HSU Sports Information Blog

Good Luck Coach

2008-07-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

One thing about working in athletics, much like the Texas weather, it is always changing.

John Neese and I were having a conversation the other day about the number of people that have been around the American Southwest Conference since 2000. We came up with about a list of 12-15 people quickly off the top of our head that have been around that long and that is about it. I further looked at it and amazingly there are just 32. Take out SIDs and Athletic Director’s and there are 22 coaches in the league that have been in the league that long.

With 15 schools and each averaging about 12-15 coaching or administrative people and that is a very low percentage that have been in the league at least nine years.
That just goes to show you how much things turn over at small colleges.

We have been very fortunate at Hardin-Simmons to have coaches that stick around. We say it a lot, but Hardin-Simmons is a great place to be. Most of us are not here for the money. We could all go somewhere else and make more money. Most of our coaches could go coach middle school P.E. in the Metroplex and make more money than we get at HSU.

But life is not all about money and for the most part if you get into college athletics you are not into it to get rich. We have a great support system at HSU and have a great camaraderie between our coaches and staff. We for the most part do the jobs we do because we love them. There is little stress on us, we work in a comfortable work environment and are pretty flexible with our work schedules. Every one of us on staff knows when it is time to work, we get the job done. We don’t have to be told we need to put in more effort.

I think that has a lot to do with our success as a department as a whole. All of us have pride in our area and we don’t want to be shown up.

All of that being said change does happen and we lost one of the more veteran members of our staff over the weekend. Head basketball coach Dylan Howard has taken a job at Mississippi Valley State.

Coach Howard has done a great job for us at Hardin-Simmons and has been a very good friend to me. From an up-and-back trip to Colorado College in his first year, to the ASC Tournament three of the last four years it has been a fun ride. He took the team to the ASC final in 2007 and had a shot to win the game. There is one good thing about Coach Howard leaving, those Mississippi referees will be on his side now, because he never could get them on his side while playing against the Choctaws.

We had a lot of good times both at games here and on the road. We often found ourselves after a game finding a restaurant to rehash the game good or bad. Sometimes I would have to tell him we would win another game, or he would say they are getting better. He brought a lot of excitement back to men’s basketball at HSU. He allowed me to get close to the team, even watching practice on a lot of days.
We sometimes disagreed on different players and what they could and could not do, but most of the time he came around to my way of thinking.

If he would ever come around to admitting that Coach K is the most overrated coach in basketball history, we would be getting somewhere.

Some players thought they were getting the short end of it. Some finally figured out that he just wanted them to be their best, some didn’t and quit. Some players figured out soon that it was his way or the highway. It took some longer than others to figure that out. I think at the end of the day, his players figured out that if they did things the way he wanted them done they would have no problems.

Coach I wish you the best of luck and I am going to miss you.

Well, here it is

2008-06-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is.

The new and improved version of the HSU Athletics site is finally available for your viewing pleasure. I would like to thank several people that have made this transfer as easy as possible.

First and foremost is Mike Donlin at Presto Sports. He has made the daunting transition process run as smoothly as possible. He was always there to answer my questions and no matter how repetitive they had to seem to him, he never made it seem like I was bothering him. It is a busy time for Presto as they have several launches going live soon with several former CSTV clients like ourselves making the switch.
The Presto design team was amazing. Although I never met them or even talked to them directly, through Mike I gave them my vision of what I wanted to see in the site and they hit it spot on with colors, design, etc.

I have had several people help me throughout the entire process, either indirectly or directly. Corrie Reed is serving an internship with me this summer and she has received a load of work on the site. It may have been more than she bargained for, but I thank her for a job well done. Kirk Ashby and James Sweatman served as interns for me in the spring semester and they did a lot of the record updating in the spring.

I would like to thank R.C. Waters and Josh Bowerman who provided me with great photographs for the site. They take a lot of pictures over the year and I appreciate all the work they have done.

Athletic Administrative Assistant Kim O’Dell has been a great help as well. She has helped me track down things I needed for the site. John Neese has been valuable to me as he basically gave me the free reign to go out and find a new web site company and bring us to this point. I appreciate the trust factor for this exciting challenge. Assistant basketball coach and resident computer expert Melanie Orsak also has been my go to person on this project. She gave valuable comments and suggestions and it is always good to have a professional eye that your trust.

Last but not least, I have to thank my wife Lori. She had a major surgery last week (she is doing great by the way) and I have been working from home the last two weeks. I have basically been stuck to my computer for the last two weeks, but she has been understanding and also appreciative that I was able to work from home during this time (although she is probably ready for me to go back to work).

As for the site, we hope you enjoy the new look. This is an ever-evolving site and there are things on it that will not work yet, because we haven’t had games. We will still have livestats for our home games, a lot of our games will be on the Internet and one thing I am excited about is we will have the ability to put video highlights on the web for the first time.

If you see something out of whack or you have a comment, query, question or complaint, please drop me an e-mail. We look forward to a great year.

Did I mention that it is just 50 something days before our teams start reporting for fall camps. I guess I better get to work on some media guides.

Summer Time

2008-05-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

The athletic seasons are over and we are set for a three-month throw-your-feet-up vacation.

Of course that would be great, but to the surprise of many that is not really how it goes around here in the summer time.

Yes, there are some vacations taken, and yes there is more down time, but it is the time of year that we are the most normal as far as working hours. At least hours the rest of the non-athletic world enjoys for most of the year. There is not a lot of weekend work to be done and of course no games to attend, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

There are the media guides for next year, finishing up the schedules for next year, reworking the archives from the past year and adding and updating records. We have a letterman’s golf tournament, the Hall of Fame selection committee meets and there are conventions over the summer as well.

Before you know it you look up and the kids that are leaving this week are back on campus and it is time for the first days of soccer, volleyball and football practice and it all starts again.

I will be the first to admit that I go stir crazy after about the first two or three weeks of the summer. After nine months of seeing as many games as I see, just watching the Rangers on TV is not enough. I am ready to see our teams getting after it and getting ready for another exciting year.

This was a down year for athletic’s at Hardin-Simmons, with only one conference championship. After losing as many great players as we lost last year and the success of the previous two seasons prior to this last one, it was somewhat of a predictable outcome.

The thing that all of the teams had is a strong young nucleus this year that will be back next year and several teams should be the favorites to win league titles this next year.

As many of you know we have taken great pride in our relationship with CSTV now CBS. We were the first Division III school to go with them back in 2002. Our relationship with them is ending and we will be going with a new company. They have been a great solution for us in the past, but they have made it impossible for us to maintain the relationship with a doubling of the rate we have to pay.

What does that mean for you? It means we are going to have a brand new athletic web site. We are targeting a launch date of June 30th. There will be very little updating of archival information or anything like that the we usually do at this time of the year on our current site. We are full steam ahead in the design process of the new site and there is no need to double the work load.

There are some things about the new company Presto Sports that I really like. One, they already do a lot of Division II and Division III schools sites and they understand us more than CSTV did. CSTV was more geared toward to Division I schools with huge staffs.

Next, is they are not just a cookie-cutter site. We have had some initial design discussions and we were able to go from the top down and give ideas that we wanted the site to look like. We are going to have the ability to show video clips and we will still have live stats for our home matches.

I think this will be a good relationship for us in getting the word out about our school to you.

Don’t forget to get your registration in for the Letterman’s Golf Tournament on Friday, June 27. Come back to Abilene, enjoy a round of golf and lunch and help support the HSU Athletic Department. We want to see you there.

2008-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, we are headed down the home stretch for the athletic season and all of the teams have either qualified for or are still in contention for a playoff spot.

The tennis teams continue on their amazing streak of American Southwest Conference victories and they will put those streaks on the line this weekend at UT-Tyler in the ASC Championships. The Cowgirls are looking for their eighth straight title and the Cowboys are looking for their seventh. The Cowgirls have a 74-match ASC winning streak and the men have won 68 matches in a row.

This year will mark the first time that either team will face another ranked team as UT-Tyler is ranked in both men and women. The finals are slated for Sunday. Both teams have first round byes and would need to win a semifinal match on Saturday.

The golf teams will play the ASC Championship next week in Anna, Texas. Freshman Ashley Luecke is one of the favorites for the individual title on the women’s side and the Cowgirls should be one of the contenders for the league crown. The Cowboys will be one of about six teams that could win the tournament.

Softball has their backs against the wall and need to come up with wins at Howard Payne and the final series of the year against Mary Hardin-Baylor, which wall mark senior day for Lydia Bradley and Sadye Hill. Only the top three teams in the ASC West make the tournament and currently the Cowgirls are in fourth place, two games behind Howard Payne for the third slot.

The Cowboy baseball team is hot and has won nine straight games heading into this weekend’s three-game set at Texas Lutheran. The Cowboys can finish anywhere from second to fifth in the ASC West. The Cowboys need one win to secure a playoff berth. There are several scenarios for the Cowboys this weekend. Those games can be heard on the Internet at www.hsuathletics.com.

