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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
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Hurricane displaces Wilson's family
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
Wide receiver Johnathan Wilson has had more to think about than the tough 37-34 loss to South Florida on Friday night.
The Houston has been trying to get updates on his family's location and the status of their home after Hurricane Ike forced many to evacuate the city during the weekend.
"I told my mom to leave before the hurricane, but she's hard-headed and stayed at the house," Wilson said. "She said the winds were very high. They lost electricity and had some damage so they finally went and stayed with my grandparents for a few days about 45 minutes outside of Houston."
Widespread flooding was also a major problem.
"We have some flood damage," Wilson said. "The fence came down, the roof was kind of torn up, and something happened to some of the
Ike is estimated to be the costliest Atlantic hurricane since the 2005 storm season. Ike left almost all of Houston without power and brought winds of more than 100 miles per hour, which damaged houses and buildings across the city and inflicted about $27 billion in damages, according to the BBC.
windows, too. The lights came back on today so I think they are going to go home and take a look at everything."
In addition to Wilson, defensive end Jeff Wheeler and defensive end Patrick Dorsey both have Houston listed as their hometown on the team's roster. But coach Mark Mangino said none of the players' families appeared to have had any significant problems.
"There are several kids who have family in the area, but they are not suffering ill effects that we know of to this point," Mangino said. "We will brief them again and find out if there are any issues with their family and if there's any way that we can help out."
Wilson, who has 19 catches for 284 yards and two touchdowns on the season, said that it had been difficult to focus on football with the status of his family and his childhood home up in the air.
"It's in my mind," Wilson said. "I was trying to keep in touch with them, but most of the cell phones weren't working. I just try and keep in touch the best I can. I finally talked to my mom last night, and she texted me today saying that she's going back to the house so I feel a lot better. She said things are fine, so I trust her and I hope she's doing well."
- Edited by Mary Sorrick
Jon Goering/KANSAN
VOLLEYBALL
Players recoup after nonconference loss
Coach wants to improve team's rhythm, creativity in first conference match
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
JUNIOR middle blocker Paige Mazur makes a spike during a match against UMKC on Sept. 9. Last weekend, Mazur led the team in blocks and had her first career start against Cleveland State.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Along with Karina Garlington's staggering total of 51 kills last weekend during the Kansas' final nonconference match, another number stood out, smaller but was no less important: 11.
That was the total number of kills for junior middle blocker Paige Mazour, which eclipsed her entire career total heading into this season. Mazour has finally arrived, and she is ready to contribute just in time for Big 12 conference play, which starts at 7:30 tonight on the road against Colorado.
"All of us work hard every day, so we expect for it to pay off eventually," Mazour said. "I was just glad I got to help my team."
Mazour, who also led the team over the weekend with 1.2 blocks per game, earned her first career start against Cleveland State. She has been impressive enough in practices and workouts for coach Ray Bechard to give her an opportunity.
"Paige gives great effort each and every day," Bechard said. "That lends itself to opportunity. She deserves that opportunity, and she'll continue to contribute, I'm sure."
"She's got more confidence. She's in great shape." Bechard said "She has more physical tools offensively, more opportunities to score points offensively, and that's giving us some options."
Beachard specifically mentioned a number of things that helped Mazour crack the rotation last weekend.
It's the Jayhawks' offense that could use a boost from anyone who can step up, and Bechard said he hoped the Jayhawks could become more creative offensively and garner more rhythm throughout the course of a match.
To create that rhythm, Bechard wants the offense to swing on the first chance it gets, called a first-ball kill. Senior middle blocker Natalie Uhart understands what Bechard is asking for, and it was hard for the team to extensively watch the film after the loss to UAB Saturday.
"We watched film for about an hour and a half," Uhart said. "He picked it apart, and there's a lot of things we need to work on. It's everything — we need to work on everything."
"I think they'll do fine." Uhart said. "I think they got rid of their first game nervousness, and we're ready to get after it."
Beachard shared similar feelings with optimism and excitement. He said the Jayhawks, who played in Wyoming last weekend, were already used to the higher altitudes they'll be facing again tonight in Colorado. But Beachard said having early away games didn't matter.
Uhart said she wasn't concerned about her younger teammates' nerves or readiness with conference plav starting.
