Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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11 GAME SCHEDULE P 0 NT A C T TIS VO HEYBALL at Kentucky, 7 p.m. Wednesday 1 J A MEN’S TENNIS in Chattanooga, Tenn., Thursday Story ideas? Questions? Comments? MEN’S SOCCER at No. 3 Wake Forest, 7 p.m. Friday E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com ■ WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m. Friday Injuries continue to plague USC USC at Kentucky 6:30 p.m. Saturday Commonwealth Stadium TV: ESPN2 BY JASON NOLL THE GAMECOCK The USC football team (4-2, 2-1 SEC) came out of a 34-10 win against Mississippi State with in juries to several key players, and head coach Lou Holtz was unsure Monday of who he will play on Saturday at Kentucky. Holtz said defensive end Dennis Quinn will be out this week with a sprained ankle. Quarterback Corey Jenkins also has a sprained ankle, and his play ing status is unclear. Holtz compared Jenkins’ injury to the injury of defensive back Corey Peoples, who’s been out all season. The loss of Quinn and Jenkins would leave considerable holes to fill. “Losing Corey Jenkins hurts us,” Holtz said. “I'm not sure who the starting quarterback will be.” Holtz speculated that Dondrial Pinkins or Erik Kimrey could re place Jenkins on Saturday, but he questioned the reliability of his backups. “All you want in a quarterback is a guy to put the ball in the end zone.... In the right end zone,” Holtz said Linebacker Rod Thomas had surgery on his an kle Friday and is officially out for the season. But wide receiver James Adkisson, out since the Adkisson Virginia game, should be available to play against Kentucky. Running back Ryan Brewer, who is nursing several in juries, is also expected to play Saturday. Brewer is “playing on one leg,” Holtz said. “He never says a word, but he’s hurting. His ankle’s hurt ing badly.” Defense making strides Overall, Holtz was pleased with his team’s performance against Mississippi State, espe cially on defense and special teams. Holtz said he saw standout per formances from linebackers Jeremiah Garrison and Jermaine Lemon, defensive end George Gause and defensive back Dunta Robinson, who had two intercep tions in the game. “Defensively, we did an excel lent job,” Holtz said. “This was the best performance by our defensive secondary this year.” Holtz did cite some problems, such as continuing concerns about interceptions and the in jury-depleted offensive line. He said he is unsure of who he will play at right tackle, with Watts Sanderson and Jeff Barnes being possibilities. Building unity _ Holtz said he is happy with the way his team is coming together and playing as a unit in the Gamecocks’ recent victories. He is impressed with his team’s new found confidence. “We’re starting to come togeth er,” Holtz said. “This football team has come together quicker than I ever envisioned it.” Holtz thinks the Gamecocks face a tough task Saturday in a game that will challenge his team mentally and physically. “It’s not gonna be a place for the weak or timid,” Holtz said. “If you love.to knock the living daylights out of somebody and get knocked down ... then this is gonna be a wonderful Saturday.” Despite the tough matchup ahead, Holtz displayed confidence that his team will perform up to expectations. “We’re gonna play a heck of a game,” he said. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Carolina’s Lake off to perfect start Cross country runner has won first 3 meets PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK USC cross country runner Jenny Lake has set course records in each of her three wins this season. The sophomore is also a great student; she's a McNair Scholar with a 4.0 GPA. BY KYLE ALMOND THE GAMECOCK SC cross country runner Jenny Lake is three for three already this sea son: three races, three wins, and three course records. The sophomore from Geneseo, 111., has dominated the early part of USC’s schedule, winning meets at the College of Charleston, The Citadel and Clemson. And while the meets weren’t the largest she’ll run in all season, Lake was still surprised by her early ac complishments. “I did some training over the summer, but I didn’t expect to start off so well,” she said. But her head coach, Stan Rosenthal, knew what to expect. “I deliberately picked some smaller meets where (the team) could do well,” he said. “I knew Jenny was going to do well no matter what we did. The course record part? You never really plan for something like that. But I knew she’d probably be first or second in every one of those meets.” Lake will go for her fourth course record Oct. 19 at The Eagle Invitational in Rock Hill. “I expect she’ll be first or sec ond in that meet as well,” Rosenthal said. The bright start has encour aged Lake, but she’s not getting too excited yet. “It’s really the end of the sea son that counts,” Lake said. “This is kind of nice, but I’m still looking forward to the end.” Lake has got her eyes on mak ing the All-SEC team. She missed out by six spots last sea son. She’s also geared up for an other track season. Lake was a part of the women’s track and field team that won a national championship this past spring. “I’m really looking forward to track more than anything — go ing to some big meets and really getting my 1,500 (meters) time down,” she said. “Hopefully, our DMR (distance medley relay) can go to nationals.” For now, though, Lake is con tcimauug uii cross country and continuing her hot start. “I’m running about the same times, but my workouts are gening uener, Lake Lake said. “So • I’m anxious to hop into some bigger races.” According to USCsports.com, Lake’s personal best in a 5-kilo meter cross country race is 18 minutes, 28 seconds. This sea son, she has run a 19:05 in Charleston and an 18:55 at The Citadel. In Clemson’s 6-kilome ter race, she ran a 22:42. But Lake says she doesn’t worry about times. She just fo cuses on taking it easy and run “I wish I had five or six more just like her.” STAN ROSENTHAL use CROSS COUNTRY HEAD COACH ning a race that will make her happy. “Long distance is something you can’t really get pumped up for, because if you go out too hard, you’re just going to pay for it in the end,” she said. “Relaxation is the big thing for me.” Lake came to Carolina from J.D. Darnall High School in Geneseo, a move she said she had no intention of making. But when she had a great time on her trip and was offered the prestigious McNair Scholar award, she packed her bags for Columbia. “Everything just kind of fell into place,” she said. “It was completely unexpected.” In addition to her excellence in athletics, Lake has also been highly successful in the class room. A pre-medicine student majoring in mathematics, she has a 4.0 GPA. “Hopefully, she’ll finish high enough at the NCAA Regional Championships so that she can be an Academic All American,” Rosenthal said. “I wish I had five or six more just like her.