The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 24, 2005, Page 11, Image 11
TH#feAMECOCK
SPORTS
Wednesday, August 24,2005 r'' ' B ^J B ^L_ B Page 11
Cries of racism
turn lawsuit
into another
ridiculous mess
Thompson’s attorney
shouldn’t use race card
gto beat burglary rap
As an avid reader of all news regarding
Gamecock sports, it is no surprise that I
came across an article in Saturdays issue
of The State newspaper concerning
subpoenas being issued to football coach
Steve Spurrier and his staff. Interested, 1
read about the foolishness surrounding
the case of former football players
claiming unfair treatment in the criminal
charges filed against them, but it was
mention of one trial possibly being
thrown out on grounds of racial
discrimination that topped them all.
Columbia attorney -
Hemphill Pride,
representing former
corJSC football player
Moe Thompson on
burglary charges, filed
the motion to drop the m .
ce b*=d on “'I”'1
I • I i Jacobs
incomprehensible
comparisons that do third-year
nothing but cast another
dark shadow on the student
controversial topic of
racial discrimination in America.
For those who haven’t followed the
legal problems of the university, recall the
past two events that Pride is basing his
motion upon. On Oct. 11, 2004, The
Gamecock reported that the ball atop the
Maxcy Monument on the Horseshoe had
Reen stolen, similar to a Sept. 15, 1954,
prank.
Three days later, the ball was returned
without authorities tracking down the
culprits and personally telling them the
morality in returning the property.
Apparently, the USCPD and
administration also acknowledged the
event as a college prank, probably by what
was taken and in its swift return, by
dishing out 15 hours of community
service to the guilty students.
In the case of Thompson, he and
former teammate Kevin Mainord were
arrested for allegedly breaking into two
apartments in East Quad on Feb. 23 and
tealing electronics equipment. Mainord
turned himself in shortly after, but
Thompson waited six days of his “spring
break” before surrendering March 9.
To take the objective view, first
consider the similarities and basis of
Pride’s motion. According to court
documents, the incident was a prank that
Thompson and several teammates
attempted to pull on other players upon
returning to East Quad following a night
of “celebrating and partying,” which
seems probable given USC’s men’s
basketball team lost an 80-72 decision to
Tennessee just hours before the alleged
thefts.
Ben Springer, one of the white students
responsible for the Maxcy prank, told The
Gamecock on Nov. 12 that at around 2
' * JACOBS • 12
CAROLINA FOOTBALL
Offense sputters in scrimmage
Joseph leads defensive
dominance in Tuesday
night's weather-delayed
game simulation
fllex Riley
ASSISTANT SPORTS WRITER
A cloudy skyline and bright-bolted
display of lightning weren’t the only thing
that slowed the USC scrimmage on
Tuesday night. Shoddy quarterback play,
paired with a strong-headed defensive
secondary grounded the Gamecock aerial
assault.
“It wasn’t real pretty for the offensive
guys,” football coach Steve Spurrier said.
“We’ll regroup, watch tape and see if we
can get better.
“It was a struggle. The protection wasn’t
real super, the receivers dropped a bunch,
we under threw a bunch, over threw a
bunch. Couldn’t hold a completion could
we:
The team took the field with the intent
of playing a regular scrimmage, practicing
as if it were a real game time. But Mother
Nature halted progress after just 10 plays,
finishing with a 64-yard field goal attempt
by freshmen Ryan Succop that failed to
split the sticks.
When play resumed after a 55-minute
delay, sophomore Blake Mitchell guided
the offense to a series of first downs, but
failed to finish the drive.
When the first-team offense faced the
first-team defense, the results were less
than stellar. Sophomore linebacker Mike
West had a ball bounce off his chest plate
that could have been a defensive score,
while defensive lineman senior Chris
Tucker came up with a sack.
It took moving the offense inside the
20-yard line before the offense could score,
as freshmen Mike Davis punched in the
first Gamecock touchdown on a seven
yard run.
Sophomore Travis Lee brought home
the second offensive score of the night,
hauling in a short pass from Mitchell.
After a few more plays with Davis in the
back field, fellow freshmen Bobby Wallace
took hold of the running, scoring on
consecutive runs around the 10-yard line.
“All I needed was a little hole. I seen it
and I hit it,” Wallace said.
Mitchell squeezed a touchdown pass to
Davis between two defensive backs, while
Davis rushed for another score on the next
set of downs.
Defense finally took hold, as freshmen
Jeremy Ware picked off freshmen Cade
Thompson for the first of many
interceptions for the secondary over the
night.
The next score of the night came from
the defensive side of the ball, as sophomore
walk-on cornerback Aubruy McKay
wrapped his hands around an option pitch
from quarterback freshmen Antonio
Heffner and returned it 75-yards for a
touchdown.