One key date for former Cowboy and Cowgirl athletes is the Lettermen’s Golf Tournament on Friday, June 27. It will be played at Fairway Oaks and it is a great opportunity to catch up with old teammates and also support the HSU Athletic’s Department. You should be getting an invitation in the mail in the next few days, if you do no please contact us and we will make sure you are invited.

There was a reunion of sorts last weekend as former Division III Player of the Year Kendra Anderson got married in Abilene. Several former teammates were in town for the event and I got the chance to see former Cowboy baseballer John Schlaffer and his new son at the baseball game on Saturday. John was handling baby duty very well. Schlaffer is married to former Cowgirl basketballer Terri Robinson (the 6,000-point scorer out of Ira) and they live in the Metroplex. Both are physical therapists.

Make The Big Time Where You Are

2008-04-02T08:27:00.001-07:00

Coach Keeling is known for his crazy sayings and quirks. One of the first things you notice on his desk is a “Make The Big Time Where You Are” plaque. Those are the words of former Pacific Lutheran coach Frosty Westering and the title of one of his books. Those words were ringing home as I realized yesterday how great it is to be at Hardin-Simmons.

Anybody that really knows me knows that I am a die-hard Oklahoma State fan. I earned a bachelor’s from there (albeit with a gentleman’s D in Spanish), spent four years there (after two years at junior college), met my wife there, worked four years in the sports information office there. I totally enjoyed my time there and love the place.

However, today I am ashamed by the fact that is my school. They fired (don’t buy the resigned line) a legend’s son after two years with a winning record. No one in the history of Division I men’s basketball has been fired after two years with a 10 game over .500 record.

There are many reasons flying around about the reason for the dismissal. From everything I gather it had to do with a conflict between the athletic director and Eddie Sutton. Even if there are some long term grudges it makes little sense to take it out on Sean.

I could ramble on forever, but it just made me realize is the glamour of Division I what it is all about. If firing a coach because he did not make the NCAA Tournament with a roster that included only one senior that played and two juniors makes it the big time then no thank you.

I am blessed to work every day with hard-working coaches that could make a lot more money at “the Big Time” that make a lot of sacrifices to be at Hardin-Simmons.

I feel pretty confident in saying that you will not be fired at Hardin-Simmons if you have a winning record for two consecutive seasons for your job performance.
One of many things that makes Hardin-Simmons a great place, is that it is not all about winning, but winning is nice, too.

Around The Campus

Make sure to make it out to the baseball and softball fields as the two teams are fighting hard for postseason berths. Both teams are having solid seasons, but as I say in this blog a lot the league just keeps getting better and better.

The men’s and women’s tennis teams are through the rugged non-conference section of their schedule and now return to ASC play. Golf is winding down its season as well.

There is a chance for the second straight year all 12 HSU teams will qualify for some sort of postseason play. HSU became the first school in the conference for that to happen to last year.

Spring Is Here

2008-03-14T07:59:00.001-07:00

Spring has officially sprung and it is one of the busiest times of the year for our sports teams at HSU.

Coach Rita Jordan’s young softball team, that features 12 newcomers, is off to a 6-4 start against a very challenging schedule. The Cowgirls open league play this weekend at Schreiner. After that they will be home for a series Wednesday and Thursday against Sul Ross State.

It has been an amazing start to the senior year of All-American first baseman Sadye Hill. She is hitting .556 in the early going with two home runs and 11 RBIs. She has not struck out and has an on-base percentage of .625. She is also nearing the conference record for career hits, is the current leader in batting average and with five more home runs and 24 more RBIs will hold those records as well. She also is closing in on the walks record.

The key to the Cowgirls’ season will be how quickly the pitching staff develops. With three freshmen in the current rotation, all of whom have shown flashes of brilliance, this team will continue to get better as the season goes along.
The baseball team snapped a brief three-game losing streak with a come-from-behind win against UT-Tyler on Tuesday. Ryan Stepp and Wayne Pimpton hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth for the win. Kyle Barton continues to be unscored upon for the Cowboys this season in 19.2 innings of work.

They are home for a key three-game set with Mary Hardin-Baylor this weekend and then will play at ACU on Tuesday. Prior to that game on Tuesday, there will be a ceremony honoring Brad Coleman of HSU and Alec Sowards of ACU for their Rawlings Gold Glove Awards they won last season.

The tennis teams are set to embark on their Spring Break journey to California to get in some quality competition. The teams have extended their ASC winning streaks to 69 and 63 straight matches for the women and men respectively.

The men’s golf team will open its season on Monday and Tuesday at Texas Lutheran and the women just returned from a tournament in California, where they placed fourth. Ashley Luecke placed eighth for the Cowgirls.

It's Tourney Time

2008-02-28T12:12:00.001-08:00

In case you haven’t noticed by the 80-degree temperatures outside that it has turned to Spring and as the basketball teams hit postseason play the spring sport teams are getting their seasons in high gear as well.

The basketball teams will play in their conference tournaments this weekend. I anticipate a pair of highly-competitive events. Both teams seem to be playing at a high-level going into the tournament and both have legitimate shots at the titles.
Anytime you don’t return a starter, a back slide is expected. That is not been the case with the Cowgirls, who once again have won 20 games. It marks the 10th straight year the Cowgirls have won 20 games, which is tied for the fourth longest streak in the nation. The young Cowgirls have continued to progress as the season has gone along.

If they play as well as they can there is no reason they won’t be cutting down the nets on Sunday. It is a tough road to get there. HSU has to play Mississippi College in the first round and the Choctaws have improved greatly since the first meeting. A date with Howard Payne is likely in the semifinals. There is no doubt that HPU is a great team, but HSU is not that far away. A well played 40 minutes could get the Cowgirls to the Championship, where a crosstown showdown would not be out of the question.

There are a lot of unknowns for several Cowgirls how they will play in their first ASC Tournament. The talent is there. Best of luck to Shanna Briggs and the ladies in their quest for a seventh ASC Tournament title.

The men’s tournament on paper looks as competitive as ever. A first round loss or a championship is not out of the question for any of the eight teams. The Cowboys have several players with experience of playing in the tournament and that should help their prospects.

HSU has won at least one game the two previous times in the tournament and last year went to the finals. A win would be a nice reward for the Jean brothers in their senior year. Mardochee has had one of the best careers ever by an ASC player and it would be nice to see him play in the NCAA Tournament.

If the Cowboys continue to hit shots, I expect them to be in need of a pair of scissors on Sunday as well. To do that they will have to beat a very tough UT-Tyler team, then probably Mary Hardin-Baylor on their home court. They have beaten both teams this season, so it is not like they go in as a underdog, but it won’t be easy either.

The baseball, tennis and softball teams are all on the road this weekend as well against quality opponents. Coach Steve Coleman’s Cowboys are off to a 6-2 start. The softball team swept a doubleheader last week and is 2-0 on the year and the tennis teams play at arch-rival Trinity and open league play at Texas Lutheran.

A Tip of the Hat To Four Seniors

2008-02-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Senior day is always one of those memorable events on campus in every sport. It truly is amazing the amount of work and dedication that our student-athletes put into their sports. We had the privilege of recognizing four seniors on Saturday at the Mabee Complex.

For the women Shelby Hodges and Rachel Cisneroz have been great ambassadors for the
the Final Four banquet. She has been a leader of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and is a great spokesperson for the school.

Rachel has one of the best voices I have ever heard. She does a great rendition of the national anthem. She has on a few occasions stepped in on no notice and belted out the anthem at events on campus.

I say all of that to say they are two of my favorite all-time Cowgirls since I have been here. Throughout their career they have been perfect role models and because of that I have also had them spend time with my daughter as not only a babysitter but just at games and to be honest I hope my daughter turns outs to be just like them. Not as an athlete, but as a person. I can tell you that my little girl looks up to those two like no one else and I am proud she does.

Now for the Jean brothers. I don’t think I have seen two players grow more in their time at Hardin-Simmons than those two. Mardochee and Dan came in as shy projects as freshmen and they are leaving HSU as mature men that are going to be productive members of society.

Saturday seeing the joy they brought to their entire family, and what a big family it is, when they would do something good on the court was something special. Getting to work with these type of people every day is what makes my job at HSU so special.

Mardochee has turned into one of the most well-spoken players on the team. I used to be worried when a reporter would ask to speak to him, but now I know he is going to give great answers to questions. He leads by example and has become an intense competitor every night. He will go down as one of the best, if not the best big men ever to play in the ASC. He has taken a team that had little experience and four starters to replace back to the playoffs and you never know, maybe they can get to the NCAA Tournament in a wide-open ASC race this season.

Dan came in as a freshman and he was a very raw basketball player. He had great athletic ability and came on down the stretch to make the travel squad. He transferred to McMurry as a sophomore in search of more playing time, but saw the light and came back to HSU for his final two seasons. There are certain teams that him and Mardochee together are an unstoppable combination.

