THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
SPORTS
3B
FOOTBALL(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Mike Gunna/KANSAN
Highland Park defensive line coach Justin Pessetto lines up against the Scots' offensive line during practice. Pessetto was a walk-on lineman for three seasons at Kansas.
made a new receiver repeat an agility drill until he fully committed to sprinting.
They want to toss aside the losing, and they see what it takes to do so.
He paused and smiled.
"I always wanted to be a part of changing something around," Washington said. "We're dealing with adversity, with not having the basics. We don't have enough balls for drills or enough helmets for everyone. We're dealing with that and getting through it. It's pretty sad to be honest but we don't talk about what we don't have."
"Good thing we don't have to share mouthpieces."
Highland Park junior Nate Gonzalez isn't practicing today — something about a missing physical form. So, instead, Gonzalez stands off to the side with his arms folded.
He's wearing loose khaki pants, a grey tank top and a gold chain. His braided hair dangles past his neck. Gonzalez looks like a football player. He's thick with broad, stocky shoulders.
"I was born loving football." Gonzalez said. "It's in my blood."
But there's more to Gonzalez's story than simply football. It is 5 p.m., two hours since the end of school. And Gonzalez chooses to be here, on the football field, even if he can't participate.
It doesn't sound like much, but Gonzalez knows. If he wasn't here, he could very well be somewhere he maybe shouldn't be.
He says football and its time commitment keep him away from those negative distractions.
"I come from a tough background," Gonzalez said. "That's why it's hard for me to get my cleats and stuff. I come from drugs and stuff like that. And my family doesn't make that much money so I try and help my family out because
I come from a big family."
That's evident in the decision Gonzalez had to make before the season: Get an afterschool job as his mother would prefer or continue spending
"This is their way out. It's the only way out of the streets for some of them."
offensive and defensive plays on the football field.
ERIC WASHINGTON Former KU linebacker
It's not a difficult decision for Gonzalez, who plays along the offensive line. Jobs and bosses will always be there. The chance to play football will not.
Plus, you don't get to legally hit someone in the business world.
At Highland Park, roughly one in three households make less than $30,000 per year, according to schoolmatters.com. Academically only 54.8 percent of Highland Park's students are reading at a
"It makes you think more clearly than school does," Gonzalez said. "You can be mad at the teacher one minute but when you're out on the field, you take it out on the person who is running the ball. Instead of being on the streets slinging and stuff, I can just be here putting my head in the books and playing football."
proficient level.
By comparison, Lawrence High School has a 77.5 percent proficiency level in reading.
Football, especially this year, trainer Bob Rusche said, provides students with a distraction from the numbers and potential struggles of everyday life.
"For a lot of them, it's a release," Rusche said. "They can be out here and they can forget about their problems from the real world. But some of them can't come out because they have to have jobs or they have to help their own family out."
Before leaving practice, Gonzalez said something that was repeated by a handful of Highland Park players throughout the day. He said he wanted to play this year because he heard about the new coaching staff.
He wants to give them a chance.
Washington knows what
Highland Park's students are up
Washington attended Crockett High School in Detroit's inner city. Crockett isn't known for its academic success, and it surely isn't known for playing host to wealthy students.
More than 41 percent of Crockett's current households make less than $30,000 per year.
During practice, Washington,
Highland Park's most vocal and
outwardly energetic coach, made
one point very clear: The circumstances in Detroit weren't a reason to ask for sympathy. Instead, it was his driving force to work even harder.
"This is their way out," Washington said. "It's the only way out of the streets for some of them. Go to practice, get tired and then go home.
Fieldsand Muhammed can relate, too. Fields grew up in Dallas' inner city while Muhammed attended high school in Kansas City, Kan. That's a big reason Muhammed was initially hired. Cathev said.
"A lot of these kids are starting to go to class. And my way out was to make sure I could stay eligible so I could play."
Standing behind teammates during a lineman drill, senior DJ Clark talks about the difference in
coaching this year, that he's learned more in the early portion of this season than throughout the rest of his career.
Then, something sticks out. He's wearing a pair of shorts from Shawnee Mission West High School in Shawnee. They are an old pair of Lawrence's.
"They make us feel like we're welcome," Clark said. "They treat us like we matter. They treat us like we're one of their kids."
Highland Park is 0-3 this season. The Scots' starting quarterback broke his right hand last Friday and Clark, one of the team's best defenders, didn't play in the loss because of an injury.
Still, tucked somewhere between the drills and practices, there's a sense of optimism floating around the football fields at Highland Park these days.
"If you have the right coaches and the right people who know what it takes, football can change anyone's life," Fields said. "Whether they're entering the real world or not they're going to have to be on time and follow rules. And that's what we're trying to do out here."
Edited by Amanda Thompson
Greinke first Royal to win 15 since 2002
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MLB
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Zack Greinke bolstered his Cy Young Award credentials by holding Boston to two hits in six scoreless innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Greinke is 3-0 with a 0.26 ERA in his past five starts, allowing 18 hits and one earned run in 35 innings. With the stingy stretch, Greinke has lowered his major league-leading ERA to 2.08.
Greinke (15-8) became the first Royals pitcher to win at least 15 games in a season since Paul Byrd won 17 in 2002.
Byrd (1-2) was the losing pitcher Tuesday.
