University Daily Kansan / Monday, December 8, 1986
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Sports Monday
Self-confidence is a big part of the game for student refs
By NICOLE SAUZEK
Sports writer
Refereeing is an art that requires a little acting, a lot of confidence and the ability to sometimes let words go in one ear and out the other, two KU students say.
"Getting yelled at comes with the job," said Steve Sneath, Great Bend senior and intramural referee. "I'll know if I've made the right call. And, if I didn't, I can't let them know that I'm not sure. You've got to sell yourself."
Scott Thompson, Overland Park junior and also intramural referee, agreed. "It's an unwritten skill that you've got to make people believe you. You can't do it half speed. You let them know loud and clear that you saw it and you're right."
Sneath and Thompson are two of about 20 student referees who work intramural basketball games for the intramurals program at Robinson Center.
And, both have developed the art of selling themselves as good referees — something they hope will get them better jobs in the future.
"I'm working my way to refereeing in the Big Eight." Sneath said. "I think it would be awesome."
On the other hand, Thompson hopes to see himself coaching basketball or soccer further down the road.
"I don't know if I want to be a big ref," Thompson said. "It may not interest me in five years."
Sneath became interested in refereeing after he enrolled in a
class on rules and officiating as a freshman at Barton County Community College in Great Bend.
Since then, he's referred junior high basketball, city league sports and intramural football, basketball and volleyball at Kansas.
'It's an unwritten skill that you've got to make people believe you. You can't do it half speed. You let them know loud and clear that you saw it and you're right.'
Scott Thompson Intramural referee
Thompson began officiating in eighth grade in a one-on-one basketball tournaments during a physical education class. He still umpires baseball, as he has for the last five or six summers. At KU, he's become more interested in refereeing basketball.
"I'm only six foot, so I'm not much of a player," Thompson said. "I'm a better referee."
Last month, Thompson and Sneath to走 F.L.Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kan. to attend the annual rules and regulations meeting for high school officials. While they were there, they picked up officiating tests.
The test is similar to a driver's
license renewal. It's completed at home with the help of the rules book and then sent in to the Kansas High School Athletic Association in Topeka.
Whether or not they will get jobs officiating high school basketball is up to the different schools, according to Sneath.
"A lot of it is knowing the right people." he said.
Probably the most troublesome thing about officiating, next to finding the initial job, is putting up with the obnoxious crowds that sometimes accompany high school and junior high basketball games.
"Officials take so much abuse," Thompson said. "Even my own dad gets on the officials all of the time."
Both say blocking out the crowd — and sometimes the coaches — is mandatory.
"You've got to be able to decide whether to listen to a coach or let it go in one ear and out the other." Thompson said. "You control the game."
So, until the time Sweath and Thompson enter the higher-level of officiating, both say they'll concur in their good job and polishing their skills
"Playing and referee are really different games." Sneath said. "It takes confidence and hustle. I just keep taking the test and keep learning on what I know."
The future could be bright for both.
"A lot of our guys go on to referee at a high level," said John Johnson, intramural coordinator "Intramurals is a great place to start."
Steve Sneath, Great Bend senior and intramural referee, watches the action carefully during a game in the holiday intramural basketball tournament at Robinson Center recently.
Arkansas beats KU
The Associated Press
Men's Basketball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson said Saturday night that his Razorbacks wanted the last 10 minutes of the game to belong to them. Against sixth-ranked Kansas, it did.
The Razorbacks outscored the Jayhawks 39-20 during the final 10 minutes and posted a 103-86 victory. Both teams came in 3-0.
"We aren't a great team yet," Richardson said. "We could be by the time we play in the Southwest' conquest." He big-headed because of one victory.
Kansas head coach Larry Brown, said. "They just whipped us tonight. I thought we had pretty good control of the game in the first half. Then they just came out and put it to us in the second half. They really executed well and they are so much more aggressive than we are. I think that got us in foul trouble."
Junior college transfer Tim Scott ripped off eight points in little more than a minute, including two three point goals, as Arkansas pulled away late.
"Tim Scott has been struggling," Richardson said. "I was glad to see him loosen up and shoot so well."