Dan is a player that has to be challenged to bring out his best. He and I have had a good relationship. We like to talk smack to each other in a good way. During the preseason I walked in on the team in open gym and I saw Dan working on his 3-point shot. Let me tell you it needs some work. He got to the point in open gym that he thought he was a guard he was shooting so many 3-pointers. I challenged him to a 3-point shooting contest with one stipulation. If I beat him, he could not take 3-pointers for the rest of the year (because it is not like Coach Howard was going to let him shot any in the games any way). Well of course I beat him and now he just stays on the block and dunks on people.

I am so proud of the progress all four have made not only on the court, but off it as well. They are all four on course to graduate. It is amazing how fast four years go by.

News and Notes
I would like to welcome new track and cross country coach Rodney Smith to the campus. Track is something that has been discussed for years, but is finally a reality again.
Softball will finally get to open its season this weekend after weather caused delays last week. Baseball is back in action this week and tennis will finally play a dual that counts this week.

Where Are They Now
I heard from one of my all-time favorite Cowboys Ryan Smrkovsky this past week and he and his wife are expecting their first child any day now. He is living and working in Ozona. Smurf was an all-around good guy and unfortunately lost his senior year to a knee injury in a game at Menlo.

Seasons Change

2008-02-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it amazes me how fast time flies once we get into a season. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were starting basketball season and now we have two weeks left. It was a good start to the baseball seasons this weekend as well...

Saturday I saw or heard a few examples of what I think is the most important deciding factor if teams win or lose or if players have individual success – confidence.

In the women’s game, Howard Payne All-American Meia Daniels played her final career game at the Mabee Complex. She is a great player, and It wasn’t her best all-around game on Saturday, but as HSU made a run at the undefeated Lady Jackets she buried a pair of back-breaking 3-pointers. You could tell leaving her hand she wanted the ball in crunch time and knew they were going down.

In the men’s basketball game, junior forward Charlie Pannell has struggled of late with his shooting. Seeing him every day in practice and in games he is a great shooter, but he seemed to have lost some confidence in his shot. His teammates and coaches have done a good job of encouraging him to keep shooting and on Saturday he came out and hit his first three 3-pointers and had his best game this semester. It’s amazing the difference after you make a shot or two how easy it is to get it going.

The third example, I heard was talking to coach Coleman and Holcomb after the games on Saturday and they were discussing they saw the turning point in starting shortstop Brian Weeks was when they told him he had won the starting job and the job was his. Weeks, a freshman, had a solid opening weekend offensively and defensively and looks to have answered some of the Cowboys concerns defensively at shortstop.

It is so easy for the kids to go the other way on the confidence spectrum. What I saw this weekend reminds of how the good things that can be accomplished when you believe.

Former Student-Athlete
I got a chance to catch up with former Cowboy quarterback Jordan Neal on Saturday. He is in his new position as the offensive coordinator at Howard Payne. After playing professionally in Sweden this past summer and fall Neal took over at Howard Payne in December. He was taking in the games between HSU and HPU and then caught some of the Cowboys baseball game Saturday night.

Here Is To A Better Week

2008-01-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

I have always said that there is something special about Hardin-Simmons that you just can’t explain. Maybe it’s the people I work with, maybe it’s the students I get to see every day, maybe it is the Christian environment that I get to work in every day. In athletics you hear all of the time about the It factor, whatever that is, Hardin-Simmons has it.

Since I have been at Hardin-Simmons the good weeks outweigh the bad ones by about a 15:1 ratio. Sometimes when you see what our kids put into not only their sports, but just being good students and doing the right things off the court, course or field, you hurt a little more when they don’t reach the success they want to reach.

The last time I had been in the football locker room, prior to last Sunday, was after the Howard Payne loss. There was hurt on the faces of so many young men in that locker room. They were suffering from a loss, it was a loss on the football field in a game. It was a scene I had seen before after a Cowboy loss, but it is something that usually passes in a few hours.

Last Sunday, I knew I witnessed what it is like to really lose. What real suffering from a loss means. When there was a memorial to a fallen teammate there was hurt and pain in that room. They were still trying to comprehend the loss of a teammate that was taken away from them early. There was hurt in the eyes of close friends, not close friends, coaches and administrators. The Cowboy family vowed to come together as one, to get through this trying time together. That kind of hurt doesn't go away in a few hours or days.

Coach Keeling was so brave and such a leader for his group of men in that service, but you could feel the hurt and pain in his voice. He is a great example of a leader of men. Brentdrick Walker is gone from this life, but he will never be forgotten by the HSU family.

Emotions were still running high throughout Monday and then of all things HSU was set to play McMurry in basketball that night. The Cowgirls gave a great effort, battling back from a large deficit to make it a game late, before falling. The men’s game was an instant classic as both teams laid it all on the floor. HSU led by 10 late in the second half and McMurry came right back to send the game to overtime. It went to a second overtime and eventually the Cowboys won the game.

What happened after the buzzer has been played and replayed on the Internet and newspaper. There is a lot out there that is so far from what really happened. Coach Howard will be the first to admit he over reacted and let emotions get in the way of the situation and could have handled it better.

I want to start out by giving my view of what happened underneath the basket as time expired. McMurry missed the 3-pointer and Mardochee Jean grabbed the rebound. When he cleared the rebound he pushed off on Robert Moreno. It is not something more than what you see when battling for a rebound 10-15 times a game. There was not a malicious elbow thrown. Moreno went down and Jean asked him if he was alright (not trash talk as has been thrown out there). Moreno said he was fine and things were fine.

Casey Jones then threw the ball at Mardochee and words were exchanged, but nothing really happened as far as punches being thrown or anything. In Jones’ defense, you could tell from the film that he immediately felt bad for what he had done.

Coach Howard was walking away from where the player’s had the incident, toward the HSU bench and you can plainly see Garza yelling something at Howard. Howard turns around and you can see Coach Howard and Coach Garza in a verbal exchange and there were things said on both sides that neither is proud of. Coach Howard had to be restrained, which he was, he went and celebrated the win with our student section (which was the best they have been in several years by the way) and went back to the locker room.

There is a saying in sports that says the film doesn’t lie. A lot of what has been said about the whole situation has been over the top. Howard and Garza aren’t monsters. Moreno, Jones and Jean aren’t dirty players. Are there people that wish it had not gone down the way it did? Absolutely! Were there things said and done that should not have been? Absolutely! For the most part, it was the emotions of big rivalry game that got to the best of a few people.

The thing that many people don’t realize about the whole event that was blown out of proportion is that during the whole verbal exchange between the coaches players on both sides were talking, hugging and embracing each other on a game well played. Moreno and Mardochee were part of that. There was mutual respect being shown on the court.

I can’t tell you for sure what kind of person that Moreno is, but from everything I have heard he is a great guy and leader for their team. I can tell you FOR SURE that Mardochee is one of the most polite, engaging people you will ever meet. Trash talk and throwing elbows would be well out of the norm for him.

The thing the whole incident did was take the spotlight off of one of the best games ever in the series.

Those two things were the start to an emotional week. Walker’s memorial service was held at the school on Thursday and his funeral was in Dallas on Saturday.

The basketball teams were on the road at Texas Lutheran and Schreiner and it was a clean sweep on the road, which was a good end to an emotional week.

I am ready for the good 15 weeks in a row now. Even though a down-and-back trip to Alpine is on the agenda, this week has to be better.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2008-01-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

In a little over a month I will have been at Hardin-Simmons for nine years. I can’t believe how fast the time has flown by.

I have always been a list guy. I don’t know why, but I have been. I am going to drop a list of my 10 favorite games since being at HSU. I don’t know how much it means, but for whatever it is worth here goes.

10. NCAA Sweet 16, 2000 -- I have to put the second game I saw at HSU on this list. The 2000 Cowgirl basketball team was a very good team. If the bracket had been cross bracketed I think they would have been in the Final Four. However, the game I remember is a knock-down-drag-out with McMurry in the Sweet 16. It was a packed house at the Mabee Complex and a great game.

9. 2005 ASC Championships For Soccer -- Both the men and women won the ASC on their home field. It was the first year at the new field and both teams had exciting wins.

8. 2004 Regular Season Football Game at UMHB -- The Cowboys dominated that game from the onset and Will Galusha was a man among boys in the contest. It was the last time we beat the Crusaders. I’ve always wondered if he had played in the playoff game if that would have been the Cowboys in the Stagg Bowl that year and not the Crusaders.

7. 2000 Baseball at McMurry – Shawn Bigham threw a two-hitter in a night game against Josh Duwe. I think it was a 2-0 Cowboy win.

6. January 12, 2002 WBB vs. Howard Payne – Kendra Anderson had the performance of the ages. She had 38 points and 14 rebounds, including the tying and go ahead basket in the final minute. HPU then retied the game and Anderson was double teamed and kicked out to Terri Robinson for the eventual game winner with nine seconds left. Then on the other end Anderson blocked away a potential game-winning 3-pointer.

5. December 2006 – HSU rallies from 13 points down and Zach Pickelman hits a 3-pointer to beat McMurry .

4. Where’s The Defense – NCAA Quarterfinals 2000. Hardin-Simmons and Trinity had gone up and down the field all day long and Trinity had the ball last. They threw a fade into the end zone and the Cowboys’ Melvin Dudley knocked it away to send the Cowboys to the Semifinals.

