01082019 SPORTS

SPORTS SECTION E

NCAA

Page 8

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019

‘The Tank’ ready for war

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

s he heads into the new year, Bahamian journeyman heavyweight boxer Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams is hoping to continue where he left off last year on the winning track.

The 46-year-old resident of Vero Beach, Florida, is slated to step back in the ring on Friday, January 18 in Colombia when he takes on Samuel Miller in a 10-round co-main event.

“The first opponent pulled out of the fight over the weekend,” Williams said. “This new opponent is 6-foot-2 and the original opponent was 6-foot-1, so it’s similar guys.

“It don’t make a difference. I’ve been focusing on the things that I need to do to get the victory in Colombia on January 18.”

It will be Williams’ first fight since May 26 when he won a technical knockout over Epifanio Mendoza at the A Social Affair and Convention Center in his hometown of Grand Bahama.

“My preparation is good. Actually before the Christmas break, I was in Denmark for three months. I had a fight that was scheduled, but it was postponed,” he said.

“But I trained continuously in October, November and December before I left Copenhagen.

So my condition is good.

My training is good. I put on a few demonstrations and a few training camps, so I’m in great shape.”

However, Williams said he’s not taking his opponent lightly.

“The opponent is pretty clever. I’m going to do the classic Tank Williams show, using my jabs and getting in close and walk him down and try to touch his body and just take control of the fight from round one,” Williams projected.

“I feel that if I can close the distance and touch

A

him to the body, then I can obviously hit him with the overhand right, the conch punch. If I can catch him with my overhand right and left hook, it will be a short match for him.”

During the Christmas break, Williams was back home where he attended the junkanoo festival and he began the groundout for the Bahamian Sons Promotional Back Yard Ramble Part II that will be staged at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on April 5.

“There’s a lot that is going to go on in 2019 and so it will be good to start the year off with a victory in Colombia, fighting this early in January,” he said.

“Most fighters are actually on vacation in December and don’t want to get in the gym and sacrifice for an early fight in January. But when the fight presented itself, I took advantage of it.”

As a competitor who sleeps, breathes and eats boxing, Williams said he’s always in the gym working out under the supervision of Izzy Martinez and waiting for the next opportunity to compete.

“I feel good. I’m confident and I’m happy. 2019 looks pretty productive and promising for me,” he stated.

In his final preparation for the fight, Williams will head to Colombia on January 15, just in time to arrive on January 16 to get over his jetlag and complete all of the formalities.

Once the fight is done, Williams will turn his attention full steam ahead to the Backyard Rumble that will include new heavyweight sensation Amron Sands, Tyrone Oliver and Rashield Williams.

Williams said he is also looking at including Tureano ‘Reno’ Johnson on the show as well.

On the possibility of fighting undefeated (7-0) Sands in the near future, Williams said it’s not in his cards right now. “It

BASEBALL AMERICA: CHISHOLM IS THE NO.1 D-BACKS PROSPECT

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

HEAVYWEIGHT boxer Sherman “The Tank” Williams has his fists set to square off with Samuel Miller in a 10-round co-main event bout in Colombia on Friday, January 18. all depends on how much longer I go forward, but Sands was on my card in Grand Bahama because I wanted to build a platform for him and Tyrone Oliver and a few other amateurs turned pros. “I think it would be premature for me to fight Amron Sands. He’s just in the growing stages.

He’s just at the beginning of his career. He hasn’t had 10 fights yet and I’m getting ready to wind down my career and finish off strong.”

As a volunteer coach in the Police Athletic League in Florida, Williams said he will also be looking at the possibility of working with president Vincent Strachan and the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation to have some of the local boxers fight over there.

“I’m trying to bridge the gap and try to get the small boxing community fraternity that once existed alive again in the Bahamas,” he stressed. “Those fighters who are no longer fighting,

we can use them as coaches and officials.

“I think what Bahamian Sons and Backyard Rumble is going to do is build a platform for professionals and amateurs to fight and I’m committed to doing that in the future.”

