RGV Capsules: Javelinas knock off Rams, earn LSC title

It had been five years since the last Texas A&M-Kingsville football Lone Star Conference title, but that streak ended on Saturday night when the No. 17 Javelinas held on for a 35-32 win over visiting Angelo State at Javelina Stadium.

The win gave the Javelinas (9-2, 7-2) their 27th shared or outright LSC title, the most of any school. The Hogs are tri-champions along with Midwestern State and Tarleton State.

The Javelinas held an 18-point lead for most of the second half, but the Rams (6-5, 5-4) never gave up. They scored two touchdowns during the final 4:30 of the game and nearly recovered an onside kick that would have given them a chance to tie or win the game.

The Rams jumped out to an early lead in the game when Ryan Smith connected on a 31-yard field goal on their opening drive. The Hogs came right back, but Christian Brom of McAllen missed a field goal that would have tied the game. The rest of the first quarter was pedestrian as neither team was able to gain an advantage.

In the second quarter, the Javs scored on a 34-yard run by Fred Winborn with 10:38 left in the half. A 28-yard pass from Billy Garza of Brownsville to Ryan Lincoln set up the touchdown.

The Rams reclaimed the lead on a 4-yard Austin Benson run that capped off a 6-play, 69-yard drive.

After the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, the Javelinas got a big play from a true freshman. Joseph Vela of Rio Hondo completed a 24-yard pass to Lincoln on a fourth-and-1 near midfield to keep the drive alive. The Hogs picked up first-and-goal at the 3-yard line a few plays later, and Garza ran it in for the score with 1:38 left in the half.

On the ensuing kickoff, C.J. Akins fumbled the ball and Connell Davis recovered the ball at the 11-yard line. Two plays later, Garza hooked up with Lincoln for a 9-yard touchdown pass, the 40th of Garza’s career.

Early in the second half, the Rams fumbled another ball without being touched and Dondi Cooks was there for the recovery. On the next play, Vela came in at quarterback to run the Wildcat formation and heaved a pass downfield that was tipped and then caught in the end zone by Damian Couthren. The 26-yard score gave the Hogs a 28-10 lead with 10:30 left in the third quarter.

The Rams quickly marched down the field behind the short passing game of Josh Neiswander. He completed six passes on the drive with the final one going to V’Keon Lacey for a 4-yard touchdown with 4:00 left in the quarter.

The next drive for the Javelinas was all Winborn. He gained 25 yards on his first carry of the drive and went over 1,000 yards rushing on the season. He followed with rushes of eight yards, 21 yards and a 4-yard touchdown with 2:00 left in the third quarter giving the Hogs a 35-17 lead.

The Javelinas maintained that lead through the majority of the fourth quarter. The Rams started a furious rally when they got the ball with 5:21 remaining in the game at their own 32-yard line. After picking up two first downs, Garrett Tidwell scampered 38 yards down to the Javelinas’ 4-yard line. On the next play, Neiswander connected with John Norcott for a touchdown to make it a 35-24 ballgame with 4:13 left.

The Rams were able to recover the onside kick and quickly drove down the field. Facing a fourth-and-9 at the Javelinas’ 25, Neiswander found Zach McCormick for an 11-yard gain. He went back to McCormick on the next play for a 14-yard touchdown. Neiswander then hit Lacey on the 2-point conversion making it a three-point game.

The Rams recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the ball had not traveled 10 yards thus giving the ball back to the Hoggies. The Javs were then able to run out the clock.

The Javelinas finished with 430 yards of total offense with 211 on the ground and 219 through the air. Winborn led the way with 187 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. He also added 32 receiving yards. Davis chipped in with 28 yards rushing on four carries.

Garza was coolly efficient in the passing game completing 13-of-20 for 169 yards and a touchdown. Lincoln finished with five catches for 83 yards and went over 2,000 career yards receiving. Vela finished the night 2-for-2 for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Eric John led the Hogs defense with a career high 12 tackles. DeIra Glover added nine tackles, a pass breakup and two tackles for loss. John Reeves added eight tackles and the team’s only sack.

