Columnist offers Super Bowl XLVI overview

Super Bowl Sunday, one of two big days in sports that isn’t a national holiday (the other is MLB’s Opening Day), is just around the corner. This year’s Giant-Patriots rematch at Lucas Oil Stadium looks to produce another close contest.

Many may recall Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona, when the famous “Helmet Catch” led to the Giants’ 17-14 victory, the only loss on 2007 New England’s record. In more recent history, the Giants also won 24-20 over the Patriots back in Week 9. Now with a chance to get back at New York, the Patriots seek revenge in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

A lot about this playoff  looks similar to the one four years ago. Once again, the New England Patriots (13-3 in the regular season) took the AFC’s No. 1 seed (though Green Bay had the best record this time around) and made their way through two playoff games to punch their ticket.

Once again, the New York Giants (9-7) just slid into the playoffs, and then proceeded to knock off everyone in their path. In the NFC title game, Lawrence Tynes again kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime on the road to win another date with the Patriots.

The only injury to report is Rob Gronkowski, tight end for New England. He suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the week and was limited in practice Thursday. He remains questionable for Sunday’s game.

Both sides have high offensive strengths they need to establish early on. Rob Gronkowski is still questionable for the game (high ankle sprain), but each day his chance of starting looks better. The Pats’ offense was second in the league for passing offense, their primary attack, but second-to-last in pass defense. The Giants were fifth overall in pass offense, but 29th in pass defense. Both teams are not strong rushers as they finished in the bottom half in rushing offense (the Giants were last), so any rushing game that gets off the ground could make the difference.

This showdown looks to produce another close contest. New England loves to stay ahead. New York loves to come from behind. In each game they’ve played to make it and in their overall records. Stick around the whole game since you might miss something otherwise.

My prediction: Patriots 38, Giants 34.

Penn State trustees’ move to fire Paterno good call

On Nov. 9, Pennsylvania State University head football coach Joe Paterno announced his decision to retire at the end of the current football season. He reasoned that the time had come where he felt he needed to call it quits, likely as a result of the scandal surrounding allegations to former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, whose arrest on the charges of child sex abuse sparked controversy around the storied coach. Paterno thought the Penn State board of trustees did not need to deliberate whether they would keep him on staff next season.

The trustees, however, did talk with each other about Paterno’s future with Penn State. Hours after Paterno’s retirement speech, they elected to fire him and PSU president Graham Spanier. Their reasoning: even if Paterno had no idea what was going on, he should have kept a better eye on things. Since he knew, he did all he had to by legal definition, but not all within his power.

The Penn State trustees were well within their minds and rights to oust the university president and longtime head football coach. The actual charges came against a different man, yes, but both knew for nine years about the crimes. They only did what would not land them in prison. They failed to seek true justice. Both now pay for it, and Paterno’s 61-year legacy now shines with what little this stain doesn’t cover. As several casual commentators put it, “The Sandusky scandal is his legacy now.”

I personally respect Joe Paterno and appreciate all he has done for college football and for Penn State University. I’ll still follow Penn State sports. I consider Penn State even more now because of this. I agree with the board because of their reason behind their decision. Joe Paterno, though he did not commit a crime worth an arrest, in a way covered for Sandusky when he heard and only issued a quiet boot to the former defensive coordinator. Sandusky awaits trial at the moment. He denied his crimes and stands innocent until proven guilty, but that does not excuse Paterno.

Earlier that day, Paterno announced his retirement at the end of the season. He wanted to leave on his own terms in light of the allegations. He should have resigned on the spot given his role in the scandal. It doesn’t matter that the Nebraska game was the last home game for the Nittany Lions this season or that it would have broken the record for the most games any head coach played in college football. Special occasions cannot call for special exceptions in these matters where those in position to act need to act fast.

There are many people who believe Paterno should have had the rest of the season as he planned. At the very least, the last home game of the season. They believe he should have gone out as the man who did so much for them in his 61 years with the university. The trustees shouldn’t have forced him out amid such a disgrace. As much as he has helped the Penn State program mature into a contender over time, everything changes over time. Paterno showed in his inaction and his approach that his values changed. The man who took the podium was not the man from the 30 years as head coach before this mess began.

