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[SEPT. 5, 2001]  Maybe it was the excessive heat and humidity in the LCHS gymnasium or the fast-paced, five-game, first-place run at the weekend tournament, or maybe it was just having a Monday on a Tuesday after Labor Day. Whatever it was, the LCHS Lady Railers volleyball team played at a substantially slower than usual tempo last night in their first home match of the season. But in the end, the Railers went on to earn their seventh win of this young season and gave coach Charissa Howe her 100^th career coaching victory. The Lady Railers defeated a good Bloomington High School squad 15-6, 15-10.

BHS came into this match touting its two strong outside hitters, Jessica Logan and Jenna Kearns. The match left little doubt that both of these young ladies are fine volleyball players. When BHS got a point, it was with either Logan or Kearns serving, blocking or killing the ball. Logan’s serve frustrated the Railers throughout the match. But while BHS had a good two-pronged attack, the Lady Railers countered with their own 10-headed attack, otherwise known as a TEAM. The Railer starters, plus four teammates off the bench, were too much for the two-dimensional Bloomington team. It was like a salad fork being hit with a sledgehammer. No contest.

In Game 1, the Railers started out slow, recovered well and never looked back. BHS jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the strong jump service of Jessica Logan. Then the Railer TEAM came roaring back. The serving of Kelli Gleason knotted the score at 3-3. Samantha Conrady put LCHS ahead, getting the next two Railer points, one of which featured a Railer bank shot off the raised basketball goal. Samantha also rotated back to the service line at the end of Game 1 to pick up the game winner. Missy Aper got points 6, 11 and 12, and Darcy White added numbers 7, 13 and 14. Not to be left out of the TEAM effort, Kari McFadden turned in three of her own service points in the middle of the game to round out the effort. BHS could manage only three additional points: one kill by Jenna Kearns and two unforced errors by the Railers.

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In Game 2 the Railers started well, then briefly lost their focus and had to fight off a BHS surge to claim the victory. With the score knotted 1-1, Lincoln’s Kelli Gleason stepped to the service line. By the time she rotated over, the score was Lincoln 8, BHS 1. Kelli added two more great serves later in the game, bringing her point total to nine. Kari McFadden, Mindy Crawford and Darcy White provided the rest of the Railer serving offense. At the net, LCHS provided a smorgasbord to BHS, as Samantha Conrady, Michelle McFadden and Tina Cook delivered kill after kill for points. Dessert was also served, as the Railer front line blocked several hard hit shots right back at the BHS hitters.

Midway through the game, with the Lady Railers up 10-3, LCHS lost their focus and let BHS back in: 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6, 10-7, 10-8 … timeout Lincoln. A one-minute heart-to-heart talk was held by coaches Howe and Conrady. … End of discussion. The Railers came out, and behind the serving of Darcy White and Kelli Gleason, dinks by Kari McFadden and Tina Cook, along with a kill by Samantha Conrady, they finished their night’s work.

Throughout the match, the Railers combined consistent TEAM serving with excellent TEAM blocking and digging, along with good passing. Whoever was at the net for the Railers took care of TEAM business by finishing the matter.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take 10 against 2 anytime. Especially if coach Howe is calling the shots. Congrats, coach, on No. 100! You’re much too young to have that many victories. Keep up the good work.

The Railers will be at home again on Thursday night, when they face Normal West. It promises to be a good one. Come out and see for yourself.

GO, RAILERS!

[Rick Hobler]

[SEPT. 5, 2001]  In their first volleyball match of the season, Lincoln College faced Parkland at Champaign.

LC’s coach Tippett said: "I was pleased with our effort. It was a good start. We played right with them for the most part. We showed a lot of potential against a very strong team."

Results

Lincoln College       20  19  21

Parkland College    30  30  30

LC stats

Molly Owens — 3 blocks, 2 kills

Janine Buettner — 4 aces, 3 kills

Erica Miller — 2 aces, 3 kills

Record

Lincoln, 0-1

Parkland, 9-5

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[SEPT. 5, 2001]  Lincoln High School graduate Adam Schweitzer has been named co-captain of the Monmouth College baseball team for the 2001-2002 season by head coach Roger Sander.

Schweitzer, a senior elementary education major, has earned varsity letters in each of his three previous seasons with the Fighting Scots. Fellow co-captains are pitcher Ryan Johnson from Ottumwa, Iowa, and pitcher Joe Larkins and catcher Taylor Thiel, both of Galesburg.

