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FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012
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THE TIMES LEADER
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PRO GOLF
Medico’s low par for the course in Royals’ victory
Carl Pettersson takes 1-shot lead at Wyndham GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Carl Pettersson shot an 8-under 62 on Thursday to take the firstround lead in the Wyndham Championship. David Mathis and Tim Clark were a stroke back, Tom Gillis, Scott Stallings and Troy Matteson shot 64, and Matt Every had a 65 in the final event before the
FedEx Cup playoffs. The top of the leaderboard had a decidedly local flavor. Pettersson went to high school in Greensboro, calls Raleigh home, and both he and Clark played at North Carolina State. Mathis grew up in Winston-Salem, went to Campbell and lives north of Raleigh.
REFS
$400,000 and are provided health insurance, a pension, time off with pay and numerous other benefits.” The union also disputes the value of the league’s current salary offer, which it says would not be a 5 percent to 11 percent increase. Instead, the officials said the proposal “includes aggregate game fee compensation increases of 2.82 percent per year, not the rates publicly claimed by the league. In fact, the NFL’s proposal does not contain any salary schedule. Rather it contains aggregate game fees for all officials to be paid per a schedule to be developed by the NFLRA.” Aiello countered that officials would receive continuing increases in every category of pay, from game fees to travel and meeting fees, and, depending on how the NFLRA decided to allocate the salary pool, individual officials could expect annual increases of between 5 and 11 percent. Finally, there is a stalemate over the officials’ pension plan, which the union said the league plans to freeze and ultimately terminate. The NFLRA offered to “grandfather” the current defined benefit plan only for current officials. The league is offering a 401(k) plan in which it said its last proposal would provide annual contributions averaging about $20,000.
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being offered with such an increase would reduce their pay. “The increase in the number of officials was first proposed by the NFL to the NFLRA by letter dated July 19, 2012 and had never been mentioned in the preceding 10 months of negotiations,” the NFLRA said in a statement. “It is clear that this proposal is a negotiating tactic to attempt to divert attention from the real issues.” Another key issue, one Aiello noted will improve the quality of officiating long term, is hiring full-time officials. The league is proposing having seven officials — one per position of referee, umpire, line judge, side judge, back judge, field judge, head linesman — who would train, scout, handle communications, safety issues and rules interpretations year-round. Now, all NFL game officials are part-time employees, with outside jobs ranging from lawyer to teacher to business owner. “The NFLRA is not opposed to full time officials if they are fairly compensated,” the union said Thursday. “While the NFL has never made any compensation proposal, comparable positions in other professional sports at the 20-year level earn approximately $350,000 to
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that,” O’Brien said. “I think we all have got to be real careful, because the two tight ends we had in New England are two of the best players in the NFL in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. We’re not asking our tight ends at Penn State to be Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, we’re just asking them to block well and understand route technique and understand their assignments. “We’ve got four or five guys there that can play and we feel good about the position. I think we have to stop with the comparisons about what we did with Gronkowski and Hernandez and what we’re going to do at Penn State.” As far as personnel on offense, O’Brien has most of his starters already in place. He confirmed Thursday that sophomores Allen Robinson and Miles Dieffenbach will start at receiver and left guard, respectively. Junior Mark Arcidiacono was expected to challenge for a starting spot on the line but has been hampered by a foot injury since the spring. Tackle Donovan Smith has been bothered all camp by a tweaked hamstring, but O’Brien said he expected him back as early as today. ON DEFENSE Injuries continue to hit an already-thin secondary that has seen safeties Jake Fagnano and Malcolm Willis both miss time in practice. While O’Brien said those issues are minor, reserve cornerback Mike Wallace remains out long-term because of
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Allison Kern, a native of Dayton, Ohio, has been around basketball her entire life. She was the choicetomaintainthelevelofsuccess Misericordia has achieved. “My dad worked as an official and a coach, and when I got older, I went to all of his games,” Kern said. “Basketball is a big part of my life and it’s always been a big part of my life.”
