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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1997)
'inday • November 3, 1997 S The Battalion ports iggies run past OSU in overtime mart leads fourth quarter comeback Cowboys victimized in extra session again dg By Chris Ferrell th Sports editor in ii ( les ;the past two weeks, the : c t 0 A&M Football Team has rk. away to lose. Saturday looney found a way to win, :risi< inga 15 point fourth-quar- lead cit to defeat the Oklahoma Surf^boys28-25 in overtime, ess.^llbe forefront was Bran- Stewart, the junior quarter- Sad'bo shined in his finest der >n an at’aniform. ius^e years ard e ' va rten- ade^ 6 A&M rati : ^ pro- )us with the-pressure U b expecta- ihan any t ap in ;1 history, umlre could lire e up to the billing, he was |e lefithe player most responsi- pecfthe6-6 collapse in 1996. ?ntfrom being a full- time no a platooning quarter- ind eventually to a backup eek against Texas Tech. iSaturday night as the Aggies iated the first overtime victo- school history after a 6-yard rn down run by junior D’Andre man, it was Stewart, playing .Scomplete game of the sea- T^iio stood as the hero every- ■avisioned he would be. told him after the game,” e ’AR.C. Slocum said. “I called j 121 Stewart e, him up in the locker room and told him after all the flack he’s taken, that he was certainly deserving of some recognition and 1 gave him a game ball which I don’t know if I’ve ever done that to a player. “I’ve said many times the one thing that’s stood out about Branndon is that through all his trials, and I’ve said many times that the expectations were very high for him and a lot of times the reason why things didn’t turn out weren’t his fault, but the one thing he never did was never pointed fingers, never tried to de flect any of the things that went his way. He took it all very square ly; he took it like a team player and I couldn’t be happier for a player than I am for Branndon Stewart tonight.” After putting up mediocre numbers for the first three quar ters, Stewart caught fire with the game on the line, completing 10 of his last 14 passes including a 25- yard touchdown pass to sopho more receiver Chris Cole with 43 seconds left in the game and the subsequent two point conversion to junior tailback Sirr Parker. He finished the evening com pleting 18 of his 33 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. For OSU, the game marked the second consecutive week that the Cowboys, the Big 12’s •Cinderella story this season, have fallen in overtime. They lost to Missouri 51-50 last week. Oklahoma State had jumped out to the 22-7 lead on the legs of fresh &M rolls over esky Missouri m ; ipro iwasa |denr ha; ts t( (ithir uilisi ;ros: tc IvTravis V. Dabney !mar Staffwriter i-ag< ire t( Missouri Tigers, if nothing jnau raved that they were a re- id a* team on Sunday after- |e wil After falling behind early three games of the match, te bikers proved that no lead [ion/fbigforthem to give it their he :| hey fought off up to seven [hbo ; points throughout the beer 1 As it would turn out yoni the Aggies proved too •too strong for the Tigers, as 'von the match in three it games. ft knew this would be an punity for us to step up ime today and I think we hat,” A&M coach Laurie ili said. same one the Aggies jumped 'strong 6-1 lead with some entdefensive play by the left Mphomore Amber Woolsey off the bench midway |h the first game to provide spark off the bench with «roffensive and defensive J sthe Aggies stretched their 11 10-1. Senior Cindy Loth- ] pushed the Tigers to the ofagame one loss with a fmonster kills and after the ' fought off three game ' Then senior Kristie Smed- M the Tigers away for good le tkillto make the final score None 15-3. % two took on a very dif- lookfor the Aggies as they %d 4-1 early. Missouri ^ to catch the Aggies off with an awkward serve, ftteam adjusted and took 'ad 6-4 later in the game, then on it was all Aggies as they went on to defeat the Tigers 15-5 behind some dominating play by Cindy Lothspeich. “Every person on this team is very confident in all of our teammates,” Lothspeich said. “We have been taking a busi nesslike approach to our games and it has worked.” Game three would turn out to be the best for the Aggie faithful as they were promised free ham burgers from McDonald’s if the Aggies held the Tigers under 10 points. The Aggies would not disappoint as they jumped out to a 7-1 lead and began to freely use the team reserves. Junior out side hitter Stacy Sykora then ed ucated the Tigers on what most of the Big 12 already knows, she hits hard. She reigned down sev eral kills on the Tigers and they found themselves down 11-2. The Tigers fought back to put up five points and fight off three consecutive match points. You could feel the tension in the Ag gie fans, as the hamburgers were not a done deal yet. The Aggies finally sent their fans away hap py as sophomore Summer Strickland served an ace and the Aggies wrapped up their second win this weekend, 15-5. “We had a balanced attack to day and the left front did a won derful job today; overall I was pleased with the way we played,” coach Corbelli said. The Aggies also beat Iowa State in three games on Friday night as they continue their march towards the NCAA tour nament. The Aggies will be home again next weekend to play Texas Tech on Friday and Baylor Saturday night. DEREK DEMERE/The Battalion Junior receiver Aaron Oliver makes a crucial catch late in the fourth quarter of A&M’s 28-25 overtime victory over Oklahoma State. man quarterback Tony Lindsay (86 yards rushing) and running back Ja- maal Fobbs (101 yards rushing). Then in the fourth quarter, much