Greatest golfers in the world
have come to central Illinois

Kate ‘Golden’ on way to first LPGA victory

By Jeff Mayfield

[SEPT. 5, 2001]  When was the last time the greatest football players in the world came to central Illinois? I guess I heard that the Bears were once in Decatur, but I’m talking the modern era here. Or, when was the last time the best baseball players in the world came to central Illinois? Oh, you could say that you remember when Springfield had AAA baseball and an annual game with the big Birds, but on a broader scale the rest of the best players never came. And when was the last time you feasted your eyes on the best basketball players in the world here in our area? The closest we’ve ever come to that was when the World Basketball League came to our area. The area fans never figured out how good the talent was and it dried up, probably a victim of bad timing. At any rate, this Labor Day weekend, the best lady professional golfers came calling on central Illinois. Would they strut their stuff? Only time would tell.

Annika Sorenstam, arguably the best player in the world, entered championship play Sunday with a commanding 5-stroke lead. You could say that there were a few players who were within striking distance, or you could say that several players were vying to see who this year’s runner-up would be. Amazingly, there was a sordid twist on the way to the State Farm Classic trophy presentation.

Coming into the last round was the unflappable Christie Kerr, whose 63 on Saturday — only one stroke from the tourney record — left her all alone in second place at 13-under 203. Then there was a logjam for third between five players at 12-under 204. Included in that group were Moira Dunn, who was second last week and continues to impress, Alicia Dibos from Peru, Jean Bartholomew, Kate Golden and Emilee Klein.

I hate to sound psychic, but this reporter felt that Golden was the player of the day on Saturday. And if you thought she was pretty good on Saturday, you should have seen her sizzling on Sunday. She was a birdie machine.

I mentioned to my spotters that if I could putt like Golden, I wouldn’t have to work. That may have been the understatement of the day. The long bomb she snaked in on the 11^th hole, which landed her smiling face on ESPN’s Sportscenter, seemed to be emblematic of her play all weekend. Golden was always solid and sometimes spectacular.

She caught and passed Sorenstam somewhere around No. 14 or 15. By then, it was just a two-woman race anyway. But Annika would not be put away quietly.

After Annika was safely across the water at No. 16, I mentioned to some fans that she needed to birdie the hole, and if she didn’t, she would not win. She didn’t, but she tried to make a liar of this LDN reporter anyway.

I guess one of the reasons that the best athletes in the world are the best is because they are at their best in clutch situations when it looks like their chances have evaporated…because it looked like Annika had tanked her lead and was just going to fizzle.

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At No. 17 she displayed why, when you play the best, it’s never over ’til it’s over. First, she hit safely across the water, showing she had not panicked. Then you should have seen her approach to the green. It looked like she was playing that old-time favorite backyard game, lawn jarts. She dropped one in there inches from the cup and tapped in for birdie. More importantly she had pulled within one of the steady Kate Golden.

Once again, it looked like it would come down to an approach shot for Sorenstam. That’s what you ordered and that’s what you got, Toyota! She probably had a 12- to 15-footer left to force a playoff. Not only that, but one of her playing partners would show her the line of her putt before she would have the chance to tie it all up.

On paper, Sorenstam was a sure winner. Luckily for the field, golf championships are not settled in the stat sheets because…Annika missed the putt.

That set off a raucous celebration where several LPGA veterans gave Golden a beer bath to celebrate her first-ever tour win.

However, Merrill Lynch would have been proud of her performance, because on Saturday and Sunday she took care of business the old-fashioned way: She earned it! She was simply the better player, this weekend at least. By carding a 63, she set a tournament record with a 21-under 267. The fans roared with approval.

Of course, Sorenstam then finished second at 268 and was followed by Moira Dunn at 271, Emilee Klein at 272 and Laura Diaz at 273. Kerr, still trying to clear the Annika obstacle, as she’s finished second to her on more than one occasion, faded into the pack at 276.

Sometimes the greatest players don’t win; sometimes the underdogs steal the show. From my perspective, Kate was not just "Golden" on Sunday, she was "Golden" all week!

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 5, 2001]  Sometimes you wish you could be in six different places at the same time. Oh, how the LDN wishes we could have witnessed the Illini’s convincing season opening romp over the University of California Golden Bears! I’m sure the LDN would like to send me there one-way at times, but this was a sight to behold.

