NHL
Who to look out for and what to look forward to. Page 3B
SPORTS NIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1995
Chiefs' personnel stumbles
SECTION B
Contrary to what you might think, the Kansas City Chiefs are the home team in Lawrence. With all the Denver Broncos fans and Chicago Bears fans, it is hard to tell. But since Arrowhead Stadium is only 45 minutes away, here's a little hometown journalism.
The Chiefs are 3-1, and almost every credible source, including Kansas City coach Marty Schotenheimer, blames the offense. He contends that the skill level is there, but I disagree.
The main problem is the personnel, and it dates to 1891. The 1981 draft was the last time the Chiefs drafted a true offensive player that
had an immediate impact. The player was Joe Delaney, the 1981 AFC Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, besides being an outstanding running back, he was also a hero. He couldn't swim, yet he jumped in a swimming pool and saved two drowning Kansas City youths.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Delaney did not make it.
The Chiefs draft hasn't been the same since. It has yet to draft a franchise-caliber offensive player. Sure, on defense it has had some great picks, including two Rookies of the Year, Dale Carter and Derrick Thomas. The draft has not been as successful for the offense.
It all started with the famed quarterback class of 1983. John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino all came into the NFL. The Chiefs picked Todd Blackledge. Current whereabouts: unknown.
Later down the line the Chiefs used high-draft picks to get such greats as Christian Okoye, Paul Palmer, Harvey Williams, Matt Blundin and Kansas great Frank Sire. The only decent offensive pick the Chiefs have had was Lake Dawson, the receiver out of Notre Dame. He is developing into a quality receiver.
During the last two years, the Chiefs have realized the lack of youth on offense and diagnosed the problem as a weak offensive line. If it is the problem, the Chiefs still are coming up short.
Last year's choice, Will Shields, began to play this year. This year's first-round pick, Trezelle Jenkins, may get in Sunday. I see first-round draft picks around the league contributing in week one. Why must the Chiefs be different?
The Chiefs' draft problems will continue until they can draft either an effective running back or a franchise quarterback. Sure, you need a good offensive line, but it doesn't do any good if nothing is behind it.
The Chiefs tried to solve this with soon-to-be retired players and Greg Hill. But they are not the answer.
The Chiefs never have thought long-term. Every year, they piece together a 9-7 record. They need to stop being the place where old players go to die and become a place where the draft isn't a bonus round for what you can't find in free agency.
Volleyball team to tangle with Tigers
Both teams are hoping to improve their records after conference losses
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
After a grueling loss to Oklahoma, the Kansas volleyball team (5-9) will regroup as it continues Big Eight Conference play tomorrow at Missouri.
The Jayhawks lost to the Sooners
in three games Wednesday night.
By no means, however, did Kansas lay down for Oldahoma. The Jayhawks did not lose any game by more than five points.
"It was a two-hour match, and we only played three games," Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said. "It was a very close match with a lot of side outs." Schonewise said she was pleased with the Jayhawk offense.
"It's not too often that our offense hits above .300 and loses,"
Schonewise said.
The Tigers also will be playing after a conference loss. Missouri dropped its Big Eight opener to Iowa State on Wednesday night in three games.
The Tigers (2-12) were plagued by a .087 hitting percentage and were unable to overcome the 62-kill Cyclone attack.
Bright spots for the young Missouri squad include the play of freshman outside hitter Sarah Freiberg. Freiberg leads the Tigers in
kills this season with 110 and has contributed 87 digs. Freshman right side hitter Renee Rosinski ranks second for Missouri in kills with 123 and first in kills a game, averaging 2.5.
" our team has been pretty inconsistent so far." Missouri assistant volleyball coach Michele Kohler said. "Kansas has two great coaches and great recruits, and I think they are going to be one of our hardest matches this year."
Kansas is looking to extend its
strong offensive showing in the Oklahoma match.
Senior middle blocker Jenny Larson led Kansas' charge with 15 kills. Four other jayhawks finished in double figures in the kill category.