Bahamian Sons and Backyard Rumble is headed by Williams’ wife, Kimberly. They are based out of Florida, but Williams said the plan is to have as many fights as possible in the Bahamas.

JAZZ Chisholm continues to garner international recognition and a season of milestones has one media house projecting his rise in the Arizona Diamondbacks at an accelerated pace.

Baseball America now projects Chisholm as the No.1 prospect in the Diamondbacks organisation.

SB Nation also profiled Chisholm as one of the hidden prospect gems of the California League last season, while MLB Pipeline profiled the relationship between he and Lucius Fox, the Tampa Bay Rays No.9 prospect, on their rise to the majors.

“I’m definitely going to be the next big leaguer from the Bahamas,” Chisholm told MLB.com.

“No question.”

The newest signee to RocNation Sports, Chisholm’s season of accolades followed an injury-shortened 2017.

The 20-year-old shortstop had a postseason of accolades recognised twice by the Diamondbacks as its Minor League Player of the Year and named an organisational All-Star.

He spent the season between the Single-A Kane County Cougars and the Single-A Advanced Visalia Rawhide.

On the season between two clubs, he hit .272 (124for-456)/.329 OBP/.513 SLG with 23 doubles, six triples, 25 home runs, 70 RBI, 39 walks, 17 stolen bases and 79 runs scored in 112 games A Midwest League midseason All-Star, Chisholm led all D-backs farm system

SEE PAGE 3

Splash brother Curry: Buddy is ‘a great shooter’

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE record-setting threepoint shooting display put on by the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings garnered league-wide attention and continues a season of milestones for our very own Chavanno “Buddy” Hield.

Warriors MVP point guard Stephen Curry, who has set his own share of three-point records, acknowledged Hield as one of the league’s elite shooters following their matchup at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on Saturday.

“He’s a great, great shooter, he showed that tonight and he’s consistently gotten better since his rookie year,” Curry said.

“He’s just confident, they got a lot of guys that can space the floor but Buddy shows how great of a shooter he is, so yeah, he’s got it.”

Golden State and Sacramento set an NBA record for combined three pointers with 41 makes from beyond the arc. Golden State shot 21 of 47 beyond the arc while

Sacramento was 20 of 36. The 20 three pointers were a franchise record for the Kings.

Curry scored 20 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter and had 10 3-pointers, and the Warriors held on to beat the Kings 127-123.

Hield scored 32 points on 12-21 shooting from the field, including a career high 8-13 from three.

“Everyone got everyone’s best shot. We came and played out at a high level we just couldn’t find a way to beat those boys, they’re tough,” Hield said. “We’re not too far from them, just a couple possessions off. They sense it, it’s going to come, might not be this year, maybe next year but it’s going to come.”

Hield had five threes in the third when Sacramento turned an 81-73 deficit into a 103-96 lead.

However, he had just a single field goal make in the fourth quarter.

“Klay is a great defender and the ball was moving for us on offence. [Justin Jackson] was hot and I didn’t need to shoot those same shots I did earlier,” Hield said. “When coach called a play for me Klay defended well so it’s all in the flow of the offence. KD

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (above left) and Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield, of the Bahamas, in action.

didn’t put up much shots in the fourth quarter either, I think it was three and he made all three.

Those guys are champions, they did what they do best.”

The Kings are currently ranked 10th in the Western Conference at 19-20. “They respect us, they know not to play with us like that, last game Durant and Klay didn’t start the fourth quarter but they all started the fourth in this game,” Hield said.

“It’s one of those games you want to compete in but you want to be on the winning side. We’re going to figure it out. I think everyone in the league knows we can compete.

“I think we’re a good team now but to be elite, we got to lock in and finish those possessions, get stops on defence and grind it out.

We have a good stretch coming up. No disrespect to no teams in the NBA but these are games we have to win.”