If you don’t think that Illinois missed Brandon Lloyd last year, then what planet were you on? All Lloyd did was rack up eight catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Heisman Trophy candidate Kurt Kittner was sure glad to have him back, evidenced by his 17-of-32 passing performance, good for 297 yards.

And don’t forget Antoineo Harris. Harris is trying to make you forget about Jameel Cook and a host of other former backs, as he rushed for three touchdowns.

Probably more pleasing to the loyal Illini purists was the fact that the defense looked to be improved somewhat. In fact, they forced at least four turnovers before I stopped counting. If Illinois has any visions of a good season, the defense must limit opponents and give the offense the ball enough times to get the job done.

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J.J. Tubbs caught my notice as well, converting three field goals — another needed asset if the Illini are going to contend in the Big Ten this season.

Several area fans are already talking Rose Bowl, and we say, "Are you serious?" Hopefully, the Illini will just take one game at a time and see how this thing plays out.

A true test will be in less than a month when Illinois plays Michigan in the Big House.

Up next for the Illini is a Saturday date with Northern Illinois. Plenty of tickets still remain at 333-3470.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 4, 2001]  Lincoln Gators Swim Club starts Sept. 4. Any swimmer up to age 18 who can swim one length of the pool is encouraged to come out and join the fun. Sign up at Lincoln College Aquatic Center, located behind the gymnasium, beginning the week of Sept. 4, at 6 p.m. Parents need to accompany new swimmers to sign up. The swim club is a parent-run, nonprofit organization.  

Gators practice from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Swimmers receive coaching in endurance, speed and competitive technique in all four strokes, racing starts and turns. Fun swimming drills help participants develop swimming skills.

New things this year include:

Swim level determination and
progress tracking

Progress will be determined through a new Levels Program based upon swimmers’ technique, endurance and speed.

Swimmer of the Month

Recognition will be awarded to the swimmer who displays the best sportsmanship, progress in technique and participation in events.

Gators Olympics

In addition to regularly scheduled swim meets, the club has added a monthly Gators Olympics swim meet. Each swimmer receives handicap seconds, allowing an equal opportunity to win any event.

Swim to Athens, Greece!

The team is swimming to the home of the next Summer Olympics. Total yards will be tracked for each swimmer and added together. Miles swum by the team will be tracked on a map.

Alligator Court

Did you splash the coach? Walk funny? Chew gum? Come watch the fun every third Tuesday right after the parents’ meeting.

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Lincoln Gators Swim Club 2000-2001 season was supported by the following businesses and individuals:

Lincoln IGA

Fred Plesé family

Dr. Don Sielaff family

Dr. Dennis Carroll family

Illico – Apollo Mart

Dave Weaver family

Jim Xamis Ford

Cindy Stover family

Guzzardo’s Restaurant

NAPA

Family Chiropractic

Tom Funk, attorney at law

Century Dental

Ag-Land FS

Woody Jones Insurance

Dr. Freesmeier

Graue, Inc.

Charlotte Griffin

Franz Express Copy and Parcel

[SEPT. 4, 2001]  The LDN has learned that late last night St. Louis Cardinal rookie lefty Bud Smith fired a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in only his 13^th major league start. Smith became the 18th rookie in major league history to accomplish the feat. Another Cards rookie, Albert Pujols, clobbered his 32^nd homer to stake Smith to an early 2-0 lead.

Smith’s gem was the ninth no-hitter in Redbird history and the third this year, following the ones pitched by Boston’s Hideo Nomo and Florida’s A.J. Burnett.

Smith’s date with destiny was especially sweet as he left tickets for 14 immediate family members, including his mom and 10 of his high school buddies.

The Redbirds continue to chase the Cubs for the wild card playoff spot.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[AUG. 31, 2001]  Rematch: A second match between the same teams, usually played with vivid memories of the first match.  Super rematch: A match played between two teams that have recently met in a supersectional. That was the pre-game billing for last night’s high school girls volleyball match between the Lincoln Lady Railers and the Morton Lady Potters. The Railers and the Potters had tangled in last season’s Class AA Supersectional. The Railers, ultimately on their way to a fourth-place place finish in the state tournament, readily disposed of the Potters. But that was last year.

