

The baseball world is stunned by this announcement... or we should say, at least Cardinal nation is shook up about it.

In a strange twist of fate, we do want to remind our loyal readers that the LDN was there for McGwire’s last hit and last home run!

McGwire never did respond to off-season knee surgery and, in fact, was limited to less than 300 at-bats a year the last two seasons but a combined 61 HRs. What an ironic number.

McGwire will be sorely missed by Cardinal fans young and old, but having his salary available will help the Redbirds to potentially land an outstanding free agent... maybe someone like the Oakland A’s first baseman Jason Giambi.

For more details go to www.stlcardinals.com.

[Jeff Mayfield]

By Jeff Mayfield

[NOV. 15, 2001]  This week, I don’t even know where to start... so, I’ll just start at the beginning. As I’ve said before, this is one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Because there are more sports offerings than you can shake a stick at. And that’s a pretty big stick. Baseball, golf and volleyball have just wrapped up, and now we have football, basketball, wrestling, hockey and a host of other sports.

Railer hoops

For you local hoops fans, it’s time to see this season’s editions of both the Lady Railers and the Railer basketball squads. I know that the boys will host their annual Green and White scrimmage tonight at 6:30. You get to see everyone in the program, and I think the only admission price is a can of pop.

Many wonder about the significance of holding an intra-squad game for the public. There are so many benefits that it would be hard to list them all. Of course you don’t want any injuries, but it is just good to get everyone some time and let them get used to the environment. Because the next time they take the floor, it counts!

I ALWAYS looked forward to that annual scrimmage. It was done in my hometown very similar to the way it’s done here. Sometimes the stands are packed-out here and sometimes they’re not. I STILL have not learned the secret. I do know how much it meant to me when my neighbors, area business people, folks from my congregation and assorted others would show up to support me and my teammates. I knew some of them were clueless about the game, but they came anyway.

I even know that there are several folks who ignore sports or who despise them. That is OK with me. They are certainly entitled to that opinion. However, in my limited experience in life, I personally have found very few things that can mobilize a community, help give it an identity, foster a sense of unity and pride than a group of people rallying around one of its local sports teams.

As I travel the state of Illinois and proudly tell people that I am from Lincoln, there is almost always an immediate reaction; and it has something to do with our basketball program. Whether they know basketball or not, they know that we have some of the hardest-working kids in the sport. They also know that successful, winning basketball is synonymous with Lincoln.

I always tell them the same thing. Not only are they hardworking, but they are just great kids! When I notice that that puts a smile on the face of these people from all over the state, it makes me even prouder that I’m from Lincoln. Some say we put too much emphasis on the sport, and they are probably right. But there are a lot of worse things that we could be known for!

Here’s looking to see you and 3,000-plus other fans at good ol’ Roy S. to support our Railer teams again this year. I do think our crowds have gotten a little soft the last two seasons. When our teams are performing at their highest levels, they need YOU to give them energy and to really provide a home-court advantage. I’m not too sure that that has happened of late. Let’s make this year the year that our sportsmanship, support and class has no rival in the state of Illinois! GO, RAILERS!

(Side note: Congratulations to Railer coach Darrin Worth and his wife, Tiffany, on the birth of their daughter.)

[to top of second column in this section]

Da Bears

"...those aren’t pillows! How ’bout those Bears?!"

Hey, how ’bout those Bears? Yah, cheeseheads, I know you came away with the victory Sunday, but I have to tell you, it was not all that impressive. The Pack is indeed good, but area growlers will tell you Chicago is gaining on you.

I don’t know much about this Norris division that you all follow, but I do know that the Bears are vastly improved. The addition of Anthony Thomas at running back has made a big difference to this ballclub. Settling the Cade McNown situation was also huge, although I’m still not convinced he was as much of the problem as we’ve been led to believe. The receivers, while not speedy, have run precise routes and have, for the most part, displayed good hands. And special teams, for once, have been pretty special, as the recovery of the onsides kick against Cleveland should point out.

I’m especially happy for head coach Dick Jauron. He has been lampooned and lambasted and just held up as a sacrificial lamb for this organization the last two years. I listened to his call-in show two of the last three weeks, and I am amazed how rude the fans are to him. He’s winning games, and they STILL have ideas on how his coaching could be better.

The LDN would like to give those fans just a little advice this week: GET OVER IT!!! Dick has simply done a fabulous job turning this team around this season. Especially if you’ve taken the time to carefully examine the roster that he has been dealt. He has maximized it! Skeptics will tell you that the Bears have played one of the softest schedules in the league. While there may be a smattering of truth to that, the LDN would tell them you can play only the people that the league office puts on your schedule. So, GET OVER IT!

I didn’t even think the Bears looked all that bad on opening day versus the Ravens. They still had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. And I know that Packer fans don’t want to hear this, but if the Bears would’ve maybe played just a little smarter just before halftime, they probably would’ve been in a position to win on Sunday.

I’m not the biggest Bears fan on the planet. I follow them because many of you, my local friends, do. I wish them great success because they have to be one of the NFL’s biggest underdogs!!!

[Jeff Mayfield]

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