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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1989)
s call on fori; nd crash possible,” L(( ense and I [5 aggressive J ['alls into plat, ;ton game,"s| he team hats sister's, but re tasn’t done. If ) she plays b on the dep; rebind Roper ivilegetogeit , but I’m m id. "I feel coo offense and trol becausetli ht to me. has to star, am in control ice, but 1 b r this. I’m inn is racking yi :ats, they ar iv ways to tit a big transit® me from higi rom juniortii r tjnit,” Hide kids and that to our team,' re might be; vay when sistti J, graduates ity Thursday, February 9,1989 The Battalion Page 11 SWC has banner recruiting day Texas, Baylor and Arkansas lead the way in SWC signings DALLAS (AP) —The exam is over and the papers have been graded. Baylor, Texas, and Arkan sas made A’s signing football recruits on Wednesday despite out-of-state raids from the likes of UCLA and Miami. Signing day is the adult world’s version of no-recruit, no-play in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Longhorns, Bears, and Ra- zorbacks definitely recruited the kind of talent that can get you into post-season play. Texas A&M and Houston fell into the middle ground high C area. The Aggies only had 16 scholarships to give because of NCAA probation and many recruits were scared off by the school’s recent problems despite anew regime beginning under R.C. Slocum. Houston faces the next several years without bowls and post-season play but coach Jack Pardee managed to land several talented players. Texas Tech and Texas Christian were down in the low C area while Rice and Southern Methodist took a lot of chances on kids that can best be labeled as “prospects and pro jects." The gradebook: TEXAS: Grade A— The Long horns loaded up on quality players like cornerback Grady Cavness, de fensive end David Condon, de fensive lineman Todd Yeaman, line backer Kevin Waller and tight end Alan Webb. They missed out on all world running back Robert Strait al though Phil Brown of Commerce is a player. If Jimmy Saxton can play quarterbek like his All-American dad did halfback, then the ’Horns could be OK at that position. It was a very good recruiting day for coach David McWilliams, who has been feeling some alumni heat. He needed it. BAYLOR: Grade A — Texas’ loss in Cuero’s Strait was coach Grant Teaffs gain. Teaff not only got Strait but he also hit the mother lode with offensive linemen like John Karkoska of Aldine, three — count ’em, three — quarterbacks, including JJ. Joe of Lamar, and a classy cor nerback in Le’Shai Maston of Dallas Carter. Marcus Lowe, a former bluechip defensive lineman who once started at Oklahoma and ended up at Navarro JC, was a steal. ARKANSAS: Grade A-Minus — Save for a game-breaking running back coach Ken Hatfield once again had a quality hall. Using a Cotton Bowl appearance as the foundation, Hatfield brought in some solid ju nior college players. He swept the state of Arkansas clean, getting eight players on The AP’s Super Team. Hatfield didn’t do that much dam age in Texas although defensive lineman Tommy Jones of Dallas White ranks with the best in the na tion. TEXAS A&M: Grade C — Con sidering the circumstances, Slocum made some notable catches, includ ing tight end Steve Seagraves of North Mesquite, defensive back Kenneth Norman of Sweetwater and defensive end Tyler Harrison of Ar lington. “We got hammered over the NCAA thing but we still got some good players who stuck by us,” Slo cum said. HOUSTON: Grade C — The Cougars got wide receiver Marcus Grant and defensive back Gary Ed wards (he of algebra grade fame) from state champion Dallas Carter. They also signed wide receiver Zack Chatman of Beaumont Central and quarterback Darren Woods of Dallas Roosevelt who should help their run-and-shoot offense. TEXAS CHRISTIAN: Grade D- Plus — Bluechip offensive lineman John English of Arlington was the most notable new Horned Frog. A mystery crop for a team that’s going to a mystery offense, the Triple Shoot. There’s some good speed among the recruits and that’s always a plus. TEXAS TECH: Grade D-Minus — Coach Spike Dykes signed a lot of fringe prospects although defensive tackle Ron Seals, a first team Class 4A All-State lineman from Andrews, could play for anybody. SOUTHERN METHODIST: Grade D — Coach Forrest Gregg’s first full-time recruiting class has a big question mark by it. The Mus tangs cracked the state’s top 100 prospects by signing running back Kevin Love of Cypress Creek. Tight end Greg Hill of Dallas Carter is also a good player. RICE: Grade D — If SMU’s class is a question mark, then new coach Fred Goldsmith’s recruits are a dou ble question mark. Goldsmith is proud of quarterbacks Greg Willig of La Mirada, Calif., and Charles Gulbronson of Ridgely, W. Va. The Owls signed nine out of staters. 