Sports – Page 378 – North Platte Post Archive

Former Husker Sent to Prison on Drug Charges

Posted on November 6, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska football player and his girlfriend have been sent to prison on drug charges.

26-year-old Benjamin Martin was sentenced Thursday to more than 16 years in prison for possessing a firearm to assist drug trafficking and conspiring to sell methamphetamine. Twenty-six-year-old Audrey Glenn received 10 years in prison for conspiring to sell meth.

Martin was found asleep in his car last December and authorities found bullets, a hidden rifle and meth in the vehicle.

Glenn was arrested after a recorded phone call with Martin led authorities to a storage unit. The unit contained more meth.

Martin began playing defensive tackle for the Huskers in 2007, but his college career ended later when he was given a medical hardship scholarship.

Chiefs Wide Receivers Still Searching for Score

Posted on November 6, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Perhaps it’s just a fluke, but the Kansas city Chiefs are halfway through the season and no wide receiver has caught a touchdown pass yet.

The previous time that happened was 2009, when the Cleveland Browns went their first nine games without a wide receiver catching a TD pass.

Still, nobody on the Chiefs sideline appears to be worried about it, especially considering they’re 5-3 and have won five of their past six games heading into Sunday’s game at Buffalo.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith pointed out that his running backs and tight ends have plenty of touchdown grabs, and it’s only a matter of time until the wide receivers get involved.

Husker Wrestling Travels to Wyoming Over Weekend

Posted on November 6, 2014

No. 7 Nebraska opens its dual season on Friday when the Huskers battle No. 25 Wyoming at UniWyo Sports Complex in Laramie, Wyo., starting at 4 p.m. (CT). Nebraska will stay in Wyoming on Saturday for the Cowboy Open, which begins at 10 a.m., at War Memorial Fieldhouse.

Both events will be streamed on FloWrestling.org, with a subscription required to view the matches. TrackWrestling.com will provide live stats for each competition.
The Huskers and Cowboys are facing off for the 48th time in series history, with NU holding a 33-14-0 advantage. Last season, the Huskers notched a 26-12 triumph at the Devaney Center.

All-Americans James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each opened their senior campaign with a win at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday, Nov. 1, and will wrestle in Wyoming this weekend. Returning NCAA qualifiers Tim Lambert (125), Austin Wilson (165), TJ Dudley (184) and Collin Jensen (HWT) will also make the trip to Laramie.

Justin Arthur, who qualified for the NCAA Championships last season at Clarion, is projected to start at 149 pounds and will be making his first appearance in a Husker singlet.

At 197 pounds, sophomore Micah Barnes will grapple after finishing fifth at last weekend’s Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D. The Huskers’ lineup also includes sophomore Eric Montoya (133) and junior Anthony Abidin (141). Montoya earned Nebraska Redshirt-of-the-Year honors last season, while Abidin posted an 18-3 record for the Huskers.

Last Time Out: Green, Kokesh Win at NWCA All-Star Classic
All-Americans James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each opened their senior campaign with a victory at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday, Nov. 1 at The Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa.

Kokesh defeated NAIA No. 1 and three-time national champion Brock Gutches of Southern Oregon by an 8-2 decision at 174 pounds. After a Gutches takedown in the first period, the Husker senior controlled the rest of the match, earning an escape in the opening stanza before getting a takedown to build a 3-2 lead.

In the second period, Kokesh rode out Gutches from the top position to rack up nearly two minutes of riding time heading into the final period. Kokesh started the third period on bottom and earned an early escape before taking down Gutches and added a riding time point to secure a victory in his first match of the season.

Green won by a 6-4 decision over No. 3 Ian Miller of Kent State. Miller struck first with a takedown in the opening period, but gave Green a free release. Green responded with a takedown of his own before rewarding Miller with a free release to make the score 2-2.

In the second period, Green started in the bottom position and earned an escape to take a 3-2 advantage. Miller took down Green, but the Husker senior escaped to tie the score 4-4 heading to the third period.