3. Opening Day 2004 – Craig Foreman threw a no-hitter on opening day in a 1-0 win over Lubbock Christian. I missed most of it waiting on my wife to get out of the hospital a week before the birth of our daughter.

2. The Cowgirls are Going To The Final Four – There was little drama when the Cowgirls advanced to the Final Four. HSU had just stomped Randolph-Macon to go to the Final Four. The outcome was not in doubt from about 10 minutes into the game. The best thing was to watch the reaction on the girls and Coach Briggs face when the buzzer sounded. I will always remember that big hug Briggs and I shared. I think it was more shock than anything.

About 20 minutes after that game was one of the funnier things I have ever heard from a fan. This mother was mad at us because we had called RMC’s post player, who was about 6-5 and big “the big girl” throughout the contest on the air. In Texas, she was a big girl. Anyway she comes over and asks Do you call yourself the Big Boy on the air. I just laughed, because heck we were going to the Final Four.

1. The top game for me is not a game, but a series of games. It was February 21, 2004. I will never forget the day. We had senior day for basketball, which is always a big day. It was also the first softball games at Hardin-Simmons and then we had two baseball games. I knew it was going to be a hectic day from the get-go. I had told my wife, who was ready to pop we thought a week earlier, she had to wait until after I was done from that day on Saturday. I got home about 10 that night and had a quick dinner. I hit the pillow and was about to be out, when Lori says I think my water just broke. Those words will wake you up in a hurry. Sure enough it had and off to the hospital we went. I couldn’t tell you how we did in any of the games, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable days. She had held up her end of the bargain by waiting and the next day our daughter was born and life has never been the same.

There are plenty more, but these came to the top of the melon.

Well it is already time for ASC West play in basketball and the spring sports will be hitting the fields, courses and courts soon. This is a big week for both teams so I hope to see you at the game. Also, be collecting your change and bring it to the games on Saturday and Monday for the 11th Annual Kiwanis Club of Abilene Basketball Shootout with McMurry on Monday.

I have promised some Where are They Now’s and these three are courtesy of former basketball coach Dennis Harp. He got to see three former players on a recent trip to Boulder. He was there to see his son Ryan, who is starting at SMU as a true freshman.

Phil Gates played two seasons at Hardin-Simmons University. He received his B.A. Degree in Public Communications with a Marketing Minor in the spring of 1986. Phil ranked 5th in the nation in field goal percentage during the 1985-1986 season shooting 58.5% from the field. The Cowboys who were NCAA Division 1 during that era played against the likes of LSU, Wyoming, and Hawaii.

Phil resides in Boulder, Colorado with his wife Diane and daughters Brittani and Madeline. He is a sales consultant in Boulder for YBE. The YBE organization specializes in consumer products for convenient stores. Phil has over 20 years of experience in the business. Brittani received a full scholarship for swimming at Indian River Community College in Florida. Madeline is an 8th grader who participates in basketball and track. Diane is the Chief Financial Officer for Interweave Incorporated in Boulder. She is also a member of the Boulder Marathon Running Association and has competed in the Boston and Chicago marathon. Phil and Diane will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this year. You can email Phil at pgshouse@aol.com.

Justin Moore played basketball at Hardin-Simmons University during the 1995-1996 and 1996-1997 seasons. He was selected Academic All-Conference, 1st Team All Conference, Honorable Mention All-America, and was selected Co-Captain during his senior season. He scored a career high 34 points against Howard Payne University. Moore received his degree in finance in 1997.

Justin shot .557% from the field and .792 from the free throw line during the 1996-1997 season which both ranked high in the record books. During the 1996-1997 season Moore averaged 9 rebounds per game and 13.7 points per game.

Justin resides in Parker, Colorado with his wife Dawn and their two children Haden and Madisyn. Dawn is a former school teacher. Justin is employed as a financial advisor for US Bank Corporation Assets Management Company in Denver, Colorado. He is a registered investment advisor. He has been an investment broker for ten years. Justin can be reached via email at jemoore4@aol.com.

Shannon Wood was a stand-out basketball player at Hardin-Simmons University where he played for one season (16 games) after transferring from BYU-Hawaii for his senior season. Wood averaged 22.6 points per game, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and shot 53% from the field, .429 from the three point line, and 77% from the foul line. His 22.6 points ranked him as one of the top's in the history of HSU basketball.

Shannon owned and operated Showtime Videos, a family owned business for several years. They had several locations throughout the Southwest United States. They sold the franchise and are currently in the commercial development business and fitness center business. Their fitness centers Fitness One have several locations throughout the Southwest.

Shannon and his wife of 21 years Paige live in Bloomfield, Colorado with their two sons Zach who is a freshman at The University of San Diego and Austin who is an 8th grader. Paige is a former cheerleader at Hardin-Simmons University. You may contact Shannon via email at shannonwood10@comcast.net.

On The Road Again

2007-12-31T13:32:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year

I hope that you have had a great time during the holiday season and let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year.

It’s been a whirlwind tour for me personally since the week before Christmas.

I drove to Shreveport on the night of Dec. 14th for the games on the 15th at Louisiana College. I set up shop in Shreveport for three days. On Saturday, I drove down to Pineville to call the two games. The Cowgirls pulled away late from the emerging Wildcats and then the Cowboys won on a last second shot by Steven Luckey. With it being an afternoon game, I drove back to Shreveport to file my stories to the media and also the web site.

I then had a day-and-a-half to kill in Shreveport before heading to Clinton, Miss., for the Monday night games. After the games, I drove all the way back from Clinton. I pulled into Abilene at about 5:30 a.m. Man, does that drive get longer every year.
After playing with my four-year old for a little bit and seeing my wife for the first time in four days, I was off to bed at about 7:30 a.m. and I did not wake up until 5ish in the afternoon.

I made it to work on Wednesday for a few hours and then started one of the few down times during the whole school year. My in-laws were here on Friday through Sunday and then on Monday I drove to Oklahoma for some more family time.

I came back to Abilene on Thursday and then went on to Georgetown on Friday afternoon to call the women’s game against Buena Vista. What an exciting game with Mollie Brawner hitting the game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second remaining. I then headed up the Interstate to Temple where I stayed the night. LaQuinta Inn and I have become good friends over the years. There seems to be one in about every town we stay in and if I can get in that is where I stay.

I got up on Saturday and drove to Arlington for the men’s game on Saturday. After the game. I went back to Oklahoma to pick up my wife and kid, who had stayed at grandma’s for a week. It was back to Abilene on Sunday and finally home and the normal travel schedule can get started.

I had started to feel like I was a long-haul truck driver. The Cowboys and Cowgirls return home for a Thursday night game against Ozarks.

It was good to see some former players on the road this weekend. I saw one of my favorite all-time Cowgirls Lauren Harris, who was in Georgetown to see sister Kristen play for HSU. I didn’t get to talk to here, but last I heard she was a strength coach at Ohio State.

I got see one of my all-time favorite Cowboy baseball players, Michael Popino on Saturday at UTA. He was there supporting the alma mater. He works in Plano now and always makes it out when we are in the Metroplex. It is nice to have those loyal alumni out there.

I hope to see you guys out at the game on Thursday against Ozarks. It is turning to crunch time for both teams as we are just three games away from ASC West play.

Hoops Junkie

2007-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

I am by admission a men’s college basketball junkie. It has always been my favorite sport to watch, follow and cover.

It used to be, I would get in trouble the week of Thanksgiving because back in the day when the Maui Tournament and the Great Alaska Shootout were the only two big preseason tournaments, I would watch all of the games until like two or three in the morning. Growing up I was (gasp!) the biggest OU Basketball fan. I know an OSU fan can’t be an OU fan, but I loved Billy Tubbs’ run and gun style. Believe me I came around to the right way of thinking.

I even got “punished” by the school one year when I was in junior high, because they refinished the floor every Christmas and it is about a week process. I tried to get on the court a day early and it was not totally dry. They had to put on another coat of finish. My punishment was to pick up the commodities for the school cafeteria from the county.

I have always been enthralled by the 3-point line. You wouldn’t know it by watching me shoot now, because I am somewhat out of practice, but I used to shoot more baskets than maybe anyone. I lived in the basketball gym. My parents never had to worry about me or where I was for the most part, because if you wanted to find me I was at the gym. Often times it would be after midnight when I would come home. I even had my own key, because the coaches got tired of me bugging them for it. I could shoot baskets for hours by myself.

I have watched many great players and games in person. I had the privilege of sitting court side at Gallagher-Iba, the No. 1 basketball venue in the country, for every home game for four years. The games were fun, but the biggest thrill of my basketball fandom is watching Eddie Sutton’s practices. I would sneak away from my cubicle in the Sports Information office to watch practice as often as possible.

I have never seen anyone mold a team like he did. They way he would tear them down and build them back up in the course of a practice. I have always loved practice more than the games. About every day at 3 o’clock you can find me in the gym during practice for at least part of it. I love being around the gym, being around the guys and just being around the game. I will even still play a few games of horse every now and then (Casey I will get you before the end of the year).