Neither team led by more than seven points until Scott's steal and stuff made it 85-76 with 4:30 left.
A three-point basket by Scott, an offensive foul by Kansas, and another three-pointer by Scott made it 91-77 with 3:23 left. Kansas never got within 10 points the rest of the game.
Full-court zone helps Kansas beat Tulsa
By BRIAN SNYDER
Sports writer
It's the season of giving, and the Tulsa women's basketball team did just that Friday night in a 97-45 loss to Kansas at Allen Field House.
The Golden Hurricanes committed it turnovers. Most came as a result of a hit against the Lakers.
Even with a 25-point halftime lead, Kansas, 3-1, used the press for almost the first 10 minutes of the second half and again later in the half. Kansas had the game in hand with a 45-20 halftime lead, and it looked as if the Jayhawks could have coasted to an easy victory without the press.
Kansas head coach Marian Washington said that although she never wanted to run opposing teams into the ground, she saw Friday's game as a chance to experiment. Using different lineups and defenses were important, she said, because the team had only 13 games before Big Eight Conference play would begin.
"It it helps the players build their confidence," Washington said. "In the conference, you can't make changes. We can see and evaluate the players in games like this."
The game might have helped build KU's confidence, but it did nothing for Tulsa's, said head coach Mark Schmidt. He said he couldn't criticize Washington for using the press in the second half, but he said it was meaningless because the game was already lost.
Kansas guard Evelette Ott, right, blocks Tulsa guard Cheryle Meppelink. The Jayhawks beat the Golden Hurricanes 97:45
Friday at Allen Field House to push their record to 3-1.
"It was hard on our players and especially our freshmen." Schmidt said. Tuila started three freshmen. "I wish it (the press) wouldn't have happened. I wish they would have pulled their horses off and let it die. (This game) wasted our time and their time, too."
Leading 70-29 with 11:03 left in the game, the Jayhawks stopped the full-court press. But with 4:50 left, Washington put her starters in and called for full-court pressure. At that time, KU led 80-37.
Schmidt said he was disappointed that KU never let up, but he said that's not what beat Tulsa. The
Golden Hurricanes were overmatched at every position, he said. And for the first time this year, Kansas had a rebounding advantage.
Forward Jackie Martin's play dominated the inside. She had nine
Guard Lisa Dougherty was the leading KU scorer with 15 points, while Tulsa forward Cheryle Meppelink was the game's high scorer
rebounds and scored 11 points, mostlv on follow shots and power moves.
with 16 points.
Four seniors were on last year's roster.
The men will compete in a dual meet against Central Missouri State while the women take on Kansas State.
Kansas men's head coach Bob Timmons said his only areas of concern were middle and long-distance events. He said that although the team had high-quality runners, depth was a problem.
Regardless of the weather outside, the men's and women's indoor track teams begin their season at 5:30 p.m. today in Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
Indoor track season to begin with duals
By a Kansan sports writer
Washington said that choosing individual players who out-performed others was difficult. She praised the guards for their play.
"We're looking forward to the meet since it's the first meeting of the season," Timmons said. "It will give us a chance to see the guys in action
and determine where improvements need to be made.
"I like the chance to see the squad compete before the semester is over so we can make some plans over Christmas break."
Last year, the men finished in a fourth place tie in the Big Eight Conference in the indoor season. The Jayhawks are strongest in the pole vault, with Chris Bohanan and Scott Huffman, who placed third and fourth, respectively, at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The team tied for 13th at the NCAA meet.
The women will compete against the Wildcats
"The meet will give us an opportunity to see where we are in our training," said women's head coach Carla Coffey.
Victory keeps Chiefs in AFC playoff race
United Press International
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sherman Crott and Gary Spani intercepted passes that the Kansas City offense turned into touchdowns, and Lloyd Burruss returned another intercep-
- More NFL scores pp. 10, 11.
72 yards for a score yesterday,
giving the Chiefs a 37-10 victory over
the Denver Broncos.
The loss stopped the Broncos, 10-4,
from clinching the AFC West title
and kept the 8-6 Chiefs' dim playoff
hopes alight.
