Sports News-November 20, 2012
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The Big Ten is making its mark on the East Coast. The Maryland Terrapins are heading to the Big Ten after being a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was founded in 1953. School president Wallace D. Loh and other university officials involved in the decision felt the potential money to be made in the Big Ten was more significant than the $50 million exit fee and the tradition associated with belonging to the ACC for 59 years. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said Maryland's entry was approved unanimously by the conference's twelve presidents. Maryland's decision gives the Big Ten a foothold in the Washington-Baltimore market, and the conference is about to expand that into the Philadelphia-New York area. Rutgers is expected to follow suit today, splitting from the Big East and making it an even 14 schools in the Big Ten.
Colin Kaepernick completed 16 of his 23 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns as the 49’ers blasted the Chicago Bears 32-7. Kaepernick hit Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree for short TDs while San Francisco was building a 27-0 lead. Bears quarterback Jason Campbell was 14-22 for just 107 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and five sacks.
The Nebraska volleyball team drops from ninth to tenth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll released yesterday. The Huskers went 1-1 last week with a road loss at Minnesota and a win at Wisconsin. The Huskers are now 21-6 overall and 13-5 in the Big Ten. Creighton jumped from 23rd to 21st. They went 2-0 with road victories over Wichita State & Missouri State. The Bluejays are 26-3 on the season and 17-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Nebraska will be in action next on Wednesday when they host Iowa while Creighton takes on Southern Illinois or Illinois State on Friday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals. Penn State is the new number one. In other Bluejay volleyball news, Kelli Browning is the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
Even after his defense gave up 653 yards to UCLA and 498 yards and 63 points to Ohio State, Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini didn't waver in his belief that things would get better. Over the last five games, that's exactly what has happened. BCS 14th ranked Nebraska allowed Minnesota a season-low 177 yards on Saturday and held the Gophers to just 10-28 passing. The Huskers now rank 19th nationally in total defense and 41st in scoring defense. Much of the improvement has come in pass defense, where N-U's secondary and linebackers are holding opponents to a nation's-best 45.4 completion percentage. The Huskers are 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten Legends Division after the 38-14 rout of Minnesota last Saturday. They will visit Iowa on Friday morning at 11:00. The game is televised on ABC. The Hawkeyes are 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the Legends. Nebraska is also 17th in the Associated Press Top 25 & 14th in the USA Today poll.
Nebraska baseball coach Darin Erstad had a full year to recruit this time around and signed 13 recruits. NU's recruiting class last year, after Erstad took over in June, had only six signees, including just one high school senior. The newest class has just one junior college player in pitcher/outfielder Christian Cox of Hutchinson, Kansas Community College. This year’s class includes four players from Minnesota, including highly touted Ryan Boldt of Red Wing. Boldt is ranked 40th among MLB draft prospects by Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Nebraska-Omaha senior guard Paige Frauendorfer was named Summit League Player of the Week yesterday for her performance during the week of Nov. 12-18. The former Humphrey High standout led the Mavericks to three home wins last week for the Mavs' first 3-0 start since 2007-08. Frauendorfer averaged 16.7 points and nine rebounds per game, and shot 60% from the floor over the three games. She is the first UNO women's basketball player to receive the honor. Nebraska-Omaha is the lone undefeated team in The Summit League.
The Nebraska-Omaha hockey team didn't play a game last weekend, but that didn't keep it from moving up in one college hockey poll and earning its first ranking in another. The Mavericks are ranked 15th in the latest poll from the website USCHO.com, their second straight week in that site's top 20 rankings. The Mavs also made their debut in the latest top 15 poll from USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine, coming in 14th. UNO has not been ranked in both polls since October of 2011. Following a bye week, the Mavericks return to action on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23 and 24 when they host Alabama-Huntsville in a non-conference series at the CenturyLink Center. Nebraska-Omaha is 6-3-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Isaac Aakre threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Clay Fisher with 1:00 left to give Millard North a 17-14 victory over Omaha North in the Class ‘A’ State Championship Game last night. Aakre moved the Mustangs 68 yards with four pass plays after the Vikings had taken a 14-10 lead on Zach Martin's seven-yard pass to Casey Sales with 1:40 to play. Omaha North had a chance to force overtime, but Conner Phillips pulled a 32-yard field-goal attempt wide left with 13 seconds left. Aakre ran 22 times for 110 yards and completed 6-8 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns for Millard North. Calvin Strong led the Vikings with 157 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, and Martin was 9-24 for 154 yards and a score. The Mustangs finish 13-0 while Omaha North closes at 10-3. It was Millard North's fourth state title since 2003.
