Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Inferno defeats in-state rival cy AJ BEMBRY THE GAMECOCK Call it the Battle of 1-26. Midlands vs. Lowcountry. The Palmetto Showdown. Whatever nickname you wish, Tuesday’s game between divisional rivals South Carolina Stingrays and Columbia Inferno was an all-out brawl. The Inferno took the game by a score of 3-2, snapping the Stingrays’ 10-game winning streak and evening the season series at four in the process. Although Columbia was without its K two All-Stars (goalie Mike Minard and f defenseman Greg Amadio were both called up to play in the American Hockey League), the Inferno played a spirited game, goading the Stingrays into committing seven penalties, including two fights, a ten minute misconduct, and a game misconduct. The Inferno grabbed the lead at 5:24 in the first period with defenseman Derek Eastman notching his first goal of the season off passes from forwards Bryson Busniuk and John Longo. Eastman dove for a pass about three feet in front of him and poked the puck off of his backhand past South Carolina goalie Kirk Daubenspeck. A slashing penalty on left wing Robin Gomez midway through the first put the Inferno on their first power play opportunity of the night. Columbia cashed in on the man advantage. Cycling the puck low on the right side wall, center D’Arcy McConvey split a small opening and one-timed a sharp pass from Busniuk into the net at 10:02. South Carolina was clearly frustrated, which led to two first period fights and a vicious shoulder charge from defenseman Craig Olynick. Olynick was given a game misconduct and ejected from the ice . Columbia failed to capitalize on the ensuing five minute major, despite some pretty chances. Inferno goalie Rob McVicar stood tall in net, only allowing two goals in about a one- minute span. Stoned on the first two opportunities, Gomez lifted a shot past McVicar’s sprawling left leg to cut the lead in half at 4:33 of the second. Then, at 5:38, center Kevin Spiewak rifled a clean shot just over McVicar’s right shoulder to knot the game at two. A series of Stingray penalties resulted in a 10-minute misconduct from defenseman Nate Kiser, and a two-man advantage for Columbia. The Inferno didn’t squander the opportunity, and at 14:03 in the second, center Brad Ralph fired his fifteenth goal of the year and the game-winner past Daubenspeck. In the third, the Inferno seemingly spent most of the period with the ice tilted towards their end. Columbia only generated three shots in the final period, allowing McVicar to put on a show. The net minder complied, turning away ali eight shots he faced including a flurry of activity at the end of the period. With the victory in front of the crowd at the Carolina Coliseum, Columbia tied South Carolina in the ECHL’s Eastern Division standings with 47 points, despite having played three less games then the Stingrays. The win also puts Columbia just three points behind the division leading Charlotte Checkers, who visit the Capital City next Tuesday. Comments cm this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu Super Bowl could set stage for heroic T. O. performance The man wants to play. He doesn’t care that he probably will not be 100 percent effective. The possibility of a career ending injury does not frighten him. It doesn’t matter that his doctor refuses to give him a medical release. Terrell Owens says that nothing will keep him out of this game. This is the Super Bowl. Only a select few individuals ever get to experience this game. Even fewer get to walk off that field and call themselves champions. The 90 degree heat during training camp, the hours of film study and □ practice, the aches, the bruises, the hits, this is what a lifetime of dedication to the game of football is all about. The big question during ...... the week will be if TODD GREEN Tcrrell Gwens Wlll graduate , . , c STUDENT IN Play in the Super Bowl. Super Bowl ENTERTAINMENT , v MANAGEMENT Week is a media frenzy. It has been known to cause more than a few distractions to the teams and players involved as they prepare for the biggest game of their lives. The Eagle players all know that they will be asked that question many times over, whether they like it or not. The prevailing sentiment among the 1 media elite seems to be that Owens should not play. He suffered a separated ligament in his ankle against the Dallas Cowboys on December 19. The injury’s