Sports – Page 468 – North Platte Post Archive

Royals Win 8th in a Row, Top A’s, Take Central Lead

Posted on August 12, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals won their eighth straight game and took over the AL Central lead Monday night when Yordano Ventura outdueled Sonny Gray during a 3-2 win over Oakland Athletics.

The victory, coupled with a loss by Detroit in Pittsburgh, gave the long-suffering Royals a division lead at the latest point in a season since 2003.

Alcides Escobar drove in a run in the second inning before delivering a two-out single off Gray (12-6) in the seventh, putting Kansas City in front and sending the crowd to its feet.

Kelvin Herrera (3-2) took over for Ventura and tossed spotless seventh inning, and Wade Davis breezed through the eighth. Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 35th save.

Royals get Willingham from Twins for Minor Leaguer

Posted on August 12, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have acquired outfielder Josh Willingham from the Twins for minor league pitcher Jason Adam in an attempt to bolster their offense for the stretch run.

The move was made shortly before the Royals, winners of seven straight, opened a four-game series against AL West-leading Oakland on Monday night. Kansas City had climbed into the second wild-card spot and was just a half-game behind Detroit in the AL Central entering the day.

Willingham was hitting just .210 for the Twins this season, but his 12 homers in limited at-bats were appealing for a Royals club that has struggled to find power.

He hit a career-best 35 homers with 110 RBIs two years ago.

Adam is 5-9 with a 4.67 ERA with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha this season.

Chiefs’ Charles Relishes Chance to Lay the Lumber

Posted on August 12, 2014

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Jamaal Charles is known for his speed and skill. He’d like to be known for his ability to lay the lumber, too.

The Chiefs’ Pro Bowl running back relishes the chance to drop a blitzing safety or linebacker, even though there are no fantasy points at stake for a block. He considers it one of the biggest reasons why he’s become one of the few every-down running backs in the league.

In fact, Charles has even coined his own “Jamaal Charles rule,” whereby he promises to keep his defender out of his quarterback’s face for 3 seconds. After that, they’re on their own.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said Monday that Charles has become a better blocker over the last year, and that’s allowed him to take the next step toward greatness.

Osweiler’s Extended Apprenticeship Continues

Posted on August 12, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — There was a time when Brock Osweiler wanted to seek out Aaron Rodgers to pick his brain about how he waited so patiently for his shot while serving an extended apprenticeship under Brett Favre.

Peyton Manning’s protege, however, decided to figure it out for himself.

After all, mimicking one great quarterback is plenty.

Although he has more mobility than the five-time MVP, Osweiler does his best imitation of Denver’s star quarterback on the few occasions he gets onto the football field.

Nebraska to Have Statewide Early Teal Season

Posted on August 12, 2014

LINCOLN – Nebraska will have a statewide early teal hunting season in September.

As in the past, hunting will take place in the High Plains and Low Plains zones. But this year those zones are identical to duck zones and cover the entire state. That means the entire state will be open to early teal hunting.

The portion of Nebraska that previously had been closed to early teal season — roughly the northern half of the state — will have an experimental early teal season. In that area, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will monitor hunters’ attempted take of non-teal species.

The 2014 season dates are Sept. 6-14 in the High Plains zone and Sept. 6-21 in the Low Plains zone.

“The continuation of the teal season in northern Nebraska is solely dependent on hunters and their ability to distinguish teal from other duck species,” said Mark Vrtiska, Game and Parks’ waterfowl program manager. “We’ll be evaluating the rate at which non-target species are shot at or taken. If the rate is considered unacceptable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we’ll lose the teal season in northern Nebraska.”

Although duck hunters need exercise caution about identifying ducks in all seasons, it’s especially important with the September teal season. Those who take or attempt to take ducks other than teal also will be subject to prosecution.

To view or download Game and Parks’ 2014 Early Teal Guide, visit OutdoorNebraska.org. Printed guides are available at Game and Parks’ Lincoln headquarters, 2200 N. 33rd St., and soon will be available wherever permits are sold.

Huskers 7th, Jays 23rd in Opening Volleyball Poll

Posted on August 11, 2014August 11, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is ranked No. 7 and Creighton is No. 23 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll.

Defending national champion Penn State is No. 1 in the poll released Monday, followed by Texas, Stanford, Washington and Southern California. Wisconsin, which lost to Penn State in the national championship match, is ranked just ahead of the Cornhuskers at No. 6.

Nebraska returns five starters from the team that went 26-7 overall last season and was second in the Big Ten with a 16-4 mark.

The Huskers host the AVCA Showcase to open the season, playing 13th-ranked Florida State on Aug. 29 and Stanford on Aug. 30.