The third-year guard continues to post career numbers at 20.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Tuesday, January 8, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMAS ASSOCIATION OF ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS ODD DISTANCE TRACK & FIELD MEET

ON TRACK: Athletes compete in the Odd Distance meet - the first event on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) calendar - at the Thomas A Robinson national stadium on Saturday. The meet, which enables competitors to run different events such as the 75, 150, 300, 500, 600 and 1,200 metres on the track and use a shorter approach or standing positions for the jumping and throwing events, will be a benchmark for the BAAA programme this year.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 8, 2019, PAGE 3

Cowboy Nation! I almost forgot how victory feels in the playoffs I MUST admit, I enjoyed my Dallas Cowboys NFC Wild Card game victory against the Seattle Seahawks.

I haven’t had that playoff victory feeling in a long while, I almost forgot how good it felt. (And it had nothing to do with Jack Daniels at all).

To make things even better, the Cowboys exorcised playoff demons from a decade ago. Demons conjured up by these very same Seahawks in Seattle, with the help of the officials.

Ironically the same referee, Walt Anderson from the ‘Romo fumble’ debacle

BASEBALL AMERICA: CHISHOLM IS THE NO.1 D-BACKS PROSPECT FROM PAGE 1 players in home runs, and ranked among the leaders in runs (3rd), triples (T-5th), RBI (7th), slugging pct. (8th) and walks (T-9th). He then went to the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.

In 11 games, Chisholm, 20, hit .442 for Salt River with a .489 OBP, an 1.257 OPS in 11 games.

Chisholm had 19 hits, including one triple, three doubles, three home runs, collected nine RBIs, seven stolen bases and 12 runs scored.

The Arizona Fall League attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL. Most are Double-A and Triple-A players.

The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives who are in attendance at almost every game.

The league featured 17 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, 10 in the Top 50.

Overall, there were more than 80 members of the respective teams top 30 lists participated in the six-week league.

Approximately 60 per cent of all AFL participants have reached the major leagues. The league has produced 278 All-Stars, 17 Most Valuable Players, six Cy Young Award winners and 29 Rookies of the Year.

THE

PRESS BOX AZELAYA

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENIC

in Seattle a decade ago, was blowing the whistle this past Saturday in Dallas as well.

Everything has come full circle I guess !

Sadly by Sunday morning, reality had sunk in.

By going 7-1 over the last eight regular season games, and winning the NFC East for the third time in five years, so much to my chagrin, embattled head coach Jason Garrett, the much maligned, bland, straight laced, always under fire from the critics, (and in most cases deservedly so) Jason Garrett, who’s been roasting on the ‘hot seat’ since last season, appears to be safe job wise for another season.

Regardless of how the Cowboys fare the rest of the way, I’m convinced OC Scott Linehan will be fired.

With a bevy of offensive-minded head coaches recently fired around the NFL, along with several free agent offensive coordinators on the open market, it gives the Cowboys several viable options to upgrade the coaching staff.

What scares me the most is that the Cowboys will lose defensive backs and passing game coordinator Kris Richard.

Richard has already interviewed three times post game, with the Bucs, Jets and Dolphins!

Please ‘Karma’ don’t do me like that, don’t let coach Richard end up somewhere

else next season, especially in Miami.

The Cowboys’ defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator has become a hot name across the league with eight head coaching jobs available.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones was asked Monday to predict if Richard will still be with the Cowboys next season.

“I’ll tell you what, you just don’t know,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan’s G-Bag Nation show [KRLD-FM].

“No one thinks more of Kris than our organisation.

He’s done just a tremendous job this year, of stepping up and working with [defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli] in a great way. I think he’s proved he can certainly work in any environment.”

“He’s got all the qualities you look for in a head coach.”

Jones was then asked how creative the Cowboys will get to try to keep Richard on their coaching staff.

“That’s difficult,” he responded. “Jason is a young coach, and we’re having a lot of success.

Sometimes when we had coach Parcells and even Wade Phillips for that matter, they were older coaches that were winding down their careers, so there was a light at the end of the tunnel.”