The atmosphere at the Potterdome in Morton was nothing like your usual early season matchup. There were large crowds for both teams, lots of noise, lots of emotion, a hard-fought battle and ultimately the same result. The Lady Railers (2-0) defeated Morton (0-1) in successive games, 15-7, 15-10. But the victory didn’t come easy.

In Game 1 the Railers jumped out to a quick start, briefly let the Potters back in, and then finished well. The Railers quickly took a 5-0 lead behind the serving of Kelli Gleason and the front-line play of Samantha Conrady and Christina Cook. Morton, though, quickly fought back and brought the score to 6-5. After a series of scoring exchanges, the score was 8-7. Railer Coach Charissa Howe had had enough and called a timeout. Whatever she said to her team worked, especially on Darcy White and Kari McFadden. Darcy, playing consistently great defense and serving out the last six points of the game, along with Kari’s net play, shut Morton down and brought home the 15-7 final score.

Game 2 was not so easy. The two teams were tied on six occasions. The Railers had to work hard and come from behind to pull off the victory. Game 2 began with a seesaw battle as each team refused to let much distance come between them. A whole team effort by the Railers held Morton to mostly one- and two-point leads. But in the end, the Railers’ consistency pulled them through to victory. Strong serving by Darcy White, Megan Franz and an end-game run by Kelli Gleason provided the back-line offensive punch. Christina Cook led the way on the front line but was strongly supported throughout with crucial kills by Michelle McFadden, Samantha Conrady and Kari McFadden. After another crucial heart-to-heart timeout talk from coaches Howe and Conrady, with Lincoln down 8-10, the Railers never looked back. They scored seven unanswered points to finish out the game and match.

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Overall the Lady Railers looked fundamentally solid and consistently strong. They hustled throughout the match and refused to lose, especially in Game 2.

The strong and emotional front-line play of Samantha, Kari, Christina and Michelle consistently created points and side outs for the Railers. I thought Michelle McFadden (in spite of being a freshman starter, with all the pressure that goes with that characterization) did a quiet but tremendous job at the net. Kelli Gleason did a marvelous job of covering every inch of the Potterdome floor while making excellent sets for her teammates and providing a few surprise dinks and consistent on-target serves of her own at crucial moments. Darcy played her usual excellent defense, diving on the floor everywhere, and served strongly throughout the match. Missy Aper, Megan Franz, Christina Xamis and Mindy Crawford came in and provided crucial points and defense throughout the match.

Coach Howe strategically substituted role players, called timeouts at appropriate points in both games and apparently motivated her team to win. After each timeout, the Lady Railers did not allow Morton another point and went on to win each game.

The Railers’ next test will come this weekend in the Centennial Invitational.

The Lady Railer JV squad showed a never-say-die attitude as they went on to also defeat Morton, by the match score of 15-12, 8-15 and 15-13. Among many other highlights was the serving of Katie Green, Julie Fults and Mia Benitez, along with the convincing kills by Kendall Paulus.

[Rick Hobler]

Reinwald’s team takes third, Zurkamer
comes in sixth in competition abroad

[AUG. 28, 2001]  Lori Reinwald stole home for the only run to lead her team to third place in People to People Sports Ambassadors competition in Haarlem, The Netherlands, while Luke Zurkamer, 18, placed sixth in decathlon at the Deaflympics in Rome, Italy. Both international competitors are from Lincoln.

American teams took all three medals in the People to People softball competition. The Titans, Reinwald’s team, played two German, one Dutch and two American teams. She played center field in all five matches, clocking as much game time as any Titan.

[Lori Reinwald (right) with her People to People friends, Thierry (Cherry) from the Netherlands and Leeanne England from Ottawa, Ill.]

Reinwald was chosen for the program in part for her bunting ability and used it to get on base and to move players around the bases. She was also the fastest runner on her team and stole several bases. In the match against Hamburg, Germany, for third place, she stole home for the only score in the game.

Although practices were less demanding than Reinwald expected, she said her coach, Bill Callaghan, was "really good" and she "actually learned a lot in five to six days." She improved her bunting range, with emphasis on drag, slap and left-handed bunts.

[Lori Reinwald with her team.  Reinwald is located in the far back right corner.]

The German teams used slow pitch and Reinwald found it "harder to hit a slow pitcher." "There was good competition," she added; "the games were close." In fact, her first two games went into extra innings.

