CROSS COUNTRY The Jayhawks lose Bryan Schultz for the season to injury. Page 3 BASEBALL Division playoff results. Pages 2,6
SPORTS VERSITY DAILY KANSA
THURSDAY. OCTOBER 5,1995
HILL FOOTBALL
Intramural kings lose their crown
Tom Leininger / KANSAN
Mike Lewis, Hiwata junior, is put under pressure from two Phi Delta Theta players. Lewis, the quarterback for the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, led his team to 3-0 victory yesterday.
Phi Delta Theta falls to Alpha Kappa Lambda, 3-0
By Jeffrey Auslander
Kansan sportswriter
Last year's flag football king was dethroned yesterday afternoon.
Phi Delta Theta, who won last year's mens' Greek flag football tournament, lost to Alpha Kappa Lambda 3-0 at Shenk Complex, 23rd and Iowa Streets. The game was filled with some spectacular plays and some ugly ones.
The Phi Delta had many chances to win the game, but they were either flagged for a penalty or the AKLs would make a great play to stay alive.
"The quarterback rolled out and I was coming up to put pressure on him," Vestle said. "I tipped it, grabbed it and
With four minutes left, the game appeared to be in the Phi Delts' hands as they started a drive from their own 35-yard line. Krehbiel rolled left and appeared to have a receiver open near the left sideline. He threw the ball to his man, but AKL safety Brian Vestle, Wichita sophomore, cut in front of the ball and tipped it to himself for an interception.
then tried to do what I could."
On the second touchdown, Tom Pollock, Quincy, Ill., sophomore, caught a deep 40-yard pass in the corner of the end-zone, but the play was called back because the teams had off-setting penalties.
Twice, the Phi Delta scored touchdowns that were called back because of penalties. On their first touchdown, quarterback Kyle Krehbiel, Salina sophomore, dropped back and threw the ball toward the uprights. Ryan Snyder, Stanley sophomore, appeared to make a tip-toe catch in the back of the end-zone, but offensive holding was called and the score remained 0-0.
SECTION B
Once the AKLs took the ball at the Phi Delt 35-yard line, they used ball control to get themselves into position to kick a field goal. They used three running plays to keep the clock ticking and put the ball in the middle of the field. When fourth down came up, Vestle put a 36-yard kick through the middle of the uprights.
quarterback, Mike Lewis, said, 'Hey man, big players make big plays." Vestle said.
"I was nervous in the huddle, but our
After the AKLs celebrated the score, they still had to stop Phi Delt's offense from coming back with 35 seconds left.
The Phi Delt's got another chance when Jamie Adamic, Lenexa junior, made a 50-yard reception near the sideline that put his team in position for a field goal with one second left.
Phi Delt kicker David Jermann trotted onto the field to attempt the 38-yard kick. Jermann whipped his leg through the ball, but the kick sailed wide left. The AKL sideline roared.
Although the Phi Delts lost, they weren't bitter. Adam recognized the AKLs' performance.
"This was a good, hard-fought game," Adamic said. "They played well and beat us fair and square."
Back in the saddle again
Kansas juniors return to game of soccer after two-year hiatus
By Jason Strait
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas women's soccer coach Lori Walker didn't waste time recruiting two of her key players. Instead, juniors Audra Henderson and Heather Heidel came to her.
Both Kansas students had abandoned soccer for two years and were ready to come back, and when Walker arrived at Kansas, Henderson and Heidel approached her with their interest in joining the team. Walker encouraged both to become a part of the team after their brief tryouts. Henderson and Heidel since have earned scholarships and become leaders for the young team.
"Having been here at Kansas for two years, they are a great outlet for the freshmen who don't know the system as far as academics go." Walker said.
Henderson, al captain, and Heidel had been students at Kansas for two years, and despite the opportunity to play soccer at the college level straight out of high school, they decided to pursue other things.
Henderson gave up the chance to play soccer for Loyola-Chicago, instead choosing to enroll at
Kansas to concentrate on academics.
"Going into my senior year in high school, I was for sure going to play soccer in college," Henderson said. "But then I got burned out and decided not to."
Abandoning soccer quickly proved to be unrealistic for Henderson; she joined the Kansas soccer club her freshman year.
"I missed soccer too much," Henderson said. "Eventually I became frustrated with the club team because not everyone took it as serious as I did. I'm a very competitive person, and playing for the club made me miss the high level of competition."
The high-level competition that Henderson missed was not what drew Heidel to the team. She was accustomed to competition as a two-year member of the Kansas women's tennis team but became dissatisfied with her situation.
"In high school, I was recruited to play soccer and tennis, but I decided to listen to my mom and go for tennis," Heidel said. "But soccer was always my first love."
Halfway through the team's first season, Henderson and Heidel have reflected on their decisions and both say they are happy with their decision to return to soccer.
Andy Rullestad / KANSAN
"I'm real thankful coach gave me a second chance to play soccer," Henderson said. "Playing soccer for Kansas has really been a dream come true."
Juniors Heather Heidel (left) and Audra Henderson both walked on the women's club soccer team at Kansas.
Young coach has what it takes to win
By Robert Sinclair Kansan sportswriter
When former Colorado football coach Bill McCartney resigned last year, he set in motion a flurry of coaching changes that had repercussions throughout the Big Eight Conference.
Looking back, Colorado football coach Rick Neuheisel says he knew he was in a precarious situation.
In the wake of McCartney's announcement, two Colorado coaches left for Kansas and one for Oklahoma State. What remained was a 34-year-old quarterbacks coach who was given his first head coaching position by a team that had spent 100 consecutive weeks in the top 25.