It takes a lot to impress me on the basketball court. Two games stick out in my memory. Brent Price hit for 56 points in a game for OU back in the early 1990’s. He hit 11 3-pointers and Randy Rutherford of OSU put up 45 points on Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse in 1995. I think he had 10 3-pointers.

All of that leads me to what I saw on Monday night and it goes toward the top of the list of the most impressive things I have seen on the basketball court. In the first 11 minutes of the game against Mississippi College the Choctaws, who had made 21 3-pointers in six games this season, made 9-of-10 from downtown. Three of them were banked in and the rest were nothing but net. They came from five different players.

Needless to say, HSU never recovered as MC hit 11-of-13 treys in the first half.

That said, I think it could be a good year for the Cowboys and Cowgirls. Both had many questions coming into the season, but I think the questions have been answered and I expect both to make deep runs in the postseason.

Both teams have had some big losses, but they have also shown some of the signs of good teams. Winning on the road, overcoming deficits and getting better as the season goes on.

Crosstown Showdown Is Already Here

2007-12-04T12:00:00.001-08:00

It has been a quick start to the basketball season as both teams have already played two conference games and THE BIG GAME is already on the horizon.

There is something special about the Hardin-Simmons and McMurry games. Not only is it a strong rivalry with all four teams having quality programs there is just something different about the two fan bases. McMurry fans get louder and at the same time, even when things are going good, Hardin-Simmons has had a more reserved crowd. That tends to lead to a view from the HSU fans that McMurry fans are loud and crude and the McMurry fans think that HSU fans are stuck up or uppity.

I don’t think either is the case. It is part of what makes this game such a different game than almost any on the Division III level. There is pride and passion on both sides and both teams will do whatever it takes to win.

When I first arrived at Hardin-Simmons in late February of 2000 I was totally oblivious to what Division III was all about. Honestly, I had never heard of McMurry and I even misspelled it the first release I wrote (who knew that there was not an a in the name). However, I got indoctrinated into the rivalry early on. I think it was the second week I was here we played McMurry in the Sweet 16 and the Mabee Complex was packed. I came from a place that did not support women’s basketball at all and to actually see a packed house was a shock to me. It was the fourth time the two teams had met that season and I found out quickly that both schools didn’t like each other (at least on the court).

Not every game has been as intense as that one, but for the most part they have been. McMurry made great strides in their women’s program and we made great strides in our men and now a series that was once dominated by the HSU women and McMurry men has again become the fierce rivalry because the teams are competitive. You can’t tell who is going to win the games with 95 percent certainty before the game.

This year there is another interesting story line. McMurry’s women are coached by Veronica Snow, who played at HSU and for the last five years has been a professor in the P.E. department. Veronica and I have had a good relationship, and I am even teaching her former class next semester. She was always nice to me and the fact that her office was right close to mine made our talks about athletics even more frequent. It is going to be different looking down to that McMurry bench and actually see someone that I like and respect. In fact, I want here to do well at McMurry except for when we play of course.

The men’s game will probably be another knock-down drag-out. If there is one thing that I can take away from Ron Holmes’ teams is every time they step on the court they play hard. The talent levels have varied, but every team that he has produced will play extremely hard. I expect that Saturday you will see his team play even harder than I have ever witnessed. With two straight losses on its home court, those boys from McMurry will be foaming at the mouth to get on the court against the Cowboys. Coach Howard’s team will have to be ready to respond.

It is only Tuesday and I am already amped up for one of my two favorite nights of the school year.

I am going to start ending my blog with an update on a former Cowboy or Cowgirl. This week’s update is Beth Ulrickson Jillson. Beth is in her first season as the head coach at Texas Woman’s University and is off to a 1-3 start. Beth had been an assistant for Julie Goodenough at Charleston Southern and prior to that was the Director of Basketball Operations at Oklahoma State. Beth is married to former Cowboy footballer Zane Jillson.

If you are a former athlete and would like to let me know what you are doing these days or you have something you would like to see covered in this blog or you just want to say hi please e-mail me at cgrubbs@hsutx.edu.

Are You Ready For Some Hoops?

2007-11-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you and your families had a great Thanksgiving holiday. It is so hard to believe we are already into the Holiday season and another semester is coming to a close.

The basketball teams have jumped right into their season and it is a busy week for especially the Cowboys this week. HSU will take on regional foe Trinity on Monday and then go to Sam Houston State for a game against the Division I Bearkats on Thursday.
That game will give me a chance to see old friend and former HSU broadcaster John Wilson. Wilson is a Sam graduate and works in College Station. It seems impossible that he has been gone from here for nearly four years.

The Cowboys will return home and join with the Cowgirls to start conference play on Saturday afternoon against LeTourneau. The Cowboys split with LeTourneau last year including a win in the ASC Tournament. The Cowgirls will look to get back on the court after a 13 day layoff.

We are trying something new this year with most of our games being on at least an Internet broadcast, both home and away. We will be utilizing students for our home games this year and either myself or Al Pickett will handle the road games. The use of students is to get them some experience in broadcasting games, so bear with them as we use this as a teaching tool. When we get to West Division play our six games out of Abilene will be on the radio as well with Chad and Al. This is a new adventure for us, but we want you to be able to hear our games, even if you can’t be there in person.

We had a surprisingly good student crowd in the men’s opener on Tuesday. With the students out for Thanksgiving break, we were not expecting much as far as attendance. Those who were there were treated with a good game, as the Cowboys dominated from the opening tip. The Cowboys and Cowgirls are both playing up-tempo pressing styles this year and should be entertaining to watch, so we hope you will find your way to the Mabee Complex.

The academic All-ASC teams are out for the fall sports and once again HSU did quite well. We had 37 non-freshmen student-athletes in the four sports with 3.0 GPAs or better. That was the second most in the league to the 38 of ETBU and Miss. College, but both of those two have more sports with cross country teams. It always amazes me when I send in the nomination forms of the number of student-athletes that get it done in the classroom as well.

So Long Fall

2007-11-13T12:14:00.001-08:00

Sorry I have been out of the loop for a while, it has been an extremely busy two weeks, which means that it has been two good weeks for our teams. The changeover from one sports season to another is always one of the most trying times of the year in my office.

First of all congratulations to the women’s soccer team for winning the American Southwest Conference title for the fifth straight year. It amazes me how this team was able to preserve and stay on top with the amount of injuries it had. The Cowgirls played the conference final with five starters out with injury and were still able to come away with a rather easy 2-0 victory. HSU then defeated old rival Trinity in penalty kicks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. All-American Christi Carr recorded two saves in the penalty kick session. The Cowgirls season came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Emory on Saturday in Atlanta, but it was still a year they can be proud of. The biggest disappointment you feel after the season is for the seniors, as they come to the realization that they will never strap on the boots again and play. Thanks to Laura Newbrough, Beth Craig, Jessica Flobeck and Regan Cappella for a great career, you had one of the best senior classes in school history and hopefully your time as Cowgirls will be remembered for all of the good times.

The men’s soccer team ended its season with a loss in the ASC Tournament to Mississippi College. The Cowboys had a good season in a rebuilding year. HSU only had two seniors on the team Colt McKee and Ryan Flanigan. Both were all-conference players, unfortunately Ryan’s season ended early with a broken shin earlier in the year. They will be missed as they were key parts of two ASC titles in their career.

The volleyball team advanced to the American Southwest Conference final for the third straight year and dropped a heartbreaking five-setter to Texas Lutheran. The Cowgirls lose two instrumental pieces in the turnaround of the HSU volleyball program – Chelsea Buetow and Megan Lawrence. Those two were here when the program was not very good and in four years changed the team to one that competes for the ASC title every year. They will be missed.

The football team finished its season with a 71-56 win over McMurry in the Wilford Moore Trophy game. The Cowboys have won all 10 meetings since the trophy was first presented. The game was a microcosm of the season as the offense was virtually unstoppable and the defense allowed 56 points and nearly 600 yards. The offensive numbers the Cowboys but up this year were amazing and the good news is the Cowboys will return seven starters on offense and will return nine starters on defense. HSU extended its string of winning seasons to 16 which is the 12th longest streak in the nation in all divisions with its 6-4 record. Mychal Carrillo had a brilliant year with over 1,000 yard receiving and Quinton Jones capped one of the best careers ever by an HSU running back with over 3,000 yards. Those two will be greatly missed along with Jordan Daniel and James Arnold on the offensive line. Defensively, the Cowboys lose Eric Daniels and Brice Johnson at middle linebacker, Randy Snyder and Derek Lewis at defensive end and Sid Gutierrez at defensive tackle. HSU will also miss backups Jordy Bernhard and Josh Sepeda at running back and Teddy Morgan in the secondary. That is not a lot of seniors to replace, although the quality is amazing. Coach Keeling always says one of the program’s goals is to have seniors. IF they can make it to be seniors that means they have persevered through the journey.
A hats off to all off the seniors in all of programs for a career well done and also congratulations go out to all of the players that have won All-Conference awards in the last few weeks. You are the best of the best and the awards should not be taken for granted.