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a pectoral injury suffered in the spring. Despite that, O’Brien said there haven’t been any moves to bolster the depth in the defensive backfield. They like what they see from their group of true freshmen. “I’ve been very pleased with the secondary. I’ve been pleased with the defense as a whole,” O’Brien said. “The secondary has a number of good returning players. Also some younger players in there that we think could really help us like a Da’Quan Davis or Jordan Lucas.” ON SPECIAL TEAMS A rough few months has seen the Lions lose their top kicker (Anthony Fera, transfer), punter (Fera again), punt returner (Justin Brown, transfer) and even the projected long snapper (Ty Howle, injury). Some of the spots have already been filled. Sophomore Sam Ficken is in line to handle field goals and kickoffs. Emery Etter will take care of the snaps on kicks. Punter, though, remains a concern. “I think the punting situation is still a little up in the air,” O’Brien said. “Alex (Butterworth) shows flashes, (Matt) Marcincin shows flashes and then the next punt isn’t very good. They really have to be a lot more consistent, and I think that’s still an on-going battle there.” The return game may indeed be solidified by now. But O’Brien is keeping that to himself. “We’ve been looking at a lot of guys as returners,” he said. “You’ll see on Sept. 1 who returns kicks.” Kern was a former standout player at Chaminade-Julienne High School, where she led the team to the No.1state ranking her junior year and a state title her senior year. She attended John Carroll University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and was a four-year letter winner for the women’s basketball program. She was named team offensive MVP her senior year. After she graduated college in 2007, Kern was an assistant coach for one season at Hiram (Ohio)
EXETER – Mariano Medico shot the low round of the match with a 36 and Chase Makowski and Ryan Crossin each fired a 37 in Holy Redeemer’s 136-149 defeat of Wyoming Area Thursday at Fox Hill Country Club. Zach Mulhern led Wyoming Area with a 38.
to a ninth-place finish at the U.S. Kids World Championship in Pinehurst, N.C., earlier this month. The 8-year-olds played three 9-hole rounds in competition. Paczewski posted 37s in his first two rounds, standing just three shots off the lead for his age Holy Redeemer (136) – Mariano Medico 36, Chase Makowski 37, Ryan Crossin 37, Matt Lavoski 39, after consecutive one birdie, two Alex Rowan 40, Mike Boland 41 bogey showings. Wyoming Area (149) – Zach Mulhern 38, Courtney Melvin 42, Madeline Wharton 48, Bill Peck 48, Gavin A run of bogeys in his final Ross 53, Mike Kolessar 53. round left Paczewski with a Paczewski 9th in world 4-over 40 and a 114 for his 27 A pair of 1-over-par 37s power- holes. He finished five shots off ed Logan Paczewski, 8, of Dallas the lead.
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AP PHOTO
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o models the new uniforms during the team’s NCAA college football media day Thursday in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame will wear the new uniforms Oct. 6 in their game with Miami at Solider Field in Chicago.
