Emfinger: Cornhusker recruiting class solid
By Mark Derowitsch
Senior Reporter
A recruiting class that includes
one of the top running backs in the
country and a wealth of additional
talent has impressed analyst Max
Em finger.
Etnfinger, a self-appointed high
school football scout from Houston,
said Nebraska has received non-bind
ing commitments from some of the
top blue-chip prospects in the coun
try. The 22 prospects that have com
mitted are expected to sign binding
national letters of intent on Feb. 8.
Em finger said the top recruit
Nebraska has received a comm lunent
from is running back Derek Brown.
He said Brown was one of 20 high
school seniors that earned a five
point rating from his service. Emfin
ger rates recruits on a one to five
point scale, with five being the best.
“He's one of the top speed backs
in the country,” Emfingcr said.
Em finger said Brown’s 5-foot-10,
175-pound frame should not be a
factor in playing college football. He
said Brown’s build will put him in the
same physical class with Mike Ro/ier
and Barry Sanders - a pair of Hcis
man Trophy winners.
“It won't effect him as an I
back,” Emfingersaid. “He’ll proba
bly play at 190.1 think shorter guys
make better I-backs anyway.”
Em finger said the rest of Ne
braska's recruiting class is also
strong. He said he gave three Huskcr
recruits a four-point rating.
Howard Carter, a linebacker from
Dodge City, Kan., Marvin Callics, a
quarterback from Boling, Texas, and
John Reece, a wide receiver from
Houston, all received four-point rat
ings.
End mger said Callics is one of the
best option-type quarterbacks in the
nation.
“He has the athletic ability to be
awesome,” Emfinger said. “His best
asset is his quickness.”
Emfinger said there arc definite
similarities between Callics and
Nebraska quarterback Mickey Jo
seph, a redshirt freshman from Mar
rero, La.
*' M ickey had the same success in
high school as Callics did,” Enifin
gcr said. “They were both the top
rated run quarterbacks. They both
can run the option well.”
Emfinger said the only question
mark regarding Callics is his throw
ing ability.
Emfinger said Mike Jefferson of
Garland, Texas, Gerry Irons of
McCullough, Texas, Lance Larson,
of Moorhead, Minn., and Bari Fur
row of Fort Collins, Colo., are the
Huskers best linemen prospects.
“All four arc probably not ready
to play yet,” Emfinger said. “But
they have great potential. Jefferson
and Irons have to get a little stronger,
and l.arson and Furrow have to beef
up, but they have great speed.
“They will probably play fresh
men ball and redshirt. So by the lime
they need them, they’ll be in their
third year already.”
Nebraska has also received com
mitments from linemen Will Shields
of Lawton, Okla., Troy Branch of
Camden, N.J., Lance Lundbcrg of
Wausa, and David Noonan of Lin
coln.
Emfinger said Noonan, the
younger brother of former Husker
All-America and current Dallas
Cowboy middle guard Danny
Noonan, could be a top lineman down
the road.
“He’s going to be a great pros
pect, he said. “He’s probably far
ther along than his brother was in
high school. He’s got good speed and
he's real strong already.”
Emfinger said Nebraska has also
landed one of the top tight ends in the
nation. He said Billy Wade, a 6-5,
215-pound light end from Houston,
was not heavily recruited, but could
be one of the best this year.
“Nebraska did a heck of a job
gelling him,” Emfinger said. “They
only had to compete with Texas
A&M, but he’s an awesome prospect
He had a knee injury midway through
the season, but when you watch him,
you'll love him. I think he’s one of the
top five tight ends in the country.”