Basketball season is right around the corner with the men opening the season one week from tonight at the Mabee Complex against Southwestern. The Cowgirls open this weekend on the road at the Trinity Invitational. Be sure to get out and see the teams in action, because both teams are going to be fun to watch this season.

Trying To Defend Three Titles

2007-10-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Wow! Can you believe that the fall is already winding down?

Congrats to the soccer and volleyball teams for clinching a spot in the ASC Tournaments this weekend. It will be interesting to see how all three teams handle the task of defending their conference titles.

Everyone knows that all three teams have way different personnel than a year ago, but they still have a lot of that been-there-done-that experience.

One would think the men’s soccer team would have the toughest challenge to repeat, not that the other two have easy roads. The Cowboys are an interesting story, as they have lost a lot of their punch since a year ago with David Salas and Nick Sager graduating and Ryan Flanigan getting hurt this season. Those three were keys in the Cowboys three-win run to the tournament title last year, but the resilient group of talented players have found ways to play as a team and did what it took to get a chance to defend their two consecutive titles.

HSU will have to play Mississippi College in the first round (a team they lost to 4-0 in the regular season), then would have to play the host Ozarks and possibly play Mary Hardin-Baylor in the final. If that were to happen, it would be the direct opposite of their run last year that saw them beat UMHB, Ozarks and Mississippi College in the final. Don’t count out coaching veteran Dan Heger to come up with a way to get it done.

A quick shout out of congratulations goes to former Cowboy All-ASC player Brad Bankhead who has done a good job with the UMHB program in his second season. The Cru beat the Cowboys 1-0 with a late goal on Saturday and he has his young team playing as one of the favorites going into the tournament. Bankhead’s team has taken on his overachieving, tough demeanor and it is good to see one of our own doing well (even if it is against us sometimes).

The Cowgirl soccer team has put itself in the position to host its fifth straight conference title, but it has been nothing but easy. The Cowgirls have fought through injuries all season long and have lost their All-American forward Amy Kuykendall and probably leading scorer Jordan Morley for the season. It has been a testament to the program for the team fighting through the injuries and finding ways to win close games. HSU has always been known for its offense, but the Cowgirls’ post season success will be built around its defense. Expect some close games the rest of the year.

I have said it before and will say it again if there is any coach in America that I want to win one game it is Marcus Wood. He always seems to come up with a plan, even if he clearly does not have the best team. Don’t bet against the Cowgirls getting one for the thumb (their fifth straight ASC title) this weekend, although it could be one of the most competitive ASC tournaments in years from start to finish. Coaches don’t like to compare teams, but if I know Woody as well as I think I do, a win this weekend would probably be the most rewarding of all of his ASC titles.

Coach Sabrina Bingham’s volleyball team is one of the favorites for the ASC title. Again the league is so balanced at the top with any of the six teams having a shot at the title. The Cowgirls will play the winner of East Texas Baptist and McMurry to get to the final. HSU has the bullets for the fight, they just have to come out firing. The players have the experience of winning the title, but it will be the first go-around for its first-year head coach. I have seen nothing to think that she won’t be able to handle the postseason. I always go with the team that has the best player’s and the Cowgirls might have three of the top six players in the entire league.

Be sure to stay tuned to this web site this week to keep up with all of the action.

In case you have missed it the Cowboy football team is putting up some unbelievable offensive numbers. They have the chance to have a 1,000-yard back in Quinton Jones, a 1,000-yard receiver in Mychal Carrillo and a 3,000-yard passer in Justin Feaster. The 1993 team with Matt Carroll, Collin McCormick and Kevin Beam are the only trio in school history to pull off the trick.

Just a couple of quick web site notes. Make sure you vote on the question on the front of the site. We are looking into streaming options for our games for the future. Also, there is a big surprise coming to the site on Nov. 15.

Be sure to make it out to the ASC Women’s Tournament at the Soccer Complex. The Cowgirls play at 11 a.m. on Saturday, before the football game, and if they win will play at 1 p.m. Sunday and a raucous home field advantage would be appreciated by the Cowgirls.

It's The Best Time of the Year

2007-10-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but as a sports fan this is my favorite time of the year. It seems like every day there is another big event going on, whether it is the baseball playoffs, the NFL, college football or the start of college basketball practices.

Today is the start of basketball practice at HSU and both teams are ready to get going. There will be a lot of new faces on both teams, but it could be some of the most talented teams that both programs have had.

It is stretch time for the fall sport seasons and both soccer teams and volleyball have a good shot at the postseason. The football team needs help to make the postseason. The Cowboys would need Mississippi College to defeat Mary Hardin-Baylor this weekend and then all three of those teams would need to win out. That would make the ASC a three-way tie and the champion would be determined by draw.

The Cowgirl soccer team looks like a lock to host its fifth straight American Southwest Conference Tournament. If you haven’t noticed what the Cowgirls have done it is amazing. They are 13-1 on the year and they have pushed their conference unbeaten streak to 91 matches. In the 89-0-2 stretch, the Cowgirls have outscored their opponents 577-21.

Sabrina Bingham’s volleyball team is in very good shape to win the West Division title. The ASC tournament will be at either UT-Dallas or East Texas Baptist this year. The Cowgirls recently ran off a 12-match winning streak to start conference play.

Dan Heger’s soccer team needs a couple more wins to secure its spot in the ASC Tournament. The Cowboys are in a three-way tie for fourth place. HSU would like to defend its two straight ASC titles.

It is amazing to me that we are down to the final two weeks of the regular season for volleyball and soccer. It has not even come close to getting cool so it is not feeling much like fall around here.

This weekend is homecoming and the Cowboys will host Howard Payne. It will be good to see old colleague Julie Goodenough, who will be inducted into the HSU Athletic Hall of Fame. It is a much deserved honor, who put the Cowgirl basketball program on the national map.

THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS

2007-10-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

Any player that has come through the Hardin-Simmons football program has heard this phrase uttered by Coach Keeling and it is even on a sign above the door in the locker room.

THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS

I was watching some of pregame NFL shows and heard them talking about how Randy Moss’ attitude has been great all season. He has fit in well with his teammates and has been a model citizen. That is not surprising. When he was playing with the Raiders and was losing his attitude was deemed poor. Now he is a model citizen. I don’t know him, but the leopard hardly ever changes its spots.

I think his attitude boils down to one thing – he is winning. It is a lot easier to do the right thing when things are going your way. What you do when you are down or face adversity is the true measure of your character.

There are plenty of life lessons learned from playing athletics. It is easy to give up when things don’t go your way. That is the easy way out. I have a ton of respect for those who have gone through hard times and have found the will to stick it out. If you talk to them down the road they are a lot stronger person for that.

There is a group of men’s basketball players that went through that from the transition of coaches about seven or eight years ago. Bryan Conover, Jordan Clower, Jason Eaker, Jonas Fuller, Carl Thompson and others are a group that went through some tough times and not a lot of wins. They went through those tough times together and showed great class in doing so. Those guys will be prepared for whatever they end up doing in life and I know at least three of those people are involved with basketball and will be or already are great coaches.

We have had kids, like all schools have; go through deaths in the family, divorce, financial problems at home, etc. They went through a lot to stay on their teams. They were able to stick it out and make the best of their situation. Often times it is their teammates and coaches that help them get through the tough times.

I understand that things happen and for whatever reason a person needs to leave their team. It could be to concentrate on academics, it could be to get another job to pay for school, or various other reasons. It is even acceptable when you have another year of eligibility left, but you don’t want to play anymore and you tell your coaches. That is fine, at least the coaches have a chance to recruit and replace them.

What is hard to understand is why someone would quit on their teammates in the middle of the year and give up just because things get a little hard. Those tough times are what make you stronger. To put in all of the hard work, the extra weight training in the offseason, to go through the highs and lows together and then when things don’t seem to be going your way you quit that is hard to understand. When you have done it once it makes it easier to do it again later on in life.

I guess that everything is supposed to be easy.

The Week of The Big Game

2007-10-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

I wrote a few weeks ago about the youth of our fall sports teams and how it would take a while to develop some of that youth. I was right it would take some time, but it has happened a lot quicker than I anticipated.

Our teams are on a roll as we head toward the midway points of the season. The men’s soccer team has gone 5-1 since a 0-3 start, the women’s soccer team is 9-1 and winners of eight in a row, the volleyball team has won eight straight since a 3-4 start. The football team has won two in a row after losing the first two games of the season.

It is amazing what tradition and pride in the program can do for our student-athletes. They feel like they have to uphold the strong traditions of the past. It is a big motivator.

All four teams have legitimate ASC MVP contenders on their teams and they are all underclassmen. It looks like the teams have not only figured it out, but they have restocked their rosters with good young players. It is a testament to the great coaches we have on staff and the pride they take in keeping their programs at the top of the conference.

