10B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIENDS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
were able to play together in the midfield at Kansas as well.
"That was amazing, because they're all really good soccer players," Hanley said.
Playing together from elementary school through college gives the two a unique perspective on each other's development as players.
"I think she's gotten more mature in goal and how she organizes the
team," Dolinsky said.
"She's my best friend. Nothing's going to change there."
Hanley, too, has seen Dolinsky change from a skinny young girl to a dominant soccer player.
JULIE HANLEY
Senior midfielder
"She's definitely the toughest player I've ever played with," Hanley said.
"I think they've evolved as soccer players, but also as young adults."
from both players' talent and leadership. He says the two captains are a major part of Kansas' early success this year.
Coach Francis has benefited
he said.
Contributed photo
However, the two seniors still see each other as the easygoing best friends they met years ago.
Even as the end of
"Pretty much we do the same stuff we did when we were 10 years old," Dolinsky said. "Nonsense, always."
Julie Hanley, left, and Monica Dolinsky pose for a photo as children. Hanley was in fourth grade and Dolinsky in third grade when this photo was taken. The two played on the same club team in Indiana before attending Kansas.
their college careers leaves their futures uncertain. Hanley said the relationship will still remain.
"She's my best friend," she said,
"Nothing's going to change there."
Edited by Sarah Kelly
Weston White/KANSAN
**wetland wall/kKKKK**
Senior defensive end Maxwell Onygubele breaks through the Duke offensive line to sack quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. Onygubele had tackles, one 48 yard interception return for a touchdown and one gank for an eight yard loss.
comfortable along the defensive line — something teammates say is evident in the way he plays now.
ONYEGBULE
(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"Once you know the plays and you just have the defense down," defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey said, "you can go out there and just play instead of worrying about 'What am I going to do on this play?'"
Ongeguleb said defensive end is slowly becoming easier, but he insists there's still a lengthy improvement process ahead of him.
After Kansas' game against UTEP two weeks ago — and after he recorded six tackles and two sacks in that game alone Onyegule said he wasn't thoroughly impressed with his performance.
Sims agreed.
"Well, he saw the tape," Sims said, laughing. "We all did. And I'm not overly impressed with our performance. We can do better."
Edited by Alicia Banister
NFL
Rough season start for Rams' Avery
BY R.B. FALLSTROM
ST. LOUIS — It's two games and two turnovers for Donnie Avery, the St. Louis Rams' second-round pick last year. He realizes more than those who are making him the franchise's latest scapegoat that it's two too many.
Ball security suddenly has become an issue with a player expected to lead the team's thin and inexperienced wide receiver corps. His fumble at the Washington 5 in the fourth quarter last Sunday cost the Rams dearly in a 2-point loss, and he lost a fumble on a kickoff return to open the season.
Wednesday was a major relief for Avery, the better to begin redeeming himself.
"It was great to get back out there," Avery said. "I understand it's going to be a
practice
long week, but I just need to get ready"
"I guess you could say when it's good it's good, and when it's bad it's bad."
Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he hasn't lost confidence in Avery, the first wide receiver taken in the 2008 draft and coming off a 53-catch season that was only one off the franchise rookie record set by Eddie Kennison in 1996. So far, Avery has seven catches for 50 yards for a team that has managed only one touchdown in two games.
The Rams, who have dropped 12 in a row heading into Sunday's home opener against the Packers, need his breakaway speed.
"I know this and I've said it before: I love his heart, I love his grit, I love what he's all about," Spagnuolo said. "He'll be fine.
We're banking on him to be fine."
DONNIE AVERY
Rams wide receiver
Quarterback Marc Bulger said Avery was tough enough on himself after Sunday's loss without teammates piling on.
"We're going to need him for 14 more games, and he's too good of a player," Bulger said. "We can't let him get down, and he was back out there today looking great."
Thus far, Laurent Robinson has been Bulger's go-to wide receiver with 11 catches, a 12.8-yard average and the lone touchdown on a 2-yard fade route against the Redskins.
Avery made several big plays as a rookie, scoring his first touchdown on a 37-yard end around and had six catches for 169 yards including a 94-grab against
the Patriots. No fumbles, either.
"I guess you could say when it's good it's good, and when it's bad it's bad," said Avery, whose long gain this year is only 16 yards.
Avery got caught on a spin move on the kickoff return.
and hasn't returned one since, although Spagnuolo wouldn't say he'd been taken off special teams. The Rams signed return man Danny Amendola off the Eagles' practice squad Tuesday, and Amendola could fill both roles this week.