Miller started the final period in the down position and was called for stalling, which gave Green a 5-4 lead. Green added a point for riding time, which led to a 6-4 final. After the competition, Green was named Most Valuable Wrestler for the Red team.

Scouting the Wyoming Cowboys
No. 25 Wyoming begins its dual season on Friday evening against Nebraska after two Cowboys won weight class titles at the Northwest Open last weekend. Jake Elliott (149) and Archie Colgan (157) captured crowns for the Pokes and are projected to start on Friday against the Huskers.

Wyoming returns four NCAA qualifiers from last season: Tyler Cox (125), Dakota Friesth (165), Ben Stroh (184) and Shane Woods (197). In InterMat’s latest poll, released on Nov. 4, Cox is ranked eighth, Friesth is No. 15, Stroh is 17th and Woods is ranked 16th.

Drew Templeman (133), Cole Mendenhall (141) and Andy McCulley (174) are also projected to start for the Cowboys on Friday. Heavyweight will be either Tanner Harms or Leland Pfeifer.

Wyoming is coached by Mark Branch, who is in his seventh season with the Cowboys and his seventh season overall. Branch holds a 63-28-0 record, and is assisted by Ethan Kyle and Alfonso Hernandez.

Huskers in the Rankings
All-Americans James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) are each ranked No. 2 in their respective weight classes by InterMat’s Nov. 4 poll. Returning NCAA qualifiers TJ Dudley (No. 13 at 184), Tim Lambert (No. 14 at 125), Austin Wilson (No. 14 at 165) and Collin Jensen (No. 15 at heavyweight) are also ranked. Junior Anthony Abidin garnered the 17th spot at 141 pounds.

In WIN Magazine’s preseason poll, Green and Kokesh are each ranked second, while Lambert (No. 15), Dudley (No. 18) and Wilson (No. 19) also earned spots. TheOpenMat.com released its rankings on Oct. 15, and put Green and Kokesh each at No. 2, and included five additional Huskers. Wilson leads the way at No. 15, Jensen is 16th, Dudley and Lambert are each 17th, and Abidin is No. 18.

As a team, Nebraska is ranked seventh in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, 10th by InterMat and 10th by WIN Magazine.

Huskers Impress at Intrasquad
Nebraska held its annual Coaches Clinic/Intrasquad event on Friday, Oct. 31 at the Devaney Center, which gave fans their first chance to see the 2014-15 Huskers.
Head Coach Mark Manning introduced the team before the exhibition and shared facts about each wrestler during the competition. Assistant Coach and Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs also spoke to the crowd about the upcoming season. The 90-minute workout included matches from all 10 weight classes.

Green Seeks Fourth All-America Honor
Senior James Green (157) looks to become the second Husker all-time to earn All-America status on four occasions. The title is currently owned by Associate Head Coach Bryan Snyder, who wrestled for the Huskers from 1999 to 2002. Green finished third at the 2014 NCAA Championships after taking seventh during both his sophomore and freshman seasons.

Sueflohn Out for the Season
Senior Jake Sueflohn (149) will miss the 2014-15 campaign with a torn ACL. Sueflohn will redshirt this season and has one more year of eligibility. The three-time NCAA qualifier has a career record of 80-24, and holds a dual mark of 37-8.

Keeping an Eye on Nebraska’s Career Records Lists
• Head Coach Mark Manning is 13 wins away from becoming the winningest coach in Nebraska wrestling history. The win would also mark the 200th in his time with the Huskers. Manning holds a 187-73-3 record in his 15th season at Nebraska. Former Head Coach Tim Neumann (1985-2000) went 199-77-6 while coaching the Huskers.

• Senior James Green (157) is five wins away from the 100th of his career at Nebraska. He would become the 23rd member of NU’s 100-win club. Green holds a career record of 95-17-0 and is a three-time All-American.

