FOOTBALL
Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips returns to practice amid protest. Page 5B.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1995
High school football is scandal-free
SECTION B
With all the corruption, scandal and hidden secrets in college and professional football these days, it's good to know there is one level of the game that is relatively safe — high school.
That thought was on my mind after I grabbed a piece of the stadium blanket and settled in to watch Liberal High School and Goddard High School square off Friday night at Redskin Field in Liberal.
All deep thoughts and analysis aside, I had a good time. The Redskins, who are the defending Class 5A state champions, were much more fun to watch than my high school team. During my senior
year in Louisiana, the mighty Rebels of Lee High School finished 1-9.
ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
The game began on a high note, as the Goddard Lions kicked off, and the Redskins scored on the opening drive. The Redskins dominated the game, cruising to a 47-14 win.
I was espe-
cically impressed by several of the Liberal players who played on both offense and defense. Being able to do that takes both strength and endurance.
But the best part of being there wasn't the easy victory or the fact that I didn't have to pay for my ticket. I relished in the fact that the 100 or so players on both teams were playing for the love of the game and nothing else. They don't receive scholarships or salaries for their work. All a high school kid gets in return is a letter jacket and lots of memories.
The crowd, which represented a cross section of parents, grandparents, students and local supporters, also was enjoyable. Aside from the crowd occasionally yelling at officials, the barbs and insults I hear during a Kansas game at Memorial Stadium were absent.
It was strange not to be subjected to "You suck, Mason!" and the always popular, "Where's the defense?" Such insults are usually hurled by clueless fans, who don't realize why they're wrong. Let me explain.
1. Most of the offensive plays are selected by Kansas offensive coordinator Golden Pat Ruel and not Mason.
2. The Jayhawk defense is arguably the best it has been in the Mason era, thanks to Kansas defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.
Those sort of things weren't said Friday night. At least I didn't hear them anyway.
I think since most of the people in the stands were friends and family, they still love the players no matter what happens on the field.
By the second half, talk in the bleachers shifted from the game to the poor placement of the new scoreboard that was set up the week before, and how the Kansas and Kansas State football teams would do the next day. But the spirit was still there after every touchdown or big play. I found it interesting that, although a few fans left early, many stayed to the end — despite the fact that the game was decided at halftime.
Not only is Liberal a solid team, but it's disciplined as well. When two of the team's key players were involved in a fight earlier in the week, they were suspended from the game.
Sometimes college and professional coaches alter the severity of punishment depending on the status of the player. Here at Kansas, the one-game suspension of two starters and the dismissal of two redshirt players for disciplinary reasons come to mind.
Sometimes it just takes a seven-hour drive to find it.
I left the high school game that night with good feelings — both for the Redskins and for myself. I had found that there is still some good in the world of football.
Kansas downplays media hoopla
By Matt Irwin Kansan sportswriter
As Kansas basketball fans know, Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams is not impressed by preseason rankings.
"Last year we were picked as high as fourth," Williams said. "This year we're picked three spots higher. That's not a big difference from fourth to first when your talking about magazines. If you're talking about the end of the year, there's a huge difference between fourth and first."
Kansas senior forward Sean Pearson said he hoped his teammates focused on basketball and not the Javahawks' ranking.
"It doesn't matter what the media think," Pearson said. "The only thing that matters is if Coach feels we're No. 1. But that still doesn't mean we're No. 1. We still have to go out and prove it."
Although Williams and Pearson tried to downplay the rankings, Williams said that
the high expectations were a good sign.
“It’s something I think every coach should feel good about.” Williams said. "What you want as a coach is experience. And talent and experience is even better. I think that’s what we have."
Those were two of the major reasons why Athlon Sports picked Kansas to become the national champions, said Athlon Sports' college basketball editor William Williams. Although Athlon was one of two magazines to pick UCLA as national champions in the preseason last year, he said that the decision process wasn't complicated. Sports Illustrated was the other magazine to pick UCLA last season and visited Kansas earlier this year to take Jacque Vaughn's photograph for its preview issue, which comes out Nov. 13.
"It's not very scientific," William Williams said. "There's basically three of us. We picked about 20 teams that had a shot and then narrowed it to about eight. We like Kansas' balance and chemistry. We also think Roy Williams is due to win a national championship."
Because they are picked to win the national championship, Kansas players appear on many of the covers of the college basketball previews.
Kansas point guard and cover boy Jacque Vaughn said that it's only natural to look at the magazines.
Despite being motivated by the rankings, Vaughn has mixed feelings about being the one on most of the covers.
"You have to look at it," Vaughn said. "We're still 20-, 21-, 22-year-old people and you go to the store and you look at the magazines. It motivates me because I know now we're really the No. 1 team on our opponents' schedule. At the same time there is a sense of gratitude because we feel that we worked hard in the offseason and that we are going to work hard during the season."
"If I have a magazine and I'm on the cover, I'm the first to fold it up and put it in my bag and not really carry it around," Vaughn said. "Honestly, as a 20-year-old guy, it feels good to walk into a store and see your face on the cover."
Everybody's No.1
The Kansas men's basketball team is ranked No. 1 in college basketball magazines.