The remaining players who have
committed to Nebraska include Mike
Anderson, a linebacker from Grand
Island, Abe Hoskins, a spht-end/de
football oral consniitui^nts
,, I Mike Anderson LB-TE 6-2 2i5 Grand Island
JK :! Abe Hoskins DB-SE 6-0 180 Omaha Centra' ■
< Lance Lundberg MG-TE 6-3 263 Wausa
Ij* DavidNoonan OT-DT 6-3 245 Lincoln (Northeast) 'j
* WiTfShields "ocTof 6 4 281 Lawton Okie
™ M Trev Alberts FB-LB 6-4 210 Cedar Fails, Iowa i
Byron Bennett P 6-1 175 Garland, Texas
M, Troy Branch OG-LB 6-1 230 Camden N J i;
fc: Derek Brown IB 5-10 175 Anaheim. Cal'* H
W< Marvin Callies QB 6-0 190 Boling. Texas
Jk Howard Carter OLB 6-4 215 Doage City, Kan
V Bart Furrow OL-DL 6-4 240 Fort Collins Coio
m Daryl Green RB-DB 5-10 170 La Puente Cant i
<3 q Chad Hunter DB 6-0 175 Garland Texas j
•ffflPJ Gerry Irons NG 6-3 265 McCullough. Tex
j:;: Mike Jefferson OL-DT 6 2 265 Garland. Texas t]
O Lance Larson OT-DT 6 6 235 Moorhead Minn
O ■>] Vernon Powell QB-DB 5-11 160 East St Louis Hi j
CC' J John Reece WR-FS 6-1 195 Houston, Texas j*
O ! Billy Wade TE 6-5 215 Houston. Texas
* l Darin Williams_Oy^JLB 6-2 235 Chicago (St Martin) ^
3 f Omar Soto FB 5-11 225 Arizona Western
L.7if.:.v,;vw^^TTr—■ T-r;-—rr,7.7r?.vmma^^w..^.;— -^
John Bruce/ Da Hy Nebraskan
fensive back from Omaha Central,
Trev Alberts, a fullback/linebacker
from Cedar Falls, Iowa, Byron Ben
nett, a punter from Garland, Texas,
Daryl Green, a running back/defen
sive back from La Puente, Calif.,
Chad Hunter, defensive back from
Garland, Texas, Vernon Powell, a
quarterback/dcfcnsive back from
Bast St. Louis, III., Darin Williams, a
linebacker from Chicago, and Omar
Soto, a junior college transfer from
Arizona Western.
Emfinger said he has been im
pressed by Hoskins.
“I like Abe,” Emfinger said. ”1
think he can play cither side of Lhc
ball for them.”
Emfinger said Bennett is a top
notch punter.
“He’s a great punter,” Emfinger
said. “There’s not a better punier in
the country. He can turn a game
around with one punt.”
Brinson, Pete to play on fraternity team
B> Jeff A pel
Senior Editor
■ Former Nebraska wingback Dana
I Brinson was surprised Wednesday to
I learn that he had been named as the
■ -r-1
middle guard l-awrcnce Pole on the
learn, which was announced by
Campus Commentary of Indianapo
lis. Brinson and Pete are members of
the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Brinson said it is always an honor
to be tabbed an All-America selec
tion. He said post-season honors are
nice because they give players
needed publicity.
“Ill take anything that gives me
an edge,” Brinson said.
Brinson said he was surprised to
be included on the team. He finished
the 1988-89 season with 11 recep
tions for 148 yards, and rushed 20
times for 84 yards. Brinson returned
23 kicks for 510 yards, and also
gained 196 yards on 21 punt returns.
Pete, a senior from Wichita, Kan.,
finished 4th on the team in tackles
with 55,33 of which were unassisted.
He also caused two fumbles and had
seven hurries.
Joining Brinson on the AU-Fratcr
nity, All-America squad’s first-team
offense was Washington State quar
terback Timm Roscnbach of Sigma
Alpha Epsilon, Southern Illinois run
ning back Charlie Harmke of Alpha
Tau Omega, Cornell running back
Scoil Malaga of Chi Psi, Duke light
end Dave Colonna of Phi Della
Theta, Oregon Stale wide receiver
Robb Thomas of Sigma Alpha Epsi
lon and Washington wide receiver
Brian Slater of Lambda Chi Alpha.
The additional members of the
first-team’s offense include Duke
tackle Chris Port of Alpha Tau
Omega, Illinois tackle Mark
McGowan of Sigma Nu, UCLA
guard Rick Meyer of Sigma Nu,
Marshall guard John Halford of Pi
Kappa Alpha, Stanford center Andy
Sinclair of Delta Tau Della and Lou
isiana State kicker David Brownd) ke
of Sigma Chi.
Joining Pete on the first-team's
defense were Arizona lineman Dana
Wells of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Florida
lineman Trace Armstrong of Phi
Delta Theta, Washington lineman
Dennis Brown ol Theta Chi .Stanford
linebacker Rob Hinckley of Delta
Tau Delta, Colorado linebacker Mi
chael Jones of Kappa Alpha Psi, and
Cornell linebacker Mitch Lee of Chi
Psi.
