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Show WEDNESDAY, AUCiUST lS, 1999 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL SPORTS Gridders prepare for home tilt "By game time on Saturday, we'll be ready to go,· said defensive back Clint Brown. "We'll lay some hat into Western Montana. I guarantee jt." Wrth high expectations for this year, Brown also returns kickoffs, and if the SUU football team kicks off the SUU receives the opening kickoff, he season Saturday night at 7 p.m. against said he plans on taking it all the way Western Montana. back for a touchdown. Head Coach C. Ray Gregory said he Gregory said the key for the season is is pleased with how good the team for the team to stay looks. He added focused, not get ahead, that comes as a but to take it one week result of many of at a time. He also the players working knows that the team out hard over the needs to play well on summer. the road, not just at "That shows a lot home. of character in the In the last two players to work seasons, the 'Birds when someone isn't were 8-2 at Eccles standing over Coliseum, but 2-10 them," said away from home. Gregory. This year's schedule "I've seen some might look easier than tremendous last year's, but there improvement since are some tough teams spring ball,· said the 'Birds will faceKyle Davis, mostly on the road. assistant head Wrth trips to Boise coach and offensive State and McNeese line coach. ~ State in back to back The players say · § weeks, and other road they have noticed ~ games at Cal Poly, that all of their hard ~ Weber State, St. work had paid off as i:l Mary's and Southwest they went through ~ Texas State, the their two-a-day ~ 'Birds will be faced with practices, and now a challenging road are prepared for the Linebacker e;oach Gary Co,5ton instructs his players during practice. schedule. season. The 'Birds have done "We've. got a lot of well against these teams in _the past, but "I'd rather have us lead the nation in returning guys that are looking bigger mostly at home. They know that they scoring the most points, and win and stronger this year,· said defensive haven't done well on the road, and games," he said. back Nate Sundloff. "We're in a lot that's where coaches say they need to Another star is offensive lineman better shape." improve. · John Uriarte, who returns this season The players know that this could be a ·we have some negative history to as a 1999 pre-season all-American. . great season. Full of excitement and overcome in stadiums on the road,· said "It feels good," he said. ·The guys intensity, they are looking forward to Gregory. competing all season, and ending with a behind me make me look good. They One factor that could help the T-Birds make my job easy." good record . is their defense. Gregory says that this He says usually it's the offensive line · we have high expectations because who make the running backs look good. year's squad has improved in speed the team is full of talent.· said safety and strength. He said he expects it to But in this case, it's guys like running Josh Roberts. •All the pieces of the be the best defense in the three years ·back Brook Madsen who run so well, he puzzle are there, we've just got to put he's been here. makes his blockers look good. them together.· The time has come for the players to The team has been looking forward to The Thunderbirds do have many stars play. They know there's been a lot of the season opener since the end of last returning, including quarterback Matt talk as to how well they will perform. year's season. They know that it is an Cannon. Cannon shattered the NCAA "It's all talk until we prove it," said important game, and they want to start record for yards rushing by a Cannon. off the season with a win. quarterback last year when he BY JASEN ASAY JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR scampered for 1,553 yards. "It's worth the price of admission to watch number nine (Cannon)," said Gregory. "After watching him, you should go out and pay again." But Cannon isn't concerned with getting another 1,000 yard rushing season. He's more focused on the team and wants everyone to do well. Two Thunderbirds make it big BY BRETI FULLMER JOURNAL STAFF WRITER This summer, one SUU athlete gained All-American status and another was drafted inter the professional ranks. In early May, Natalie Gibson became SUU's first All-American athlete ever by placing seventh in the women's 400-meter hurdles final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Boise, Idaho. Gibson crossed the line in a time of 58.38. By reaching the 400-m her and for the university." hurdle final , gibson earned Houle also said that, first-team. All-American "Natalie has set the honors, becoming the first Thunderbird to do so in track groundwork for future AllAmerica and field. performances.· Track Coach On June 2, Eric Houle said SUU pitcher Nick that Natalie is a Roberts was rare athlete with selected by the a superb work Houston Astros in ethic, "which the seventh helped lead her round, making to All-American him the highest status.· He went draft pick from on to add, "She SUU since 1987. reached OlympicRoberts was type levels. To rated as the reach that level number-one Natalie Gibson speaks well of amateur prospect in the state heading into the draft, according to Baseball America Magazine. Former SUU baseball coach Jeff Scholzen, who is currently working as a scout for Houston, pointed out that Roberts "throws effortlessly with a fastball between 8893 mph, which leads to no arm prob1ems." Scholzen also mentioned that Nick h_as a big-league slider in his arsenal, as well. "He has beaten some bigtime Division -I programs and it has translated into a pro career.· JAY'S NOTES SPORTS COMMENTARY ' BY JASEN ASAY Let's join the team Hello there fellow Thunderbirds. Welcome to SUU if you are new, and welcome back to all those returning 'Birds. I just have one question for you ... are you ready to rumble? The new school year is here, and so are our exciting plans on what we want to do. You know, date the best looking guy/girl on campus, get good grades , get along with roommates, become a "True Thunderbird," etc. But out of all of those important plans we have, one thing I hope everyone will do is support our sports teams here at SUU. Beachboy Brian Wilson once told us to "be true to your school ." Even though that music was more popular when our parents (and most of the faculty) were cruising in their woodies, it still has a good point. We should come to the games ready to yell and support OUR team. We may not be wearing the jerseys and getting all sweaty, but it's still OUR team . We share their joy when they win, and their pain when they lose. Whenever we talk about our teams, we talk like we are a part of them. When the football team wins , we as fans say "we" won. We act as if we are part of the team. True fans are part of their team. So, how can we become part of the team? Well, here are a few suggestions: • Attend the games . We do live in a modem time which makes it easy for us to sit at home and listen to it on the radio, or even read about it in a newspaper like this one. But nothing is as exciting as attending the games in person. You might even see yourself later on SUTV. • While at the game, get crazy. Get a hold of some red paint and use your imagination. Just remember this: painting your face and body-good , vandalizing buildings and other people's cars-bad. • We all have a voice, so let's use it. Who cares if you can't talk the next day? The players say that they get more pumped up when they hear fans yelling. Just don't yell at one of our players if they mess up. But, it is appropriate. maybe even mandatory for fans to yell at opposing players. • Speaking of cheers, let's try some new ones. How many times do we hear the same ones over and over again? Like the one where half of the crowd yells "Southern· and the other half replies in a deep voice, "U-tah!" That was cool the first million times. • Get involved in the game, for example: the gymnastic meets last year. During the floor exercises , there was- always one special move a gymnast would do. The fans knew exactly when it was coming, so they mimicked the move. The studj:!nt section looked cool with everybody waving their arms in unison, like the gymnast looked on the floor. • Signs are good too, as long as they aren't too distasteful. Make them funny , but not inappropriate.' Jhere were some pretty bad ones last basketball season . Remember, even though we're south of "happy valley," this is still Utah. Let's let other schools know we have class. No naughty words please. It's time the· fans joined the team. The first football game is in Eccles Coliseum Saturday at 7 p.m. against Western Montana. Let's get it on. ' I. |