There really was no middle ground. Either the board of trustees let Paterno leave how he wanted or how they thought was best for Penn State. Joe Pa’s decisions showed he was too interested in Joe Pa and not the school that gave him a job and a place to call home for the majority of his life. I love him and still hold a great respect for him, but this is the one place I do not stand with him. While his actions are forgivable, the board had to issue punishment. They were wise in how they carried out that end. If Joe Paterno ever was Penn State, he isn’t now.

Eagles end season in 45-14 loss to Lake Dallas

The varsity football team competed against the Lake Dallas Falcons in Wichita Falls on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The Eagles fell behind in the first quarter, down 17-0 after 12 minutes. Senior quarterback Travis Cosby connected with senior wide receiver Isaac Williams for a touchdown to close the gap to 17-7 with 9:35 left in the second quarter. The Eagles stopped Lake Dallas in two consecutive possessions when senior cornerback Will Toliver intercepted a fourth-down pass and the defense won a turnover on downs from within 10 yards of their own goal line. However, the offense did not capitalize on opportunities to gain ground on the Falcons and went silent. Lake Dallas senior quarterback Dalyn Williams rushed for two more touchdowns before halftime, 31-7 Falcons at the half.

Lake Dallas running back and punt returner Dontonio Jordan rushed for a 49-yard touchdown to increase the difference to 38-7. Williams connected with receiver Tyler Vance for his fifth and final touchdown of the day, third passing. Cosby rushed for a one-yard touchdown, the only Canyon score on the ground, but without enough time to come back, the final whistle blew on the Eagles’ season as they lost 45-14.

The Eagles end their season in the bi-district round of the 4A Division II playoffs at 5-6. This includes a district season where they earned fourth in District 3-4A and claimed the final berth in the playoffs.

NCAA Realignment to impact present, future students

 The University of Nebraska and University of Colorado left the Big 12 Conference July 1 for opportunities elsewhere. Nebraska entered the 12-team Big 10 while Colorado moved to what is now the Pac-12. Both schools announced their departures last August, leaving the Big 12 with 10 teams and out of a conference championship game in football.  Conference commissioner Dan Beebe announced Sept. 21 he was working with the Big 12 to resign from his position, and Chuck Neinas took over two days later for the interim between then and when the conference decides on a long-term candidate.

            For the past few weeks, Texas A&M University has battled with the league over jumping the sinking Big 12 ship in favor of becoming the 13^th member of the Southeastern Conference. Their main complaint was to Longhorn Network, the University of Texas-Austin’s channel the ESPN sponsors in exchange for a 20-year, $300 million deal. On Sept. 25, Texas A&M made it official and will join the SEC effective July 1, 2012. With Texas Christian University abandoning their Big East bid to join the Big 12, the conference will have 10 teams next season.

            Nebraska and Colorado set in motion not only reforms in the Big 12, but conference realignment talks have stretched to the powerhouse conferences. Previously, realignment only affect Division I mid-majors without Football Bowl Subdivision programs and lower division leagues, but in the past year and even today, FBS schools talk every day of realignment until the transfer is set. The changes to the NCAA picture have consequential impacts on high school prospects all across the nation. When colleges follow the almighty dollar, everyone else pursues it.

            The realignment, for the most part, impacts student-athletes, but since colleges and universities also meet with their conferences about security, finances for the league, season schedules, scholarships and much more, the general student population will see changes as well. With the Big 12 down to nine teams, aside from the obvious adjustments, fewer in-league opponents and the lack of a championship game in football, the conference loses money from their share of each individual school’s revenue from games. They don’t even have the strongest foundation, considering every conference change centers around football.

            If the conference has a lower budget to work with, the schools without major contributors to athletic and academic programs may have to trim organizations or even outright cut them. Sponsorship reductions can hurt recruiting for students, athletes or otherwise, and dissuade them from enrolling in or even applying for schools in the midst of unstable conference situations. Realignment may do some good for the teams moving around, but not so much for those left behind. Schools may even lose monetary contributions from alumni and boosters if others leave them behind in a crumbling conference or even if they opt out to someone else.

            When the schools have less money to work with, as with the Canyon ISD budget scenario, they have to decide what they need to cut back on or cut out all together in order to absorb the costs. This could mean schools scale back on certain organizations, scholarships, programs and majors they deem the least necessary or prestigious. For some, it could be an encouragement to step up. For others, it could be the final blow for a lot of unpopular organizations. Combined with the State of Texas’s education cuts, it hits hard even within the home state.

