4B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2002
JCCC teams hopeful for championship game
Kansas coaches say teams have a chance to make nationals despite early losses
The Associated Press
Dodge City — Two of the Jayhawk Community College Conference's nationally ranked teams may have lost season openers in non-conference play against unranked opponents last weekend, but some conference coaches said there was still a chance that a Kansas school would be the national champion.
In the past four seasons, Coffeyville and Butler County, ranked Nos. 11 and 17 in the
National JC Athletic Association's preseason top 20 poll, had a combined 6-1 record in season openers against non-conference teams.
But both schools took it on the chin last weekend. Coffeyville fell 27-14 to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, and Butler County lost 14-13 to Trinity Valley, Texas — its first loss in El Dorado since 1999.
The conference's top presseason ranking is Garden City at No. 4.
Last year, Butler County lost to Georgia Military 31-19 in the NJCAA championship game. Butler County's only other loss last season was at highly-regarded Garden City, but that was in game four of the season.
"A team with one loss now
almost has to run the table to win a national championship, but I sure don't think any of our coaches are looking that far ahead," said Coffeyville coach Jeff Leiker.
"When you open against two teams like we and Butler County did, you never know what is going to happen. Those teams may not have been ranked but, trust me, they are good."
Butler County coach Troy Morrell also cautioned against reading too much into the defeats.
"All this means is that the two teams that won are a little bit stronger than the Kansas teams are right now," Morrell said. "It's unfortunate that we both lost, but I still think that we have three
"it is going to be more difficult for us and Coffeyville now? Yes, but it can be done."
teams in our conference that can win the national championship
So, should JCCC teams contemplate starting the season a week later to get more preparation?
Coffeyville was also trying to work 20 new players into its system.
"I don't know about that, but I do know that our teams in Kansas are in the process of getting their rosters down to 55 players when the season opens." Leiker said. "Northeastern Oklahoma had 80 guys suited up."
Still, said Dodge City coach John Rosetti, it would better to lose now rather than later in the
"A team with one loss now almost has to run the table to win a national championship,but I sure don't think any of our coaches are looking that far ahead."
Jeff Leiker
Coffeyville football coach
season.
"Sure. it will hurt our teams in the national poll right now," he said. "But losing later in the season might cost you a national championship."
Missouri, Baylor coaches try to keep teams focused
The Associated Press
DALLAS — Football coaches always talk about trying to keep an even keel, never getting too high or too low. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and Baylor coach Kevin Steele are both facing that challenge this week, albeit on different ends of the spectrum.
Pinkel's Tigers must come down from the thrill of a 35-20 victory over Big Ten champion Illinois. Steele's Bears are trying to recover from the agony of a 70-22 loss to California that wasn't even close.
Had the Mizzou game been on campus instead of in St. Louis, the goalposts surely would've come down. Instead, the outpouring of enthusiasm has been through calls, e-mails and more.
"It's a bit overwhelming, kind of strange," said Pinkel, whose team went 4-7 last season, his first on campus. "Missouri fans are awesome — one of the reasons I
"Missouri fans are awsome, one of the reasons I came here. But it's only one game. That's all. We've got a long season and we're nowhere near where we need to be compete in this league."
Gary Pinkel
Missouri football coach
came here. But it's only one game.
That's all. We've got a long season
and we're nowhere near where
we need to be to compete in this
league."
some moments."
Pinkel had a laundry list of problems: Two fumbles in critical situations, not enough physical play at times and big plays allowed on defense. He called the kicking game "embarrassing at
Part of that is surely couchspeak aimed at keeping players from getting big heads. Just because their next three foes are Ball State, Bowling Green and Troy State, the Tigers will be in trouble if they start thinking about being 4-0 when they play Oklahoma.
"It's absurd to think we're going to be overconfident," said Pinkel, who certainly remembers losing 20-13 to Ball State at home in last season's opener. "To even talk about it is ridiculous. We're not even close to good enough to consider being that."
Baylor's problem is quite the opposite.
The Bears have won just 10 games since 1997 and have lost 29 straight league games. Any hope that things would be different this fall vanished when they trailed 7-0 just 20 seconds into the opener, then 35-0 before the first quarter ended.
It's Steele's job to lift their spirits. And he'll try, as soon as he lifts his own.
During Monday's conference call with reporters, Steele compared getting over the California debacle to dealing with a death in the family.
"You've got to get up and keep fighting," said Steele, who also said he was feeling frustrated, embarrassed, angry and "very sick of it."
"We're almost a nightmare," said Steele, 6-28 since taking over in 1999.
He said it's been an emotional time since the final gun sounded Saturday. At a film session Sunday, "the leadership of this team stepped forth like no other time since we've been here," he said.
"We've got good kids,good players, but dadgumit, we've got to win," Steele said. "That's the only thing that's going to get us to move forward."
ney has been in the same situation as Pinkel and Steele.
The Cyclones were perennial also-runs who were riding a 15-game winless skid when he started in 1995. After winning just six games his first three years, they've steadily improved the last four, winning nine games in 2000 and seven last season.
Iowa State coach Dan McCar
He recalls a 27-9 victory over rival Iowa, on the road in 1998, as a turning point.
It showed that ISU could put things together, even though it took two more seasons to do it consistently.
He said Missouri may one day look back at the Illinois game with the same reverence.
As for getting past a whipping like Baylor received. McCarney's suggestion came just shy of recommending burning the game film.
"The most important thing," he said, "is putting that thing behind you just as fast as you can.
Tackle won't be benched for arrest
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City tackle Willie Roaf, who was arrested over the weekend for allegedly driving under the influence, will face no disciplinary action by the Chiefs, coach Dick Vermei said Tuesday.
Roaf, a seven-time Pro Bowl performer with New Orleans now in his first season with the Chiefs, was stopped by police early Saturday.
"Willie and I talked about it (Monday).
"I don't really plan any discipline." Vermeil said at his weekly news conference.
"First off, it comes down from the league more so than us. I think the punishment for Willie is his own embarrassment. We talked to the whole squad about it ... in an NFL session. In some way, maybe a teammate let him down.
"If they sensed he had too much beer, they shouldn't have let him drive."
Vermeil said he had decided not to fine Roaf, the starting left tackle.
"Both Willie and I discussed it. I'm not a big fine guy.
"I think sometimes the greatest punishment is self," he said. "He's embarrassed about it."
In some instances, players who are guilty of driving under the influence are subject to more frequent testing by the league for drug and alcohol abuse.
"It will be determined by the outcome of the legal authorities, if the offense is ultimately a DUI or reckless driving or whatever," said Chiefs president Carl Peterson. The players were not available for comment yesterday.
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