like the A&M offense, the Wrecking Crew picked up their level of play as well. “I think we had some bad breaks early in the ball game,” ju nior safety Rich Coady said. “It seems like we had things covered and we had things like we want ed and he (Lindsay) scrambled and made big plays.” Lindsay and the OSU offense was held to 60 yards in the fourth quarter after racking up 339 yards in the first three. With both the offense and de fense clicking in the fourth quar ter, senior guard Steve McKinney said the team was very confident. “This team going into the fourth quarter sincerely, truly felt we were going to win the football game,” McKinney said. “Nobody on the sideline gave up, we wouldn’t let them give up.” Please see Overtime on Page 8. By Jamie Burch Staffwriter The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. As a frenzied crowd of 60,776 piled onto Kyle Field fol lowing the Aggies’ 28-25 overtime win over Oklahoma State, the Cow boys had to find a way to deal with the pain of a second straight over time loss. And even more potent and devastating then the two-game skid is the fact that OSU has twice been victimized by the two-point conversion. Last week against the University of Missouri, the Cowboys erased a 30-7 halftime lead only to fall in dou ble overtime. Trailing 51-50, coach Bob Simmons opted to go for two, rather than send the game into a third overtime. Freshman quarter back Tony Lindsay tried to run the ball in from three yards out, but was stopped well short of the goal line. After the game, Simmons said his team did not get the job done when it mattered most. “I really like the way we responded in the second half,” Simmons said. “Down the stretch, they made some critical plays that eventually led them to victory. We had a chance to salt that game away. In the past we’ve done that, but today we didn’t get it done.” And against Texas A&M, Sim mons received a dose of deja vu. Trailing 22-14 with 2:34 and one time out remaining, Branndon Stew art led a spirited comeback. Starting from the A&M 25-yard line, Stewart moved the offense to the Cowboy 25-yard line on three completions for 47 yards. On second down and 10, Stewart found Chris Cole wide open and isolated on the left side of the field. Cole ran the rest of the way for a dramatic touchdown. The Aggies were then forced to go for two points to tie. Stewart rolled out to the right side and lofted a short pass to running back Sirr Park er. Parker grabbed the low throw for the conversion. Again, Simmons could say nothing but that his team failed to come through when it counted most. “Two overtime games and we came up short,” Simmons said. “I re ally thought we had the game under control. We did not play well down the stretch at all. It was a tough loss, but we have to bounce back.” The same stingy Cowboy defense that held the Aggies to just seven points through three quarters seem ingly disappeared late in the fourth. On its final two drives of regulation, A&M covered 146 yards on 19 plays in under eight minutes. During the same two drives, OSU surrendered five plays of 15-plus yards. Please see Conversion on Page 8. All Shook Up Sophomore Nicole Shook returns from injury to help team By Stephen Boudreau Staffwriter W ith four seniors graduating at the conclusion of this season, the Texas A&M Soccer Team will be looking for lead ers to fill the void left behind. Nicole Shook, a redshirt sopho more, boasts the impressive statistics and positive attitude that give the fu ture of Texas A&M Soccer a founda tion to build championships upon. , “I see my role as a goal scorer. I am a forward and that’s what I’m sup posed to do,” Shook said. “In high- school I was the person who kind of had to step up and lead, so leadership is not something I would back away from.” Her freshman year, Shook’s 10 goals were good enough to place her third on the team’s scoring list. She tied two Aggie Soccer Complex records for most individual goals and as sists in a single match after registering three assists in addition to her first career hat trick against Stephen F. Austin. “Nicole is a very hard worker. She leads by exam ple as far as her work rate,” senior Bryn Blalack said. “She’s really dedicated and basically just a fun person to be around.” Last August on the teams’ tour of Canada, Nicole shook up ^ opponents with six goals in three games. Shook’s season came to a screeching halt last year when she was redshirted following a season-ending injury to her knee in the second game of the season. “Nicole’s best assist is her positive attitude and demeanor. She had a really big obstacle put in her way last year when she blew her knee out and lost an entire year from the game,” coach G. Guerrieri said. “She’s been working tirelessly at try ing to get back to not only get herself back physically, but to get her confi dence back. And we’re starting to get that back from her.” In 13 games this season, Shook has three goals on 17 shots. Couple that with two as- v sists and incredi ble speed. “She’s unbeliev- ably fast. She’s got w* %W. lllillfc wheels like no one else. She’s a great one-on-one player and a great scorer. Those are three things we really need when we go into post-season play,” Guerrieri said. Shook does not mind being called upon to use her speed for the betterment of the team. “I’m one of those players that people send long and I’m expected to run. Everyone calls me a runner, so that’s one of my roles,” Shook said. “It’s something that I enjoy doing because I love playing.” A kinesiology sports man agement major, Shook had many choices when she was being recruited out of high- school. “I came on my re cruiting trip and