Creighton, which returns three starters from its 23-9 team, opens against Lipscomb in the Kansas Invitational on Aug. 29.

link to AVCA preseason poll

Huskers Ranked Seventh in Preseason Poll, Tickets Go On Sale Aug. 20

Posted on August 11, 2014

The Nebraska volleyball team came in at No. 7 in the preseason AVCA Coaches’ poll, released on Monday. The Huskers return all but one starter from last year’s team, which finished with a 26-7 record, a trip to the NCAA Regional Final and a No. 7 final ranking.

The preseason poll had a Big Ten flare, as seven conference teams earned a spot in the top 25, while Michigan was receiving votes. Six of the top 12 teams in the preseason poll were from the Big Ten Conference. Defending national champion Penn State was picked first, followed by Texas, Stanford, Washington and USC. Wisconsin, the 2013 national runner-up, came in one spot ahead of Nebraska at No. 6, while Purdue was ranked eighth. BYU and Florida, respectively, rounded out the top 10.

With the release of the first 2014 weekly poll, the Huskers have now been ranked in each of the AVCA’s 462 all-time polls, dating back to 1982. Nebraska has been ranked in the top 10 in 418 of those 462 polls, the highest total of any team in the country.

Nebraska’s ranking will be put to the test throughout this season. The Huskers will face a ranked opponent in 13 of their 29 matches this season, including six matchups with top-10 opponents. NU will face the top three teams in the preseason poll a total of four times, beginning with a contest against No. 3 Stanford in the second game of the season at the Devaney Center on Sunday, Aug. 31.

The Huskers open their season on Friday, Aug. 29, against 13th-ranked Florida State Seminoles. The back-to-back matchups with FSU and Stanford are part of the AVCA Showcase at the Devaney Center.

link to AVCA preseason poll

A limited number of single-match tickets for Nebraska’s 2014 home volleyball matches will go on sale to the public beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Tickets can be purchased on Huskers.com, but fans are advised that availability is limited and some tickets may be standing-room only. There will be a limit of four tickets per match and four matches per household. Accounts purchasing over the maximum will automatically be refunded the ticket price only.

Tickets for the Huskers’ Red-White scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 23 are on sale now. Tickets for the scrimmage are available for $10 (reserved) or $8 (standing-room only). Nebraska was ranked seventh in the preseason AVCA top-25 poll, released on Monday.

Manning Bros. Back with New Rap Song (Video)

Posted on August 11, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Just in time for football season, the rapping Manning brothers are back with another tune to get stuck in your head.

A year after making their rap debut with “Football on Your Phone,” Peyton and Eli Manning are back rapping in a new commercial, DirecTV’s “Fantasy Football Fantasy.”

Gone are the wigs the quarterbacks wore in their rap debut that mimicked hairstyles of the 60s and 70s. Now, they’re decked out in modern-day duds, Peyton starts out in a white T-shirt and Eli in gray with a straight-brimmed baseball cap, then both of them sport black and white suits, Peyton with a long tie, Eli with a bow tie.

The three-minute rap video starts with Eli asking his brother if he’s watching some football.

RB Adam Taylor Latest Neb Player Out with Injury

Posted on August 11, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska reserve running back Adam Taylor is out indefinitely with a broken ankle.

Coach Bo Pelini said Monday that Taylor was injured in practice Saturday. Taylor redshirted last season and was expected to compete for playing time behind Ameer Abdullah.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck said Taylor followed up his strong spring with impressive work the first week of preseason practice. Taylor was competing with Imani Cross and Terrell Newby for carries.

The Cornhuskers also have lost nickel back Charles Jackson and linebacker Michael Rose to injuries the past week, and safety LeRoy Alexander was suspended for the season for an undisclosed reason.

Taylor starred at Katy (Texas) High, running for 2,754 yards and 45 touchdowns his senior season while leading his team to a state championship.

NCAA Seeks Clarification in Ed O’Bannon Ruling

Posted on August 11, 2014

The NCAA wants a clarification on a California judge’s ruling in the landmark Ed O’Bannon case.

The governing body wrote in a brief to the U.S. District Court on Monday that schools want to know which recruits are covered under the ruling. The decision opened the door to athletes receiving a small percentage of the millions of dollars they help generate.

Judge Claudia Wilken wrote it would affect only athletes who enroll after July 1, 2016, at the beginning of the next recruiting cycles.

The NCAA calls the language about the “next recruiting cycle” ambiguous. It wants the court to establish another date, Aug. 1, 2015, when scholarships can first be offered in the 2015-16 recruiting cycle.