"It just depends on how quickly we can get him oiled up," Spagnuolo said. "Until we get to the end of the week, we don't really know."
Redskins safety Chris Horton put his helmet on the ball after Avery made a 4-yard reception to the Washington 9 early in the fourth quarter last week, and the Redskins recovered at the 7 to preserve a 9-7 lead that held up.
MLB
Royals make two late season moves
The Royals also placed left-hander Bruce Chen on the 60-day disabled list with a torn left oblique muscle.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Royals have selected the contract of right-hander Anthony Lerew from Double-A Northwest Arkansas and activated righty Juan Cruz from the disabled list.
The 26-year-old Lerew was called up to start Thursday against Boston with Kyle Davies (shoulder) and Dusty Hughes (elbow) still not healthy enough to pitch. Lerew was 10-6 with a 4.09 ERA in 27 starts for the Naturals.
Cleveland Browns' Brandon McDonald (22) knocks over Denver Broncos' Brandon Marshall (15) during the third quarter of a game Sunday.
Marshall spent most of spring recovering from hip surgery.
OLYMPICS Senior adviser meets with Tony Blair in NYC
Receiver returns to play after hip surgery
WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to the president is getting advice on Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid from a high-profile source.
An administration official says Valerie Jarrett met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in New York Tuesday. Blair helped secure the 2012 Olympics for London when he met with International Olympic Committee members in 2005.
NFL
Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Brandon Marshall insists he's comfortable with the Denver Broncos playbook and that his surgically repaired hip is no longer a concern.
The mercurial receiver said he doesn't know why he is not playing more yet he's willing to accept his role, whatever it may be.
"I think I'm good enough to be out there," Marshall said. "It doesn't matter what I think. All I can do is embrace it."
Marshall was more forthcoming Wednesday than he's been in a while, responding to questions rather than dodging them with clutches and one-liners.
"You guys can ask all the questions you want — you're all asking questions from a month ago," said Marshall, who did not participate in practice Wednesday due to a cold. "That's the past. Let's move forward. We're 2-0. The fans are happy. The players are happy. The coaches are happy. Everybody is happy. Every Denver Broncos fan is
Yet he made it clear he doesn't want to keep harping on his eventful offseason, when he asked for a trade and skipped almost all of the Broncos' workouts while rehabbing his hip, protesting his contract or serving a suspension for insubordination.
happy right now and I'm the same. A lot of good comes when you're winning."
Marshall, who made the Pro Bowl last season, spent most of the second quarter on the bench against Cleveland on Sunday, sporting a baseball cap and watching the offense move down the field without him. He played more in the second half after Eddie Royal needed an infusion of IV fluids at halftime.
Winning also helps mask frustration.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Marshall finished with three catches for 34 yards.
"Me being out there, not being out there as much as I used to be, it's something I have to get used to," Marshall said. "I've learned from trying to fight the system."
Marshall went as far as posting a farewell to Denver fans on his blog earlier this year after his agent, Kennard McGuire, said team owner Pat Bowlen had informed Marshall in a private meeting that he would try to accommodate his trade request.
Marshall had a tumultuous spring, missing most of the team's offseason workouts while rehabbing from hip surgery. He also was upset over the way the team diagnosed his injury and with his contract.
Marshall then boiled over in camp, batting down passes during drills, all of which was caught on film. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels suspended him for the last two games of the preseason for his petulant behavior.
Last season, Marshall was
"Brandon and I still have a ways to go," Orton said. "We're working on it and hopefully we find ways of getting him the ball."
While he leads the Broncos in receptions with seven so far, he's yet to really develop a rhythm with new quarterback Kyle Orton, who came over from Chicago in the Jay Cutler trade.
Although Marshall has yet to fully show off his separation skills on passing routes, he's adamant that
an integral part of the Broncos' offense, catching 104 passes for 1,265 yards.
"Last year, I played the whole year with a tear in my hip," he said. "This year it's fixed. I feel great. My body is as lean as it's ever been. Last year I was probably 10 percent (body fat). This year I'm 6. Eater, much healthier, ready to roll."
Last month, Marshall said he wasn't anywhere near learning the new offense, but he said Wednesday that no longer the case.
his hip is no longer a hindrance.
He said he's looking forward to matching up against Raiders Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on Sunday.
"I'm comfortable," he said. "The past two games, I've made two mistakes. That happens. You want to correct those to where you don't
make a mistake at all. I only made two mistakes in two games. I did that last year in the last offense."
Marshall didn't play in Oakland last season, missing the opener as he served a one-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
"He's a very smart player, athletically gifted," Marshall said. "He just fights every play."
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