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McWilliams reaps golden harvest again Longhorns sign 23 top prospects fnr LmlnnrpH remiitin? class THE POWER OF A CHANGING ECONOMY MSC SCONA XXXIV SPEAKER SCHEDULE ALL EVENTS HELD TN RUDDER THEATER TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY FREE ADMISSION TO THE PUBLIC :o produce al id the Celtics r games in n sizeable o counter the es, leavinga in the game an attempt to uns. •orking. ire making ffensive rth quarterly a to the same aced last d, aging ing to burnot: season if the' might be a icause Rodgtf 1 the bench awl o are going» ■ club in the AUSTIN (AP) — Texas Long horn football coach David McWil liams signed 23 high school players Wednesday and described his new est class as one of balance. “I am very proud of this class,” McWilliams said on signing day. “We have signed the type of players that will help us in several positions.” Last year’s recruiting class was in filtrated with linemen, while this year Texas went looking for skill people and succeeded. Of the 23 signees, only six were linemen. “Last year I thought it was necces- sary for us to go out and get some linemen,” McWilliams said. “But our main priority this time was to get some skill people because of it.” The Texas coach said this year’s class rates higher by position. “These guys are a little more bal anced with more deptji,” he said. “That’s what this class .is going to fo do for us.” McWilliams picked out Missouri City defensive back Grady Cavness and Copperas Cove wide receiver Mike Davis as players who could step in next year and help out the Long horns, who were 4-7 a year ago and suffered their second losing season in three years. “Grady is someone who could play right away,” McWilliams said. Cavness, a 5-10, 180-pound cor nerback made 103 tackles and picked off four passes last season. He is expected to bolster a young Texas secondary which gave up more points and yards than any other Longhorn team in history last season. Davis, a 6-0, 171 pounder who runs a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash, was told by Longhorn coaches that he could wear Eric Metcalfs No. 2 jer sey and would probably back up se nior split end Tony Jones next sea son. “Mike will also have the opportu nity to step in,” McWilliams said. “I told all the players and I have always told recruits to come in ready to play.” The Longhorns also received sig natures from Commerce running back Phil Brown and Spencer, Okla homa running back Lamel Foreman. Brown, 5-11 and 185 pounds, gained 1,516 yards a year ago, while Foreman, 6-0 and 185, picked up over 1,300 yards on the ground. The only quarterback the Long horns signed was Jimmy Saxton, the son of former Texas All-American quarterback James Saxton. McWilliams said the lack of an of fensive coordinator did not seem to bother the majority of recruits that were considering Texas. “I didn’t get many negative reac tions to it,” McWilliams said. “I think it may have helped that we got it out in the open but I’m sure that we probably lost some because of it.” McWilliams said that because of the recruiting period, that he has not had the time to interview any candi dates for the job vacated when Johnny Mize was reassigned last month in a shakeup of the Long horn coaching staff. “As soon as this day is over, I’ll be able to work on that,” he said. “Of course, to talk to anybody I will have to get cleareance from the head coach (of other institutions) first.” Houston Oiler offensive coordi nator June Jones is said to be the frontrunner, but his six-figure salary with the professional team may cause a roadblock. McWilliams also said that even though they lost the state’s top prize in Cuero’s Robert Strait to Baylor, he is glad he decided to play for a Southwest Conference school. “I