            With all that goes on with realignment, schools that cop out to another league believe they are doing what is best for them. That may be so, but in doing so, they leave the remainder of the conference, athletes, students, staff and alumni, in a bit of a disarray. The chaos ensuing now with conference realignment does not do very many schools well.

Dons sneak by Eagles, 41-38

The varsity football team opened their District 3-4A season at home against the Dons of Palo Duro High Sept. 23.

The game began with both teams chalking up touchdowns, Canyon on a goal-line rush from junior running back Hunter Burrell, who rushed 5 times for 3 yards and the touchdown, and Palo Duro on a 52-yard pass. On the ensuing possession, referees called a penalty on senior quarterback Travis Cosby for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Dons added a touchdown on their second possession. Canyon answered with a touchdown pass from Cosby to senior wide receiver Will Toliver, who along with the touchdown, had three catches for 55 yards. Canyon took the lead when junior secondary Dak Olson intercepted a batted pass and returned it 31 yards for the touchdown, which put the Eagles up 21-16 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw more offensive action as senior placekicker Austin Weaver made a 42-yard field goal to push the lead to 8, though the Dons tied the score with a touchdown and two-point conversion. Cosby ran in a touchdown from five yards out, as he would end with 17 rushes for 87 yards with said touchdown, though the Dons carried  in one of their own to tie the score at 31 each. As the half expired, the Dons got a hand on Weaver’s field goal try and sent it off-course, keeping the teams even.

The second half started with a defensive third quarter as only one field goal from PD made the scoreboard in the 12-minute stretch. With less than 6:30 to play, Cosby connected with junior running back Steven Hansen to put the Eagles up 38-34. Canyon looked poised to seal the game as junior linebacker Jace Vessels knocked the ball loose and junior nose tackle Tanner Patterson recovered within the Dons’ half of the field.

On fourth down, Weaver’s miss from 37 yard out spotted the Dons on their own 21 with 1:45 left, and they marched straight up the field for a touchdown. With 42 seconds left in the game, Palo Duro rolled the dice and pulled a surprise squib kick, aiming for the front receiving line’s legs. The trick worked, and the ball ricocheted back to the Dons, sealing their district opener victory, 41-38.

Palo Duro picks up their first win of the season, the Eagles go 2-2, 0-1 in the district and take on Randall in Friday’s rivalry game.

Eagles fall to NM’s Goddard 34-28

The varsity football team competed against the Goddard High Rockets of Roswell, New Mexico on Friday. Goddard entered the game as the No. 1 rated team in New Mexico’s Class 4A football conference and the Eagles played following a bye week.

The Eagles took the first lead of the night with a touchdown but failed the two-point conversion. The game stayed close the entire night as the biggest lead was when Goddard held an eight-point advantage early in the third quarter, five lead changes and two ties. Eagles senior quarterback Travis Cosby took the offense on his shoulders as he had 20 carries for 135 yards, went 10 for 16 passing and picked up 126 yards through the air and two touchdowns overall, though junior running back Hunter Burrell also earned his keep as he handled goal-line rushes, carrying three times for 10 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

In the final minute of the game, Goddard scored a touchdown, though missed the extra point to go up 34-28. The Eagles returned to their own 41 and attempted a last-ditch drive. Though Cosby completed a pass and got off a timeout with a second left, his final pass to the end zone fell to the ground when Rocket defenders swatted it away. With that, New Mexico’s No. 1 in Class 4A escaped with the win 34-28.

The Eagles are now 1-1 and play Lubbock-Estacado on Sept. 16 for this year’s Homecoming Game.