everything was re ally cool. I liked the players that were already here and the coaches were real profes sional in the way they re cruited,” said Shook. “I I knew this ^ would be a I, good pro gram, but my par ents also ! liked ' * it be- cause it was close to home. So every one was happy.” The Wichita Falls native soon as sumed her role among the Aggie Soccer Team and, like her team mates, sees a bond among the play ers that few teams possess. “I came from a highschool team that was not really that close. There were groups here and groups there. And usually in a group there is always somebody who doesn’t like each oth er,” she said. “What I really like about this team is that everyone gets along so well and everyone likes to hang out. This team is really incredible and I am proud to be a part of it.” As for her future outside of the ma roon and white jersey, Nicole Shook plans to remain involved in athletics. “One of the reasons I decided to be a kinesology major was because there is nothing I know more about and there is nothing else I have been around all my life like athletics,” Shook said. “I am sure I want my ca reer to be sports oriented, but I am not sure in what area. Maybe eventu ally I’ll become an athletic director or something like that. There are so many different opportunities.” With a healthy knee and the mind set of a champion, Nicole Shook has what it takes to help fortify the Aggies offense and lead the team to many more championships. “It’s been a long road back for her. I know for her it’s frustrating since she’s not getting nearly as much playing time as she did before the injury, but we’ve got to make sure she comes back the right way,” Guerrieri said. “But Nicole has got what it takes to play at this level and she proves that every time she steps on the field. We see improvement with every passing game.” imual alumni baseball game reunites former teammates 8y Jason Whitcomb Staffwriter 'time when player strikes, free l and astronomical salaries are 3 lyruining professional base- ftrything that makes the great "hat it is, in its purest form, %e on Saturday afternoon at field. More than 80 former baseball players came to- |to bring back old memories Mdships in the Aggie Baseball "Game or, as some players "the“Old-Timers” game, event featured players from ’different eras in history, Shorn the days before Olsen ftseven built to current ma kers. The two participating tee managed by the two winningest coaches in Aggie base ball history, Tom Chambers and current head coach Mark Johnson. “It’s fantastic to see these guys,” said Dr. John Hoyle, Class of ‘56 “This event displays every' thing that is special about baseball here at A&M/’ SCOTT LIVINGSTONE ST. LOUIS THIRD BASEMAN and a current professor in the Ed ucation Administration Depart ment. “Some of these players go back to the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, so us old-timers are here to show these young guys how the game is played. The 12th Man Foundation and the Athletic Department did a really great thing in organizing this game.” The tradition of Aggie baseball is filled with wins and players who went on to future success, but for the players, the best memories come from the camaraderie shared with their teammates and coaches. “There is nothing like the feeling you get when you see these guys to gether again,” said Scott Living stone, Class of‘88 and a third base- man for the St. Louis Cardinals. “Being on a major league team is great, but playing here at A&M was something special. You never forget the good times shared with your teammates and you never want to lose touch with them. This event displays everything that is special about baseball here at A&M. That is why I stayed here for four years.” Livingstone is also proud of the fact that although some players leave A&M early to play profession al ball, most of them actually come back to school and get their degree. Livingstone was joined by Rich Robertson of the Minnesota Twins and Trey Moore of the Montreal Expos as the only current major leaguers to participate. Chuck Knoblauch of the Twins and Jeff Granger of the Pittsburgh Pirates could not make it due to prior obligations. Overall, the event was a success in fulfilling its purpose, bringing back memories and having a good time. “This game brings together a great family of people,” said Dr. Hoyle. “There is nothing like baseball players. They got more stories than any other athletes. Baseball has that extra something special that makes it the greatest sport in the world.” Hoyle was one of those players who could not stop telling old sto ries. With a huge grin on his face, he told of the ‘55 Southwest Con ference championship team that went to Austin and beat the Texas Longhorns 7-4 in a crucial game. He said that the University Presi dent cancelled school that day so that every student could go to the game in Austin. “By the time all the t-sips got to the game, they couldn’t get a seat because all the Aggies had taken them all,” said Hoyle. “There were several fights all game long in the stands, but all that mattered was that we won on the field and had a great ride home.” As for the game, just about everybody got to play and have a good time. Age definitely played a role in playing time. “This is the third ‘Old-Timers’ game I’ve played in, and the older you get the less you play,” said Hoyle. “I played about four innings in the first one, got to bat once in the second and in this one I am just go ing to coach and watch. If they force me to hit I might do it.” In this game, there were no win ners or losers, just oldTriends rem iniscing and showing off the skills they still posessed.