Virginia defensive back Keith
McMcans of Sigma Chi, Michigan
State defensive back Derrick Reed of
Kappa Alpha Psi, California Suile
Fullerton defensive back Mike
Schaffcl of Tau Kappa Epsilon, DSC
defensive hack Ernest Spears of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Texas
punter Bobby Lilljedahl of Della Tau
Della were also included on ihe lirst
leam’s defense.
Five Colorado players earned
honorable mention honors, including
light end John Perak of Phi Gamma
Della, lineman Bill Coleman of Pi
Kappa Alpha and Erik Norgard of
Beta Theta Pi, linebacker Don Dc
Lu/.io of Della Tau Delta and defen
sive back Dave McCloughan of Pi
Kappa Alpha. Kansas quarterback
Kelly Donohoe, who is a member of
Pi Kappa Alpha, also earned honor
able-mention All-America honors.
Brinson
Pete
punt and Kick returner on the All
Fraternity, All-America team.
Brinson joined former Comhusker
Nebraska women s basketball team ends
home winning streak with Iowa State loss
By Mike Andreasen
Sufi Reporter
A 29-game home winning >lrcak
came to an abrupt end during the
Nebraska women ’ s baskclbal I team' s
70-64 loss to Iowa State Wednesday
night at the Bob Devaney Sports
Center.
Nebraska women’s basketball
coach Angela Beck said she was dis
appointed by the loss. The loss, which
dropped Nebraska to 11 -9 overall and
2-5 in the Big Eight, extended the
Cornhuskers’ conference losing
streak to four games.
"It’s unfortunate but we deserved
it," Beck said. "We are not a good
basketball team right now."
Beck said Nebraska blew an early
11-point lead by playing poor de
fense and not taking care of the bas
ketball. The Huskers were outsccred
by Iowa Slate 34-24 in the second
half, and also committed 25 turn
overs compared to the Cyclones 21.
"Nebraska is struggling," Beck
said. "We just did not nave continu
ity."
Beck said Nebraska was hurt by a
late !owa Stale run that enabled the
Cyclones to pull within four points at
halftime. She said Nebraska did not
have the desire to maintain its early
lead.
Iowa Slate pulled to within 40-36
at halftime by using 10 points from
forward Shelly Coyle and six from
forward Lynne Lorenzen.
The Cyclones cut Nebraska's lead
to 21-12 with 12:37 remaining in the
first half when lorenzen fed Iowa
Slate guard Tracy Horvath, who
promptly hit a 12-foot jump shot.
Coyle added a layup and a four-foot
jump shot, and Lorenzen followed
with 13-foot shot that cut Ne
braska’s lead to 23-18.
Coyle then countered a basket by
Nebraska center Kim Harris by sink
ing two free throws. Iowa Stale used
a three-point shot and a layup by
guard Laurie Decker, a shot by
Coy le, a basket and a three-point goal
by Horvath, and a shot and a layup by
forward Lisa Greiner at halftime.
Lorenzen said the key to Iowa
State's scoring run was a controlled
offense.
"It was very important because
Nebraska threw a lot of defenses at
us," Lorenzen said.
Nebraska expanded its lead to 42
36 early in the second halt, but Iowa
State tied the score with 11:45 re
maining when Lorenzen scored on a
layup. The Cyclones took a 4lM8
lead when Horvath hit a jump shot,
and expanded their lead to 58 52 on a
bank snot by Lorenzen.
The Huskers cut Iowa State’s lead
to 58-56 when forward Kelly Hubert
hit two free throws and guard Sabrina
Brooks scored on a layup but the
Cyclones used two layups and a jump
shot by Horvath and a shot by Loren
zen to take a 66-58 lead. Iowa State
then posted the victory by using free
throws by Horvath and Coyle u>
counter three-point shots by Nc
braska guards Amy Stephens and
Brooks.
“Overall it was a great win,”
Lorenzen said. “There was a lot of
good team play.”
Lorenzen led Iowa State with 18
points, »2 of which came in the sec
ond half. Coyle and Horvath added
17 and 15 points respectively.
Harris led Nebraska with a game
and career-high 28 points, 24 of
which came in the first half. Stephens
added IS points for the Huskers
Nebraska’s next game is on Satur
day, when the Huskers travel to
Lawrence, Kan., to face the Kansas
Jayhawks. The game begins at 1 p in.
at Allen Field House.