The Rams were led by Tidwell, who returned kicks, lined up as a receiver and played in the Wildcat formation. He had 90 yards rushing, 37 yards receiving, 119 return yards and even completed one pass for 5 yards. Neiswander went 27-of-39 for 215 yards and three touchdowns with most of the damage coming in the fourth quarter. Lacey led all receivers with 11 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Brandon Mayse led the Ram defense with 11 tackles while Jake Eannarelli added nine tackles.

The Javelinas’ offensive line did not allow the Rams a single sack even though the entered the game with a conference best 39 on the season.

The Javelinas will find out their NCAA Division II playoff matchup at 2 p.m. Sunday. This would be the first playoff bid for the team since 2004 and 22nd time they have reached the postseason.

Winborn finished the regular season with 1,072 yards rushing, tops in the conference. He is the first Javelinas player to lead the conference in rushing since Larry Williams accomplished the feat in 2003.

Garza tied Abel Gonzalez’s Javelina career completions record with 414. The Javelinas finished the regular season with a perfect 7-0 record at home.

-- TAMUK Services

Hockey

Rycroft, special teams give Bees fourth straight win

HIDALGO – Daymen Rycroft’s power play goal 2:24 into overtime gave the Killer Bees a 4-3 win over Missouri to extend their winning streak to four games. It was their penalty kill, however, that gave Rycroft and the Bees the chance for the victory before a four-game road trip with stops at Laredo, Texas and Odessa.

The Bees (5-3-0) stopped all 12 of the Mavericks’ power plays, the last coming in overtime when Rycroft left the penalty box for a slashing call he took with 24 seconds left in regulation. Less than two minutes after his penalty ended, Rycroft beat Missouri’s Mike Gorman over the goalie’s right shoulder to give the Bees the victory.

"We responded well," captain Stacey Bauman said. "Our forwards are carrying that. The way we’re killing, they’re doing a great job."

Only five games ago, the Bees’ special teams were struggling mightily. They allowed goals on eight of the first 13 penalties they took, while also having problems when they were on the power play.

Both of those problems looked to have been solved by Saturday. One night after an easy 6-2 win over Missouri (2-6-1), the Bees needed their special teams to keep them close to a Mavericks team vastly improved from the night before.

Rycroft, who took two penalties in the third, appreciated the performances by penalty killing forwards Zak McClellan, Aaron Lee and Sean Muncy.

"You definitely don’t want to take a penalty late in the game like that," Rycroft said. "Putting them on the power play with minutes left in the game, I was just fortunate the penalty killers played really well."

The power play also contributed. Along with Rycroft’s game winner, the Bees scored twice more with an advantage. Jesse Bennefield’s score 28 seconds into the second tied the game at 1, and Rycroft’s first of the night at the 9:35 mark of the middle period gave the Bees a 2-1 lead.

Overall, the Bees went 3-for-9 with an advantage, as only Andrew Schembri’s breakaway goal in the second came at even strength. Defenseman Nathan Ansell assisted on all four of the Bees goals.

The special teams almost weren’t enough, though, as the Mavericks tied the game at the 5:14 mark of the third on Bill Vandermeer’s third goal of the year. Despite taking four penalties in the third, that was the only goal the Bees and goalie Wylie Rogers (32 saves) would give up.

"It’s coming," Bees coach Chris Brooks said of the penalty kill while bemoaning the 12 times shorthanded. "They’ve bought into a little bit of an off-the-wall system, but it’s successful when we anticipate and when we battle and compete."

ICING: Defenseman Jay Hardwick played one night after sitting out Friday night’s game with flu-like symptoms. He had one shot and had a minus-1 rating. … The Bees played their second game without forward Topher Scott, who was placed on the 14-day injured reserve Friday retroactive to Nov. 1. Scott took a slap shot in the ankle last Sunday at Laredo and hasn’t played since.

