Tell us your news:
Contact Levi Chronister or Jessica Tims at (785) 864-
kans8 or sports at kans8.com
SPORTS
7A
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2002
Andy Samuelson asamuelson@kansan.com
Season's start makes dreams come to life
Tomorrow might just be another football game in Ames, Iowa, but someone at Jack Trice Stadium might have a dream come true...
Maybe it'll be a 7-year-old Iowa, clinching in one hand his father while in the other he totes a "gosenecago.com" sign — promoting the Cyclones' Heisman hopeful quarterback Seneca Wallace.
It could very well be Kansas' freshman running back Clark Green, who plunges in the end zone for his first collegiate touchdown.
How about Jayhawk Harrison Hill? He won't play because of his career-ending chronic dehydration condition which left him heartbroken just weeks ago.
Same for Kansas offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro. It's hard not to have fun when you're going against your friends. Just last season Quartaro was wearing Iowa State colors.
Still, Hill surely will be the loudest cheerleader on the Kansas sideline, especially considering in his six years he's never left Ames with a victory.
Someone at the game will be thrilled to see his first college game.
But maybe no one else will experience the feeling Kansas coach Mark Mangino will. "Nope, nothing will replace Mangino's first game as coach."
Doesn't game as coach matter the score.
It could be a 49-0 loss, a 24-21 overtime win or even the improbable but not impossible 2-2 tie. C'mon, safeties happen.
Nope, nothing will replace Mangino's first game as coach.
"I haven't been thinking much about myself," he said. "We've been so busy in our preparation."
Of course, Mangino downplays any hoopla; he's a football coach. Pigskin is his passion. He always knew this was what he wanted to do.
He played the game in New Castle, Pa. and thoroughly enjoyed it. He knew he wouldn't play it forever, but he wanted to be a part of it.
Then he caught on at Youngstown State University and developed a little more.
Mangino began like all coaches. He coached high schools and loved it.
Then it was off to Geneva College for a little more tutelage. Then back to high school ranks, before Kansas State.
He really turned it on as a Wildcat assistant and then made a name for himself at Oklahoma.
Now his family will watch him make the calls,watch him win or lose and watch him try to rebuild a program.
"My faithful family members: my brother, sister and mother will be there," he said casually. "I think when Saturday rolls around I'll realize that this is my first game as head coach, but it doesn't have any bearing on our team."
Tomorrow Mangino's dream comes true.
Yeah it does.
Samuleson is a Wichita junior in journalism.
Check out Samuleson's column online.
kansan.com
John Nowak/Kansan
Freshman wide receiver Charles Gordon and junior defensive back Bobby Birhiray scrimmage in practice. The Jayhawks begin their season Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa, against the Iowa State Cyclones.
Mangino era begins
By Ryan Malashock
Kansan sportswriter
If Mark Mangino's goal was to enter his first game as Kansas football coach leaving Jayhawk football fans in a state of confused anticipation, he certainly succeeded.
Since his arrival Dec. 4, Mangino has kept a mum cloud above the Kansas football team. Practices — for the most part — have been closed to the media and general public. Injuries are rarely discussed. Schemes have been deemed off limits. Mangino has said the private approach was his way of keeping his players focused.
Well, there's no more hiding. Tomorrow, the end result of the secrecy will be revealed.
At 11:30 a.m. in Jack Trice Stadium, Kansas opens its season, as well as its Big 12 Conference season, against Iowa State, a team with one more game of experience than the Jayhawks a tough 38-31 defeat to then No. 3 Florida State.
Despite his efforts to keep those outside of the program clueless, Mangino sees no advantage in not having played a game, whereas Iowa State has seen action.
"There's no advantage in that for us," Mangino said. "Obviously, they have a game under their belt and the most
improvement college football teams make usually is from the first game to the second game. Our players are just tired of hitting each other in practice and are ready to play in a game."
Ready or not, the Jayhawks will take on an Iowa State team that should present the stiffest opening test in recent memory. With just eight returning starters, a new coaching staff, a new game plan and the loss of receiver Harrison Hill, a competitive first game may seem to be a preposterous possibility. Not so, says recently-anointed starting quarterback Zach Dyer.
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 10A
'Hawks host kids' clinic, look ahead
Kansan sportswriter
By Nikki Overfelt
The members of the KU soccer team took time out of their schedules to play soccer with kids last night. The team hosted a one-hour, free clinic that was open to all kids in Kindergarten through eighth grade.
Coach Mark Francis said he was pleased with how the clinic went. He said about 70 to 80 kids participated.
