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♦ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2005
Outside
the
Home’
total accepts 49ers job
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)
- Baltimore defensive coordina
tor Mike Nolan accepted the San
Francisco 49ers' head coaching
position and began to negotiate
a contract to take over the team
that had the NFL's worst record
last season.
Nolan, a longtime coordinator
for four teams who has never
been a head coach, will replace
Dennis Erickson, fired earlier in
the month after going 9-23 in two
seasons out of the playoffs. San
Francisco went 2-14 this season.
After wowing 49ers owner John
York in an interview Thursday,
Nolan accepted the offer and flew
to York's home in Ohio to work out
a contract.
Nolan earned the chance to fol
low in the footsteps of his father,
Dick, who went 54-53-5 in eight
seasons as the 49ers' coach from
1968-75, winning three straight
division championships and reach
ing two NFC title games while
getting the first playoff wins in
franchise history.
Soriano, Texas reach deal
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -
Alfonso Soriano agreed to a $7.5
million, one-year contract with
the Texas Rangers, who avoided
salary arbitration with the All-Star
second baseman they insist they
aren't trying to trade.
Several teams have inquired
about a trade for Soriano, but
none of the talk has been serious
enough to intrigue the Rangers.
Soriano came to Texas last
February in the trade that sent
Alex Rodriguez to the New York
Yankees. While he had an AL-high
23 errors, Soriano hit .280 with 28
homers and 91 RBIs before miss
ing the final 16 games last season
with a strained left hamstring.
Alomar joins Devi Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)
- Roberto Alomar will try to reju
venate his career with the Tampa
Bay Devil Rays.
The 12-time All-Star second
baseman agreed to a one-year
contract after missing two months
last season with a broken right
hand and hitting just .263 in
56 games for Arizona and the
Chicago White Sox. The deal is
contingent upon a physical.
Marihs sign Burnett
MIAMI (AP) - Florida Marlins
right-hander A. J. Burnett agreed to
a $3.65 million, one-year contract
rather than go to arbitration.
Relievers Guillermo Mota and
Tim Spooneybarger also avoided
arbitration by accepting one-year
deals.
The Marlins, meanwhile, are
still courting free-agent slugger
Carlos Delgado. He and agent
David Sloane met Saturday with
owner Jeffrey Loria, and Sloane
said he plans to talk with team
executives again Tuesday.
Kuznetsova tests positive
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)
- Svetlana Kuznetsova tested
positive for the banned stimulant
ephedrine during an offseason
charity event, a Belgian sports
minister said, but WTA Tour CEO
Larry Scott doubts the U.S. Open
champion will be penalized.
The Russian was tested dur
ing the Dec. 18-19 Women's
Tennis Trophy exhibition tourna
ment in Charleroi, said Claude
Eerdekens, a regional sports min
ister. Kuznetsova's backup sam
ple hasn't been tested; rules call
for two positive samples before
punishment.
He said he had tried without
success to speak with Eerdekens
and called the Belgian's announce
ment "premature, highly irrespon
sible and damaging to the sport.
It's something that could possi
bly be a common cold remedy,
and the player might be innocent.
Yet he's gone ahead and publicly
tainted the sport."
Kobe to remain out
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Lakers
star Kobe Bryant will be sidelined
at least two more weeks with a
severely sprained right ankle.
Team spokesman John Black
said that the NBA’s second-lead
ing scorer was examined earlier
in the day by team physician Dr.
Steve Lombardo and foot special
ist Philip Kwong.
Wle accepts IPGA invite
HAVRE de GRACE, Md. (AP)
- Michelle Wie accepted an
invitation to play in the LPGA
Championship, making it likely the
15-year-old golfer will compete in
all four of the women's majors
this year.
Wie and other top amateurs
like Paula Creamer and Jane Park
have not played the McDonald's
LPGA Championship because
it was for professionals. But the
tournament expanded its field
from 144 to 150 players, offering
one of those additional spots to a
“leading amateur."