Madden ’12 pumps game past ’11

This offseason in football has been quite hectic on both the professional and college level. The NFL lockout stole most of the show, and players have had little time before the preseason games to get back into their stride. The lockout also affected EA Sports as they had to delay the release of Madden NFL ‘12 to August 30th instead of the 9th as they planned in advance. A little bit more time to shape the game, however, has done quite a bit to help the game.
The rosters remained untouched from the free agent frenzy that ensued when the lockout ended, so players can change the teams themselves if it bothers them that much that Marion Barber III is still with the Cowboys despite Dallas releasing him over the offseason. Unless, of course, you have access to Xbox Live or PlayStation Network, in which case all you have to do is use the EA Onlinepass that comes with every copy of the game and get automatic roster updates. No more rushing to change up the teams every time someone in real life gets cut or traded.
An odd thing I noticed is that I didn’t have a hard copy of the instruction manual in the game. It may have just been my copy or only on Xbox 360, but they only included the required warnings that come in every instruction booklet that no one except me reads. It later came to my attention that EA Sports decided to put their manual in-game and available to players throughout the course of a game. It was confusing at first, but that idea was very innovative for them even if it was a rush job when they realized a mistake in printing the instructions.
The actual gameplay is a step up from last year’s edition. The physics engine is improved to where there are no pre-animated actions. Every tackle, block, rush, pass, goal-line stand and onside kick plays out different from every other. Runners, receivers and quarterbacks can still fight for yards and try to stay alive until brought down, which in some cases could require another defenseman. Each team gets authentic introductions and each stadium is more lifelike than in ’11.
EA Sports decided this year to make significant changes to Franchise Mode. Player roles return to show how each member of the player’s team and opponents’ teams stack up, allowing players to make deals for men that lean toward strengths and some that cover for weaknesses. In-game players may also display rating changes depending on their performance game by game. If one or more men start doing well in games, racking up reasons for teams to fear them every time they set foot on the field, they start off on hot streaks, though a bad game can end one. If they botch too many plays and start trembling at the sight of other opponents, they hit cold streaks and need a better game to get back on track.
Play Now mode still has custom matchups in addition to Super Bowl XLVI for players who don’t feel like going through an entire season and skip to the biggest game of the year, set at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. EA Sports even worked in endings specific to each team for winning the championship, which includes the confetti shower, MVP naming, Super Bowl parade and a visit to the White House to shake hands with President Obama and hand him a #44 jersey from the winners.
Overall, the game seems that they were just out to pack in as many improvements as they can just to shove in the consumer’s face, but I could not find a lot of things wrong with it. The adaptable computer opponent can get cheap at times, but Madden has always had that to keep games challenging until the final whistle.

I recommend the game for all fans of the sports game genre and all who have bought and/or played Madden before and enjoyed it.

Lombard wins national coaching award

To top off a season ending with the 4A State Championship and a No. 18 national ranking, MaxPreps awarded girls’ basketball coach Joe Lombard the National Girls’ Athletics Coach of the Year.

MaxPreps is a CBS Sports branch focused on high school athletics around the country which nominates coaches and players annually for their national awards. According to MaxPreps representative Mike Wilkes, who presented Lombard with the award, the nomination process included more than 55,000 varsity girls’ coaches in the United States.

“The editing staff narrowed it down to five, and then the fans voted for one of them,” Wilkes said. “Each coach we nominated won multiple titles, coached for decades and has a winning record on and off the court.”

Lombard won the award over top softball, volleyball and basketball coaches, including Kevin Kiernan, coach of the girls’ basketball national champions, the Mater Dei Monarchs of Santa Ana, California, and Richard Jorgenson, coach of the No. 1 Woodlands, Texas softball team in both the editor and computer rankings.

“I never really thought that much about winning the award,” Lombard said. “I thought it looked bad when my wife said she accidentally voted for one of the other nominees.”

Lombard attributed this season’s accomplishments to the girls’ commitment to their coaches and each other every day of the season.

“They were the ultimate ‘team,’” Lombard said. “Each player was unselfish and everyone sacrificed for her team to be successful. We carried 15 players for the playoffs, so we had to make adjustments for practicing with more kids.”

Even after 15 state titles during Lombard’s 33 years as a coach, winning the championship hasn’t lost any luster or sense of accomplishment over time.

“The 15^th championship felt like the first,” Lombard said. “It was one of the great moments in Lady Eagle history to finish 38-0 and state champions. The team motto was ‘step up’—and they delivered.”

Lombard also won National Coach of the Year from Russell Athletics and USA Today in 2003 when the Lady Eagles won 3A State and the USA Today National Championship.

Budget cuts to impact class size, travel

Recently, statements and rumors about the Canyon ISD budget cuts have floated around the halls of Canyon High. Though several plausible theories have come about, it is time the students get an official rundown of just what is going to happen.

Principal Tim Gilliland said the State of Texas has not settled on a definite plan for changes in  funding for public schools, so not every shift of money in the Canyon ISD budget is final yet.

