The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 28, 2002, Page 10, Image 10
KA1 LLU Li I V L/JJLIU 1U
WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Birmingham Southern, 4:30 p.m. Friday
MEN’S SOCCER vs. Charleston Southern, 7 p.m. Friday
(10NTACT US ..... CROSS COUNTRY at Charleston Southern, Friday
VOLLEYBALL at Michigan State Classic, Friday-Saturday
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? FOOTBALL vs. New Mexico State, 7 p.m. Saturday
E mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.eom
FOOTBALL 2002
PHOTO BY AARON HARK/THE GAMECOCK
Jermaine Lemon (No. 36) and Langston Moore (No. 57) are two of the four returning starters on the USC defense this season. The Gamecocks have always
been renowned for their strength on defense, but with some key losses, it remains to be seen if they can maintain their lofty reputation.
Reloaded and raring to go
USC’s defense
ready to tackle
its critics in 2002
BY MATT ROTHENBERG
THKUAMKCdOK
If there was any sense of
doubt surrounding USC’s de
fense after losing seven starters
from last year’s squad, you
couldn’t tell after talking to de
fensive coordinator Charlie
Strong.
“You felt at ease last year be
cause of all the seniors we had;
we lost some really good players
on defense,” Strong said. “But I
like what we have coming back,
and I like the new players we
brought in. I’m excited about
seeing them play. This group
knows we’ve been pretty good
on defense the past couple of
years, and they don’t want to be
the ones to live that reputation
down.”
Even some of the returning
players, including cornerback
Dunta Robinson, are hesitant to
use the term “rebuilding,”
which has been thrown around
to describe this year’s defense.
“I don’t like to use that term
because I think guys are going
to step in and do just as good a
job,” Robinson said. “I just want
to call it ‘losing players and then
replacing them.’ That’s what I
like to call it.”
The buzz around Gamecock
camp also centers on the new
comers, including some who
might play a big role in
Carolina’s potential success this
season.
Among those are top
prospects Ricardo Hurley, Moe
Thompson, Randy Jackson and
Darel Slay. Strong indicated that
having this youth would go a
long way towards developing
sufficient depth, which at times
last year was sorely needed.
“I think just about every
young player we signed on de
fense is going to help us,” Strong
said. “We’re starting to develop
two units on defense. We weren’t
able to do that last year. We’ve
got some people who can run,
and we will need to put together
two units that can make plays
on the field.”
Senior defensive end Dennis
Quinn is also excited about what
he has seen out of the freshmen
and transfers.
“From what I saw, those boys
have a whole lot of potential,”
Quinn said. “They got the fun
damentals down; they run real
well. I hate it for those upcom
ing (opponents) in the future be
cause (USC’s younger players)
are only going to go up from
here.”
As a veteran, Quinn knows
his role as a mentor and leader
will be essential not only to the
defense, but also to the team
overall.
“I try to be a leader on the
field, but by actions,” Quinn
said. “I try not to be a vocal lead
er because a lot of people talk
but don’t walk the walk. I think
it’s important for the younger
players to see somebody out
there doing the hard things and
watching them play and follow
ing us.”
One major bone of contention
♦ DEFENSE, SEE PAGE 11
Club Corner
Mountaineering and
Whitewater Club
The Mountaineering and
Whitewater Club meets every
Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Gambrell
Hall Room 151. This semester is
planned to be filled with trips for
rock climbing, whiteWater raft
ing, backpacking, caving,
kayaking, canoeing, moun
taineering and lots more.
No experience is necessary,
gear is provided, and trans
portation across the tri-state
area is paid for. Dues are only
$25 for the fall semester.
Roller Hockey
The Roller Hockey Club will
hold its first meeting of the
semester on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in
Russell House room 304.
Anyone interested in playing
roller hockey at Carolina this
year needs should attend.
Roller hockey is a coed
sport, and all students and fac
ulty, regardless of gender, are
invited to come out.
The club competes in the
Atlantic Collegiate Roller
Hockey Association against
teams from North and South
Carolina. In its inaugural sea
son last year, Carolina skated
♦ CLUB CORNER, SEE PAGE 11
Volleyball set for new season
BY ROBIN NURRE
THE GAMECOCK
A new year, some new faces,
but the same high expectations.
With six seniors leading the
way, the Carolina volleyball team
heads to Lansing, Mich., this
weekend to take on several of the
nation’s top teams in the Coca
Cola/Michigan State Classic.
