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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1984)
K *«} “8 j ttia ports Friday, October 26, 1984/The Battalion/Page 9 Aggie Volleyball vs. San Diego State G. Rollie White —7:30 Childress stands out, win or lose SURE m looks font s and dd :d to findi# utiontohj tiers and it ] inan'' achdor’sdtJ ration froii/ umont. Afej ation in ll tnd mathi:| ;h School hi ed for tk j for six vw I Die da By JEFF GRAUNKE Sports Writer The chips are definitely down for Texas A&M after three staight Southwest Conference losses, but there’s one blue-chipper who still manages to stand out — Ray Chil dress. Despite the rainy weather, the Ag gies’ mediocre record and all the criticism of Head Coach Jackie Sher rill, Childress, a senior defensive end, still performs at peak level ev ery week. Going into this weekend’s cellar battle with Rice, the 6-foot-7, 280 pound Richardson Pearce High School product has made 62 tackles — 40 unassisted. The preseason All- America candidate also has two fum ble recoveries and five quarterback I sacks. With statistics like that, it’s easy to I see why Childress and the Aggies I have ascended to the top of the SWC ■ in total defense. I “Childress played very well ■(against Baylor),” Sherrill said. “The loverall performance of the defense ■ is getting better every week.” I Childress agrees. I “1 think the strength of the team ■ right now is the defense,” Childress said. “Actually, I’m the only senior on the defensive line, so we just have a young defensive line. “I think we’ve had better players since I’ve been here. Last year we had Keith Guthrie. He’s playing for the San Diego Chargers. When I was a freshmen we had Keith Baldwin. He’s playing for the Cleveland Browns.” Even though Childress and the rest of the defense are playing well, winning is more important to him. “You win as a team,” Childress said. “That’s our weakness right now, as a team we’re just not playing well enough to win. I think the de fense is playing well, but we’re not [winning. 1 just take care of my posi tion and do everything I possibly can to help the team. I try for the best part of my game to be consistency. I ike to play consistently well every play, every game, every week. Texas A&M defensive end Ray Childress smothers Baylor quarterback Tom Muecke Photo by PETER ROCHA during last weekend’s 20-16 loss to the Bears. A&M hosts Rice at 2 p.m. Saturday. Motivation could be a weakness for me right now, I think. This is my last year, which is something that can motivate me. It might be harder for me to get excited as I once did to go out and play on Saturday, but the better the team plays, the better I get excited and want to play.” So far, Childress hasn’t shown a lack of motivation. He consistently dominates the defensive front every week. He’s constantly double-tea A&M’s Ray Childress med and no one runs right at him. What makes Childress one of the best defensive linemen in the SWC? “Ability, size, experience and a combination of those things,” Chil dress said. “I feel that I am a great player. Hopefully if I go to the NFL, I’m sure the first two weeks I’m there just being around experienced NFL players I’m going to learn a whole lot about the game. Hopefully the young players on the team (Ag gies) can do the same (and learn from me).” Childress learned his football a long time ago in Memphis, Tennes- see. “Well, I played YMCA football in the fourth grade,” he said with a big grin. “That was a long time ago. I was on the YMCA football All-Star team. I just had a lot of size and abili ty-” Thanks to the A&M coaching staff, Childress believes he has devel oped to his potential. “They’ve helped me vastly,” he said. “(Defensive line) Coach (Paul) Register knows my position, and he’s done a Fine job of coaching me. We’ve always gotten along. It’s im portant. I think we respect each other, Coach Register and I. He’s just helped me along from the day I got here.” Evaluating the rest of the teams in the SWC, Childress said: “I think this year is a weak year for the Southwest Conference, pe riod, both players and teams,” Chidress said. “This would be a great year to win the Southwest Con ference. Lets face it, there’s not that many strong teams in it.” The Aggies (3-3) host Rice (1-5) Saturday. When it’s over, one team will be at the bottom of the confer ence standings. “Offensively they (Rice) throw the ball a lot, so we’re getting prepared for the pass,” Childress said. “Rice spreads their offense out all along the line of scrimmage.” Does that offensive alignment help Childress get to the quarterback quicker? “In a way it does and in a way it doesn’t,” he said. “There will be less guys blocking, but they throw the ball quicker that way. He (Rice quar terback Mark Comalander) just drops back and throws to one of his recievers.” How does Childress rate the Owls’ offensive line? “It won’t be one of the better lines we face,” Childress said. “They’ll be competent and everything, but natu rally they won’t be one of the better lines in the conference.” There has been speculation as to whether or not Childress is a le gitimate first round pick in the next NFL draft. Childress said he hopes to be drafted, but doesn’t lose any sleep over it. “Right now I’d like to go out and win some ball games (with A&M),” he said. “The better I play in college, the better off I’ll be for the pros. I’m just concentrating on playing in col lege right now.” ears up. , McCra ire fool (#«l ss,” he saxl 1 tears i h rcig imunitionil bit Ruppa [ is 6 feet 4 it 210poiiii| iient and®! the Marina f ng to makei j aid, “and ill er buckets *| passing jer, the niij r and pamHj aid. dew comb answhoW civilians, t like a smj jority' many nain®! s by poiniiff J the rebels V art . r Lebanon. 1 nded in M Lebanon I ll ■ulturalaKf;! ■d rice ( will be *1 ,1 will silk and rj the lndi J1 1 ion isfj people of f aicetof are onai a l withi want e( “d & rl *1 are of^ Klhidd 0 wife THIS IS ABSOLUTELY IT! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY(!) for FRESHMEN and SOPHOMORES to get pictured in the 1985 AGGIELAND Class pictures are being taken at the Pavilion from 8.30 to 12 and from 1 to 4:30. TODAY