Zurkamer’s best events in the Deaflympics decathlon were the throwing competitions and 1,500-meter run. In javelin he bested his qualifying time of a year ago by 30 feet to about 157. In discuss he improved from 96 to 110 feet and in shot put from 34 feet, 10 inches to 35-1. In the 1,500 he ran his lifetime best of 4:48.

[Luke Zurkamer]

Results are approximate because the Deaflympics, affiliated with the international Olympics, was slow to notify him of results. At the event about 5,000 athletes from 70 nations competed from July 21 to Aug. 1. The U.S. team had 290 members. The 70 in track and field won 12 gold and many silver and bronze medals.

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In June 2000 when he qualified for the U.S. team, Zurkamer scored a total of 4,200 in the 10 events; in Rome he improved to 4,500. His coach, Nancy Benson of Maryland, also coached the women’s heptathlon. The teams practiced in Washington, D.C., beginning July 7.

Overall, Reinwald rated hers a good experience and found it "neat to hang out with" the other American and European players. She experienced no communication problems because everyone spoke English. All 10 teams plus the boys in People to People Sports Ambassadors baseball competition attended a barbecue and disco party.

About half the 11-day trip (July 29-Aug. 8) was spent touring with a Dutch-born guide. Reinwald said the group took "lots of canal cruises and bus tours," saw the Anne Frank house and the World War II monument in Amsterdam and a mini Holland layout in The Hague, and viewed "cathedrals and neat old buildings" in Cologne and elsewhere. She was impressed with the amount of bicycle traffic. "The bikes will run you over," she said.

[(Left to right) Decathlon competitors from France, 
Germany, USA (Zurkamer), Italy and Bulgaria] 

Zurkamer, 18, had only one free day to tour Rome. His father, Mark Zurkamer, said Luke had some trouble communicating because there are 14 sign languages, and the foreign athletes did not sign as he does. Still he enjoyed trading parts of his American uniform, including the coat to a German and the vest for a German hat. He also returned with a couple of international T-shirts. Mark and Carmen Zurkamer traveled to Rome to form the cheering section. 

Luke hopes to try out as a wrestler for the next Deaflympics, to be in Melbourne, Australia, in January or February 2005. His father said Luke is actually a better wrestler than decathlete but was recruited for the track-and-field team at the 2000 Central State Deaf Track Meet.

Zurkamer left Aug. 14 for Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., to practice for the football team. He is a freshman at the university.

[Lynn Spellman]

[SEPT. 4, 2001]  I’ve heard it said that it takes three years to turn a losing athletic team into a winner. Others suggest that it takes five years for such a transformation. Personally, I have no idea how long it takes. I do know that it will take time. I take my hat off to the new coach of the Lincoln Railer football team, John Oaks. He has stepped up to this challenge. We all know what football has been like around here the last few years. It will do no good to bring up the past again. I can tell you that the current group of Railers seems to be throwing support behind coach Oaks and his staff. The LDN hopes that the community will as well. During the middle of last week the LDN was able to attend their workout and talk with the coach on the field immediately after practice.

[Click here for Part 1]

Q. Ball control sounds like it will be the key for this week and for the rest of the season. Will you try to keep the ball between the tackles, will you spread the offense like you said earlier, or will you just mix it up?

A. It depends on how soon we get Sam Moore back. Our offense has taken a hit, in that we don’t have a tailback with near the capabilities of Sam. We’ll be working that position by committee. Players who could see time in that slot are T.J. Swinford, a junior; Scott Maestas, a senior; and maybe Jason Melton, a sophomore, could rotate in there some. We want to try to move the ball without Sam, so we’ll rely on Jim Babbs who’s a good fullback with some quickness. He’s not real big, but he’s a tough hitter up in the hole. You can’t just run in, you can’t just run out. We don’t have the speed to run outside, and we can’t just run up the middle because teams will gang up there. So, we hope to mix it up some.

A. It’s really hard to assess them from just that one game that we saw. We really don’t know how we’ll match up against them. They gave up 30-plus points to Chicago, but Dunbar’s a pretty doggone good team, too. We’ve got to worry about ourselves and make ourselves better. We’ve got to go into the game and make as few mistakes as we can and take it from there. We’ll prepare against their offense and we’ll prepare against their defense, but the key for us is to concentrate on ourselves — limiting our mistakes and improving our execution — and see where that takes us.