THE DALLAS Cowboys Cheerleaders perform during the NFC wild-card NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) “Obviously with Jason being young, that becomes more difficult. But obviously we’d love to keep Kris, but I’m sure it’s just going to depend on the opportunity, and certainly we’ll sit down and discuss those things. But right now, our focus is on beating the

Rams. We’ll certainly cross that bridge when the time comes.”

So keep your fingers and toes crossed Cowboy nation, this could be long.

Because sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win!

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1.

Splash brother Stephen Curry: Buddy Hield is ‘a great shooter’ FROM PAGE 1 “I’m ok, not where I want to be but I always think there’s more I can do. I put pressure on myself to be the best I can be. The franchise trusts me to go out there and score the basketball, that’s my job,” Hield said.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger said Hield continues to be one of the catalysts of the Sacramento offence thus far.

“He’s playing well and kept us in some games lately until we get going or find some other scoring.

He’s been terrific, really

excited about the growth he showed,” Joerger said.

“We’d love to find a way to get him to the foul line a couple times but I can’t find fault in much of anything.

He’s competing at a higher level defensively which is impressive to me, playing with the pass more and trusting his teammates.”

On the prospects of facing the Warriors in a first-round matchup, Hield was intrigued at the possibilities.

“It would be dope, we’ve got to get there first though,” he said. “We’ve got to win some more games for that.”

KINGS guard Buddy Hield, left, and Warriors forward Kevin Durant, right, battle for the ball in the second half on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

PAGE 4, Tuesday, January 8, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Inaugural ‘Walk It Off’ race was a success THE inaugural ANOO/Sports Institute Fellowship’s 2019 “Walk It Off” Race, held Saturday at R.M. Bailey Park, was termed a success.

The early morning riser started at the park and travelled east to the East-West Highway and continued west on East Street, north to Robinson Road and continued east to the finish line at the park.

There were two categories with Z. Eve Maycock-Dorsett and Douglas Palacious coming across the finish line as the first female and male runners in the run.

The overall winners in the walk were Jennifer Edgar-Joseph and David Prabhu in the women’s and men’s divisions respectively.

ANOO president Clinton Minnis said the event was the first of its kind for their newly formed association, which is geared to providing events such as this, along with the Sports Institute Fellowship, to bring the community together in a positive and social atmosphere.

ANOO used the event to provide some financial assistance to the Bahamas Diabetic Association.

BDA’s president Eugene Thurston said he was grateful for the gesture and he was even more appreciative of the many persons who came out and supported the event.

Commonwealth Drugs served as a major sponsor for the event and they had representatives on hand who provided gift items for all of the participants.

At the end of the event, the participants had a chance to engage in a physical fitness routine that was provided by fitness guru Craig ‘Magic’ Walkine. A wide range of Bahamians participated in the event, including Leslie Miller and Rev James Palacious.

Miller said because of the charitable gesture by ANOO and Minnis, his former rival negotiator for Bahamas Power and Light, he had to participate. Minnis indicated that ANOO and the SFI intends to make the event an annual one.

LESLIE Miller gets his medal from Clinton Minnis and Eugene Thurston.

WALK It Off Run winners Z Eve Maycock-Dorsett and Douglas Palacious pose bove with their medals and plaques.

DAVID Prabhu is congratulated by Clinton Minnis and Eugene Thurston.

• Below is a look at the top three finishers in the various age groups:

FATHER James Palacious is flanked

by Clinton Minnis and Eugene Thurston.

WALKERS Women 15-and-under 1. Nya Walker Women 20-and-under 1. Aneka Minnis 2. Charisma Minnis Women 30-and-under 1. Precious Farquharson 2. Brickell Coerbell 3. Tiann Coerbell

TREVOR Brice gets his award from Clinton Minnis and Eugene Thurston.