• Senior Robert Kokesh (174) is six wins away from joining Nebraska’s Top 10 Career Victories List. He holds a career record of 106-14-0 and is a two-time All-American. Gary Albright (1981-86) is currently 10th in school history with 112 wins.

Huskers Working Through 2014-15 Slate
Following this weekend’s action, Nebraska welcomes Maryland to the Big Ten Conference in its home opener at the NU Coliseum on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. (CT). On Nov. 22, the Huskers travel to North Carolina to face Duke and NC State.

The Huskers will grapple at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Dec. 5-6, in Las Vegas, Nev., before hosting Wisconsin in their final competition of 2014. The Huskers and Badgers square off on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.

Nebraska heads to Chattanooga, Tenn., to open 2015 at the Southern Scuffle, Jan. 1-2. Following the tournament, the Huskers return home to face Purdue on Friday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. The matchup between the Huskers and Boilermakers marks the first of 10 duals for Nebraska during January and February.

On Friday, Jan. 23, NU journeys to Champaign, Ill., to face Illinois, before returning home to host new Big Ten foe Rutgers on Sunday, Jan. 25 at the Devaney Center. The following weekend, the Huskers make a return to trip to Illinois on Friday, Jan. 30 to face Northwestern in Evanston, before returning home for a Sunday match against Indiana on Feb. 1.

The Huskers head to the Great Lakes State for a pair of duals on the subsequent weekend, as NU faces Michigan on Friday, Feb. 6, before visiting East Lansing, Mich., to wrestle against Michigan State.

Senior Night at the Devaney Center is slated for Friday, Feb. 13, as Nebraska hosts Stanford at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 21, NU will compete against Drexel and Princeton in Philadelphia, Pa., starting at noon.

The Big Ten Championships are scheduled for March 7-8 in Columbus, Ohio, while the NCAA Championships will be March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo.

Burroughs Takes Bronze at World Championships
Olympic Gold Medalist and Nebraska Assistant Coach Jordan Burroughs earned the freestyle bronze medal at 74 kg/163 pounds at the 2014 FILA World Championships after going 4-1 at the Gymnastics Palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sept. 9.

In his first-round match, Burroughs injured his left knee, but managed a 4-3 victory over Guinea Bisau’s Augusto Midana. Burroughs dominated in his next two matches, defeating Korea’s Yunseok Lee and Uzbekistan’s Rashid Kurbanov by a combined score of 18-2.

Wrestling with a wrapped leg in the semifinals, Burroughs fell behind 7-0 in the first period and never recovered, dropping a 9-2 decision to Denis Tsargush. The loss marked his first to a foreign opponent on the international circuit.

Burroughs responded in the bronze medal match with a first-period fall in 2:48. His opponent, Rustam Dudaev of Ukraine, earned the first takedown but Burroughs built a 6-2 lead before pinning Dudaev.

After his performance, Burroughs holds a 92-2 record internationally, earning gold medals at the 2012 Olympics, as well as the 2011 and 2013 FILA World Championships. At Nebraska, he won national titles in 2009 and 2011, capturing the Hodge Trophy in his final year with the Huskers.

Green Falls in World Team Trials Finals
James Green (70 kg/154 pounds) advanced to the finals of the Phase II World Team Trials before dropping two matches to Nick Marable on July 24 at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.

Green, representing Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, won the challenge tournament to earn a spot in the best-of-three championship series for a spot on the U.S. World Team. In the first match against 2014 U.S. Open champion Marable, Green fell by a 2-1 margin. Marable also came out on top in the second match, 8-2.

Gold Medalist Burroughs Hired As Assistant Coach
Head Coach Mark Manning announced the hiring of Husker legend and Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs as an assistant coach for the team on July 11.