Three extra exemptions will go
to a top player from the Korea
LPGA, the Japan LPGA and the
Ladies European Tour, and the
remaining spots will go tethe next
two LPGA Tour players from a
priority list.
I •!
Men's College Top 25 Capsules
No. 15 Texas 75. Oklahoma State 61
AUSTIN. Texas (AP) - Daniel Gibson
had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and
Texas shook off any distractions about P.J.
Tucker's future with an impressive 75-61
victory over Oklahoma State on Monday
night. Tucker, who spent most of the first
half on the bench in foul trouble, scored
15 points m the second for the No 15
Longhorns (14-3. 3-1 Big 12) - but it might
have been his final game of the season.
The team's leading scorer has said aca
demic problems could keep him oft the
court during the spring semester, which
starts Tuesday
No. 16 Connecticut 77, Seton Hall 66
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Josh
Only two players left from
Falcons’ Super Bowl team
By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
FLOWERY BRANCH
- Keith Brooking made it to
the Super Bowl in his very
first season - playing for the
Atlanta Falcons, no less.
Hey, what’s all the fuss
about?
“I don’t want to say that I
took it for granted,” Brooking
said Monday, speaking now
from the perspective of a
wily ol’ veteran. “But I really
didn’t know what an accom
plishment it was at the time.
I didn’t know how special it
was.”
Time can be valuable
teacher. It took six years for
the Falcons to get another
shot at the Super Bowl.
On Sunday, they travel to
Philadelphia to meet the
playoff-tested Eagles for the
NFC championship.
The visiting team at the
“Line” will include only
two holdovers from 1998
- Brooking, a Pro Bowl line
backer, and backup defensive
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Members of Perry's varsity dheerleading squad celebrate one of their finishes recently.
The group captured a first and second place finish, respectively, in its last two meets. They
are scheduled to compete for the region Jan. 29 at Washington County High School.
CHEER
From page 1B
Burnsed said she was very
happy with her squad’s over
all execution of the routine.
Perry fans were on hand
to support the squad, and
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Boone scored 20 poims and Connecticut's
frontcourt dominated on an off night by the
yflards m a victory over Seton Hall
Women's College Top 25 Capsules
No. 1 Duke 82, Georgia Tech 59
DURHAM, N.C (AP) - Monique Currie
scored 27 points and Jessica Foley made
seven of Duke s school-record 13 3-point
ers, helping the top-ranked Blue Devils
rally from their largest deficit of the season
to beat Georgia Tech 82-59 Monday night.
Foley finished with a career-best 23
points for the Blue Devils (17-1,3-0 Atlantic
Coast Conference), who have won 15
straight since a loss at Notre Dame in
November. They beat the Yellow Jackets
(10-5.1-3) for.the 24th time in a row, dating
to Feb. 27,1994.
Jill Ingram scored 18 of her career-high
20 points in the first half for Georgia Tech,
end Travis Hall. Better than
anyone, they know what a
long, arduous journey it is.
The Falcons followed up
their Super season by going
5-11. The next year was even
worse. It wasn’t until 2002
that Atlanta finally made it
back to the playoffs, winning
a historic game at Green Bay
before falling to the Eagles in
the divisional round.
Then, more of the same.
Atlanta plunged to 5-11 last
season, doomed by Michael
Vick’s broken leg in a pre
season game.
Brooking and Hall man
aged to stick it out, while
those around them came and
went. Two serious knee inju
ries ended Jamal Anderson’s
career. Jessie Tuggle retired.
Chris Chandler was released
after the Falcons drafted
Vick. Dan Reeves was fired
as coach.
Hall was among those who
thought the Falcons had
turned the corner back in
‘9B. In Reeves, they had a
many commented they could
see improvement from the
prior week’s performance.
The next stop for these
young athletes is the Region
Cheer Championship, which
Cleats
<c) 2005 Bill Hinds. Dlst Dy Universal Press Syndicate I
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SPORTS
which led 23 3 before the Blue Devils
recovered.
