MSU tumbles, 25-20 JOSH MUJICA SPORTS EDITOR
The MSU football team is no longer undefeated. Unable to get the offense into it’s usual rhythm, the Mustangs were beaten Saturday night, 25-20, at the hands of now 6-0 West Texas A&M University in front of a crowd of 13,025 at Memorial Stadium. The offense struggled most of the night as MSU star quarterback Daniel Polk was pressured from all angles on a constant basis. Polk was sacked three times and rushed out of pocket six other times. He was held to 213 yards on 20of-38 passing and was limited to 30 yards rushing on 17 carries. Polk got the scoring started with 9:45 left in the first quarter on a 6yard touchdown run to put the Mustangs up, 6-0. Jose Martinez tapped in the PAT and was relied upon heavily in the game. After WT tied the game at seven apiece, Martinez connected on a 27-yard field goal to put MSU up, 10-7. The Buffs struck again with a touchdown to go ahead, 14-10, going into halftime. Since the offensive unit couldn’t
find the endzone, Martinez answered again with a 41-yard field goal in the third with 5:15 left in the quarter to pull the Mustangs close, 14-13. WT responded with a field goal of it’s own and quarterback Keith Null drilled a 55-yard touchdown to B.J. Vickers with 9:12 left in the game to put the Buffs ahead by two scores. MSU pulled close on a 3-yard run by Steven Harper with 2:11 to play to change the scoreboard to 25-20, but were unable to get the onside kick to give themselves a chance to win the game. Defensive standouts for the Mustangs were Patrick Roberts and Jacob Martin with five solo tackles each, Herman Walker with four and Cody Thompson with three. Joe Chapman was the leading rusher for the No. 16 Mustangs with 89 yards on 10 carries. On Monday, MSU was at No. 5 on the Southwest Region’s first ranking of the season. The poll, which is determined by a committee of coaches, is the deciding factor for the NCAA Division II playoffs and only six teams advance out of each region. The final poll is schedued to be released on Nov. 11. The 5-1 Mustangs now travel to Stephenville to battle Tarleton State Saturday at 7 p.m.
Midwestern serves as host MELISSA DOS PRAZERES-SILVA AND JOSH MUJICA FOR THE WICHITAN
MSU played host to the 2007 Lone Star Conference Individual Tennis Championship this past weekend. The men played at Weeks Park and the women competed at Hamilton Park. In women’s action, Cristina Oliveria reached both the singles and doubles finals. In the No. 2 singles championship match, Oliveria fell to Abilene Christian’s Meagan Brown, 6-2, 64. In No. 1 doubles play, Oliveria and partner, Faye D’Hamecourt fell to the ACU’s top pair of Irene Squilaci and Aina Rafolo, 6-2, 6-2. MSU gave ACU all they could handle but the Wildcat’s No. 3 doubles team of Dina Pavlin and Lauren White beat Desre Tarr and Ann-Sophie Indehederge, 6-4, 7-6 (6) in the semifinals. With only three returning players
from last year’s team, the MSU men put up a good fight against schools with more experienced players. At the No. 1 singles spot, ACU’s J.J. Nunez, last year’s No. 48 in the nation in Division II, edged past MSU junior Karim Belhadj, 7-5, 62. From positions one through five MSU fell to the ACU men in the first round of competition. In the No. 6 position, MSU freshman Chip Threadgill was defeated by Cameron’s Saman Samii, 6-1, 6-4. In men’s doubles, MSU’s No. 1 team of Travis Stegner and Fernando Villarreal lost to ACU’s Nunez and Ryan Hudson, 6-4, 6-3. The Wildcats ran away with 12 out of 18 possible titles in the tournament including all nine of the women’s titles. The men’s team will continue practicing but is done competing for the fall while the women will compete this weekend in a Division I tournament hosted by the University of North Texas in Denton.
Golf team putts in seventh FOR THE WICHITAN Midwestern State freshman Travis Klutts fired a 74 at the Par-72, 7,085-yard Chickasaw Pointe Golf Resort in Tuesday’s final round of the Choctaw Nation Texoma Championship. Klutts finished the tournament tied for fourth as the freshman from Lake Kiowa, Texas with a two-round total of 147 (+3) and was just two shots out of second and six shots behind top medalist Jeff Howard of St. Edward’s, who fired rounds of 72 and 70 to finish with a 2-under 142. Unfortunately, Klutts’ score didn’t count towards Midwestern State’s team total as the Mustangs
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Volleyball Oct. 13 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma 2 p.m. Men’s Soccer Oct. 11 at St. Edwards 4 p.m. Football Oct. 13 at Tarleton State 7 p.m. PATRICK JOHNSTON | THE WICHITAN MSU’s Brandon Jones, 68, prepares to take on a blitzing player from West Texas A&M Saturday night at Memorial Stadium as quarterback Daniel Polk, 5, looks upfield to see whether he should hand the ball off or keep it himself. The Mustangs perfect 5-0 record was demolished as WT beat MSU, 25-20.
Cross Country Chile Pepper Festival at the University of Arkansas
Mustangs move up to No. 2 JOSH MUJICA SPORTS EDITOR
PATRICK JOHNSTON | THE WICHITAN MSU’s Chip Threadgill strikes a ball in his singles match against Cameron’s Saman Samii on Friday. Threadgill lost, 61, 6-4. MSU’s Cristina Oliveria stretches for the ball Saturday morning in her singles championship game of the LSC Individual Championship. Oliveria was defeated, 6-2,6-4.