"I was out of work for all intents and purposes. There was no guarantee that whoever was going to be the next head coach would want me to stay on," Neuheisel said. "Although I am glad to report that I did hire myself; I am the current quarterback
He might be young — the second youngest Division I-A coach by four days — and lack head coaching experience, but when he went to interview for the Colorado position, he used youth to his advantage.
"I said, 'I'm uniquely qualified to handle every problem that a kid would walk into my office with,'" Neuheisel said.
That is because he has a lot of football experience
Rick Neuheisel
He attended UCLA from 1980 to 1983 and led the team to a 45-9 victory against Illinois in the Rose Bowl his senior year.
However, before that game, Neuheimer had already experienced many sides of a football player's career.
He had been a walk-on, without a jersey and without a locker. He had been the last guy on the team plane and had gone from fifth string to first string on the depth chart. He had won games; he had been booed out of games.
But he concluded his college career as the Rose Bowl's most valuable player.
He played for both San Antonio in the United States Football League and San Diego in the National Football League before returning to UCLA as an assistant coach.
While working at his alma mater, Neuheisel graduated from the University of Southern California School of Law.
He is also an accomplished musician. In fact, the police were called to the Neuheisler's residence earlier this year during a kickoff party for the Colorado program. It seems his rendition of Van Morrison's "Brown Eved Girl" was too loud for a neighbor's liking.
Perhaps it is Neuheisel's ability to relate to players like senior center Bryan Stoltenberg that has made him successful thus far.
"There's a totally different aura when you're talking with Coach Mac and Coach Rick." Stoltenberg said of Neuheisel and his predecessor. "I think you're more on a personal level when you're talking with Coach Rick."
The coach also knows that disciplining players comes with his job.
"The No. 1 reason why students don't do well is they don't go to class," he explained. "If you go, you've got no worries. But, if you don't go and I find out — and I'm going to spot check them — then you're going into what I call The Box."
Players in The Box are supervised while they study Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
As for replacing all the talent the Buffaloes lost last year, Neuheisel feels that task is what makes college football so appealing.
"I think sometimes that's the most over-asked question in college football, because that's all you do in college football is replace people," he said. "How are we going to replace Rashaan Salaam? We're going to do it with Herchell Troutman, Lendon Henry and Marlon Barnes.
"Hopefully in three years you're going to ask me how I'm going to replace them."
Biases of national polls should have fans making choices
I wanted to write this column on the outcome of the O.J. Simpson trial, but I think everybody has had enough. So, I
accesses of one more ludicrous column on the guilt or innocence of the "Juice" and write about more ridiculous than the trial of the century — the college football polls.
Any college football fan can share my discontent with both major polls. I finally understand why most college coaches in the United States say they don't pay attention to the polls.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Both the CNN-USA Today Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll are so biased in nature and follow no logical pattern that they should be ignored.
First, the polls use sports reporters and college football coaches to decide the rankings; I don't think there is a more opinionated and stubborn group of people. I also know that there is no way they can see all or even part of the 25 or more games that affect the poll, which means that both polls are based highly on ESPN's SportsCenter and the ticker at the bottom of CNN Headline News.
Stay with me, I'm going to try to explain the logic behind these two polls. Apparently, the best way to beat the polls is not to play. Kansas moved farther up the poll this week when it did not play a game than when it beat Texas Christian on ESPN. Florida State did not play and remained No. 1 on both polls despite a strong showing from Colorado, Southern California, Florida and Ohio State.
If you defeat a team, you won't be ranked ahead of them necessarily. But if you defeat an unranked team by more than 40 points, you move up in the polls.
And if you do it every week, like Nebraska, you move to No. 2. Obviously, there are some discrepancies in the polling system.
Nebraska, Kansas State, Florida State and Penn State all are riding last year's success and hanging around the Top 10 while still being unproven. The four teams may be as good as their rankings, but we have not had the opportunity to see how good they are against teams like Akron, Northern Illinois and Pacific, teams that were placed on the schedule to boost an early-season ranking.
There are also teams that are getting a spot from the pollsters. Colorado should be rewarded instead of punished for facing four ranked teams in five weeks and beating the heck out of them; the Buffaloes deserve to be No. 1. Teams such as Notre Dame and Alabama won't be punished so much for playing quality opponents and losing a game because of it.
I know, I know, by now you agree, but
1. Ohio State
2. Southern California
3. Florida
4. Florida State
5. Michigan
6. Penn State
7. Tennessee
you realize there is no other answer. But wait, there is an answer.
I propose that a certain number of students from each NCAA Division I school be polled each week. Even though they are biased toward their school, they certainly wouldn't be as biased as the coaches, reporters or athletes. More importantly, I know that students have more than enough time to watch the games.
To start it all off, I am going to give you my picks for the Top 25. If you don't agree, send your picks to the Kansan or drop them by the newsroom. Maybe we could get the Students Top 25 started nationwide.
1. Colorado
9. Virginia
10. Auburn
11. Notre Dame
12. Texas A&M
13. Oklahoma
14. Oregon
15. Alabama
16. Washington
17. Stanford
18. Texas
19. Arkansas
20. Louisiana State
21. Kansas
22. Maryland
23. Northwestern
24. Wisconsin
25. Clemson
This may seem as
poils, but if there were
poils like this from a
country, we would a
This may seem as wacky as the other polls, but if there were several thousand polls like this from schools all over the country, we would a have a pretty accurate rating system.
(Nebraska and Kansas State will be included in the poll when they play a real team.)