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com

College

Marks’ former team hands UTPA exhibition loss

EDINBURG – As great as it was for Ryan Marks to see his former team, it only served as a reminder of what could be a long season for the University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team.

St. Edwards University, a team Marks turned into a competitive Division II program before he took over at UTPA, defeated the Broncs 84-72 on Saturday at the Field House.

The game was only an exhibition but a 12-point loss to a D-II team no matter how good it is a frightening thought considering UTPA’s brutal schedule, one which includes top-10 D-I foes.

Marks, though, doesn’t necessarily see the loss as an indication of the team’s future. He said the contest was about preparation for the regular season

"The outcome of the game really doesn’t concern me at all," Marks said. "Where we are with some of our defensive principals concerns me a little bit more. … Even with the way we have practiced the last two days, I think we can and will play substantially better. I think that will be coming. I hope that the second half (of the game) will help springboard us into the second exhibition Monday."

Marks watched his former team get hot from the field early and then maintain the shooting touch throughout.

The Hilltoppers shot 61.5 percent for the game and 56 percent from 3-point range

At times, especially in the first half, it seemed as if nothing was going to cool the Hilltoppers. No matter with a hand in their face or falling down, the shots kept dropping for the visitors.

Even more impressive was that the Hilltoppers’ offense changed with new coach Andre Cook, who was more than pleased that his team committed only 12 turnovers while shooting the percentage it did.

All this as his team had to fight through the emotions of playing their former coach.

"I told the team, ‘We just want to play," Cook said. "I know there was a lot surrounding the game but we needed to find where we are at. I knew it would be emotional when they seen coach Marks but when the ball goes up we needed to focus on the game."

FREE THROWS: UTPA plays host to Texas A&M-International on Monday in the Broncs’ final exhibition game. …Luis Valera led the Broncs with 17 points and 11 rebounds. … The Hilltoppers’ Patrick Barnes led all scorers with 18.

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com

Arena Football

Dorados ownership confirms no indoor football in 2010

The ownership group of the former Rio Grande Valley Dorados formally announced Monday they will not field a team for the 2010 season.

The Dorados ownership group waited to make an official announcement until it was clear a team would not compete in 2010. After the Dorados played six seasons at Dodge Arena in Hidalgo as a member of the af2, the af2 ceased to exist.

"We explored a variety of options, but ultimately felt the only viable course of action was to cease operations for the 2010 season. When we do something we strive to do it right and to throw a team into an unknown situation at the last minute just isn’t our style nor is it good business," General Manager Grant W. Buckborough said.

"The timing of the demise of the af2 really put us in a bind," Buckborough said. "We didn’t want to rush into anything, from choosing a league to coming up with a new name and logo. Rebranding a product isn’t something you can do properly without adequate time. Rushing into something and not doing it the right way would hurt any chance of the Valley sustaining a team long term."

Finding a league to play in is one of the most obvious concerns for indoor football in the Valley.

"We wanted to take our time and do our due diligence before committing to anything," Buckborough explained. "Geographically, a league needs to have nearby rivals so that our travel makes sense, financially. If not, it would have needed to have provisions in place already to make up for the extra travel. The salary structure and business model needed to make sense and most of all we needed to be certain any league we were to join is properly run."

Buckborough thanked the team’s supporters and said that he hopes that football returns to Valley soon.

"Yes, I’ve talked with a party who is interested in restoring the Valley’s indoor football tradition in 2011, but those talks are preliminary at this point," he said.

"There’s a lot that goes into it, but I can’t imagine indoor football being gone from the Valley for too long. The fans and sponsors are just too great not to have a team here," Buckborough said.

"I can’t thank everyone who supported the Dorados enough," he said. "The support and fervor for the team was something we all looked forward to on game days. The decision not to field a team in 2010 is in no way related to the support we received over the years."

-- Dorados Services