“Until the state determines how they’re going to finance public education, there’s still some big question marks about how much money we’ll have next year,” Gilliland said. “Our first move was to decrease budgets by 15 percent, and we hope that’s the last cut any of those budgets face. Most initial cuts came from employee travel and budgets that involved staff.”

The district chose to focus on academics for the upcoming cuts and around preserving class instruction as much as possible, Assistant Superintendent of Finance Randy McDowell said.

“We will try to have minimal impact on instruction and academic achievement,” McDowell said. “Some campuses may not see staff changes, but other campuses will see significant changes in staff. We will see class sizes get larger by two to four students per class.”

The district’s travel budget will take a hit as well, but not just in student organization travel. Staff travel will decrease, and the district will organize teacher training with its own facilities to save on venue expenses. Bus travel will also see an impact as the district reorganizes to be more efficient with transportation.

“The only change is coordinating travel better,” McDowell said. “We will put more students on each bus, and we will cut the number of vehicles on out-of-town trips.”

 The athletic department will change scheduling for the next two years for non-district contests.

“We don’t foresee any changes for district games,” McDowell said. “Non-district games will go under evaluation, and teams may compete in fewer tournaments.”

For now, the State of Texas will determine how much money they will cut from the education fund and, in turn, how much money Canyon ISD loses from now until 2013.

“Currently, the legislative session doesn’t end until May 30,” McDowell said. “We estimate the cuts to be from $3.5 million to $6.5 million per year, and it’s a two-year cycle.”

Dollars for degrees- Financial planning now prevents stress later

The time is coming. Between now and summer, meeting application deadlines, organizing payment plans, getting final transcripts and completing final assignments to raise grades a rank or two will consume seniors’ time.

However, there is valuable information for both graduating seniors and students who will return next year. It’s never too early to start preparing for and thinking about college.

In fact, every grade you make, every club activity you complete now affects how much you will stand out to the admission heads of every school you mail an application.

Every student will have at least one problem to clear to get to college, whether it’s deciding where to go, figuring how much tuition and fees will have to come out-of-pocket, making the grade, whether or not to work during college, trying to appear unique in a sea of thousands of applicants, and so on. For many graduates the largest of challenge is money. How will you ever pay for college?

There are many ways to make paying for school easier. The following are only a few methods that, over time, could shave hundreds, even thousands off tuition and cover expenses for all four years.

-Set a percent of your earnings aside every paycheck.

For those who have a job or plan to get one, a regular savings plan will help pay for school. Depositing 20 to 50 percent of earnings into a savings account will add up. Students may not earn much and therefore lack a large amount to contributed, but over a year or two, that money can ease the bill a considerable amount.

Senior Kateland Maddox, who signed a scholarship to run track and cross-country at South Plains Junior College, said that having a job will help with the remaining cost of attending.

“I’m going to have to get a job this summer, and my parents are making me pay it all by myself,” Maddox said. “I almost have it all paid for.”

Senior Christian Spring, who plans to attend Amarillo College, also works a job to cover his college expenses.

“Every week, I put money from my paycheck into my college fund,” Spring said. “I can pay for two years so far.”

-Apply for everything you can.

Every year, millions of dollars of financial aid go unclaimed nationwide. The rumor goes around that there is not enough money for everyone. If that much aid stagnates every year, then money is waiting for someone to step up and lay claim to their portion. Scholarships and other forms of aid are available and schools and agencies are willing to help figure how much each student can receive. The first step is applying.

Senior Maddison Sigler, who will attend Texas State in San Marcos, said scholarships helped her situation a great deal.

“I don’t qualify for government aid,” Sigler said. “Applying for lots of scholarships helped. I got $32,000 from Texas State.”

Senior Michael Stigler signed a track scholarship with the University of Kansas March 10.

“I don’t know how much total it is, but it’s a full-ride,” Stigler said. “I don’t have to pay for anything.”

-Prepare as early as possible.

Colleges have application deadlines for everything, not just attendance. Scholarships, grants and loans all have deadlines. In addition to mailing or emailing the forms in on time, students must plan ahead and take enough time to prepare the applications and supporting materials.

Sigler said students graduating in future years should save themselves frustration and send in the necessary information sooner rather than later.

“Apply for scholarships and don’t do anything last-minute,” Sigler said. “I did my application the night before and it was really stressful.”

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