Greinke's record likely would be more impressive if he had better run support. He has failed to earn a win in six starts in which he allowed none or one run.
Dustin Pedoria doubled in the first and Victor Martinez singled in the sixth, extending his hitting streak to 21 games, for the only hits against Greinke. Greinke walked three and struck out five, bringing his season total to 229, which is second in the American League.
MLB
The Red Sox scored their run without a hit in the eighth off Roman Colon, who walked Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia. After a double steal, Ellsbury scored on Martinez's grounder. Ellsbury tops the majors with 63 stolen bases.
Byrd settled down after the first, going 6 2-3 innings and not allowing another run. He yielded five runs on nine hits and four walks. Byrd exited in the seventh with the bases loaded after a single and two walks, but Mark Teahen fled out to center to end the inning.
Callaspo, who had three hits and a walk, singled home Mitch Maier with the second run of the inning.
Joakim Soria was summoned for final out after David Ortiz walked and Casey Kotchman reached on a Butler error. Soria logged his 28th save in 31 opportunities.
The Royals batted around in a five-run first, which included Alex Gordon's two-run, two-out single. The first five batters reached base off Byrd and all scored. Byrd walked Billy Butler and Mike Jacobs on eight straight balls. Jacobs walked with the bases loaded.
HOUSTON — Joel Pineiro allowed five hits in seven effective innings, Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals inched closer to the NL Central title on Tuesday night with an 11-2 win over the Houston Astros.
Colby Rasmus added a solo shot as the Cardinals reduced their magic number for clinching the division to two. Pineiro (15-11) struck out four and threw only 87 pitches to win for the first time in four starts.
Piniero shuts down Astros in Cardinals win
The Astros have dropped nine in a row, their longest skid since losing 10 straight in May 2007. Interim manager Dave Clark fell to 0-2 since replacing the fired Cecil Cooper on Monday.
Houston starter Yorman Bazardo (0-2) retired the first seven hitters he faced before walking Julio Lugo with one out in the third inning. Lugo advanced on Pineiro's bunt and scored on Skip Schumaker's single to center.
Rasmus walked before Schu-maker scored on Albert Pujols' single up the middle. With Matt Holliday batting, Pujols was caught in a rundown between first and second and Rasmus
Freshman David Roberts finishes the race at the Bob Timmons Invitational. Roberts is one of seven non-redshirt freshmen on this season's cross country team. He is also one of four freshman runners who have finished in the top seven among the Kansas runners.
scored for a 3-0 lead.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Bazardo gave up three more runs in the fourth and Clark brought in left-hander Wesley Wright to relieve.
RUNNERS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Miguel Tejada singled in the fourth and eventually scored on Geoff Blum's sacrifice fly to left. Pineiro struck out Hunter Pence and got Jeff Keppinger to ground out to end the inning.
it was a course I didn't know," Kilwein said.
The runners do have support within the team to make sure their adjustment, whether with workouts, races, or hills, is relatively smooth.
"I like everyone on the team," Farren said. "You can basically go to them for anything."
At Rim Rock, Kilwein was the first freshman to cross the finish line, but at Missouri her times went up by 20 seconds and she finished as the third freshman.
For these freshmen, knowing that they are Kansas runners makes the hard work worth it.
Edited by Samantha Foster
"It's about trying your best and representing myself as a KU Jayhawk," Kilwein said.
"You just learn from the past and get ready for the future," Kilwein said.
MLB
Votto shines as Reds beat up on Pirates
Pittsburgh (56-93) lost for the 21st time in 24 games, the Pirates' worst stretch since they lost 24 of 28 from July 13-Aug. 15, 1985.
St. Louis loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and stretched the lead to 7-1 when Rick Ankiel grounded into a double play.
Andrew McCutchen homered and had two RBIs and Garrett Jones and Lastings Milledge had three hits each for Pittsburgh, which has lost four straight, seven of eight and 12 of 14.
Johnny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez both went 2 for 4 for the Reds, who have won six of eight. All eight Cincinnati starting position players had at least one hit
PITTSBURGH — Scott Rollen had three hits and three RBis, Joey Votto had three doubles and scored three runs and the Cincinnati Reds beat Pittsburgh 10-4 on Tuesday night, clinching the Pirates' third straight lastplace finish in the NL Central.
Rasmus hit a solo homer, his 16th of the season, in the seventh off left-hander Timer Byrdak
streak.
Johnny Cueo (10-10) allowed two runs and nine hits in five innings to win his second consecutive decision following a six-game losing
Cincinnati got all the scoring it would need during a five-run fifth against starter Zach Duke that included Brandon Phillips' two-run single and RBI doubles by Votto and Rolen.
Paronto gave up a home run to DeRosa on Monday night.
McCutchen led off the first with a home run for the fourth time this season, hitting a 2-0 pitch into the seats down the left-field line for his 12th home run.
Ronny Cedeno drove in Milledge with a double in the fourth.
Other than the five-run fifth, Duke allowed only four baserunners in his other six innings but lost his fourth straight decision. The Pirates have lost nine of his past 10 starts.
Associated Press
Rolen and Jay Bruce had RBI hits in the eighth.
The Reds added three runs in the seventh against Donnie Veal and Chris Bootcheck when Rolen, Gomes and Juan Francisco had RBI singles.
Associated Press
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