Although Missouri has not won a conference match for more than a year, the Jayhawks said they couldn't take the Tigers lightly.
Twist of fate
"Every team is good at this level," Kansas sophomore middle blocker Leslie Purkeyville said.
Matt Flickner/KANSAN
Trainers tend to Kansas defensive tackle Dewey Houston III during Saturday's game against the University of Houston. The sophomore sprained his ankle and is listed as questionable for Kansas' next game. The 25th-ranked Jayhawks do not play this week but will return to action against Colorado on Oct. 7 in Boulder, Colo. The No. 4 Buffalooes will travel to Norman, Okla., this weekend to clash with the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners.
Crew clubs ready to compete
The Head of By Jeffrey Auslander
the Des
Kansan sportswriter
Moines Regatta will provide the clubs with a
teams that they will face
The Kansas men's and women's crew club teams are preparing for their first competition of the season tomorrow at the Head of the Des Moines Regatta in Des Moines. Iowa.
The team has been practicing since the first day of classes. Crew team coach Michael Amick said that the team planned to do a lot of racing at the regatta.
"We have entered eight races for Saturday," Amick said. "We hope that our lightweight eight and our heavyweight eights will medal. We also hope our lightweight women's and men's four will medal."
throughout the year.
Amick said that the team would like to find out how good this year's competition would be.
"We will go up there and feel out what everyone is doing." Amick
said. "We will be racing many of these same teams later in the year."
Many teams from the Midwest will compete at the tournament, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Drake, Nebraska, Kansas State and Wichita State.
"This week we have been training hard, and there has been a gradual improvement," Copt said. "KU, as a crew team, will be noticed by others."
Team captain Dave Gabel, Wheat Ridge, Colo., senior, said that the team had showed patience with all its practice but that the time had come to compete.
Lawrence Junior Nate Copt said he thought Kansas would leave the teams with a good impression.
"We are very excited to get going," Gabel said. "It's been a lot of work, and it's time to get racing."
was to make all of the team's boats competitive.
Even though teams often are told not to look past the week's competition, the crew club teams are optimistic about what 1995-96 will bring.
"We are deeper on the men's side than in the past," Amick said. "Our women have lost a lot to the varsity team, but the women's varsity has actually created a lot of interest."
Gabel said his goal for the season
"I think that the heavyweight men's and lightweight men's can advance from regionals and go all the way to the small-college nationals," Amick said.
Amick said he thought the team could have a successful season.
Next weekend the team will travel to a two-day regatta in Illinois. The first will be the Quad City Classic in Moline, Ill., and the second will be the Rockford Head at Rockford, Ill.
Big 12 play starts early for softball
By Dan Gelston Kansas sportswriter
History will be made this weekend when the Kansas softball team plays in the Big 12 Fall Preview at Adair Park in Kansas City, Mo.
It will be the first time that games will be played in the newly formed Bif 12 Conference.
The conference was formed after the Big Eight Conference invited four Southwest Conference teams to join its conference. Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech will join the Big 12 officially June 30, 1996.
will join the team. But Texas A&M and Texas begin play this year. That is because softball teams never were actually in a conference and were asked to begin play this year.
The history is not being lost on the tournament's participants.
cipants. It has been excited about getting into the Big 12 for
we've been some time," said Wally Groff, A&T M&M athletic director. "The Southwest Conference doesn't sponsor softball, so for our program to be part of a conference that has an outstanding reputation will be beneficial for us."
The additions will make the conference more competitive, Nebraska softball coach Rhonda Revelle said.
"This is the first Big 12 anything, so everyone wants to get off on the right foot," Revelle said. "It's only going to strengthen the conference. I thought we had a good national reputation before, but I think now it's just going to get better."
Big 12 Fall Preview
Last year, the Comhuskers won the tournament. With a strong nucleus of players intact, they are favored again this year.
The teams are broken up into two pools. Pool A consists of Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas&A M, white pool B is Iowa State,
Pool A
Friday
Kansas-Nebraka, 4 p.m.