After an accident, a Kansas runner is catching up to the pack
HAMMERTIME
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
After helping lead the Kansas men's cross country team to its first NCAA cross country championship appearance since 1991 last year, Kansas senior Chris Gaston was preparing for the upcoming season — until he got "hammered."
On July 14, Gaston agreed to help a friend repair his house. While trying to fix a water line with a sledgehammer, Gaston missed the pump and hit his left foot. The result was a broken big toe.
Kansas senior cross country runner Chris Gaston will compete in the Big Eight Conference Championship on Friday at Rim Rock Farm. The meet, which will be run on the lawhawks' home course, marks the last Big Eight championship as the Bid 12 Conference begins next year.
"I won't go through touching any kind of construction tool in the near future without wearing some kind of steel boot." Gaston said.
Gaston could not run for six weeks after the accident and did not start training until the first week of September. By that time, the Kansas cross country team had already run in its first meet. For two more weeks, Gaston was limited to biking and aquatic running to stay in shape.
Richard Devinki / KANBAN
Gaston was finally able to begin running five weeks ago. Since then, he has been in a hurry to catch up with his teammates.
In his first meet, the Minnesota Invitational on Sept. 30, Gaston finished fourth. Two weeks later at the Oregon Invitational, Gaston finished 26th overall and was the first Jayhawk finisher.
"He's a very, very talented athlete," Kansas cross country coach Gary Schwartz said. "I think the more talented you are, the quicker you can get back into a real competitive mode."
His teammate redshirt freshman Lewis Theobald agreed.
"Sometimes it's kind of easy to get jealous of someone who's that talented, because I've been working my butt off and he comes out here after a few weeks and destroys me," Theobald said. "He's probably one of the most talented runners that Kansas has had in a while."
Gaston has enjoyed success in cross country, but he's developing his skills for track season, which begins in December.
"As far as running goes, track is where it lies." Gaston said.
His specialties are the mile and the 1 500-meter race
is running cross country," Schwartz said.
Born in Salt Lake City, Gaston lived in Michigan and Alaska before moving to Cotati, Calif. He attended Cardinal Newman High School in nearby Santa Rosa, Calif., where he earned four letters in track and qualified for the state track meet in the 1,600 meter.
"Chris is a track and field athlete who
After graduating from high school, Gaston decided to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.
"I was kind of confused (about) what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go."
Gaston said, explaining his decision. "I knew track was going to be a big part of my life, and I wanted to make a good decision on what type of program that I'd end up in."
At Santa Rosa he was a two-time state meet qualifier in cross country and track. While there, he met Todd Trask, a former runner who transferred to Kansas State. Trask recommended that Gaston consider schools in Kansas.
"He thought the coaching would be better adapted towards the program I was used to in the past," Gaston said.
Gaston transferred to Kansas after completing his sophomore year at Santa Rosa. Last season, Gaston competed in six meets and earned points in four. He ran his best meet in Manhattan, site of last year's Big Eight Conference Championship, with a time of 25:44, and finished 26th.
Gaston will try to duplicate last year's performance this Friday at Rim Rock Farm. Kansas and the rest of the Big Eight teams will compete in the last Big Eight championship before Big 12 Conference competition begins next year.
Injury and rehab
Shelly Canada injured the left lateral patella of her knee during a preseason scrimmage. She is expected to return to the basketball court next week.
Canada rebounds from preseason surgery
Kelly Cannon/KANSM
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
Only about 100 yards from Kansas women's basketball practices in Allen Field House, Shelly Canada is working on her game.
But instead of rebounding, the junior forward is rehabilitating.
During an open-gym scrimmage before practices began, Canada landed awkwardly on Kansas freshman forward/center Nakla Sanford. As she landed, Canada hyper-extended her right knee.
"it's really scary. For that instant you are thinking your season is over," Canada said.
For two weeks after the injury, Canada tried to prevent surgery by doing rehabilitation exercises. However, those exercises showed little improvement, and Canada decided to have surgery.
Kenneth Wertzberger performed the operation at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Oct. 13. Wertzberger corrected and smoothed out some rough areas on the lower and lateral side of Canada's patella—the kneecap — that occurred from the injury.
Although Wertzberger said the surgery was a relatively minor
"For basketball, I stretch — the stretches I can do — then do shooting buildup, which requires basically no movement from the legs," she said. "Then I go to rehab."
one, its long-term effects were not known.
Under the watchful eyes of Kansas assistant athletic trainers
Canada immediately began the rehabilitation process after the operation.
"The problem with this type of surgery is that the recovery time is pretty quick, but the question is, will it relieve all of the symptoms?" Wertzberger said.
"Shelly's doing great," Cairns said. "She's doing everything she has to do."
Carol Jarosky and Mark Cairns, Canada does an assortment of exercises from leg lifts to squats.
Cairns said that Canada had begun light jump shooting drills and that she might return to the court some time next week.
"There's no question in my mind that she'll come back 100 percent," he said.
Although Wertzberger has shown some concern that the injury would plague Canada in the long run, Cairns has had little doubt that she will overcome it.
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