The MSU men’s soccer team claimed its highest ranking ever yesterday as the Mustangs were announced as the No. 2 squad on the NSCAA/Adidas National Poll. Riding a seven game win streak, Midwestern tacked on another victory after battling tremendous adversity Sunday afternoon and overcoming the Orediggers of the Colorado School of Mines, 2-1, in Midwest Region action. As the visiting team, the Mustangs faced a hostile crowd and a tough referee but were able to maintain their composure. MSU received outstanding play from senior striker Daniel Brown who posted two first-half goals to give him 14 on the season. “Brownie was incredible today,” head coach Doug Elder said. Brown gave MSU a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute as he netted an indirect kick into the box. The ball was kicked to his right knee but Brown displayed his athleticism by sliding to reach and ricochet it off the post for the score. Colorado Mines coach Frank Kohlenstein was ejected because of an arguement about the play. In the 39th minute, Brown struck again as ran down a ball on the wing
and booted it past Colorado Mines’ goalkeeper Denver Williams to put the Mustangs ahead, 2-0. MSU had to play a man down for the last 50 minutes of the second half because forward Eddie Lett was ejected after making an aggressive slide tackle just five minutes after coming into the game. The Orediggers were able to capitalize but could only chisel one point on the scoreboard even with a man up. Elder praised the play of the defense including junior Brannon Calvert who had a monster of a game on the defensive end. “Once we got that ejection, the tide turned a little bit, but our defense held very, very strong,” Elder said. MSU improves to 11-1 on the season and more importantly stays ahead of West Texas A&M, who moved to 9-1 on the season with a 2-1 victory over Fort Lewis earlier in the day. “We showed a lot of heart and character this weekend,” Elder said. “But there’s still a lot of soccer to play.” The Mustangs will travel to face St. Edward’s at 4 p.m. on Friday before zooming to San Antonio to battle nemesis Incarnate Word, the only team to beat MSU this season, on Sunday at 1 p.m.
MSU basketball ranked JOSH MUJICA SPORTS EDITOR
RECREATIONAL SPORTS WEEK OF 10/01 FLAG FOOTBALL MEN TKE DEF. KA, 23-7 HEAD BUSTAS DEF. GQ ASSASSINS, 30-18 I GUYS DEF. OFF IN THE SHOWER, 26-12 SHOWTIME DEF. DOMINATORS, 68-24 PHI SIGMA KAPPA DEF. KA, 27-0 HEAD BUSTAS DEF. A-TEAM, 27-6
SIGMA KAPPA DEF. THE PONYTAILS, 21-14 BADDEST CHICKS DEF. ALPHA PHI, 26-7
Oct. 10, 2007
Women’s Soccer Oct. 12 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce 7p.m.
claimed a seventh-place result after carding a two-round 615 (+39). Sophomore Mitch Molen, who finished eighth individually, carded the top team score for the tournament with a 4-over par 148, while senior Brady Jones had a 153 (+5). Senior Gordon Quebodeaux scored a 156 (+8), Eric Thompson carded a 158 (+10) and Micheal Uhles had a 159 (+11) also for the Mustangs. Sophomore Brandon Bradshaw finished with a 164 (+16) in medalist competition. St. Edward’s claimed the team championship with a 5-over 581, which was 21 strokes better than second-place Abilene Christian, which fired a 602 (+26).
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The 2007-2008 Midwestern basketball teams were both exceptionally ranked last week as a panel of Lone Star Conference coaches, sports information directors and selected as the league distributed its annual preseason polls. The men’s team is picked to finish fourth overall in the LSC but third in the LSC South Division. The Lady Mustangs are slated to finish ninth overall in the LSC but fifth in the LSC South Division. The men’s team returns two starters from last season’s South Division championship team that went 24-7 and advanced to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. Seniors Chris Davis (9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds) and Christopher Reay (6.9 points, 5.9 rebounds) lead the Mustangs as they try to fill the shoes of Eric Dawson (17.4 points), Drew Coffman (17.2 points), and Chad Rickett (16.7) who all completed their eligibility at the end of last season. MSU also welcomes back Jeremy Ford (6.5 points), Kevin Brandsma (1.7 points), Russell Button (2.8 points), Jordan Coffman and Michael Godwin.
Forwards Trajinski Grigsby and Marcus Anderson, guard Nolan Richardson IV, and former Wichita Falls High School star Charlie Logan headline the Mustangs rotation. The men open their season on Nov. 16 and 17 in Austin in the St. Edward’s Classic. The women’s team returns four starters from a 12-14 squad that topped out in fifth in the LSC South Division last season. Seniors Stacey Staten (8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists), Kaylon Hodge (8.5 points, 4.5 rebounds) and Brittni Burks (7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds return to lead the Lady Mustang stampede. Sophomore Andrea Buben also comes back for Midwestern. As a freshman, Buben averaged 8.1 points and three rebounds last season. Tiffany Cook, a transfer from Texas State last year, returns to the squad after playing just 15 minutes for MSU. Duo Brandy Moore and Rosy Ofoegbu are the top newcomers for Midwestern as they transfer this season from Temple College. The Lady Mustangs will open their season at the Courtyard by Marriot Tip-off Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Nov. 16 and 17.
Women earn 24th on soccer poll FOR THE WICHITAN
Midwestern State checked into the NSCAA/adidas National Rankings for the first time in school history at No. 24 when the poll was
released Tuesday afternoon. The Mustangs have improved to 7-2-2 on the season after winning four of their last five matches. MSU plays host to Texas A&MCommerce on Friday.