USC brings in a tough team
that just missed being ranked in
the USA Today/AVCA preseason
poll. The Gamecocks received 161
voting points, 30 less than No. 25
Notre Dame.
“This year’s team brings a
wealth of experience both on the
court and in life,” head coach Kim
Christopher said.
Leading the way for the
Gamecocks are seniors Cally
Plummer and Megan Hosp, both
of who were All-SEC and all-re
gion selections last season. Also
joining Hosp and Plummer on
the All-SEC team were fellow se
niors Berna Dwyer and Sam
Alban.
Carolina is hoping to build its
success around a strong offense
with seasoned veterans at all po
sitions, and it wants to develop a
tough defensive squad as well.
“Offensively, we should be
strong,”! Christopher said.
use Volleyball
Vital Statistics
HEAD COACH:
Kim Christopher
STARTERS RETURNING: 5
PRESEASON RANKING:
Not ranked in USA Today/AVCA
poll
FINAL RANKING IN 2001:
Not ranked
RECORD IN 2001:
20-6(10-4 SEC)
STADIUM:
Volleyball Competition Facility
KEY PLAYERS:
OH Cally Plummer, S Megan
Hosp, MB Berna Dwyer, MB
Sam Alban
“Defensively, we continue to work
on our blocking, and we have
gained a better understanding
during spring training. We have
committed a considerable amount
of time and effort to becoming a
better blocking team.”
USC has a lot of depth at outside
hitter, and Plummer is the most
decorated of the bunch.
Plummer, a three-time All-SEC
and two-time all-region selection,
led the team in four categories last
♦ VOLLEYBALL, SEE PAGE 11
SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Senior Cally Plummer has been named to the All-SEC team
every year she’s been with the Gamecocks.
Little
League
on TV?
I’ll pass
KYLE ALMOND
GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Many sports fans were glued to
their television sets Sunday as the
Little League World Series drew
to a close. Many were captivated
by Aaron Alvey and the rest of the
young players from Louisville,
Ky., that won the championship
over Sendai, Japan, 1-0.
I was not one of them.
Little League on TV? Are you
kidding me? If I wanted to watch
little kids play baseball, I could do
that right here in Columbia.
There are plenty of other things
ESPN and ABC could have broad
cast instead, and they could have
saved money in the process. Old
NFL films. The Fitness America
Pageant. Reruns of the World
Series of Poker. Even (gasp!)
Major League Soccer.
The networks’ best bet proba
bly would have been the World’s
Strongest Man contests. You
know what I’m talking about;
they’re always on at 3 a.m., and
they feature dudes with 40-inch
necks named Magnus von
Magnusson.
It really doesn’t matter what
the networks choose to show. Just
anything but little kids playing
baseball.
The reason I watch sports is
because I want to see people do
things that I can’t do myself. I
can’t throw a telephone pole 60
feet like Magnus, but I could
strike out little Bobby Braces
with my eyes closed. When I
watch sports, I want to see
tremendous athletes who have
trained hard at their profession,
not a youngster who’s a year re
moved from playing Pokemon
with his little sister.
I think I’m just angry at the
whole concept of Little League on
TV because I think it’s inherent
ly wrong in the first place. I feel
sorry for the kids, who have to be
feeling an enormous amount of
pressure with all the money and
attention that’s invested into the
event.
These poor kids are only 12
years old, and they’re already be
ing asked to carry a burden that
some professional athletes (see:
Ryan Leaf) can’t handle. These
youngsters have it hard enough
already dealing with the onset of
adolescence and all the crap that
comes with it: zits, their first kiss,
algebra class. Why should they
have to feel the pressure of per
forming well in front of a national
audience?
1 just don t get why watching
kids play baseball is so appealing
to some people. I’ve heard the ar
gument that it’s better than watch
ing professional baseball, which
is tainted by corrupt, money-grub
bing players and owners. But
Little League has proved that it’s
no different from its pro counter
part. Danny Almonte was the
Little League World Series’ dar
ling last season, and then it was
discovered that he was really 14
years old—two years over the re
quired age limit.
Corruption is present wherever
there’s money involved, and Little
League, sadly, is no exception.
You don’t need a Tom Emanski
video to realize that.
The Little League World Series
has been on TV for as long as I can
remember, but that tradition
needs to be kicked to the curb. Let
the players enjoy their childhood
first. The spotlight, and all the
stress that’s associated with it, can
come later.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Pimp Daddy of the Week:
Seneca Wallace
Yeah, so the Iowa State quarter
back came up 1 yard short against
♦ ALMOND, SEE PAGE 11