Women 40-and-under 1. Latoya Haynes 2. Bardemira Montero 3. Khira Dillet Women 50-and-under 1. Jennifer Edgar-Joseph 2. Quatoria Walker Women Over-50 1. Michelle Munroe 2. Elsine McIntosh 3. Margaret Daxon Women Over-60 1. Marva Russell-Minns 2. Verna McIntosh 3. Deborah Zonicle

RUNNERS Woman 15-and-under 1. D’Narjae Whyte JERMAINE Dawkins receives his award from Clinton Minnis and Eugene Thurston..jpg Men 15-and-under 1. Trent Edwards 2. Akiem Johnson

MICHELLE Munroe is flanked by Clinton Minnis and Eugene Thurston.

Men 50-and-under 1. David Prabhu

Men 30-and-under 1. Jarrette Stubbs

Men 60-and-over 1. Father James Palacious 2. Collin Thompson 3. Collin Dawkins

Men 40-and-under 1. Jermaine Dawkins

Men 70-and-over 1. Leslie Miller

Women 20-and-under 1. Justinique Greene 2. Stevenique Taylor Women Over 50 1. Z. Eve Mycock-Dorsett 2. Cindy Moss Men 30-and-under 1. Douglas Palacious Men 50-and-over 1. Trevor Brice

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Tuesday, January 8, 2019, PAGE 5

Mahomes ready for postseason debut against Colts

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t draft Patrick Mahomes merely to make the playoffs.

Matt Cassel accomplished that, and quarterbacks Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac, Trent Green and Alex Smith went one better by making it to the divisional round. Smith even won a wild-card game, the first playoff victory by the long-suffering Chiefs since Joe Montana led them to the AFC title game in the 1993 season.

No, the Chiefs didn’t trade up to select Mahomes just to make the playoffs.

They did it to win in the playoffs.

Now, Mahomes gets his first chance when the firstyear starter leads the AFC West champions against the Colts — their longtime playoff nemesis — on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Win and the young AllPro quarterback has the Chiefs one game away from playing in the Super

Bowl, lose and Mahomes has to wait a full year to get another crack at wiping away the stink of all those playoff failures.

“A playoff run in general would mean a ton to everyone in this community, including us. I know the history,” Mahomes said, “but at the same time, we are a different generation.”

That may be true, but he was on the sideline last season for the latest postseason letdown.

Mahomes was given his freshman season to learn the ropes under Smith, who ended a streak of eight straight playoff defeats by beating Houston in the wild-card round in January 2016. But they lost the following week at New England to end their playoff run, then lost at home to the Steelers in the divisional round in 2017 and blew a big lead against the Titans in the wild-card round a year ago.

Three defeats after that rarest of playoff wins.

The sting has been even more brutal at home, where the Colts have won just as many playoff games as

KANSAS City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a touchdown pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, unseen, during the second half against the Oakland Raiders. Mahomes made The Associated Press 2018 NFL All-Pro Team on January 4.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) the Chiefs (two apiece) over the years. Both of the Chiefs’ wins were in the wild-card round.

They’ve never won a home playoff game in the divisional round or beyond.

Yet if there’s any reason to believe that stretch of futility will end Saturday, it just may be the optimistic kid with the big arm and curly Mohawk. Bono,

Grbac and the rest never put up the kind of numbers that Mahomes has this season, nor did they engender the same kind of confidence in their teams.

Mahomes exudes poise.

And the rest of the Chiefs can feel it.

“It’s the way he plays,” Chiefs centre Mitch Morse said recently. “Not only his talent, which is uncanny,

but the way he prepares, the way he conducts himself in the huddle, and then the guy has got a swagger about him that’s infectious.”

There is no denying this is a new experience, though.

Mahomes only played in one bowl game in three seasons at Texas Tech, much less an NFL playoff game with the entire football world watching.

“So far I haven’t seen anything that’s too big for Pat. I’m not even worried about that,” coach Andy Reid said yesterday, just before the Chiefs resumed practicing following a wellearned week off.

“He’s going to get himself ready, just like he does every week, to play against a good football team,” Reid said. “But I don’t think he’s wired the other way. I’m not predicting anything, I’m just telling you, matter of fact, how he’s wired, how he goes about his business.”

That doesn’t mean Reid hasn’t pulled him aside for a few extra chats.