“We are pleased to announce Jordan as one of my top assistants,” Manning said. “Jordan is one of the best wrestlers in the world and his accomplishments speak for themselves. We want him to continue to win World and Olympic titles until he completes his career. Jordan and his wife Lauren have made a commitment to be a part of Nebraska Athletics for a very long time. I along with the wrestlers and staff are glad to have the influence, mentorship and knowledge that Jordan brings to Nebraska wrestling. He has been a part of Nebraska wrestling for the last eight years and will continue to be a tremendous ambassador for the University of Nebraska.”

Burroughs previously served on the Nebraska wrestling staff as an administrative assistant for the 2012-13 season. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in sociology in May 2011.

“This is a huge stepping stone for my career and for Nebraska wrestling,” Burroughs said. “These are great facilities, people and tradition, and I’m extremely happy to continue to be a part of it. Now I get to look at things from the inside-out, whereas before it was from the outside-in. I want us to win team championships.”

Green Takes Silver at University Worlds
James Green earned the silver medal at 70 kg/154 pounds in the men’s freestyle division of the University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary on July 9.

Green (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) opened the day with an 11-1 victory over Finland’s Jere Kunnas in the quarterfinals before taking down Russia’s Shamil Magomedov, 8-4, in the semifinals. In the finals, Evgheni Nedealco of Moldova pinned Green.

This year’s competition marked the second consecutive year that Green competed in the University World Championships. Last summer Green posted a 1-1 record in Kazan, Russia.

Ex-Husker Raschke Inducted into Hall of Fame
Former Husker wrestler Jim Raschke was one of four men inducted into the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions on Oct. 18 at the Kennedy Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

In addition to Raschke, the fifth induction class included Jim Burke (posthumous), Brad Rheingans and Jim Martinez. The Martinez Family received the Legacy Award and Dave Curby was given the Alan Rice Leadership Award.

Raschke lettered for Nebraska from 1960 to 1962, and captured the 1962 Big Eight title at heavyweight. After his collegiate career, Raschke became the second American to win a medal at the Greco-Roman World Championships when he finished third at heavyweight in 1963. In 1965, he became a worldwide interservice wrestling champion for the U.S. Army. While in high school, Raschke won the 1958 Nebraska Class A state crown at heavyweight while wrestling at Omaha North.

Raschke joined former Huskers Rulon Gardner and Matt Lindland in the prestigious Greco-Roman Hall of Fame. The four inductees for 2014 increased the Hall of Fame total to 14 wrestlers.

Ex-Husker Scherr Collects USA Wrestling Honor
Former Husker wrestler Bill Scherr earned USA Wrestling’s Myron Roderick Man-of-the-Year Award on June 19, an accolade that recognizes an outstanding man for his contributions to the sport of wrestling.

Scherr served a pivotal role in keeping wrestling as an Olympic sport, as he chaired the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling (CPOW). In the position, Scherr developed the working structure of CPOW, ran weekly conference calls to help with CPOW’s strategy, oversaw the international relations area of CPOW and served as a spokesman for the organization.

Scherr has served on USA Wrestling’s Board of Directors and coached numerous teams, including the Women’s World Team. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998 as a distinguished member after achieving success on the international level.

Scherr made one Olympic appearance, capturing the bronze medal at 220 pounds in 1988. At the FILA World Championships, Scherr earned four medals from 1985 to 1989. He took first place at 198 pounds in 1985, while earning runner-up finishes in 1986 and 1989, and a third-place result at the 1987 World Championships.

While at Nebraska, Scherr capped his impressive career with the NCAA title at 190 pounds in 1984. The three-time All-American earned a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 1983 and finished fourth in 1982. Scherr completed his career at Nebraska (1981-84) with a record of 133-18.

Scherr’s brother Jim, also a former wrestler at Nebraska, took home USA Wrestling’s Man of the Year Award in 1994. In addition, former Huskers Jordan Burroughs (2012) and Rulon Gardner (2000) have earned the accolade.