Kansas-Oklahoma, 4 p.m.
Oklahoma-Texas A&M, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Nebraska-Texas A&M, 10 a.m.
Nebraska-Oklahoma, noon Kansas-Texas A&M, 2 p.m.
Pool B
Oklahoma State-Missouri,
6:30 p.m.
Iowa State-Missouri, 4:30 p.m.
Oklahoma State-Texas Tech, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday
Iowa State-Texas Tech, 9:30 a.m.
iowa State Oklahoma State,
11:30 a.m.
Missouri-Texas Tech, 1:30
p.m.
mussouri, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The teams will play within their pools today and tomorrow, with the winners advancing to combined pool play tomorrow night and Sunday.
Kansas will put its 9-0 record on the line with its first Big 12 competition this season. It also will be the first true test for freshman pitcher Sarah Workman and her 6-0 record.
"This weekend we're really going to see what she's made of," Kansas coach Kalum Haack said. "I told her the competition is going to be tougher than what she's faced so far. She should be ready."
Soccer team kicks off Alabama trip
By Jason Strait
Kansan sportswriter
Experienced competition may continue to benefit the new Jayhawk team
The Kansas women's soccer team will try to rebound from a tough series in Nebraska last weekend when it travels to Mobile, Ala., tomorrow
Kansas women's soccer coach Lori Walker said she hoped that playing against two successful programs would pay off this weekend for the Jayhawks.
to increase our speed of play." Walker said. "We're starting to see that experience carry over into practice, so hopefully we'll see that in the games this weekend."
The Jayhawks lost to Nebraska 8-1 on Saturday and to Creighton 4-1 on Sunday.
The Jayhawks, 3-0 against first-year programs, will try to improve that record against LSU, another first-year team.
Kansas will play South Alabama (3-4-1) at 7 p.m. tomorrow and Louisiana State (4-4-1) at 5 p.m. Sunday.
"The greatest thing the games in Nebraska taught us is that we need
Kansas and LSU both defeated Mississippi in close games this year. The Jayhawks defended Mississippi, 1-0 in overtime.
Despite having similar results against a common foe, Walker is not using the LSU game as a significant measure of success.
Against South Alabama, a second-year program, the Jayhawks will look for their first victory against an established team.
far as I'm concerned, it's real hard to compare scores. On any given day a team could play differently, so we don't really pay attention to who beat whom."
"All the first-year programs are on the same scale," Walker said. "As
South Alabama women's soccer coach Roy Patton said his team was starting to get back on the winning track after key players had been injured at the beginning of the season.
Controlling the play in the midfield will be key to winning the game against the Jayhawks, Patton said.
"We know they have three or four very skilled midfielders, so winning control of the ball in the midfield is going to be key for us," he said.
Sept. 30 and Oct.1, 1995
Jennil Carlson
Kansan Sports Editor
Record: Last Week 3-2
Season 15-5
Tom Erickson
Tom Erickson
Kansan Associate Sports
Editor
Record: Last Week 3-2
Editor
Record: Last Week 3-2
Season 15-5
Chris Austin
Chris Austin
Kansas Sports Columnist
Record: Last Week 4-1
Season 17-3
Guest of the Week:
Barbara Ballard
Director, Emily Taylor
Women's Center
Guests' Record; '15-5
MSU 24 BC 23 PSU 45 Wisc. 31 CU 21 OU 17 K.C. 24 Ariz. 10 Pitt. 24 S.D. 10
BC 12 MSU 10 PSU 45 Wisc. 13 CU 27 OU 17 K.C. 14 Ariz. 7 Pitt. 35 S.D. 27
BC 27 MSU 19 PSU 37 Wisc. 14 CU 35 OU 23 K.C. 24 Ariz. 13 S.D. 21 Pitt. 13
BC 24 MSU 17 PSU 38 Wisc. 17 CU 27 OU 17 K.C. 27 Ariz. 13 S.D. 21 Pitt. 17
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN