Snorts
Centennial volleyball win setsupNU's
By Mark Derowitsch
and
Tim Hartmann
Senior Reporters
Centennial High School volleyball
fans had two reasons to celebrate
Saturday: a hometown victory in the
state volleyball tournament and a
Nebraska victory over Missouri.
And Nebraska middle blocker Vir
ginia Stahr said she played especially
well against Missouri because she was
“psyched up" from watching the
Centennial victory.
Centennial High School won the
class C-l volleyball championship
Saturday by winning matches in the
morning and evening. Meanwhile,
, Stahr led Nebraska to a 15-7,15-5,15
7 victory Saturday afternoon over
Missouri at the NU Coliseum before
875 fans — including a large contin
gent from Centennial.
Stahr, a sophomore from Waco,
finished with a game-high 14 kills,
seven blocks and two ace serves.
Stahr said Centennial's success in
the state high-school playoffs pre
pared her for the match.
“The way they affected me was that
I went to the game before and it got me
psyched up,” she said.
Missouri began the match with a
service error. Stahr then served an ace
to open Nebraska’s scoring.
The match was the 14th consecu
tive one in which Stahr has served an
ace. tying Lori Endicott’s season high.
Nebraska volleyball coach Terry
Pettit said that although Stahr “played
well,” he was more pleased with the
team's performance, especially in
blocking.
“We spend all the last two days
working on our blocks,” Pettit said.
“Blocking and sealing arc the two
things we did better.”
Missouri came back to 3-3 in the
first match, but the Huskers took the
next five points. Stahr had three block
ing assists and a kill in the streak.
Missouri got within three points at
10-7, but Nebraska scored the last five
points to win.
“1 thought Missouri competed
pretty hard.” Pettit said. “It took us
awhile to get in our rhythm, but 1
thought our blocking was stronger
today. ... I thought on the whole we
played stronger than we did against
Kansas (Wednesday night).”
Nebraska jumped to an 8-2 lead in
the second match, then rolled off
another five-point streak that included
two ace serves by f reshman Val No
vak. Novak led Nebraska in service
aces with five in the match.
Missouri scored three points to
make the score 13-5, but kills by Kathi
DeBoer and Carla Baker gave Ne
braska the match.
Missouri scored the first four
points in the third match, but Nebraska
came back to 6-6. T he Huskers then
oulscored Missouri 9-1 for the f inal
victory.
Nebraska is 26-3 overall and 12-0
in the Big Eight. The win marked the
Huskers’ 60th consecutive victory
over a Big Eight school.
Missouri's record fell to 8-21 over
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Butch Ireland/Daily Nebraskan
Nebraska’s Virginia Stahr and Kathi DeBoer attempt a block during the Cornhuskers’ 15-7,15
5, 15-7 victory over Missouri Saturday at the NU Coliseum.
nil and 1-11 in the Big Eight.
Missouri coach Craig Sherman
said the Id87 Nebraska team i< com
parable to the Huskcr team that fin
ished second in the country last year.
they rc not quite as consistent,
lie said. “But I think they’re a little bit
quicker than last year and have a little
bit more hustle.”
Slahr said Nebraska isbe^inning to
peak.
“We played much better today,"
Stahr said. “Things arc picking up.
We’re on our way.”
Road to Sooners’ victories full of potholes
By ih*. Associated Press
NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma
foolhall coach Barry Swit/cr, who
wav hurling as much as his offense,
wasn't happy with the top-ranked
Sooners despite a 17-11 victory over
Missouri.
‘‘1 think we’re a good team that’s
not playing very good,” Sw it/cr said
while rubbing the left knee he
sprained in a sideline collision Satur
day.
The Sooners, who have been
ranked No. 1 since the start of the
season, arc 10-0for the first lime since
1‘I74 and 6-0 in the Big Eight. But it
hasn’t been a smooth road.
Against Missouri — a team Okla
homa beat 77-0 last year — the Soon
ers scored only two touchdow ns while
losing four of six fumbles. Their 17
points and 283 rushing yards were
season lows.
Oklahoma led 17-3 late in the third
quarter before a fumble at the Soon
ers’ 20-yard line led to a touchdown
that made it 17-10. A field goal mid
way through the fourth quarter
brought Missouri within four points,
and it look an intercepted pass with
four minutes remaining to hold off the
Tigers.
A week earlier against Oklahoma
State, Oklahoma had to return two
fourth-quarter interceptions for
touchdowns to seal a 29-10 victory.
The Sooners fumbled six times in that
game, losing three.
Oklahoma has fumbled 50 times
this season and lost 19. The Sooners
have been talented enough to win
every game, but this week the oppo
nent is unbeaten, second-ranked Ne
braska.
“We can't expect to mess up for
two games and think we'll be perfect
against a team like Nebraska," Okla
homa safely David Vickers said. “The
main problem is they’re not holding
onto the ball when they take a good
hit.”
Fullback Rotnei Anderson, who
rushed for 118 yards in place of in
jured starter Lydcll Carr, fumbled on
Oklahoma’s first play from scrim
mage. He fumbled again in the second
quarter after the Sooners had moved
from their 10-yard line to Missouri’s
22.
Quarterback Charles Thompson,
who started in place of the injured
Jamcllc Holieway, rushed for 91 yards
and a touchdown, and completed five
of nine passes for 104 yards. But he
lost two of three tumbles, including
one at Oklahoma’s 20-yard line that
Missouri converted for its only touch
down.
“You expect to go out and play
good each week and play to your
ability and not make mistakes,” said
Thompson, a redshirt freshman. “But
it doesn’t always come out to be the
way you want it to be. and today was
that case.”
Oklahoma gave up only five first
dow ns through three quarters, includ
ing one that halfback Michael Jones
picked up on his touchdown run.
Missouri sustained only live drives
longer than five plays.
In the fourth quarter, w ith the score
17-10, Missouri had a second-and
four situation at the Oklahoma 20
yard line. Sooner linebacker Dante
Jones sacked Missouri quarterback
John Stollcnwerck lor an 8-yard loss,
and the Tigers settled for a 45-yard
field goal by Tom Whelihan.
Missouri, 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the
Big Eight, got the ball at its own 38
yard line on its next drive, but the
Oklahoma defense responded when
corncrback Scott CJarl intercepted a
Stollcnwerck pass.
“I thought it was going to be a
blowout and hoped to be* out of the
game by the first quarter,” Oklahoma
defensive end Darrell Reed said,
Injuries and redshirting hurt freshman football team
By Steve Sipple
Slaft Reporter
Nebraska freshman fcxtlball coach
Shane Thorcll said that during the
past season he often felt like a kid
wishing for a Christmas present he
knew he couldn’t have.
That’s because the Cornhuskcrs
played the entire season without blue
chip redshirts Mickey Joseph, Lcodis
Flowers and Nate Tumcr as well as
varsity players Reggie Cooper, Mike
Croel and Tahaun Lewis — players
who Thorcll said would have made a
difference.
“It’s like a little boy looking at a
bike in the window, and it’s about
Christmas lime and he’s hoping he
can have it,” Thorcll said. “That’s the
way 1 looked at a lot of these freshmen
walking around the halls. It's hard not
to think like that when you sec Mike
Croel and guys like that.”
Without the blue-chippcrs, the
Huskcrs finished the season with a 2
3 record which included a season
ending 42-35 loss to Iowa's Waldorf
Junior College. This was the first
season the Muskcr freshmen have lost
three games in one year. It was also
the Cornhuskcrs’ first losing season
since l(^7.
Thorcll said not having the fresh
man redshirts and varsity players
might have been the difference be
tween a 2-3 and a 4-1 season. Ne
braska used only eight of 20 freshman
scholarship players against Waldorf,
he said.
Scholarship athletes Tim Herman
and Will Thomas also weren’t al
lowed to play this season because
they failed to meet the academic
requirements set by Proposition 48,
Thorell said.