“Everything is a little faster in the playoffs. That’s how things go,” Reid said.

“At the same time, he has

to be himself and continue to lead and play like he has been doing. I don’t think he will have a problem with that. I think he understands that. He is wired the right way to handle all of it.”

Mahomes said he’s chatted with Smith about his postseason experience, and he’s soaked up what he can from the veterans in his locker room.

Defensive back Ron Parker, linebacker Justin Houston and fullback Anthony Sherman are among those who have been part of several postseason letdowns.

As they take the field with Mahomes on Saturday, they have a chance to scribble over that history.

“I mean, we are definitely ready. We know what it’s going to take,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to take a full effort from everyone, every single day, to the game and hopefully on. We know that you have to capitalize on every single play.

You can’t let one play get you down for the next. The next play is the most important play. We are excited we get the chance to do that.”

REIGNING SUPER BOWL CHAMPION EAGLES AREN’T DONE YET

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — When the Philadelphia Eagles gather around their coach in the locker room after each win, Doug Pederson yells: “We’re not done yet.”

The defending Super Bowl champions were written off after a 48-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints dropped their record to 4-6 in November.

They responded with two wins before an overtime loss to Dallas knocked them out of contention for a division title. But backup quarterback Nick Foles has led the Eagles to four straight wins, including a 16-15 comeback

victory over Chicago in an NFC wild-card game.

Now, the Eagles (10-7) are heading back to New Orleans to face the Saints (13-3) in a divisional playoff game on Sunday.

“We hear disrespect. We listen.

It’s hard not to hear. A bunch of talking heads said we were done,” defensive end Chris Long said after Philadelphia upset the Bears. “I heard somebody say we needed to start worrying about losing games so we can get a higher draft pick, somebody that gets paid a lot of money.

And that’s fine. People are wrong sometimes. Not everybody knows what is going on. We’re a tough team and the chips have been down for us before.”

The Eagles are in a familiar role as playoff underdogs, but they have a much tougher road this time around as they try to become the third No. 6 seed to win the Super Bowl.

Last season, the Eagles entered as the No. 1 seed. They were underdogs in every game because they were missing starting quarterback Carson Wentz.

They’ve been in playoff mode for a month now after Wentz went down with a back injury. They had to win three straight games, including consecutive wins over the playoff-bound Rams and Texans, and get help — the Bears defeating the Vikings in Week 17 — to reach the playoffs. Then they had to rally against the stingiest

defence in the NFL, taking a onepoint lead over the Bears when Foles tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate on fourth down with 56 seconds remaining.

The victory was secured when Treyvon Hester tipped Cody Parkey’s 43-yard field-goal attempt and the ball hit the left upright and then the crossbar.

“We keep winning. We keep putting ourselves in a position to be successful,” Pederson said yesterday.

A rematch against the Saints was difficult to imagine when the Eagles left New Orleans November 18. Wentz had the worst game of his career and Drew Brees dominated an injury-depleted secondary. But the team never quit.

“Immediately after the game, you flush it and you’re moving on to the next week’s opponent,” Pederson said. “I think you just have to look at where we’ve come and what we’ve done,” Pederson said.

“Just the way this team has come together at the end of the season, to be counted out with even about three games to go. ...

This team believes in everything that we’re doing, and you saw it yesterday and we’re different.

“It’s a different mind-set. It’s a different football team. And we’re a different group than when we played New Orleans the first time, and we’re learning from it and obviously have been better since.”

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Tuesday, January 8, 2019, PAGE 7

Makeshift Liverpool team loses to Wolves 2-1 in FA Cup WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — A makeshift Liverpool team containing three teenagers making their senior debuts was beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in the third round of the FA Cup, with a 30-metre strike

by Ruben Neves sealing the win yesterday.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp showed where the competition ranked on the current English Premier League leaders’ list of priorities by leaving star forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino on the bench until the 70th minute, and they failed to have an impact after coming on.