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quickness. He’s got an instinctual and intangible nose for the ball,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco says. “He’s got a spectacular skill set and the intangible blue-collar mentality, so it’s a unique combination.” Te’o had to make a tough decision on his future and it came last December — stay in school and go pro? He discussed it with his parents, saying he didn’t want to miss out on a final season in South Bend. “I know that if I prepare myself, both mentally and physically, and spiritually, I’ll be fine and whatever happens, happens. I told my parents, if I come out my senior game, my last game of the season against Wake Forest, whether I come out in pads or on crutches, it will be worth it,” he said earlier. It was the second time he’d chosen to remain with the Irish. After his freshman year, he decided to forgo a Mormon mission and return to school. “It was very difficult in totally different ways,” he said. “Going on my mission was an experience like no other. It was something to help me grow as a person. Leaving for the NFL would help my family financially, so there were different situations, but I used the same tools to make those decisions — I prayed about it and talked to my family about it and weighed the pros and cons of each. “I think I’ve made the right decision for me and my family.” Te’o, who is listed at 6-2, 255, certainly wants to play in the NFL next year and part of the reason for losing 15 pounds was to keep himself stronger and injury free. He did it by not overeating and spacing out his meals. “I think it naturally happened when I watched what I ate,” he said. “I made the sacrifices I needed to make to be on the top of my game. People talk about injuries and the possibility of injuries, but a lot of those injuries occur when you are tired or out of shape, muscle pulls, stuff like that. If I’m in the best shape of my life, I shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff.” Count fellow inside linebackCollege. After that, she became an assistant coach for William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y., for four seasons. “I was at a point in my career where I was ready to look for a head coaching job,” Kern said. “Lucky for me William Smith is a great place with a great situation and I was able to find the right fit. A couple of coaches talked about Misericordia and how great it was. “The second I stepped onto campus I knew it was a great fit for me. The community and the sup-
“Leaving for the NFL would help my family financially … I think I’ve made the right decision for me and my family.” Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o on returning to school er Dan Fox as one of those overjoyed to hear that Te’o was coming back. “The opportunity you can go play in the NFL, and for him to come back, that meant a lot to us and the defense,” said Fox, who became a starter last season. “He helps me out a lot. One thing I noticed is he’s starting to trust me more — not that he didn’t before. You can rely on somebody a little more the more they play.” Te’o’s teammates rely on him as a leader who will not hesitate to speak up when someone’s not doing something the right way. With a coach’s knowledge of the Irish defense, he expects accountability from himself and those around him. “He’s hard on himself, and the moments where he may lose focus, or he may not give it his all, even those moments are decreasing,” said Diaco, a former college linebacker at Iowa. “Not only is he going to be one of the very best linebackers that ever played here, if not the best, (but) one of the very best linebackers to ever play college football.” Te’o’s place in Notre Dame history is not something he’s given a lot of thought. A native of Laie, Hawaii, he’s come a long way to make his mark on a program. He wants more than anything to go out a big winner. “I hope I stand out as one of the best, but I don’t get too caught up in all that stuff. Hopefully at the end of the day I’m one of the best,” he said. Notes: Coach Brian Kelly said by Monday he may sort out the practice repetitions for his No. 1 quarterback and the No. 2, meaning he will be close to picking a starter for the Sept. 1 opener in Dublin, Ireland, against Navy. Everett Golson, who’s thrown only one interception during camp, and Andrew Hendrix, who played as a backup last season, are competing for the starter’s role. port have been fantastic.” With the school year about to begin, and a few more months before winter season workouts begin, Kern said she’s been doing the best she can to keep in touch with her players. She said she’s met some in person and others she’s been keeping in touch with through phone calls and e-mails. With a new head coach for the first time in eight seasons, some may wonder what they will see out of Kern. She says they will get her best because she’s doing what she loves doing.