“I was out helping the varsity and
I noticed a lot of talent out there we
could have used, and I think it would
have made a difference in two of the
games,” he said.
“In the Coffcyvillc game, it would
have made it a lot better game. If we
had all of our guys, it still would have
been a good game.”
The Red Ravens defeated Ne
braska 49-14 at Coffey villc, Kan., on
Oct. 29.
Thorell said the Huskers also were
plagued by injuries suffered by schol
arship players.
Fullback Randy Williams was out
lor the season after breaking his foot
in the Husker’s 21-19 loss to the Air
Force junior varsity on Oct. 9. Wil
liams was the Huskers' second-lead
ing rusher entering the Air For<^
game with 148 yards, including W
yards and three touchdowns in
Nebraska’s season-openmg 62-0 vie
lory over the St. Thomas (Minn.)
junior varsity.
Tight ends Dan Lohmeicr and
Chris Garret also were injured. Lo
hmcier missed most of the season
with a lorn ligament in his knee.
Garret injured his ankle against Be
thany (Kan.) College on Sept. 28 and
sat out the rest of the season.
Quarterback Kcithen McCant^lso
missed Nebraska’s final game against
Waldorf with a shoulder injury.
“At the beginning of the season I
really thought we had a great group of
talent,” Thorell said. “And you know,
with injuries and redshirlingand guys
playing with the varsity we lost a lot
of talent.
“But I still thought we had a good
freshman team. We had some guys
who really worked hard and did eve
rything we asked of them,” he said.
Thorell said the fact that the Husk
ers’ schedule “was probably the
toughest Nebraska has ever played”
didn’t make things any easier. Cof
leyville and Waldorf were loaded
with speed and experience, and Air
Force played a lot of upperclassmen
in a game where experience was
needed, he said.
“The Air Force game was the first
big game, first close game for the
freshman team," Thorell said. “And
it’s a different situation. Guys who
are older with more experience know
how to handle that sometimes.”
Thorcll, who has coached the
Husker freshman defensive backs for
the last three years, said he can’t
remember Nebraska redshirting play
ers to keep them from getting injured.
He said that despite the decision, he
doesn't feel shortchanged.
“I think he (varsity coach Tom
Osborne) is doing that because he
feels we’ve recruited guys who can
play varsity for four years,” Thorell
said,‘‘and a lot of limes it takes aw hile
to get used to everything.
“So we’d rather redshirt them than
have them play freshman ball. The
mam thing is that the varsity wins,” he
said.
Thorcll said the freshmen accom
plished a lot this season.
“Our freshman philosophy is to
prepare guys for the varsity and teach
them the things they need to know for
the varsity,” Thorell said.
“We’ve been very successful in
w inning in the past, but 1 still feel we
met the goals and philosophies that
we set out at the beginning of the
season,” he said
Thorell said .ic plans to return as
freshman coach next season.
“I’m planning on it, unless some
one else has something planned for
me,” he said.
Thorcll listed several freshmen
who could have an impact on the
varsity next season. They include:
Quarterbacks: He said Joseph,
who was named All-America by Pa
rade Magazine and USA Today, will
“obviously “ have a chance. Joseph
has spent this season playing on the
scout team.
Running backs: Thorcll said
Flowers has a good chance. He also
said George Achola could play next
year "but needs to work a little on his
flexibility." Achola led the Husker
freshmen with 506 yards rushing.
He also said Williams and Tim
Johnk, a walk-on from Schuyler,
could battle for varsity spots next
year. He said Johnk, who rushed for
94 yards this season, “will become a
really good fullback” in time.
Wingbacks: Thorcll said Turner
“is a really good athlete. He’s proba
bly ready physically to play right
now.”
Split ends: Thorcll said Paul
Baumcrt and Dan Pleasant have good
instincts and catch the football well,
but need “work in the weight room.
He said Mark Dowse, the fastest ol
the freshman split ends, played well
m his backup role.
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