Several players did well at the ITA tennis tournament over the weekend. Freshman Lisa Mertz advanced to the semifinals of singles as did Ryan Waters in the men. Waters and Wade Morgan lost 9-8 in the doubles finals.

The golf season is under way and freshman (there is that word again) Ashley Luecke is off to a sizzling start. She won the first tournament of the year by 11 strokes.

This week there are some big games for the soccer teams this week. Both teams play at UT-Dallas on Thursday night. The Comets have been the Cowgirls’ toughest competitor over the last several years in ASC play and nothing less than a physical close match is expected. The Cowboys have a talented UTD on Thursday and play at Ozarks on Saturday. A couple of wins could put the Cowboys in a good spot to host the ASC Tournament.

The Cowgirl volleyball team plays at Sul Ross State on Wednesday, then returns home for games against Concordia on Friday and Howard Payne on Saturday. The HPU game was listed as noon on most early schedules. It was changed last week to a 11 a.m. game.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting its annual tailgate on Saturday. All students are encouraged to come by and have a burger or dog before the game.

Saturday is the big game for the Cowboy football team as the winner of the HSU-UMHB regular season game has won or shared the ASC title every year since 1998. It will be no different this season. Those who think the Cowboys are down this year need to come out and watch, because when these two teams play the records don’t matter. They are going to have a hard-hitting intense affair. Mary Hardin-Baylor is a talented team that is loaded with juniors and seniors. The Cowboys are a talented team that is loaded with freshmen and sophomores. Let’s see if the young guys can step it up another notch this weekend.

I have to admit there are certain games that get me fired up more than most. Most anything with McMurry brings out the intensity and you can feel it when you walk into the site of competition. The UMHB football game has become the same way. You know it is not just another game on the schedule, no matter coaches would like for you to believe. It is a big game and it is what makes college athletics great.

Can I remember plays from every game I have seen at HSU? No way. I have seen a lot of games, but I can almost instantly recall plays from the top of my head from every UMHB football game. Whether it was Josh McCasland sparking an offense, with a 50-something yard run on a muddy day in Belton in 2000. Or Jared Sanderson’s 14-tackle game in 2001 to preserve the Cowboys fourth straight conference title. In 2002, when the Cowboys had the ball inside the Crusaders 10 twice in the first quarter and having to settle for field goal attempts. The Cowboys were driving for the tying score when Matt Moskosky “fumbled” right in front of the Crusaders bench. P.J. Williams sticks in my head from that game as well. Man did he have some big games in his career against the Cowboys.

In 2004 the first game was filled with big plays on all sides, but Will Galusha’s interception return and long kickoff return turned the game into a blowout. In the return game in the NCAA playoffs it was Josh Kubiak’s coming out party when he picked off a pair of Jordan Neal passes and ran one back for a TD and the other deep into Cowboy territory.

UMHB did whatever they wanted that day in 2005 and recorded eight sacks.
In 2006 the first game a tipped punt and run back by Kubiak UMHB gave the Crusaders the momentum and a third quarter drive that seemed to take up the whole quarter took the Cowboys wind out of its sail.

The playoff game seemed to be going all the way of the Cowboys, until the bogus illegal substitution penalty gave the Crusaders a first down and they were able to take advantage and get the momentum back with a touchdown.
Who will be the Bryson, Rollins, Starnes, Williams, Fredenburg, Welch, Kubiak, Meyer for the Crusaders?

Who will be the Sanderson, McCasland, Rogers, Proctor, Gailey, Neal, Galusha or Moore for the Cowboys?

What will be the defining play of 2007? Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday.

What in the World Is A SID?

2007-09-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

I get the question of what is an SID, probably at least once a month. In this week’s blog I am going to give you a snapshot answer to what an SID is and what they do.

First of all SID stands for sports information director and the short answer is, I am the liaison between our athletic programs and the public.

I guess about six years ago when we became the first Division III school in the country to go with a national sports web site (then it was fans only) now it is CSTV, the web became our number one tool of getting the word out to the public.

I have always sent press releases to the media outlets, both around Abilene and all over the state. I still do that, but it is an almost entirely different process. Before we did it on the fax and to send one press release to the 13 people that get all of our press releases usually took about 30 minutes. Now that is all done in an e-mail group that takes about 30 seconds.

Every since I became the SID at HSU, my number one goal was to update the web site with scores of our games on game day. That was not the norm here, or especially around the ASC. Sometimes it was Monday or Tuesday before weekend games results were posted.

It used to be that all that was on the Internet was the stats, roster and schedule. Now you have to have more information out there. Kids go the web for recruiting; in fact they can know all the need to know about us, before they are ever contacted by a coach.

There are other ways as an SID that I get the word out about our teams. I have a good relationship with the person on our beat at the local newspaper and continually feed them information and story ideas and we also are lucky to have three local television stations that cover us on a regular basis.

Now to what the SID really does. Many people think that we have a job that is just going to games all of the time. That is correct, we go to games all the time, but the games are the fun part of the job. Being able to watch the game is what makes all of the work leading up to a game fun.

Here is a checklist of what the typical SID is:

A writer – I write all of our releases, media guides, game notes and web content

A graphic designer – I design all of our media guides

An editor – not nearly as good as I should be sometimes

A webmaster –I do that for all of the HSU Athletics web site

A game-day administrator – Often times that includes helping with crowd control, but also finding workers for games.

A teacher – I try to teach the game-day students I have working for me to do things the right way.

A statkeeper – Yeah, I keep the stats at most of the games.

A public address announcer – You can hear me at soccer, baseball and softball.
A radio broadcaster – I do games on the road in basketball and baseball.

A photographer – I am not very good at that so I usually arrange to have a photographer.

Promoter – Almost any award that any of our kids receive is done through promotions from this office, it can be filling out weekly player of the week forms, filling out recommendations or sending promotional pieces to voters. Any academic awards, or regional or national awards come straight from this office. You know the game programs you get at a game. Those come from this office as well.

Advertiser – If the school paid for advertising in the paper in the amount of inches of copy that I provide to the paper it would be over $250,000 a year.

Those are some of the broader definitions of what an SID does. People ask me all the time what does it take to get into the profession.

I think the simple answer is the love of what you are doing. If you did not love it, you would burn out in a year. It is amazing the number of people that I have seen just in our conference go in and out of the business in my nine years in the ASC. It doesn’t take long to see the ones that enjoy the job.

You can be the best writer in the world, the best graphic designer or the most organized person in the world, but if you don’t love doing the job, you can’t fake it.

I think the rewarding part is the fact I get to be around college athletes that are good kids every day. My daughter gets to be around those players as role models. It is refreshing when you know the time and amount of effort those kids put into their sport.

If I didn’t get to meet, be around, and work with great people every day; there is no way that I would want to have the job I have. With the relationships that I have formed over the years there is no other job that I would want to have.

Around The Campus
The Cowboys got in the win column in football last week. It got a little too close for comfort at the end, but anyone that saw the first two games and then saw last week has to realize that we are getting better every week and that is all the coaching staff can ask.

Tuesday the Cowgirls were supposed to play ACU in soccer. The game started and HSU held a 1-0 lead before the lightning came in and postponed the game. It has been rescheduled for Oct. 16. The Cowgirls host UT-Tyler and Concordia this weekend at the HSU Soccer Complex.

The Cowboy soccer team went 1-1 last week and is now 3-1 in the very tightly-bunched standings of the ASC. It is another big week for the Cowboys as they host a greatly improved Concordia team and preseason favorite UT-Tyler.

The volleyball team swept three matches last weekend and is off to Mississippi College for the ASC Crossover Tournament this weekend. Kaela Parnell and Sam Lucien were named the ASC West offensive and defensive players of the week.

The tennis teams will host the ITA Tournament this weekend. This is a big tournament for the top individuals as far as playing for a berth in the ITA National Tournament and it also gives momentum heading into the spring season. You can follow the results on the front page of the web site this weekend.

It is now less than three weeks before the basketball teams will begin their practices for the upcoming season. It is hard to believe that we are already into the fifth week of the fall sports schedule.

Portland Trip

2007-09-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my last blog traveling with the road crew is an adventure and our trip last weekend to Oregon provided some more writing material for the book.

The trip started at Abilene Regional and the first thing I hear when we get there is that our flight had been canceled. That is not a good thing when you are the one that was in charge of the reservations, especially with this crew. At some point our flight had been changed to 9:30 a.m. instead of the 2:30 we had arrived for. Fortunately American was able to get us on to a flight out of Dallas, but it did not leave until 9:15. That meant we had a six-hour layover in Dallas. The good news we got on a direct flight to Portland rather than to San Francisco and then to Portland.

Now how do you kill six hours in the Dallas airport? Fortunately for us John Neese’s girlfriend Melissa Lohnes lives and works close by and she offered to take us to dinner. That was a very nice gesture on her part, the problem was she drives a Pathfinder. Going to the restaurant it was Tim McCarry in the front seat, Al Pickett, Phil Ashby and I in the middle seat and Neese in the area behind the back seat. Neese by far had the most room of the four of us in the back.