Ross Schindler ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns and Blake Anderson scampered for 110 yards and a score as Elgin Public/Pope John won its second straight state football championship with a 40-14 victory over Exeter-Milligan in the Class ‘D1’ Championship Game yesterday. The Wolfpack trailed 14-8 at halftime. Anderson's nine-yard touchdown run gave Elgin Public/Pope John the lead and started the second half in which it outscored the Timberwolves 32-0. The Wolfpack has won 26 straight games and is 33-3 in three seasons as a co-op between Elgin Public High and Pope John High. Exeter-Milligan's James Sluka completed 12-19 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kyle Jenson caught six of Sluka's passes for 69 yards. The Wolfpack finishes 13-0 while the Timberwolves close their season at 12-1.
Jake Findley threw five touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Giltner won its first state football championship since 1984 with a 42-26 victory over Humphrey St. Francis in the Class ‘D2’ State Championship Game yesterday. Findley completed 35-52 passes for 396 yards for the Hornets. He finished the season having thrown for 3,904 yards, 67 touchdowns and no interceptions. Teammate Dustin Hastings caught 14 balls for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Hawthorne nabbed eleven balls for 112 yards and a score. Teammate Ben Hinrichs caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. The Flyers’ Nathan Classen was 9-17 for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Teammate Chad Haiar ran 17 times for 90 yards and J.J. Oltmer had 24 carries for 89 yards. Giltner finishes at 13-0 while Humphrey St. Francis concludes their season at 12-1.
The high school football playoffs conclude today with championships for Classes “C-2”, “C-1” & “B” at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. In Class the “C-1” title game, in a game that can be heard on 106 KIX & 106KIX.com, east bracket top seed 11-1 Norfolk Catholic battles west bracket top seed 11-1 Boone Central/Newman Grove at 2:45. Pregame coverage at 2:15. The Two-time Defending State Champions are looking to become the only team ever in Class “C-1” to win three consecutive titles. The Knights are outscoring their opponents on average 41.1-13.8 while the Cardinals are outscoring their foes on average 36.7-12.8. Norfolk Catholic rallied from a ten-point third quarter deficit to beat Boone Central/Newman Grove 35-31 in Albion on September 7th. The Knights have won the last eight meetings including the State Championship Game in 2004. The last time the Cardinals beat Norfolk Catholic was on September 17th, 2004 in Norfolk 33-17. The other championship games have David City Aquinas meeting Sutton in the Class “C-2” Championship at 10:15. In Class “B”, Omaha Gross faces Norris at 7:15.
Local Schedule: Ellsworth CC, IA at NECC (WBB-5:00); Longwood at Creighton (MBB-7:05); Sam Houston St. At Nebraska (WBB-7:05); Creighton at South Dakota at Vermillion, SD (WBB-7:00); William Penn Univ. At WSC (WBB-7:00).
High School State Championship Football Games: Giltner 42 Humphrey St. Francis 26 (Class “D-2”); Elgin Public/Pope John 40 Exeter/Milligan 14 (Class “D-1”; Millard North 17 Omaha North 14 (Class “A”).
NFL Scoreboard: San Francisco 32 Chicago 7.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Indiana 96 Washington 89
Final Charlotte 102 Milwaukee 98
Final Atlanta 81 Orlando 72
Final Denver 97 Memphis 92
Final OT Golden State 105 Dallas 101
Final L-A Clippers 92 San Antonio 87
Final Utah 102 Houston 91
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final ( 1) Indiana 66 Georgia 53
Final ( 9) North Carolina 95 Mississippi St. 49
Final (10) Arizona 94 Long Beach St. 72
Final Georgetown 78 (11) UCLA 70
Final (12) Kansas 78 Washington St. 41
Final New Mexico 66 (21) UConn 60
TOP-25 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (11) California 87 Cal Poly 61
Final (14) Purdue 59 Bowling Green 45
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