A. We’ve been real happy with the players’ attitudes and with their work ethic. I think we need to get a few things going in the right direction and gain a little extra intensity and enthusiasm on their part.

A. Two things: We have to get stronger; we must build the weight program to a higher level, and that’s going to take time. Also, we must build the numbers back up on every level of the program. We’ve got too many kids playing both ways right now. We need to have fewer kids sustaining injuries so that we can become a stronger program. Hopefully this freshman class that has 40 in it will continue to grow and get better. That should be a good start in the right direction for us.

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Q. Are you wanting to bring up some of those sophomores to plug some of the gaps you’ve got right now?

A. I don’t like doing that unless we have to. We had seven or eight sophs dress Friday night, and many of them were on special teams. We had one of them in the regular starting lineup. We are trying to plug some holes the best we can while trying to keep the units intact. We’d like the sophs to stay together and achieve some success. When you move ’em up, it’s kind of tough on those younger levels that you’ve depleted. We’d like to keep them intact the best we can. Right now we just don’t have the numbers to completely do that.

A. We go to Lanphier next week and then on to Jacksonville. Certainly Lanphier looked awfully tough in their opening win over Peoria Manual. And Jacksonville had a big upset victory over Jerseyville. I guess they play Taylorville, and we’ll find out how good everybody is after that one. There are no break times in the Central State 8. And this year seems to be more of an up year than most. There are least five or six teams that are playoff quality. It looks like we’re going to have our work cut out for us. We’ve just got to get our own act together to have a chance to be competitive.

I’ve always believed that anyplace can be competitive. It just takes time and patience. You have to get the right things in order — like I’ve been real happy with the booster club, and the community support here has been great so far. The kids have had a good attitude, and if we can keep that going through some of this drought time, then I think we can get things headed in the right direction.

Conclusion

Everyone here at the LDN and the community is behind you, coach Oaks, and behind every Railer team.

Good luck, Railers, throughout the season!

And if you’re on a local sports team and would like some coverage, call 732-7443 and let us know about it. You and your team may well be the next feature!

[Jeff Mayfield]

[SEPT. 1, 2001]  I’ve heard it said that it takes three years to turn a losing athletic team into a winner. Others suggest that it takes five years for such a transformation. Personally, I have no idea how long it takes. I do know that it will take time. I take my hat off to the new coach of the Lincoln Railer football team, John Oaks. He has stepped up to this challenge. We all know what football has been like around here the last few years. It will do no good to bring up the past again. I can tell you that the current group of Railers seems to be throwing support behind coach Oaks and his staff. The LDN hopes that the community will as well. During the middle of the week the LDN was able to attend their workout and talk with the coach on the field immediately after practice.

Q. Tell us about this week’s game.

A. We’ve got the Chatham Titans, which is their new nickname. But they’ll be the same old tough team, I’m afraid. They have quite a few starters back from last year’s team. They had a tough opening loss to Chicago Dunbar. In that game their quarterback was injured, but they’ve still got quite a few weapons. I’m certain they may have a little more of a ground game this week, but their backup quarterback came in and threw the ball pretty well for them, too. So, it will be a tough opening game here at home.

Q. How do you plan to go up against them?

A. We'll do the best we can. We’re beat up pretty badly ourselves right now. We lost two key starters with injuries and a third one due to disciplinary action. We’ve kinda got the shorts in trying to piece together a lineup out there. It’s going to be tough. I think our best chance is to try to put together some type of ball-control offense where hopefully we can keep the ball a little bit and keep it out of their hands.

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Q. Last week you guys got off to a pretty good start but then seemed to encounter some bad breaks and some injuries. How did you see it?

A. We moved the ball fairly decent, but we had some little things go against us. Some of those were our own doing. When things haven’t gone well for a team for a number of years, those things bring you down. We gave up a long run early in the game, and they ended up scoring a touchdown. We then had a nice drive going ourselves and got all the way down to the 14-yard line before three penalties in the next four plays killed the drive. You just can’t do those kinds of things. I think that took some of the wind out of our sails. We were still in it, only being down 7-0 at halftime. Then we had a couple of key injuries, one in the second quarter and one in the third, that I think hurt us, especially when we were trying to get the tide turned. Looking back on the game tapes, it wasn’t a terrible performance; we just need better consistency than what we showed. And now, obviously, with the injuries, we’ve got an even tougher job trying to replace those guys.