Husker Wrestling on Social Media
Nebraska wrestling can be followed on a variety of social media platforms for up-to-date team information as well as features on wrestlers:

• Twitter: @HuskerWrestling (www.twitter.com/HuskerWrestling)
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/NebraskaWrestling
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/HuskerWrestling
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/HuskerWrestling
• FloWrestling: www.flowrestling.org/user/NEwrestle

Next Up: Maryland
The Huskers host Big Ten newcomer Maryland at the NU Coliseum on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. (CT). The meeting will be the sixth in series history, with Nebraska holding a 3-1-1 advantage. All five of NU’s remaning home duals will be held at the Devaney Center.

Kings Beat Nuggets 131-109 for 4th Straight Win

Posted on November 6, 2014

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 29 and the Sacramento Kings beat the Denver Nuggets 131-109 Wednesday night to extend their best start in more than a decade.

Darren Collison added 10 points and eight assists, and Carl Landry had 18 points off the bench to help Sacramento to its second win over Denver in three days and fourth straight overall following a season-opening loss to Golden State.

The Kings improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2001-02, when they won the Pacific Division and grabbed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They haven’t been back to the postseason since 2007.

Ty Lawson had 13 points and nine assists for Denver (1-3).

Sacramento scored 40 points in the first quarter, led by as many as 36 and had six players in double figures.

Defense Keys Husker Sweep of No. 12 Purdue

Posted on November 6, 2014

Lincoln – Behind a dominating defensive effort, the No. 13 Nebraska volleyball team rolled to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20) sweep over No. 12 Purdue on Wednesday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center before the 213th consecutive sellout crowd.

The Huskers tallied 17 blocks – a three-set season high – to improve to 15-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten. The win moved them into a tie for fourth in the Big Ten standings with the Boilermakers, who dropped to 19-6 overall and 9-4 in conference play.

Meghan Haggerty knocked down a season-best 11 blocks to spark the Huskers, while adding three kills. Her 10 blocks through two sets paved the way for the Huskers to win their third straight match. Kelsey Fien had a match-high 15 kills, while Kadie Rolfzen added nine with 14 digs and six blocks. Amber Rolfzen had six kills, and Cecilia Hall had four kills with five blocks. Mary Pollmiller provided 33 assists with five kills, five blocks and five digs.

The Huskers hit .255 for the match but more importantly held Purdue to its second-lowest hitting percentage of the season at .098. The Boilermakers entered the match third in the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .270 but were held to .057 hitting over the final two sets. Big Ten kills leader Annie Drews finished with a team-high 12.

In set one, the Huskers trailed 13-11 but went on an 8-1 run to go up 19-14, sparked by strong defensive play. Haggerty had three blocks during the stretch. Back-to-back kills by Fien gave NU a 21-15 lead, forcing Purdue’s second timeout of the set. Pollmiller’s third kill of the set added to the lead, 22-15. The Boilermakers reeled off three straight to get within 22-18, but the Huskers maintained distance and Kadie Rolfzen finished off the 25-21 win with her first kill of the match. Nebraska outblocked Purdue 5-1 in the set and outhit the Boilermakers .357 to .188.

The Huskers built a 9-6 lead in the second set after consecutive combo blocks by Haggerty and Pollmiller. Purdue quickly struck back to tie it 9-9 and took a 17-16 lead before a Husker timeout. NU came out of the break with three straight points to go up 19-17, the last of which came on Haggerty’s season-high 10th block. Purdue tied it 19-19 before Sydney Townsend set Fien for a 20-19 Husker lead. With NU up 22-21, Kadie Rolfzen and Fien notched back-to-back kills for set point, and Kadie Rolfzen clinched the 25-22 win with her sixth kill. NU held Purdue – which entered the match with the third-best hitting percentage in the Big Ten – to a .000 clip in the set.