“I changed a lot because I thought we had to, not because I wanted to,” said Klopp, who justified fielding a weakened team by saying some of key players were absent because of illness or “little problems.”

Klopp also used the wind as a reason for Liverpool’s below-par display at Molineux. Wolves went in front through striker Raul Jimenez in the 38th minute after James Milner lost possession in central midfield, but Liverpool equalised when Divock Origi scored from the edge of the area in the 51st.

Neves regained the lead for Wolves four minutes later, striking a low and fierce shot inside the near post past the initially unsighted Simon Mignolet.

Klopp started midfielders Rafael Camacho and

KLOPP (AP) Curtis Jones — aged 18 and 17, respectively — and sent on another debutant in 16-year-old Dutchman Ki-Jana Hoever in the sixth minute after centre back Dejan Lovren sustained a hamstring injury.

Hoever, at 16 years and 354 days, became the youngest Liverpool player in FA Cup history and the third-youngest player to make a senior appearance for the team.

Hoever’s introduction meant Liverpool played the majority of the match with a 16-year-old debutant and a Brazil midfielder, Fabinho, as its central-defensive partnership. “I am not sure what you all would have said if immediately from the beginning our centrehalf situation was Fabinho and Ki-Jana,” Klopp said.

WOLVERHAMPTON’s Raul Jimenez celebrates after he scores yesterday during the English FA Cup third round soccer match against Liverpool at the Molineux Stadium.

LIVERPOOL’S KI-JANA HOEVER, left, vies for the ball with Wolverhampton’s Diogo Jota.

(AP Photos/Rui Vieira)

“Then probably a few very smart people would tell me that I don’t respect the competition or whatever.”

Only in the second half did Liverpool find its stride at Molineux. Xherdan Shaqiri came closest to forcing a replay when he curled in a free kick that was tipped onto the post by Wolves goalkeeper John Ruddy.

Liverpool has won the competition seven times, but not since 2006. It leads the league by four points after 21 games and is through to the round of 16 in the Champions League, with those competitions Liverpool’s only chance of silverware this season.

Some of the momentum in its season might have been lost, with the defeat to Wolves coming four days

centre backs Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, was unsure about how long Lovren would be out.

WOLVERHAMPTON’S RUBEN NEVES, left, scores a goal. after a 2-1 loss at Manchester City — its first league defeat of the season. Klopp, who is without injured

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 57° F/14° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Partly sunny with a shower or two

Mainly clear

Sun and some clouds

Lots of sun; nice, less humid

Partly sunny and beautiful

Mostly sunny, turning more humid

High: 80°

Low: 71°

High: 80° Low: 68°

High: 75° Low: 65°

High: 76° Low: 68°

High: 79° Low: 69°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

86° F

77° F

82°-67° F

77°-63° F

76°-65° F

80°-70° F

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 60° F/16° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 70° F/21° C

4-8 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 79° F/26° C Low: 59° F/15° C

4-8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

W

FREEPORT

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 64° F/18° C

N

S

E

W

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 67° F/19° C

MIAMI

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 64° F/18° C

4-8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 71° F/22° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 81° F/27° C Low .................................................... 68° F/20° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 65° F/19° C Last year’s high ................................. 76° F/24° C Last year’s low ................................... 61° F/16° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 0.94” Normal year to date ..................................... 0.31”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 71° F/22° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 72° F/22° C

N

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

E

W

7-14 knots

S

6-12 knots

9:09 a.m.

9:28 p.m.

Low

Ht.(ft.)

2:49 a.m. -0.1 3:38 p.m. 0.0

Wednesday 9:46 a.m.

10:08 p.m.

2.7 2.1

3:28 a.m.

4:15 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Thursday

10:24 a.m.

10:50 p.m.

2.6 2.1

4:08 a.m.

4:53 p.m.

0.1 0.1

Friday

11:03 a.m.

11:34 p.m.

2.5 2.1

4:51 a.m.

5:31 p.m.

0.3 0.1

Saturday

11:45 a.m.

-----

2.3 -----

5:37 a.m.

6:12 p.m.