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Baseball reloading for spring season Talented players competing in fall practice for starting spots BY MATT ROTHENBERG THE GAMECOCK On a wall in the Gamecocks’ dugout at Sarge Frye Field, a piece of tape was once inscribed with the words, “Omaha 2002— No Regrets.” Early in the team’s practices this fall, someone changed it to “Omaha 2003 — No Regrets.” After falling one game short of a national championship in June, Carolina has returned to Sarge Frye Field with plenty of new faces, but the same mission — to earn a trip to the College World Series and a shot at a national ti tle. Yet there is much work to be finished, as USC head coach Ray Tanner and his staff continue to look for a lineup that best suits the team. “I’ve seen some good signs; we’re in a situation now where there is potential on this team,” Tanner said. “But potential is something that hasn’t happened. We’re still in the process of work ing toward the goal of having an other solid team.” With the Major League Baseball draft and graduation once again taking their toll on the roster, the Gamecocks have to find a number of replacements. Guys like Drew Meyer, Yaron Peters, Garris Gonce, Steve Thomas and Trey Dyson will not be in the lineup this spring, so Tanner knows he has to find some players to insert in those slots. “We’ve got to find some an swers,” he said. “We’ve got to find an answer at shortstop, we’ve got to find an answer at first base, and we’ve got to replace a couple of guys in the outfield. “We’re working hard this fall. We’re just trying to find a few an swers to fill the holes that have been vacated by the guys that went to the College World Series last year.” There is plenty of reason for hope, though, that this Gamecock team will have yet another suc cessful season. Landon Powell returns behind the plate after a promising sum mer as part of the USA National Team. Most of the infield is back with Kevin Melillo, Brian Buscher and Justin Harris. And Jon Coutlangus will be patrolling the outfield again. “You have to have a combina tion of players step forward,” Tanner explained. “The veteran players we have on this team, they’re expected to go out and be the good players they’ve been in the past. The key to your success is the newcomers and returning players that step forward — the guys that are on the team but haven’t efflerged yet.” Armed'with a recruiting class ranked eighth in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, Tanner is confident that some members of that group can contribute imme diately. Bolstering an up-and-coming pitching staff will be southpaws Forrest Beverly and Zach Reeves. Conor Lalor, a right-handed pitch er, might also see some time. First baseman Hank Parks and outfielders Sadry Cafe and Nick Gardiner are in the mix as well. Steven Tolleson and Bryan Triplett will compete for Meyer’s shortstop position. “It’s still somewhat early to tell, but we have an impressive group of newcomers,” Tanner said>‘You ♦ BASEBALL, SEE PAGE 12 FILE PHOTO BY ROBERT GRUEN/THE GAMECOCK USC celebrates winning the 2002 NCAA Super Regionals over defending national champion Miami. Head coach Ray Tanner must replace several key players for next season. A video game is running my life KYLE ALMOND GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM NCAA Football 2003 is too addicting for me. .You know the slogan for EA Sports: If it’s in the game, it’s in the game. Well, when it comes to EA’s NCAA Football 2003,1 can’t seem to get myself out of the game. The addicting video game is starting to take over my life. At first, it seemed cool. Who wouldn’t want to play the most re alistic college football simulation ever? I took control of Corey Jenkins and the Gamecocks and naked-bootlegged my way to a 13-0 record and a national champi onship. It was great. But now, as I’m getting into the fourth year of my USC dynasty (and my second with the defen sively challenged Oregon Ducks), it’s clear that the game is turning me into a complete loser. EVIDENCE THAT I’M A DORK AND PLAYING TOO MUCH NCAA FOOTBALL 2003: 1. Humming unknown fight songs on the way to class NCAA Football 2003 has more than 200 realistic fight songs, and I think I’ve memorized at least 180 of them. I have no clue which songs belong to which schools, but that doesn’t stop me from chirp ing away like a parrot as I’m head ing to sociology. 2. Talking to the TV The game also features play-by play commentary from ESPN’s Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. And if Corso doesn’t pick the Gamecocks to win, I call him every curse word in the book. 3. Ignoring responsibility I would have gone to class the other day, but I had more impor lain tilings in uu, like find Oregon a middle linebacker that doesn’t shriek in fear when he ac tually has to make a tackle. The AFLAC duck could have made more stops than the guy I had last season. 4. Ignoring stuff that usually makes me hannv Roommate: Dude, the Yankees are about to get bumped out of the playoffs! Me: That’s great. I think I’ll stay here and study the bench press statistics of these recruits. If I don’t get a good left tackle, I’ll just die! 5. Being utterly confused when I watch real college football I can’t separate the good teams ♦ ALMOND, SEE PAGE 12 The AFLAC duck could tackle better than my Oregon linebacker.