Kansas City, which started the day second in the conference in interceptions, picked off four John Elway passes on the day. Those turnovers resulted in 17 Kansas City points. In the seven games that Elway has faced the Chiefs, he has been intercepted 16 times. He was also sack
ed five times in the game.
After the game, the AFC playoff picture remained a mathematical equation too difficult for anyone who will make it to postseason play.
Add Monday night's matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Raiders to the equation, and it makes Einstein's theory look simple.
Rugby club plans Christmas trip
"In our division, there are some very tough teams," said Kansas City head coach John Mackovic. "It's not unusual for it to be this way."
What was unusual was the Chiefs had lost their last three games and the victory yesterday was accomplished with now-backup quarterback Todd Blackledge, who had one of the best games of his pro career, completing 14 of 29 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
By JANE ZACHMAN
Forty members of the Kansas Rugby Club will spend much of their Christmas break in Belgium, Holland and England when the club takes its biennial tour.
Sports writer
During the two-week tour, the club members will divide into two sides, or teams — an "A" side and a "B" side. The group will travel and play matches with local and collegiate teams from the various countries.
"You get the best of both worlds — sight-seeing and international rugby," Drew Pollock, a member of the Kansas Club, said recently.
Louie Redener, member of the Kansas club and an organizer of the tournament, said, "The main purpose is to educate ourselves in rugby and see how they play rugby in other countries."
The Kansas Club has toured to play rugby in other countries every two years since 1977. The club has travelled to Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Argentina and Brazil on past tours.
Rederer said that the object of the tours was to bring back to the Kansas teams information about the way the
teams play in Europe. He said that a clinic would be conducted for the Kansas coaches to meet with coaches from Belgium or Holland to exchange ideas.
Lou Blanco, captain of the Kansas varsity team, said that the tour and the social atmosphere of the game brought the KU players closer together and gave them a chance to meet players from other countries.
"It's a rough game, but what goes on on the field stays there," Pollock said. "A fight, whatever, is forgotten, or if not forgotten, laughed about over a beer later."
Some foreign players that have played against Kansas tour teams later have come to Kansas through exchange programs.
Dominic Barnao, an assistant coach for the Kansas varsity team, learned of the Kansas Rugby Club during KU's 1983 tour to New Zealand. He was a member of New Zealand rugby club that the Kansas tour team played.
The group will leave January 2 for Brussels, Belgium. Kansas will play its first matches January 3. The group also will tour Bruges, a Belgian village.
Jets lose but hold division lead
United Press International
Interconference
SAN FRANCISCO — Roger Craig ran for two touchdowns and San Francisco's defense limited New York to 197 yards of offense yesterday, sparking the 49ers to a 24-10 triumph over the struggling Jets.
The Jets, 10-4, lost their third straight game but maintained a one-game lead on second place New England in the AFC East because the Patriots lost to Cincinnati.
Miami 31, New Orleans 27
ouarter.
San Francisco led 14-3 at the half and put the game away in the third
NEW ORLEANS — Dan Marino threw three first-half touchdown passes, helping Miami score on five of its first six possessions, and the Dolphins survived a late New Orleans surge to defeat the Saints 31-27.
The Saints, who scored 17 straight points to pull their way to 31-27, marched to the Dolphins 6-yard line with 1:15 to play. Indianapolis 28. Atlanta 23
ATLANTA — Eugene Daniel returned a blocked punt 13 yards for a touchdown with 20 seconds to play, allowing Indianapolis to end its 13 game losing streak and give Ron Meyer a victory in his Colts
coaching debut with a 28-23 triumph over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons were punting from the Colts 48-yard line when Tate Randle broke free to block Rick Donnelly's punt. Daniel scooped the loose ball and raced into the end zone untouched.
In the closing seconds, Atlanta's Turk Schonert completed throws of 23 and 25 yards to reach the Colts 12.
Pittsburgh 27, Detroit 17
PITTSBURGH — Louis Lipps caught eight passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, enabling the Pittsburgh Steelers to eliminate Detroit from the playoff hunt with a 27-17 victory over the Lions.
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