wish we could have finished first on his list,” McWilliams said. “Robert was very up front with us as far as that goes. I felt like we had a shot at him. “The main thing about Robert is that I’m glad he stayed in the confer ence.” “With Robert and Grady saying they were going to stay in the confer ence, 1 think it changed a lot of minds,” McWilliams said. “When the smoke clears, I think we’ll see the conference will have a good year.” Razorbacks monopolize Arkansas talent Hatfield signs 12 recruits; seven off Arkansas Super Team FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) —A dozen high school football players, including seven members of The As sociated Press Super Team in Ar kansas, signed national letters of in tent Wednesday with the University of Arkansas. Another member of the Super Team, offensive lineman Chris Oli ver of Fayettevilie, did not sign with the UA, but has made an oral com mitment to the Razorbacks. Oliver is 6-foot-5, 245. His parents are due back in town F'riday. The Razorbacks signed a total of 21 athletes on Wednesday, the first day that a high school player could sign an NCAA letter. It was Coach Ken Hatfield’s sixth I recruiting class. “This is the best in terms of overall skill and ability to play quickly that we’ve had,” Hat field said. “I think 98 percent of these guys will be in a position to help us in one year.” Normally, he said, that process i takes two or three years. He said that in the Southwest Conference, he thought Arkansas, ^ Texas and Baylor “got exactly what they wanted. Everyone else got some j players who can help them.” He said Arkansas benefitted from five years of hard work. “I think our players did a great job of recruiting for us,” he said. He said Arkansas looks for four things — what kind of person is the athlete, can he graduate, can he beat Texas, Texas A&M and the rest of the SWC and does he fit the Razor- backs’ needs. “I think we have a qual ity class in all of those respects,” he said. The Super Team members who signed with Arkansas are Brendan Cook of Little Rock Catholic, Shan non Wright of Fort Smith Southside, Tyrone Chatman of Dumas, Ste phen Walls of Little Rock Parkview, Darwin Ireland of Dollarway, Doug Marsh of Camden Fairview and Ray Straschinske of Cabot. The out-of-state commitments in clude running back Ron Dickerson, the son of Penn State assistant Ron Dickerson Sr. As a senior, Dickerson rushed for 1,132 yards and eight touchdowns. Hatfield called Dickerson a class individual who was timed in 4.35 in the 40-yard dash at Penn State. He also had a long jump of 25-4 as a ju nior, “I think our track program had a lot to do with recruiting him,” he said. “I think he saw an atmosphere very similar to the atmosphere at Penn State.” He said that because of Dicker son’s speed, he will get a look at tail back and could contribute next year. TANK iHFNAMAUA" by Jeff Millar & Bill Hinds AT A&M NEARLY EVERYBODY LEGGET HALL Send flowers to your favorite someone for Valentine’s Day! Feb. 1,2,3,6,7,8,10 m msc JjP Only $1 50 ^ We will deliver! Wednesday, February 8,1989 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. Keynote Address: "Japan: The Power of a Changing Economy" Mr. William Piez Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thursday, February 9, 1989 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Discussion: "Increased Aid to Developing Countries" His Excellency Hideo Kagami The Honorable U. Alexis Johnson Dr. James Auer Dr. Betty Unterberger 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. "A Convergence of American and Japanese Consumer Societies" Dr. Edward Lincoln Friday, February 10, 1989 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Discussion: "U.S. and Japanese Bilateral Businesses" Mr. Steve Levy Dr. Kiichi Mochizuki Dr. S. Kerry Cooper Saturday, February 11, 1989 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Closing address: "The Future of Japan" Dr. Robert C. Christopher FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL - 845-7625 cHcwtn Haul Welcomes: MCENTIRE RICKY VAN SHELTON 1 Friday - February 10th G. Rollie White Coliseum 8:00 p.m. TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE Tickets are $15.50, available at the MSC Box Office & Dillards in the Post Oak Mall. For more information call 845-1234.