(To be continued)

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here for Part 2]

[AUG. 31, 2001]  In August 2000, most Illinois football fans were greatly anticipating the upcoming 2000 season. Illinois had just completed their first winning season since 1994 and their best overall season since the days of John Mackovic way back in 1990. The icing on the cake was the phenomenal bowl game victory over Virginia, where the Illinois offense recorded an incredible 63 points, the most points scored in any bowl game for ’99-’00.

The season started great, with blowout victories over Middle Tennessee in Champaign and against San Diego State in Southern California. Week three brought a scare against Pac-10 team California-Berkley in Champaign, a game in which the franchise, Kurt Kittner, was injured and didn’t play most of the second half. However, Illinois held on and won 17-15 and appeared poised to make a run for the Roses.

Unfortunately, the storybook season ended on Saturday night, Sept. 23, when Illinois blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against Michigan and lost 35-31. Including the Michigan loss, Illinois finished the season 5-6, and only 2-6 in the Big Ten.

While many Illini fans will point to terrible calls by Big Ten referees which cost Illinois games against Michigan and Michigan State (and rightfully so), the bottom line is this: Illinois’ defense in 2000 could not have stopped Sam Moore, much less the likes of Anthony Thomas (Michigan), T.J. Duckett (Michigan State), Damien Anderson (Northwestern) or any other quality Big Ten running back. All of this brings us to one very important question:

What will football 2001 bring for the Illinois team and their long overdue fans?

Illinois should once again be very exciting on offense, led by three-year starter and Heisman Trophy candidate Kurt Kittner at quarterback and several very good skill position players. However, the defense introduces six new starters, and the offensive line loses two absolute studs in Marcus Sullivan and Ray Redzeniak, both of whom will now play on Sundays.

The LDN today looks at Illinois’ team, position by position, and also highlights five players you can count on to carry their weight and five players who must establish themselves early and often if Illinois hopes to improve on last season’s 5-6 season record.

Illinois position-by-position rating

Quarterback — A major strength if Kittner stays healthy (he missed significant time in both the California win and the Ohio State loss and did not dress in the Northwestern blowout). If Kittner goes down, look out. Dustin Ward is a great local kid (Centennial HS in Champaign) but is not a Big Ten starting quarterback. However, Kittner is projected to be the first QB taken in next April’s NFL draft by Espn.com know-it-all Mel Kiper and has an outside chance to be in New York City when the ultimate individual prize in college football is handed out on Dec. 8.

Running back — Another very strong area for Illinois. Illinois has a great two-headed monster at tailback with senior Rocky Harvey, a cat-quick player who can find the end zone and reminds some of Warrick Dunn, and junior Antonio Harris, a big, strong runner who can carry the ball 25 times a game in the Big Ten and get major chunks of yards in the process. Illinois’ best fullback last year, Jameel Cook, left early for the NFL, but Brad Haywood will step in and Illinois should not miss a beat. Haywood’s strength is blocking and pass catching, and he should do a great job protecting Kittner’s blind side.

Receiver, tight end — Sophomore Brandon Lloyd is back and Kittner cannot wait. Lloyd missed all of last year due to a freak accident in the summer of 2000 but is back and has big-play capability every time he touches the ball. Junior Walter Young, junior Greg Lewis, sophomore Eric McGoey and sophomore Dwayne Smith round out a very solid core, with Young’s 6-foot-5 frame allowing Illinois to have a very tall target for Kittner. At tight end, four-year starter Josh Wittman leaves, but Brian Hodges steps right in for Wittman and is definitely a better athlete. Look for Chatham’s Ken Boyle to get significant minutes at TE as well.

Offensive line — This will be the deepest the OL positions have been since coach Ron Turner came to Illinois in 1997, but the loss of Sullivan and Redzeniak must be filled by quality. At posting time, center Luke Butkus (senior, 6-4, 290), guard Jay Kulaga (senior, 6-5, 300) and tackle Tony Pashos (junior, 6-6, 315) all appear to be returning to their starting positions. The best of the bunch is Butkus, who will follow his famous uncle, Dick, and play in the NFL. Look for Rantoul’s Sean Bubin (sophomore, 6-7, 300) and freshman Bucky Babcock (freshman, 6-6, 399) to round out the starting lineup.