No. 9 North Carolina 83. Miami 52
CHAPEL HILL. N.C. (AP) - Ivory Latta
scored 24 points to lift North Carolina past
Miami Camille Little added 15 points and
seven rebounds for the Tar Heels (14-2, 2-
1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who shot 59
percent in the first half to build a 25-point
lead at the break. Little also led a defen
sive effort that shut down Miami's Tamara
James, who came in leading the nation in
scoring at 24.5 points per game.
No. 13 Connecticut 73,
No. 15 Texas 57
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Freshman
Charde Houston scored a career-high 25
points and Ann Strother added 20, leading
Connecticut over Texas.
The Huskies (11-4) played smother-
coach who took Denver to
three Super Bowls and quick
ly built a winner in Atlanta.
“I thought we were going
to have the same thing he
had in Denver,” Hall remem
bered. “I was like, ‘Man, this
is going to be exciting. We’ll
continue to go to the playoffs
and have a chance to win the
championship every year.’”
It didn’t turn out that way,
of course. There were some
key injuries, and the Falcons
weren’t prepared to replace
several players coming to the
end of their careers.
But nothing can take
away the most compelling
memory of that Super sea
son - the improbable victo
ry at Minnesota’s raucous
Metrodome in the NFC title
game.
“No one gave us a chance.
Literally, not a chance,” Hall
said. “At least we’re getting
more talked about this year.
Back then, even though we
went 14-2, no one gave us a
chance.”
is scheduled to be held Jan.
29 and back in Washington
County.
The state competi
tion is slated for Feb. 5 in
Columbus.
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ing defense and dominated inside, hold
ing Texas to 34 percent shooting The
Longhorns (9-6) again struggled away from
home, losing to their fourth ranked oppo
nent on the road.
N.C. State 76, No. 23 Virginia Tech
75, OT
BLACKSBURG. Va. (AP) - Marquetta
Dickens' three-point play with 22-seconds
left in overtime gave North Carolina State
a victory over Virginia Tech
Dickens and Kendra Bell each scored
14 points for the Wolfpack (13-4, 2-2
Atlantic Coast Conference) in a game that
featured 18 ties and 22 lead changes. Billie
McDowell added 11 for N.C Slate, which
scored the final five points in overtime
Carrie Mason led Virginia Tech (11-4.
1-2) with 14 points.
NBA Capsule
Legends of the Fall
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Central Fellowship Christian Academy recently held its
Fall Sports Awards Program to honor students 1 achieve
ments in athletics. From top: Senior Rachael Childress
receives the Varsity Softball Overall MVP Award from
head coach Jay Schnable, Senior Melanie Duncan
receives the Varsity Softball Christian Character Award
from Schnable, Junior Melanie O’Gorman receives the
Girl’s Cross Country Most Valuable Runner and All
Region Award from head coach Ed Torres and Junior
Burt Trachoo receives the Golden Helmet Award from
head coach Todd Whetsel.
TOP QUALITY TOPSOIL
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Call Bobby Evridge
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Nets 85. Hawks 84
ATLANTA (AP) - Antoine Walker was
so off-target that about the only shot he
made was the one he was trying to miss
intentionally Walker made the first of two
free throws with 1.1 seconds left to pull
Atlanta within two points of New Jersey, but
had to miss the second to give the Hawks
a chance to tie it off an offensive rebound.
But the ball went in and the Nets held off
the Hawks on Monday, 85-84, to snap a
four-game losing streak.
Walker was 3-of-18 from the field and
finished with 14 points New Jersey star
Jason Kidd scored 19 of his 23 points
in the second half. Bui even with Kidd's
strong secqnd half, and 23 points from
Vince Carter, the Nets couldn't put the
Hawks away.
New Jersey made only 15 of 23 free
throws, including 5 of 8 in the last minute.
| Byron, GA
GREEN ACRES FARM
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