The defensive secondary got its biggest
boost of the night from freshmen Jonathan
Joseph, who picked off a fade on the first
play then proceeded to snag a strike down
the middle of the field on the next play,
leaving the offense with a bad taste in its
mouth.
“We had a bunch of blitzing up front
which put a lot of pressure on the
quarterback,” Joseph said. “And he didn’t
have much time to get the ball off. So,
therefore, we were in position to make a
play on the ball and have a chance to get
an interception.”
Lee hauled in the final offensive score of
the night on a tipped pass, closing out a
lackluster showing from the offense.
The kicking game showed poise, as
freshmen Ryan Succop, senior Josh Brown,
and freshmen Jordan Dobbs each ,hit field
goals of 32 and 44, with Brown hitting the
only attempt from 50 yards out.
“We won’t play like this (in the opener).
Hopefully I’m smart enough not to try to
throw. If we can’t throw we’ll run up the
middle and punt. And if our defense can
play this well, and we can win 13-10 that’s
what we’ll do is try to win.”
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gurm.sc. edu
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF:
8 DAYS
In a little more than a week, the
Steve Spurrier era will officially begin
at USC, as the Gamecocks play host to
the Central Florida Golden Knights. To
provide Carolina fans the most in
depth Gamecock coverage, Gamecock
Sports will publish the Friday Football
Blitz, an in-depth special section
released the day before every USC
football game. Check out the first
installment Aug. 31 for the latest
news, statistics, analysis and a full
page action pinup.
Katie Kirkland/THE GAMECOCK
Junior cornerback Jonathan Joseph warms up in a practice earlier this summer. Joseph snagged two interceptions Tuesday.
Odoms first impression gives basketball positive outlook in 2005-2006
.Afg-*_——
Kali* Kirklarulnm OAMECOCK
Senior guard Tarence Kinsey holds off a
defender in the Gamecocks’ March NIT
win against the Georgetown Hoyas.
Jonathan Hillyard
SPORTS EDITOR
USC coach Dave Odom’s initial
remarks about his 2005-2006 Gamecock
basketball team included positive phrases
that aren’t exactly typical of the fifth-year
head coach.
In a news conference, Odom
introduced his defending NIT
champions, saying, “We’ve got as much
depth on this team, at least on paper, as
any team I’ve coached in quite a while.”
The team returns three seniors and five
juniors to a squad that finished with
another 20-win season in 2005.
“We’ve got to make it happen,” Odom
said, “but I think the time is now.”
Four newcomers will join the
Gamecocks this season, all over 6-feet-5
inches tall. Ousmane Konate, entering
USC this season as a sophomore, will
provide Carolina with its first true center
in recent years.
“He’s all of 6-9, 290 (pounds),” Odom
4 .
*
said when describing Konate.
The big man who spent the last year at
Redlands Junior College in Oklahoma
attended Laurinburg Prep High School in
Laurinburg, N.C. According to
Scout.com, Konate’s high school coach
called him the most talented on a team
loaded with division I-A prospects.
Joining Konate in the front court will
be junior Keving Palacios, who arrives at
USC via Eastern Oklahoma State Junior
College. At 6 feet 8 inches and 250
pounds, Palacios will provide depth down
low behind senior Antoine Tisby, junior
Brandon Wallace and Konate. Palacios is a
Venezuela native, but attended high
school at St. Benedict Sprep in Newark,
N.J.
Coming to Columbia by way of
Fullerton College in California is junior
Bryce Sheldon, projected as a forward. At
6 feet 5 inches, Sheldon will not tower
over anyone in the SEC, but his 200
pound build will give him a muscle
advantage over much of his competition.
www. dailygamecock. com
The only guard Odom adds to this
year’s roster is Augusta, Ga., native
Dominique Archie. Odom spoke
repeatedly about his expectations from
Archie, the Gamecocks’ only freshman in
2005-2006. The 6-foot-7-inch guard
should see significant playing time in his
first year at USC.
However, guard play proved to be a
strong point late last season, and Odom
has high hopes for his backcourt again
this year.
“At the beginning of last year I was
hoping Tre Kelley could be a quality SEC
guard, but at the end of last year I think
he was as good as any guard in our league
on any given night,” Odom said. “He’s
ready for that. I have no questions about
our guard play.”
Returning for USC at point guard is
Kelley, who will be, joined by seniors
Rocky Trice and Tarence Kinsey, as well as
sophomores Stephen McDowell and
Dwayne Day. McDowell impressed a
number of his counterparts this summer
i
Graphic illustration by Laura-Joyce Gough
in Germany, Odom said, when he
averaged 31 points a game on a summer
team comprised of numerous SEC and a
few Clemson players.
After a strong finish last season,
academic eligibility was an issue for now
HOOPS • 12
#5 Dominique Archie
#24 Ousmane Konate
#20 Keving Palacios
#4 Bryce Sheldon