Defensive line — This is the most crucial position for the 2001 Illinois football team. If LBs and safeties continue to lead the team in tackles, look for a long and losing season. However, if ends like Mike O’Brien, Derrick Strong and returning starter Terrell Washington can step up and create a significant pass rush, things could be different this season. The real test will be to see if tackles Jamie Hanton (juco transfer, 290 pounds), sophomore Charles Gilstrap (290 pounds) and senior Brandon Moore (285 pounds) can imitate Warren Sapp and stop teams from running up the gut at Illinois’ defense. If teams continue to run through Illinois, Kittner and crew will find themselves forced to play catch-up most of the season.

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Linebacker — Illinois returns just one starter, sophomore Jerry Schumacher. However, Illinois’ staff feels juco transfer Mario Ivy from Edwardsville and Ohioan Ty Myers are ready to become the next great Illini backers. Depth should be a strength at this position, as the staff feels they have seven legitimate starting linebackers, but only Schumacher has game experience. Translation: Only time will tell if this position continues as an Illini strength.

Defense backfield — Should be Illinois’ greatest strength on defense, led by senior starting safeties Bobby Jackson and Muhammad Abdullah, both four-year starters. They are backed up at safety by junior Marc Jackson, who will see plenty of time when Illinois goes to the nickel (five defense backs in the game) or dime (six defensive backs in the game) defense. The starting corners will be sophomore Christian Morton, former quarterback and the fastest player on the Illini roster, and junior Eugene Wilson, a two-year starter. Illinois plans to blitz early and often, leaving Morton and Wilson "on an island" with quality receivers. However, Turner and staff feel that Wilson is a great cornerback already and mention the name "Deion" when reflecting on the ability of Morton. Juco transfer Mike Hall will see serious minutes as well.

Kicking, punting — J.J. Tubbs will have a chance to be Illinois’ regular place-kicker but will have to show up game in and game out, something that did not happen last fall. Turner will not allow senior Steve Fitts to both punt and place kick, as the Illini staff felt Fitts’ punting, his real strength, suffered in the second half of many games. Look for Fitts to punt exclusively and possibly challenge for All-Big Ten punter. If Tubbs struggles, Turner will look to true freshman Steve Weatherford from Terre Haute North HS.

Five players you can count on

1. Kurt Kittner — He is the real deal, the franchise. If he is healthy, records will fall.

2. Brandon Lloyd — His big-play ability and deep threat will make a major impact.

3. Luke Butkus — A great center who anchors a very strong line.

4. Rocky Harvey — A three-year starter who leaves it all on the field.

5. Steve Fitts — A really good punter who will help Illinois win the "field position" game.

Five players who must step up

1. Christian Morton, CB/WR — Could become the program’s second most exciting player.

2. Dwayne Smith, WR — Has the athletic ability to give Illinois’ their best 1-2 receiver punch since the Williams boys played in the ’80s.

3. Sean Bubin, OT — Must replace All-American Sullivan — has the talent, but will he come through when needed?

4. Jerry Schumacher — Needs to play more like Dana Howard (circa 1994) than Michael Young (circa 2000).

5. J.J. Tubbs or Steve Weatherford, K — Several games could come down to how good Illinois’ place-kicking is in 2001.

Season forecast

Sept. 1 at California — Illinois wins a wild one, 35-24.

Sept. 8 vs. Northern Illinois — Illinois blows out the Huskies, 49-14.

Sept. 15 vs. Louisville — Illinois outlasts the Cards, 38-28.

Sept. 22 at Michigan — Big Blue too tough for Illinois, 35-28.

Oct. 6 vs. Minnesota — Illinois breaks through against the Gophers, 31-21.

Oct. 13 at Indiana — Illinois says goodbye to Randle El in style, 38-17.

Oct. 20 vs. Wisconsin — Badgers grind out victory, 24-21.

Nov. 3 at Purdue — Illinois falls to the retooled Tiller team, 31-24.

Nov. 10 vs. Penn State — Illinois overcomes Joe Pa, 31-23.

Nov. 17 at Ohio St. — The Bucks are too much, 31-17.

Nov. 11 vs. Northwestern — Illinois upsets the Cats on Turkey Day, 35-34.

Final projected record: 7-4 (4-4 in Big Ten)

[Greg Taylor]

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