Sports Briefs
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| Creston/O-M football managers. |
Opener
MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Northwest Missouri State University football team opens the 2008 season Saturday night at Bearcat Stadium in a matchup of top-10 rated teams. Game time is 6 p.m.
Northwest, second in the Division II playoffs a year ago, is rated third in the preseason while Abilene Christian is ranked eighth. Abilene Christian advanced to the second round last year before a 76-73 triple-overtime loss to Chadron State.
Senior Joel Osborn of Harlan (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) is the starting Bearcat quarterback.
Listed as second-string on the NWMS depth chart this week are sophomore Dane Wardenburg (6-7, 275) at both offensive tackle positions; junior Greg Applegate of Harlan (6-2, 230) at both tight end and fullback; and junior Bill Baudler (6-2, 220) of Fontanelle at strong side linebacker.
The game will be broadcast on the Bearcat Radio Network, including KMA (960 AM) of Shenandoah.
Drake honors
DES MOINES (AP) — Two Drake athletes have been honored as co-recipients of the school’s outstanding student-athlete award.
Adam Emmenecker and Jill Martin on Monday were given the Tim and Jerry Howlett Memorial Award during the annual Bulldog Corn Feed Monday night at Drake’s Knapp Center.
Emmenecker led the men’s basketball team to the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title last year and the team’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1971. He set a single-season school record in the process with 213 assists, and earned an honorable mention on the Associated Press All-America men’s basketball team.
Martin was a three-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference player, the fourth player in the school’s women’s basketball program to do so.
BTN deal
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Charter Communications Inc. has reached a multiyear distribution agreement with the Big Ten Network.
The St. Louis-based cable operator said Wednesday it will carry the network and related programming in Big Ten regions, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Northern Illinois.
Charter initially expects to launch the network on its expanded basic cable tier in time for Saturday’s Big Ten college football openers.
Mariotti resigns
CHICAGO (AP) — Longtime Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti has resigned “to pursue other opportunities,” the paper says.
Mariotti joined the Sun-Times in 1991 and has been a regular panelist on ESPN, the Sun-Times said in a post Tuesday evening on its Web site in which it called for Chicago Sports fans’ take on his departure. Hundreds have responded.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Mariotti, whom it called “controversial,” says he quit because the future of sports journalism “sadly is not in newspapers” but online.
Mariotti made headlines in 2006 when Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen launched a profanity-laced tirade against him before a game against St. Louis. Guillen later apologized.