In the late game, Goodlettsville, Tenn., beat Kearney, Neb., 12-1, behind 12-year-old pitcher Brock Myers, who struck out eight in 4 1-3 innings and helped himself at the plate with a tworun homer in the fifth. Myers’ big-league performance spoiled a historic moment for Nebraska — it was the first time a team from the state had advanced to South Williamsport. Nebraska will play Connecticut on Saturday in an elimination game. No matter what happens, Kearney’s kids are already stars back home. The mini-mashers from the Midwest have been receiving emails and text messages all week from family, friends and new-found baseball fans from all over Nebraska. Football is king in Nebraska, but the boys from Kearney might just be challenging the Cornhuskers as the state’s most popular team. Some players have been wearing Nebraska Cornhuskers Tshirts in practice. “I think we do personally (have more fans) right now,” coach Monte Dakan joked this week. “I’m hoping we have.” California starting pitcher Bradley Smith made an impression, too, after striking out seven and going 4 for 4 at the plate with a homer and three RBIs to help the West region champs hold on against Connecticut. The 13-year-old Smith strikes an imposing pose with his 6foot-3 frame. But he had some early jitters on the mound after giving up a first-inning home run to Biagio Paoletta. “You can’t be nervous in these games. You’re one of the top 16 teams ... in the world,” Smith said calmly. “So I was thinking, ‘What do I have to be nervous about?”’ He felt much better in the third after hitting a 2-0 curveball deep to left-center that just eluded outfielder Matt Clarkin’s glove and just cleared the fence 225 feet away for a two-run homer and 3-1 lead. Smith also struck out seven over four innings. But California couldn’t shake Connecticut. Will Lucas tripled home a run before scoring on a passed ball to get Connecticut within a run in the bottom of the fifth. Connecticut threatened again in the sixth, but reliever Andrew White got a double play and strikeout to end the game. The 12-year-old lefty pumped his fist after he left the mound to be greeted by giddy teammates. The 5-foot Paretti, the smallest player on his team, came up big with a two-run single in the fifth. “It’s been amazing, it’s just so exciting to play with teams all around and now we’re in the “I’m a workaholic because I’m in a job that enables a workaholic,” Kern said. “College coaching requires work, and I love what I do and I love everything about it. I love being around the players, in the office, and they’re going to get as much of me as they want. I’ll always be doing something to help the program.” Coming off of three straight winning seasons and a Freedom Conference title, one would think there would be tons of pressure on a new coach to keep the winning traditions going. Kern said if
“You can’t be nervous in these games. You’re one of the top 16 teams ... in the world. So I was thinking, ‘What do I have to be nervous about?”’ Bradley Smith California starting pitcher
same position,” Paretti said. “Just seeing them (at the tournament) and now we’re in the same position, it’s really awesome.” Connecticut outfielder Ryan Meury left the game with a bloodied lip after getting by a pitch, but got an ovation after walking back to the dugout. A Little League spokesman said Meury needed a couple stitches to close the gash. It was unclear if Meury would be ready for Connecticut’s next game Saturday. JAPAN 7, CURACAO 0 Kotaro Kiyomiya and Noriatsu Osaka combined for a two-hitter for Tokyo in the opening game of the Little League World Series. Kiyomiya didn’t allow a hit and struck out seven in 2 2-3 innings. Osaka finished on the mound in relief with seven strikeouts. A team from Japan has won the World Series international title the last two seasons. This year’s Japan region champs, from Tokyo, took control early with three runs in each of the first two innings. Not bad for a Japan team that hadn’t played since July 7. “I didn’t have my best control The ball wasn’t going exactly where I wanted it, but it got better the longer I pitched,” the 12year-old Osaka said through interpreter Yuichi Ishibashi. Christopher Koeiman and Mychellon Jansen each had singles for Curacao, which made its first tournament appearance since 2009. TAIWAN 14, GERMANY 1 Li-Wei Chiang homered and drove in four runs, and Feng Chen went 3 for 3 with three RBIs for the team from Taoyuan. Kyle Glenn had Germany’s only hit, while Justin Wilson scored the team’s only run in the game that ended early because of Little League’s 10-run rule. It hardly mattered to Wilson’s father, Marquis, who arrived in South Williamsport on Wednesday — just in time to see his 12year-old son play for the first time in two months. The elder Wilson, who serves in the military as a security forces trainer in Afghanistan, is on a 15-day leave. Marquis Wilson said it was a little nerve-wracking watch Justin from the stands. “It was hard, but he did his best and that’s all you can ask for,” the proud father said. there is any on her, she welcomes it. “A lot of times, your first head coaching job, you’re trying to work your way up the ladder,” she said. “I’m really lucky that there are great kids here and coach Martin last year did a great job taking over. There’s already a great program here with kids that can win, so I’ll take that pressure any day with this talented group that knows how to win.” Kern will make her regular season debut at Lycoming on Nov. 20.