Texas A&M The Battalion Sports August 11, 1982 Page 11 rosh football layers ready or challenge by Frank L. Christlieb Sports Editor Todd Tschantz comes to 'Texas A&M University with two 'ingredients that he’ll try to mix Itoearn a first-team position with the Aggie football team: confi- Idence and credentials. nAnd rather coincidentally, another important point will tie into play during fllchantz’s quest for a job either punting or place-kicking for the “ Texas Aggies. His chances of taking on one those two chores aren’t bad, nsidering the situation he’s (Stering. IgWhile 27 fellow freshmen and reral walk-ons held their first Irkout of the year in Kyle Field pesday afternoon, the 18-year- from Richardson Lake (Highlands High School spent hours working with team- ktes who share a common oal: earning a key spot on lach Jackie Sherrill’s squad. iTschantz, whose 1981 Lake Ighlands squad defeated puston Yates in the state 5A lampionship game, has an bove-average chance to be ne the Aggies’ punter. His lospects at place-kicker aren’t Bite as strong, but Tschantz be lieves he may have stumbled |to the chance of a lifetime at exas A&M. (During the 1981 season, Kyle ^Stuard, now a junior, began as iHe Aggies’ starting punter, owever, he dislocated his Joulder during Texas A&M’s victory over the Houston pugars in the fifth game of the Jason. iFrom that point on, freshman pzzy Sawyer took over the imting duties, but averaged lily 35 yards a kick. Sherrill bows a football team can’t win Insistently with such a low punting average, so he enters workouts hoping to find several capable candidates to choose from. To add to Tschantz’s chances, Sawyer's name no longer appears on the Aggie roster. According to Sherrill, Sawyer decided to transfer to another school. Enter Todd Tschantz — or so he hopes. Besides Stuard, Tschantz’s main competition for the punting job will come from Dodge Carter, a freshman walk- on from Dallas Highland Park. The 6-1,212-pound T schantz brings to Texas A&M excellent credentials and loads of confi dence, but when it comes to win ning a job on Sherrill’s team, past achievements are as notable as kicking an 18-yard field goal with a 40-mph wind. “I’ve got the opportunity to do really well,” Tschantz said Tuesday. “I’m going to go for it (the starting position). “They’ve got some good kickers, with Stuard, (place-kickers) David Hardy and Alan Smith, but I’m just going in saying I’m as good as they are. That’s the attitude I’m taking.” Tschantz, who averaged ab out 42 yards a punt during his senior year, has already been in structed by defensive end coach Bobby Roper to reduce his punt ing approach from three steps to two steps. Tschantz said it’ll take some getting used to, but he thinks he can make the change successfully. Tschantz, clocked at 4.8 in the 40-yard dash, has found the spirit among Aggie team mem bers to be strong — even before the start of varsity workouts. “We’ve got a real good chance to win it,” Tschantz said. “There See FRESHMEN page 12 Firing Astros’ Virdon gets axe; Lillis manager ‘ Baia . Mi photo by Sabrina McCormick Saturday skiing at Somerville Texas A&M student Ben Sample finds out the true meaning of the term “laid back” as he slaloms his way across the area’s most popular source of water, Lake Somerville, over the weekend. Sample seems on his way to a painful spill at this stage of the ride, but as to whether he made it out of this semi horizontal position, well ... it’s up to you to decide the situation’s outcome. United Press International SAN DIEGO — Bill Virdon led Houston from the cellar to a division title in 1980, but with the Astros now mired in fifth place, owner John McMullen has gone to his bench for a new manager. McMullen fired Virdon Tuesday and named first base coach Bob Lillis interim mana ger. A team spokesman said: “That will in all probability go through the end of the season.” At a brief team meeting be fore the Astros defeated San Diego, 4-1, Virdon thanked the players. “The only thing I wanted them to know is that I appreci ated their efforts,” Virdon said. “I was sorry things didn’t work out. I know they did the best they could for me and I’ll be be hind them all the way.” Lillis then conducted what he said would be the first of several meetings with the team. “There won’t be any whole sale changes,” Lillis told repor ters. “We’ll give what we’ve got and hope we can make a run at it. “We’ve played better ball the last couple of months and I feel that we’ll continue to improve as j we go along. It really hurts when you lose two quality people from your bullpen,” he said, referring to lengthy injuries to Joe Sambi- to and Dave Smith. “We’ve lost 21 games in the late innings. There’ll be some minor changes, but I want to consult with my staff and the players first.” Sambito praised Virdon, saying the Astros’ recent string of five losses in San Francisco wasn’t his fault. “He’ll be all right, he’s a good baseball man and if he wants a job, he’ll get it,” Sambito said. “He was so level-headed about everything. That’s the way you Bob Lillis have to be in this game.” McMullen said his decision was in the best interest of the team. “We made the decision that the Houston Astros were going to need a new manager next year and in the interest of both the ballclub and Bill Virdon, this seemed to be the appropriate time to make the change,” he said. “This will now give us the next six weeks to go through a list of possible candidates and begin making our plans for next season.” Virdon, 51, of Springfield, Mo., was a former all-star with the Pittsburgh Pirates and for mer manager of Pittsburgh and the New York Yankees. He has been the Astros’ manager since late in the 1975 season — one in which the team finished 42‘A games out of first place. See VIRDON page 12 Investor’s MoneyStore Account offers high yield and more convenience than stockbroker’s money market funds. E am money market rate interest with the convenience of a checking account at Brazos Savings. 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