Brianna Valento, senior defender and co-captain, was also happy with the outcome of the clinic.
"It went well," she said. "A lot of the same kids come out each year. I think they enjoy it."
Lindsay Hunting, senior midfielder and co-captain, agreed.
but today the team will not be playing just for fun. KU opens its season today against the University of Nevada Las
"We have a good group of kids that come out to all the camps," she said.
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 10A
Stacy Leeper, Overland Park sophomore, advises two players of the future. The women's soccer team held a free clinic yesterday at SuperTarget Field.
Jared Soares/Kansan
Cyclones remain confident
By Doyle Murphy
Kansan sportswriter
A last second goal line stand by then third-ranked Florida State left Iowa State without a win, but not without the respect of Big 12 coaches and players.
Florida State took advantage of early Iowa State turnovers and raced to a 24-0 first-half lead in the Eddie Robinson Classic last weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. A rapid Iowa State comeback ended when quarterback Seneca Wallace was ruled out of bounds just short of the end zone, and could not score on the following, and final, play.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino said the way Iowa State came back against Florida State was indicative of the type of team they were.
"It says that they have built their program with a solid foundation, that their kids believe in one another, and that they play hard all the time," Mangino said.
If Iowa State hopes to continue their success, they will have to make their way through a schedule that includes five Associated Press Top Ten teams. But that does not mean the Cyclones will look past Kansas, McCarney said.
He said Iowa State coach Dan McCarney deserved the credit for Cyclones' strong play. McCarney led Iowa State to a 16-8 record and bowl appearances in the last two seasons.
"He's the best playmaker we have on this football team period," McCarney said.
McCarney said if they did win, he expected his senior leader, Wallace, to play a large role.
Mangino said Kansas would try to contain Wallace with strong gap defense, but he said he did not know of a team that could stop him. Wallace threw for 313 yards in the 38-31 loss to Florida State. Fans can expect the same kind of performance from Wallace all season. McCarney said.
Kansas will also be on the lookout for junior tailback Hiawatha Rutland when they travel to Ames, Iowa, this Saturday, Mangino said. Rutland rushed for 93 yards on 17 carries, including a 36-yard touchdown run against the Seminoles.
Mangino said that although he and his staff got the chance to review tapes of Iowa State's first game, having game experience was definitely an advantage for the Cyclones.
He said that ISU had an advantage because a college football team made the most improvement between it's first and second games.
But McCarney said that wouldn't make him sleep any easier.
"It's a huge advantage for Kansas. They've seen our plays, they've seen our systems. We don't know anything about them. They have a new coach, a new system. It's a little bit unsettling to know that." McCarney said.
Contact Murphy at dmurphy@kansan.com. This story was edited by Matt Norton.
Volleyball team to open season against Creighton
By Jason Hwang
Kansan sportswriter
Opening the 2002 season at a high school isn't exactly ideal, but the Kansas volleyball team hopes the result of the game will be exemplary.
Under coach Ray Bechard, the Jayhawks have been perfect so far in season openers, going 4-0 since 1998. They hope to continue that streak tomorrow against Creighton at Omaha South High School.
Bechard said that any positive morale created during the nonconference season was a must to prepare the
squad for Big 12 Conference competition.
"Any momentum we can carry into Big 12 play would be valuable and the first step for us is at Creighton this Saturday." Bechard said.
Kylie Thomas, senior middle blocker, said winning the first game was crucial after the team had been playing against itself at practice.
"We are excited to play someone other than ourselves," Thomas said. "It's very important to win the first game to set the tone for the rest of the year."
Kansas returns five starters, including last year's top six kill leaders, top four
blockers and top four defenders.
Junior outside hitter Sarah Rome led the squad last year in kills (398), kills per game (3.9) service aces (39) and digs (284). She had double-digit kill totals in 21 of 31 matches last year, including 10 of the last 11 contests.
Through the two-a-day practices and Saturday's Crimson/Blue Scrimmage, Bechard and his assistant coaches have been doing a lot of evaluating, including the search for a starting setter.
The position was vacated by the graduation of Molly LaMere last season. Bechard said freshman Andi Rozum would probably start this Saturday but
sophomore Ashley Bechard, the coach's daughter, would get an opportunity to play.
Although the season opener is an official match, Bechard said he would still use it to assess his players as he did at Saturday's scrimmage.
"We hope to give a lot of people a chance to play, so we can do a lot of evaluation," Bechard said. "We hope that a lot of the things we've been working on technically will be in place."
Contact Hwang at jhwang@kansan.com This story was edited by Amy Schmitz.
---