normal recovery time after surgery is seven to eight weeks. This will be Owens’ sixth week post surgery. Commentators and sports gurus all across the nation are saying that there is no way Owens can plant his feet and cut on the injured ankle the way an elite NFL receiver is required to do. He is being selfish. He is putting himself above the team. He would help his team more by announcing he will not play, thus ending the distraction caused by the intense speculation over his playing status. The Eagles have performed just fine without Owens, finally breaking their streak of losses in the NFC Championship Game. Owens has been written off, cast away, and told that he will not factor in to the Super Bowl equation. What about the possibility that Terrell Owens may be part of one of those legendary moments in sports? The script has been acted out many times. The injured athlete, playing with intense pain, lays it all on the line in pursuit of championship glory. It was only a few months ago that Curt Schilling became a hero in Boston, pitching his way to a couple of post season wins on a bloody ankle being held together by stitches and dead tissue. Schilling was praised for his insistence that he could pitch, and for refusing to put himself on the injured list. New York Knicks fans will not soon forget Willis Reed’s performance against the Lakers in game 7 of the NBA Finals in 1970. Reed played with a pulled thigh muscle, limped onto the court, and led his Knicks to. the Championship. He was surely not 100 percent. He only played 27 minutes, scored only four points, but his determination of spirit is what made his performance legendary. Bottom of the ninth, World Series, down 4-3, Kirk Gibson, having not played during the game due to a strained hamstring and sprained knee ligament, comes off the bench to pinch hit. It was a full count when Gibson sent a slider into the stands. Dodgers win 5-4 and go on to take the 1988 Series. During the 1978 NFL playoffs, Jack Youngblood, of the former Los Angeles Rams, broke his leg against the Cowboys. Youngblood had the trainers tape his leg and he played out the game, even recording a sack. The Rams went on to win the game, and the next one, before losing in the Super Bowl. Youngblood played in every game, even the Pro Bowl at the end of the season. So why is the media refusing to allow Owens the possibility of joining this club of the legendary athlete, saying he is selfish if he even tries to play? Terrell Owens is loud, flamboyant, and over the top. He has never been well-liked by the media. Some athletes seem to get a pass for their eccentricities, and are even glorified, while a receiver like Owens is portrayed as all that is wrong with athletes today. Last time I checked, Owens had not been arrested for cocaine, vehicular manslaughter, rape, being a deadbeat dad, or any serious offense that many professional athletes have been accused of over the years. His cocky persona on the football field is similar to Muhammad Ali’s in a boxing ring. He has been a professional football player for nine years, a model citizen, and he is not afraid to catch a pass over the middle knowing that the shoulder of a free safety is flying at his body with incredible force. Terrell Owens knows that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. For the chance to help win this game, he is willing to risk never being able to play again. He believes it is a risk worth taking. I believe he should be commended for that choice, and the possibility that he may do something great is enough to make me hope he gets his chance. He’s proved people wrong his whole career, and he is not about to start listening to the doubters now. ■ OPPONENTS Continued from page 08 Mohamed Massaquoi, with a sub 4.45 40-yard dash time and a solid 6 foot-2-inch, nearly 200-pound frame, k arrives in Athens from Independence High, home of soon-to-be SEC opponent Chris Leak. Massaquoi is listed as the 29th-best player in the land by Rivals.com. Kade Weston, a four-star defensive tackle from New Jersey, is certainly large enough for SEC play, tallying in at just more than 300 pounds and with a 6 foot-5-inch frame. The nation’s No. 33 player passed on offers from Maryland, Okla., and SEC rivals Tennessee and Florida. Classified as an athlete, C.J. Byrd has the potential to be a fascinating college star. Byrd clocked a 4.5 40-yard dash time and had offers from the nation s elite, including Southern Cal, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida State and Florida. Bryan Evans, a cornerback from Jacksonville, chose the Bulldogs over SEC competitors Florida, LSU and Tennessee — the latter two he visited. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS Eugene Hayes, the 36th-best player in the land according to Rivals.com, runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash and bench presses more than 110 pounds more than his own weight. The highly sought recruit visited Clemson, Tennessee, Florida State and Georgia. He received offers from all of these as well as Auburn, Miami and national champion Southern California before choosing Coach Phil Fulmer’s squad. With two stud running backs coming in, Tennessee snigged Josh McNeil, the top center in the nation, to block for them. The 290-pound star benches over 355 pounds and will look to protect quarterback’s Eric Ainge and Brent Schaeffer. LaMarcus Coker, a 180-pound back will join the Volunteers despite offers from Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky. The No. 2 all-purpose back will bring his 4.3 40-yard dash time to the Tennessee offensive attack. Chris Scott, ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 2 offensive guard in the country, passed on the Gators and the LSU Tigers en route to joining the elite crew of players headed to Knoxville this fall. Despite already maintaining a skilled pocket passer in freshman quarterback Eric Ainge and a scrambler in freshman Brent Schaeffer, the Volunteers picked up four-star quarterback Jonathan Crompton for more assurance at the position. The 2nd-best quarterback in the country, Crompton passed on Clemson, Georgia, Miami, USC and Southern California. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS Classified as an athlete by Rivals.com, Darren McFadden is considered a five-star recruit due to his 4.38 40-yard dash time. Additionally, McFadden has a strong, 6-foot, 198 pound frame, which should make the adjustment to SEC football a smoother process. The Little Rock native denied offers from SEC competitors Alabama and Tennessee. In acquiring McFadden, the Razorbacks receive a five-star player for the first time in more than three years. Arkansas also added four-star athlete Felix Jones, a Tulsa native, as well as three other three-star recruits. VANDERBILT COMMODORES Among the lower echelon of SEC teams, Vanderbilt’s recruiting claSs is not star-studded but it’s certainly larger than the likes of Kentucky. While the Commodores have no more three-star recruits than the Wildcats, they have six more recruits at the two-star level for a signing day total of 21 recruits. KENTUCKY WILDCATS The Wildcats are experiencing another year of not acquiring the level of high school recruits they would prefer. Thus far, Kentucky has acquired only four three-star recruits in quarterback Curtis Pulley, offensive lineman Fatu Turituri, offensive lineman Kalavi Blanchard and defensive back David Jones. . Aside from them, the team has only received commitments from 15 other recruits, all two-star players. LLtMbUN I IlitKo Unfortunately for USC, the Clemson Tigers have established a well-balanced recruiting. The Tigers class consists of 25 players. The Tigers have acquired six four-star recruits, three of which are defensive players, two are classified as athletes and one is an offensive lineman, 6-foot-7-inch, 310-pound Corey Lambert, a Greenville native. The Tigers picked up James Davis, the nation’s sixth-best running back to backup current force Reggie Merriweather. The Atlanta native is 6 feet, just more than 200 pounds and has an even 4.4 40-yard-dash time. Davis rejected many formidable SEC schools including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Tennessee. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu KYLE PARKER/ THE GAMECOCK Sophomore guard Angela Hunter dribbles in a recent game against the Tennessee Volunteers. Hunter and the Gamecocks will host the Auburn Tigers in the Colonial Center on Sunday. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. USC hopes to penetrate vaunting Auburn defense By TYLER GREGG THE GAMECOCK The Gamecocks play host to Auburn on Sunday at the Colonial Center and will try to secure their first SEC win this season. The team is once again coming off another loss. The Gamecocks can attribute most of their losses this season to spotty scoring. The Gamecocks traveled to Kentucky last Sunday and were haunted by a 13-1 Kentucky scoring drive just before the half. To make matters worse, the Wildcats held the Gamecocks scoreless for nearly six minutes to inflate their lead by 21. If the Gamecocks expect to win an SEC game, they must stop their scoring droughts. The Gamecocks are 0-7 in SEC play and have dropped their last 13 consecutive SEC games. Auburn is 10-9 overall and 1-5 in conference play. The Tigers are led by Natasha Brackett, who is coming off a season-high 23 points against No. 1 LSU. Brackett is just 63 points away from taking over the sixth spot on Auburn’s all-time scoring list, as she has amassed 1,521 points in her career. The series between the Tigers and the Gamecocks is somewhat lopsided with Auburn leading 15-9 overall including a 69-58 win at home last season at Auburn. The Tiger’s defense is undoubtedly their strong point this year. They have held their opponents to just 56.5 points per game and only 65.3 points per game in conference play. Marita Payne and Louise Emeagi lead the team in steals with 8.1 and 7.7 steals per game, respectively. Auburn is second to only LSU in the SEC in scoring defense this year, but its offense is horrid, not unlike Carolina’s, ranking second to last and last, respectively. That being said, nearly every game this year, with the exception of Tennessee, has been a closely fought game for the Tigers. Auburn has stifled its opponents with defense this year, forcing its opponents to score 8.1 points below average. This statistic is particularly troubling for the Gamecocks because they are struggling with their offense this season as well. This Auburn team is confident because they have played close in all of their games, most against top-25 teams. The Tigers are an excellent second-half team, outscoring their opponents by 94 points this season. The Gamecocks are second to last and last statistically in nine out of the 19 SEC categories. Sunday’s game should be a low scoring one because both Auburn and USC have been struggling offensively. The Gamecocks are, not surprisingly, second to last in the SEC in attendance, just ahead of Mississippi State. USC will need the student body’s support Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Colonial Center in order to pull of its first SEC win. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@givm.sc. edu GAMECOCK CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE: Every week, The Gamecock’s readers and staff test their sports knowledge with game predictions. 11 Alabama at Florida Mississippi State at Auburn 6 Kentucky at Vanderbilt Arkansas at Ole Miss LSU at Tennessee 25 Georgia Tech at 4 Duke 12 Michigan State at Iowa 22 Maryland at Miami Texas Tech at 14 Oklahoma USC at Georgia Jonathan Stephen Hillyard Fastenau Sports Asst. Sports editor editor (17-13) (19-11) Alabama Florida MSU MSU Kentucky Kentucky Ole Miss Arkansas UT LSU DukeDuke Mich. St. Mich. St. Miami_Miami Oklahoma Oklahoma use use 70-58 79-44 Alex Miquel Riley Jacobs Staff Staff Writer Writer (20-10) (20-10) Alabama Alabama MSU MSU Kentucky Kentucky Ole Miss Arkansas LSU LSU Duke . Duke Mich. St. Mich. St. Maryland Maryland Oklahoma Oklahoma use use 68-52 80-69 Mike Jamison Morgan Tinsley Special Reader of , guest the week (19-11) (19-11) FloridaFlorida MSU MSU Kentucky Kentucky Ole Miss Arkansas UT LSU DukeDuke IowaMich. St. Maryland Maryland Oklahoma Oklahoma use use 72-68 72-50 WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-MAIL SELECTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GAMES TO GAMECOCKSPORTS@GWM.SC.EDU. LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: The race tightened up as Ron Morris faltered to drop Special Guest out of first place. Riley and Jacobs share the lead at 20-10. — BE A LEADER AMONG LEADERS ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Every Soldier in the U.S. Army learns how to become a leader - AN ARMY OF ONE. With your bachelor’s degree, you can become an Army Officer and be a leader among leaders. In Officer Candidate School (OCS), you’ll learn management and leadership techniques. Apply now. Openings are limited. >> Call Sgt 1st Class Greene at 777-4812 to find out about college loan repayment and more Army benefits. Or talk to a Recruiter at the Lagare College RS, 902 Sumter Street in cell phone 315-7588, MON-FRI9 AM - 5 PM. 4 goarmy.com 02001. Paid for by the U S. Army. Ail rights reserved. AN ARMY OF ONE