Colorado will be a challenging first test for Kansas. The Buffaloes started the season with an impressive 6-0, but they
"That means we got 10 at home and only nine left on the road." Bechard said.
Bechard said his team could fit in right behind the three premier teams of the conference: Nebraska, Texas and Kansas State. He said the difference between fourth and 10th was just "preparation and execution."
are now on a three-match losing streak, including a loss to now No. 11 Florida. They are in the same situation as the Jayhawks: looking to rebound from last season for a possible postseason birth.
And a victory tonight would get the Jayhawks off on the right note in conference play, something that Bechard would like to see as the schedule gets more challenging.
"The teams that can go fight, get victories on the road here and there and play well at home are going to have a chance to be in the upper levels," Bechard said. "So that's what we got to prepare for, and that's what we're looking to."
Edited by Lauren Keith
COMMENTARY
Chiefs start season by playing 'awful' football
awin is a win, and a loss is a loss
If you believe that, I've got a
five-year plan to get the Chiefs
to the Super Bowl I'd like to sell you
Sure, the loss column is checked just the same as it was the week prior, when Kansas City fell at Gillette Stadium. But this was much worse. It was a 23-8 loss at home to a rival team. Not just a rival, but a rival that's in turmoil. Before this weekend, it was probably the popular choice to be the worst team in the NFL this season.
It's also likely that, if you believe all losses are suffered equally, you did not bear witness to the Chiefs' monument to awful football that was erected Sunday against the Raiders.
Kansas City yielded 300 yards on the ground to Oakland. Rookie Darren McFadden had the lion's share of those yards, lacerating the hapless Chiefs defense as easily as if they were an FBS opponent and he was still at Arkansas. Sure, McFadden is talented. His ridiculous college numbers and sublime combine performance can attest to that. But the holes he had to run through were gaping. So gaping, that I'd venture McFadden could have driven his Escalade through several of them.
The scary thing is, it gets worse.
What makes that even more pathetic is the fact that quarterback Jamarcus Russell passed absolutely no threat to throw the ball. Of 17 attempts, Russell managed to complete only six for a grand total of 55 yards. He completed one pass to a wide receiver, an 11-yarder to Ashley Lelie. Simply put, Kansas City knew Oakland was going to run the football. Even on third and long, the Raiders entrusted either McFadden or Michael Bush with picking up the first down yardage (and they did, 14 times). Even with eight men in the box, the Chiefs couldn't get off the field or out of their own way.
As flimsy as the defense was, the offense was every bit as impotent.
Still without presumed quarterback of the future Brodie Coyle, Kansas City started the game with veteran Damon Huard under center. That's not so bad. Huard, despite looking less athletic than some fans in Arrowhead, is a reliable enough spot-starter. Or at least he is when he's on the field, which wasn't often on Sunday. Officially, he had some pain in
Not that it's all Thigpen's fault. For any quarterback, much less a young one from Coastal Carolina, to have success, he needs good pass protection and a solid running game. Thanks largely to Kansas City's porous offensive line, neither was provided. Thigpen was sacked five times, and the Chiefs managed only 55 yards rushing. In fact, old Unde Huard's 15-yard scramble was the Chiefs' longest run of the game. Let that sink in.
his neck. Unofficially, Herm Edwards and Chan Galey wanted to see what they had in Tyler Thiggen. As it turns out, they have another quarterback incapable of putting up even league average numbers
Sure, there are excuses. There always are when losses occur at the Truman Sports Complex, which is pretty often
That the Chiefs are a young rebuilding team usually tops that list. But let's not think that "young team" and "bad team" go hand-in-hand.
After all, Green Bay was the youngest team in the NFL last season, and they were a Brett Favre pick away from the Super Bowl. The next three youngest teams (the Colts, Giants and Cowboys) also made the playoffs. The Giants, of course, won it all.
Let's make this very clear: The Kansas City Chiefs are a young team — but first and foremost, they are a bad team
Worst of all, that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. Every other team in the AFC West is young, too. Denver stands at 2-0 and has its franchise quarterback. San Diego may have the same record as Kansas City, but it still has playoff talent. And then there are the Oakland Raiders. If you asked me on Saturday whether the Chiefs were closer to being competitive, and I'd say yes. If you asked me now, I'd ask whether you watched the game.
For your sake, I hope you didn't
c6
Edited by Brieun Scott