A 5-0 run with the third set tied 8-8 gave the Huskers a 13-8 cushion, with two kills by Fien and back-to-back service aces by Alexa Ethridge. Purdue trimmed the lead to 13-11 with three quick rallies. The Huskers went up 15-13 on a highlight reel play that ended with a Hall solo stuff. A Purdue serve tipped off the net, bounced off Fien’s head and was kicked into the air by a sprawling Kadie Rolfzen before Pollmiller punched it over the net. The Huskers went up four, 22-18, after back-to-back kills by Fien and never let the Boilermakers close the gap.

The Huskers continue their four-match home stretch on Saturday against Indiana at 7 p.m. on NET. Fans are encouraged to wear white to Saturday’s match to “White Out” the Devaney Center.

Jerseys For A Cause Program Underway

Posted on November 6, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm’s Jerseys For a Cause program is off and running for the 2014-15 campaign after the team wore this season’s specialty jersey in a 4-0 shutout win over Green Bay on Oct. 17.

During two home games in the month of October, Storm fans raised over $1,500 through two jersey raffles and Color Out Cancer Night. All proceeds have been donated to the Kearney Tackles Cancer organization.

Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Jerseys For a Cause benefits a different organization each month. The full list of participants this season includes Relay For Life, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Team Jack Foundation, Phelps Memorial Hospital, Mary Lanning Hospital, Stay In The Game and SAFE Kids.

Tri-City returns to Kearney this weekend to kick off a new month of their home schedule. November’s proceeds will benefit the Relay For Life foundation.

The Storm will battle Muskegon twice in their only meetings of the season this weekend. Friday night’s game will start at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’spuck drop is scheduled for 7:05.

Tickets for all 2014-15 home games are on sale now through the Viaero Event Center Box Office. For more information, call 308.338.8011 or visitstormhockey.com.

2014-15 Jerseys For A Cause Beneficiaries

October: Kearney Tackles Cancer
November: Relay For Life
December: Make-A-Wish Foundation
January: Team Jack Foundation
February: Phelps Memorial Hospital
March: Mary Lanning Hospital
March 20th: Stay In The Game
April: SAFE Kids

Houston-Area Voters Approve $58M High School Football Stadium

Posted on November 6, 2014

KATY, Texas (AP) — Houston-area voters have approved a whopping bond package that includes $58 million to build a 12,000-seat high school football stadium.

The $748 million bond approved by voters in the Katy school district will pay for new schools and includes money for the stadium.

A year ago, voters rejected plans for a stadium that would have seated 14,000 and cost more than $69 million.

The stadium approved Tuesday will certainly be one of the most expensive in Texas history, but its price tag falls just short of the $60 million the Dallas suburb of Allen spent for its stadium.

The Allen facility, built two years ago, was closed earlier this year after structural flaws were found. The Allen Eagles play their football games elsewhere.

Chiefs Sign Fullback Sherman to Extension

Posted on November 6, 2014

Anthony Sherman (Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have signed fullback Anthony Sherman, who has helped pave the way for one of the NFL’s top rushing offenses, to a three-year contract extension.

A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday that Sherman can earn up to $7 million over the life of the contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs did not reveal the terms of the contract.

Sherman has started 21 of the 51 games he’s played in over the past four seasons. The past two have been spent in Kansas City, where has been the lead blocker for Jamaal Charles.

Sherman has also proven valuable as a short-yardage receiver out of the backfield, catching 36 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns in his career.

Student Group says Why it ‘Rejected’ Husker Coach

Posted on November 6, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Club organizers of the student section at Nebraska basketball games say they can’t overlook coach Tim Miles’ flaws in rejecting his tongue-in-cheek application to lead the “Red Zone.”

The fun-loving Miles used Twitter on Tuesday to say the Iron N club denied his bid and he’s “totally hurt.” Miles, starting his third season at No. 21 Nebraska, bragged that he attended every home and away game for two years.

On Wednesday, Iron N spokesman Patrick Luddy says Miles was a strong candidate but “we felt that his habit of sneaking into games early and his admitting to sitting twice during ‘No Sit Sunday’ would reflect poorly on our organization.”