After a very nice meal we made a trip to Barnes and Noble to get some reading material. It was only about two blocks, but it had to feel like two hours for Phil, who was stuck in the back seat between Tim and I (if you don’t know us we are two, how do I say this, portly fellows). He says he doesn’t need a chiropractor anymore because everything in his body was popped into place.

Once we finally got back to the airport we had a very uneventful flight. If you are going to have a three and a half hour flight and not be in first class it is always nice to be in the first row of coach with some extra leg room. It happened that is where my seat was. We finally arrived in Portland at about 11:30 PST and we got our rental car and to our hotel at about 12:30.

The next day we get up and around and we are going to look for some lunch. The boys want some seafood (I don’t eat things out of the water) so we type into the Hertz Never Lost system seafood and Tim decides on a place called the Dolphin. We travel to the Dolphin about 10 miles away and pull into the parking lot and see that the Dolphin is not only a seafood place, but also a place for exotic dancers. So we decide to move on down the road. We go to another seafood place that was very nice and they say the seafood was good. I had a club sandwich that was really good. We sat outside and it was about 68 degrees and sunny, a perfect day in Oregon. John, Tim and Phil had a Marionberry (not the former D.C. mayor according to Lexi our waitress) cobbler. Cobbler to them means a pie. Here is a picture of Tim’s pie as we are leaving and Phil’s pie (you decide which is which.)

After the meal we make the trip over to McMinnville. It was a very nice area and the whole countryside is covered with nurseries, wineries and about every type of crop you can imagine. We make our way to a space museum and I am not one that is awed by museums that much, but the Spruce Goose was an amazing site. I have attached video and a picture of the amazing plane that is wider than a football field. It was a great learning experience about something I had very limited knowledge. Here is a not very good picture from inside the big bird.

We then checked out the McMinnville downtown and headed over to the football field. It is a nice old downtown area. The campus is a big campus for the size of school and what amazes me about the whole area is the number of hanging plants. There are hanging from about every pole in town. After scoping out the campus, we headed back to the hotel. It was 34 miles and took us just over an hour. Needless to say it is not like driving to Alpine.

We were in a hurry to get back to the hotel to see my alma mater Oklahoma State play Troy in football. It was not a pretty game to watch. It was the most embarrassing loss since I have been a Cowboy fan. They didn’t lose to the Men of Troy or even to Troy Aikman, they lost to Troy for crying out loud. I did feel the need to text Zach Pickelman during the game and tell him that his Michigan team is not the worst team in a power conference in America. I think my Cowboys have that covered. This could be the year for Baylor, oh wait it can’t get that bad can it.

After the game was over it was time for bed. Normally I am not out cold by 10 o’clock, but I think the travel and time difference caught up with me. On Saturday when we woke up it was a great day outside. It was probably in the low 50’s and it had the crisp fall feel. We went to McMinnville and had breakfast (without the s), walked around downtown and headed to the game.

The game was quite entertaining if you like offense. Linfield is a unique place and their stadium was originally built in the 1920’s. It had covered seating on the home side and it turned out to be a great day for football. The Cowboys fought hard, but could not keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard and for the first time since the first year of the Jimmie Keeling era the Cowboys have lost the first two games of the season.

On Saturday night we headed into Portland for a nice meal at another seafood place. It was right on the river and in the middle of the entertainment district. We had to be at the airport by 5:30 a.m. so it was a short night and we made it home rather uneventfully on Sunday.

Other happenings from around the HSU campus this week
Congrats to the soccer teams for starting 2-0 in conference play. The men won their first two games of the year and both were one-goal games. Jorge Vega scored three goals and the young Cowboys proved the will be a force to be reckoned with in the ASC this year.

It was disappointing to hear that All-American Amy Kuykendall tore her ACL against Texas Lutheran. She is really a phenomenal player. It will definitely hurt the Cowgirls offensively, but if there is one coach that I think can lose his best player and All-American and still come out with results it is Marcus Wood. He beat a No. 1 Trinity team a few years ago with basically nine healthy bodies in the NCAA Tournament. He has proven year in and year out he can make adjustments on his team and keep them in the upper echelon of the teams in the NCAA Tournament. We hope for a speedy recovery for Amy.

The volleyball team went 2-0 last weekend and then last night beat a previously unbeaten team in McMurry to move to 3-0 in conference action. It was the home debut for Sabrina Bingham and there was a great crowd on hand.

The Cowgirl tennis team won five singles flights and two doubles flights at the ASC Individual Tournament. The Cowboys won flight one doubles and flight nine singles. HSU has won seven straight ASC women’s titles and six in a row for the men.

The women’s golf team beat five other ASC schools to win the UT-Dallas Invitational in their first tournament of the year. Freshman Ashley Luecke won the individual title by 11 strokes. Congrats to the Cowgirls.

Go West Young Man

2007-09-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have gotten several responses on the blog and that lets me know people are reading. I have even had a couple of colleagues in the conference ask about it and they seem to be interested in writing their own blog for their schools.

It has been a whirlwind first two weeks to the school year and their have been some interesting results from our events so far. As conference play begins this weekend one thing has become very apparent. Last year we were so lucky to have senior-laden teams in a lot of our fall sports. We graduated some players a year ago that will no doubt be future Hall of Famers at HSU in several sports. From a quick count off the top of my head we had at least eight seniors from a year ago that are no doubters, they had that big of an impact on the school and their teams.

When that type of leadership is gone, you have to find new leaders and players have to step into new roles. That has been the case in several sports this season. Coaches use the non-conference schedule to get their teams ready for conference play and to make whatever adjustments are necessary.

I am totally confident in all of our coaches to adjust their teams around their personnel. All four fall sport teams lost players that were not only great players and leaders, but all four lost some players that were starters from the time they stepped on campus. That is the fun part about their job is to take a team and try to make it better from the start of preseason training all the way to the end of the year. Our coaches have excelled at doing that and I am sure they will again.

The men's soccer team has two seniors, one junior and the rest are freshmen and sophomores. There is a lot of talent on the team but it is young and will take time to develop. They are looking for an identity after graduating their top two scorers from a year.

The same thing is true on the football team. The defense lost eight starters from a year ago and the offense lost six starters. That is a lot of experience and talent to replace. It will take some time for those leaders to develop. It is a nice luxury to have guys that have started 20 or more games to lead a team like the Cowboys had last year.

The women's soccer team seems to be in the same situation. The Cowgirls had some strong leaders that were seniors last year. The team has a lot of talent returning, but when you talk about losing three seniors that started basically every game of their careers and two more that played key roles throughout their career and players have always looked to them for guidance there is going to be some bumpy spots. Different players are having to step into that role this year.

Volleyball lost maybe the best player to ever play for HSU in Virginia Aguilar and Holly Amerena was a solid floor leader. The Cowgirls have had to replace them and also have had to adjust to a new coach. That takes some immediate adjustments on their part as well. If you haven't noticed the Cowgirls have played a brutal non-conference schedule and are 3-4. They have played four teams that went to the national tournament a year ago. The Cowgirls played No. 7 Trinity tough, winning a game from them for the first time. HSU lost in five games to No. 22 Pacific Lutheran. They seem primed to start conference play.

All four teams are talented and all four will compete for the conference titles. It may take some time, but that is what makes athletics fun, seeing the teams develop over the year.

Another of the favorite parts of my job is the time I get to spend traveling with our teams. It is so nice to get them away from Abilene and see different parts of the country. It is also nice to see how our kids act when we go on the road. They are polite, respectful and most of the time are business-like in their approach to the trip. You really get to know players and teams a lot better when you get on the road with them for a few days.

I have traveled all over the United States with our teams and it is a learning experience each time. For as long as I have been at HSU, we have basically been known as the Road Crew. Some people have gone in and some have gone out, but basically it is athletic director John Neese, facilities director Tim McCarry, myself and then radio announcers Phil Ashby and Al Pickett. John, Tim and I have been on all of these trips over the years and it really is a fun experience to travel with this group.

There are so many stories that we should probably write a book some day, but then again no one would believe it. So we are off on another journey this weekend to the Great Northwest. It will be our first trip to Portland.

The Calm Before the Storm

2007-09-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

It has been a quiet week around here so far and fortunately for the most part it will stay that way as we do not have a home event (other than a tennis tournament that is hosted all over town) this weekend. That is very rare for the fall. Also, with it being an off week for football the load has been lighter around here.

Monday's soccer game with the College of the Southwest was canceled, because the Mustangs lost too many players in a 14-0 loss to ACU on Sunday. It could have been another ugly score had they played.

Senior defender Laura Newbrough was named the ASC Soccer Defensive Player of the Week and also earned a spot on the D3kicks.com national team of the week. She was the first HSU player to be named ASC Player of the Week this season. HSU routinely leads the league in players of the week for the season.

Congrats to volleyball coach Sabrina Bingham on her first career win at HSU, a 3-0 blanking of Fontbonne on Saturday.

Another congratulations goes out to HSU football coach Jared Sanderson and his wife on the birth of their son Colt. He came in at over 9 pounds and everyone is doing well.