0.4 0.2

Sunday

12:21 a.m.

12:30 p.m.

2.2 2.2

6:29 a.m.

6:56 p.m.

0.5 0.1

Monday

1:13 a.m.

1:21 p.m.

2.2 2.1

7:26 a.m.

7:44 p.m.

0.5 0.1

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:56 a.m.

5:37 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:47 a.m.

8:00 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Jan. 14

Jan. 21

Jan. 27

Feb. 4

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 71° F/22° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

7-14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 80° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Shown is today’s

H

Ht.(ft.)

2.8 2.1

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 74° F/23° C

N

S

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

uV inDex toDay

CAT ISLAND

E

W

“I asked everybody, no signs, nothing, just out of the blue,” Klopp said of Lovren’s injury.

weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 79° F/26° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 76° F/24° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

7-14 knots

7-14 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS E at 4-8 Knots WNW at 7-14 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots NNW at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots WSW at 4-8 Knots E at 7-14 Knots SSE at 4-8 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots NNW at 6-12 Knots N at 5-10 Knots NW at 7-14 Knots E at 6-12 Knots NW at 6-12 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 4-8 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots SSW at 4-8 Knots E at 8-16 Knots S at 6-12 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots NNW at 7-14 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots N at 3-6 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 77° F 77° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 77° F 77° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 77° F 77° F 80° F 80° F 78° F 78° F

PAGE 8, Tuesday, January 8, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

CLEMSON players celebrate after last night’s NCAA college football playoff championship game against Alabama. Clemson beat Alabama 44-16.

(AP Photo/David J Phillip)

Orange Crush: Clemson topples No. 1 ‘Bama for national title

By RALPH D RUSSO AP College Football Writer SANTA CLARA, California (AP) — With stunning ease — and a freshman quarterback — Clemson toppled college football’s greatest dynasty again to become the first perfect playoff champion.

Trevor Lawrence passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and the second-ranked Tigers beat No. 1 Alabama 44-16 last night in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

In the fourth consecutive playoff meeting between the Tigers and Tide, Clemson evened the series and beat ‘Bama for the national championship for the second time in three seasons.

Clemson is the first team in the

AP poll era, dating back to 1936, to finish 15-0.

Coach Nick Saban and the Tide (14-1) were looking for a sixth national championship in 10 years, trying to add to an already unprecedented run in the sport. Instead, Clemson crushed Alabama, becoming the first opponent to beat the Tide by more than 14 points since Saban became coach in 2007.

Coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers sealed their status as a superpower, no longer just 1A to Alabama’s 1.

Two seasons ago it was Deshaun Watson dethroning the Tide with a last-second touchdown pass.

Clemson’s new star quarterback didn’t need the late-game heroics. The long-haired Lawrence cut though Alabama’s defence

CLEMSON’s Trevor Lawrence celebrates after the game.

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

with the help of another fabulous freshman. Justyn Ross made a juggling grab, a one-handed snare and broke a 74-yard touchdown about midway through the third quarter that made it 37-16 and had Swinney high-stepping down the sidelines.

Ross, who scored two touchdowns in the semi-final rout of Notre Dame, had six catches for 153 yards against his home-state team.

Swinney takes a different approach than Saban, running a more fun-loving programme than Alabama’s all-business organisation. But the results have been every bit as good. And on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, in a championship game played more than 2,000 miles away from Clemson’s South Carolina campus, the

Tigers were way too much for an Alabama team that had spent the season mauling its opposition by an average of 31 points per game.

Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa threw two crucial interceptions in the first half, the first returned 44 yards for a touchdown by A.J. Terrell to put Clemson up 7-0. The Tide came in scoring 48 points per game, but was shut out over the final 44 minutes by an opportunistic Clemson defence that stiffened in key spots.

Tagovailoa, the sophomore who came off the bench to win the championship game last year for the Tide, went 22 for 34 for 295 yards and two touchdowns.

The Heisman runner-up was also the second-best quarterback on the field in the championship game.