Luddy says he hopes Miles participates in the student Red Zone and harbors no “ill feelings.”

Too Tired to Practice? Ask a GPS Device

Posted on November 5, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong Jr. was running play after play during a preseason practice and was beginning to wear down in the heat.

He could have asked for a break, but he didn’t have to. An assistant strength coach who was keeping electronic tabs on Armstrong could tell by looking at his laptop that the quarterback was fatigued. Armstrong was ordered to the sideline.

“Dial it down,” he was told.

Armstrong had just entered the “red zone” — and not the kind that extends from the end zone to the 20-yard line. This “red zone” meant Armstrong — who was wearing a tracking device relaying biomechanical data to the staffer’s laptop in real time — was overexerting himself and at greater risk for injury.

It’s one of the features of technology being used by about 30 college football teams and 15 NFL teams to monitor the movements and physical output of players during conditioning, practices and games.

The Australia-based company Catapult developed the system about eight years ago. Rugby and soccer teams were among the first to use it. Football teams in the United States began signing on with Catapult three years ago, and several hockey and basketball teams have followed.

“You build a portfolio of data on each player so over a period of time you can tell when they’re wearing down, do they need an extra rest, do they need a day off, all those things,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “The most important thing is what you do throughout the week to get them ready to perform at their peak, at their optimal level, come game day.”

At Nebraska, the top 50 football players slip a monitor weighing about 3 ounces into a pouch in the back of the tight-fit shirts they wear under their shoulder pads. Head strength coach James Dobson said it’s too expensive to track all of the Huskers’ 130 players. As it is, Nebraska will pay Catapult more than $363,000 over three years to rent equipment.

Each monitor includes a GPS device and other sensors that measure hundreds of variables per second, many of them hard to pronounce.

Some of the basic metrics: how far and fast did the player travel during a practice or game, his rate of acceleration, how many times he went right vs. left and whether he moved faster when he went one way or the other. The monitor is so sensitive that it can detect even a slight change in a player’s gait, which can be a sign of fatigue or injury.

Data collected is put into an algorithm developed by Catapult, and the result is a number called “player load.” The load is a number that varies depending on a player’s position, but the average in college football would be about 350, said Catapult sports performance manager Ben Peterson. The higher a player’s number goes, the greater his exertion.

A baseline is established for each player, and his readings can be monitored in real time.

“On certain days you have to be in certain zones,” said Armstrong, the Nebraska quarterback. “If you go over that, they tell you, ‘Hey, yesterday you were in the red, so make sure you’re not today.’ If you are in the red zone, you take a few series off.”

Under NCAA rules, Catapult data cannot be looked at in real time during games because it could provide a competitive advantage if one team is using the system and the other is not.

Peterson said college teams using the system have reported an average of a 27-percent decrease in soft-tissue injuries.

When an athlete does get hurt, sports medicine personnel can use Catapult data to manage his recovery. For instance, if an injured wide receiver were able to reach only 70 percent of his maximum acceleration or speed, it would show he has a ways to go before he’s ready to play in a game. The data also could be used to establish points of emphasis in a hurt athlete’s rehabilitation protocol.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said he looks at player load readings to see which players are working as hard as they can and, conversely, to identify ones who aren’t. Saban said players who know they’re going to play on Saturdays tend to give maximum effort all the time, but that’s not necessarily the case for those who aren’t as likely to play.

Saban said it’s telling to track defensive backs.

“When they’re covering a good receiver, their numbers are higher,” Saban said. “When they’re covering a guy who’s not as fast, they’re not as good.”

Tennessee safety Brian Randolph said the technology helps coaches put players in the best position for success.

“They don’t want to overwork us. It shows that they care,” Randolph said. “They definitely tell you when you’ve had a lot of reps or when you have a lot of mileage on your legs from the day before, so they tell you to get in the cold tub and get extra recovery.”