Times wires
Friday, September 14, 2012

LAWRENCE, Kan. — TCU has made a habit of beating up on Big 12 football teams over the years. It's one reason the program was invited to join the league.

The only difference now is that those wins will count toward a conference championship.

A week after Texas A&M and Missouri made their highly anticipated debuts in the SEC, TCU plays its first game in the Big 12, a low-key one at Kansas.

Then again, TCU has made a lot of debuts. Since the Southwest Conference disbanded after the 1995 season, the Horned Frogs have been in the WAC, Conference USA and Mountain West. They even came and went in the Big East without playing a game in the conference.

Most pundits agree No. 16 TCU couldn't have picked a better opponent to start against in the Big 12. The Jayhawks were chosen to finish last in the league and seemed to validate that with a loss last week to Rice.

For TCU, games against fifth-ranked Oklahoma, No. 15 Kansas State and the rest of the league's blue bloods loom. Perhaps that's why coach Gary Patterson said "You don't worry about Kansas."

"What we worry about is what TCU has to do," said Patterson, who passed Dutch Meyer to become the school's victory leader last week against Grambling State. "Kansas plays very well at home. There's a great chance they were looking past Rice, but they won't be looking past us."

TRESSEL AT 'SHOE?: Ohio State will honor the 10th anniversary of its 2002 national title team in November when the Buckeyes face archrival Michigan, and there's a possibility former coach Jim Tressel could attend, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported. Tressel left under a cloud last year in the wake of a benefits scandal. OSU athletic director Gene Smith told the Plain-Dealer that every member of the 2002 team could participate, but it was unclear if Tressel, now in an administrative position at Akron, would be included.

ARKANSAS: Quarterback Tyler Wilson (head injury) will miss today's game against No. 1 Alabama, Arkansas360.com reported. The school said he was a game-time decision.

MISSOURI: Redshirt freshman Corbin Berkstresser will start at quarterback tonight against Arizona State in place of James Franklin (shoulder), KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo., reported. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Franklin could be a game-time decision.

VIDEO CASE: Investigators found no evidence of child pornography on computers taken from the home of a football coach accused of having nude videos of his children on his cellphone, authorities said. Minnesota State coach Todd Hoffner was charged with two child pornography counts after three videos of his children were found on his work-issued cellphone. His attorney and wife said the videos simply captured the children being silly.

Joseph Kornecki, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 14, 2012

BROOKSVILLE — Lecanto overwhelmed Central 26-13 with a strong offensive performance Friday night.

Lecanto amassed 354 yards of total offense compared to Central's 194.

Central got on the board first when Jamarcus Hayes intercepted a Lecanto pass and returned it to the 34-yard line.

The Bears converted off the turnover with a 2-yard rush by quarterback Cole Teater with 8:33 left in the first for a 7-0 lead.

Lecanto (2-1) tied the score on the ensuing drive when senior Kirk Osburn ran in for a 1-yard touchdown with 5:09 remaining in the first.

The Panthers took the lead with the 37 seconds to play in the half when Osburn scored his second touchdown from 14 yards out for a 13-7 lead.

In the second half, the Panthers continued to run strong as Barber ran many quarterback draws for quality yardage and Nile Waters scored on 9-yard rush with 35 seconds left in the third quarter for a 19-7 lead.

In the fourth, Waters — on a counter play ran it in for a 26-yard touchdown to give Lecanto a commanding lead at 26-7.

The Bears never quit as Teater scored for Central (1-2) on a 1-yard rush with 7:35 left. But the Bears couldn't muster anything more.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 14, 2012

NEW YORK — The Rays needed this.

They needed to have left-hander David Price back on the mound with no crankiness in his shoulder. They needed to see signs of life from their oft-dormant offense. And, most of all, they needed to win, which after some eighth-inning consternation they did, 6-4 over the Yankees on Friday night.

"A big win for us," Price said.

"Very important," closer Fernando Rodney said.

"Huge," catcher Chris Gimenez said. "Coming off what happened in Baltimore we need to take a couple out of here, just mentally for our sake."

Having been swept in Baltimore, losing twice on the final pitch within 20 hours, the on-field handshakes and the raucous clubhouse celebration at Yankee Stadium — "We hadn't had it in a while, so it was more lively," Price said — were welcomed changes.

"You just can't keep losing tough games like that," manager Joe Maddon said. "You've got to have those short-term gains, and we had that today."

So too was the at-least-temporary halting of their slide out of playoff contention, as the Rays improved to 78-66 and moved back to within three games of the Yankees in the American League East and wild-card races. Baltimore played a late game at Oakland.

Price, forced to skip his last start due to shoulder soreness of an undetermined nature, looked like, well, Price.

He was a little shaky in the first and pretty darn good after that, a little off with his fastball command but sharp with his curve, winning his AL-leading 18th game. He worked seven innings, allowed two runs on five hits and two walks (both in the first inning), struck out six, threw 105 pitches, clocked in the high 90s, and had zero concerns about his shoulder.

"He was really good," Maddon said. "He had everything going on."

After scoring only two runs in each of the three games in Baltimore, the Rays' six runs were something of an achievement. The three-run fifth Friday was their biggest "outburst" in nearly two weeks, since a six-run second Sept. 2 in Toronto, which happened to be the last time Price pitched.

"We just played better offensively; that's what it came down to," Maddon said. "We've been pitching well enough to win games, we finally got the hits. And we got some hits at big moments."

Elliot Johnson had one after he failed on a safety-squeeze bunt and Maddon took it off. Johnson singled in Gimenez, who had doubled, as the tying run in the fifth. Desmond Jennings had one. Ben Zobrist, moved up to second in the order, had one. And B.J. Upton had one, his majors-most-matching 13th homer in a 32-game span since Aug. 11, and 23rd overall.

The Rays got help, too. A smash by Eduardo Nunez would have been extra bases, but it hit third-base umpire Jerry Meals, and an Evan Longoria grounder went under Nunez's glove at short to score a ninth-inning run.

Price left the Rays in good shape, but when reliever Joel Peralta allowed a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez, then walked Robinson Cano in the eighth, Maddon summoned Rodney for his second five-out rescue of the month. It ended well, after only 18 pitches, with his majors-leading 43rd save.

"It was very important," Price said. "I don't know how many games we have left, but we have to win a lot of them."

Lauren Burg, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 14, 2012

DUNEDIN — In a defensive battle marred by penalties, Tramaine Batten's 40-yard touchdown lifted Dunedin (1-2, 1-1) to its first victory of 2012, 14-6 over Blake (1-2, 0-2).

Batten finished with 114 of the Falcons' 181 rushing yards and a touchdown. Fellow running back Stancio Howard had 35 yards on just four rushes and the Falcons' first touchdown. Quarterback Mack Benson was 6-for-7 for 67 yards with no interceptions.

Defensively, the Falcons were outstanding, as Briggs Noun, Austin Ladd and Dylan Gilroy accounted for two sacks and a forced fumble. Ladd contributed offensively with a two-point conversion run.

"I'm happy we got our first win of the season," Falcons coach Max Smith said. "Last week, after a good showing against Robinson, I challenged the defense to keep working at getting better, and they responded."

Lauren Burg, Times correspondent

Max Martinez, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 14, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Osceola blocked a potential tying field goal with three minutes left to preserve a 13-10 victory over St. Petersburg.

Transportation difficulties kept the Warriors (1-2) from arriving until an hour after the scheduled kickoff time. Warriors quarterback Andrew Matyk ran it in from 11 yards in the first quarter out to start the scoring. Matyk extended to lead to 13-0 late in the second on an 8-yard pass to tight end Zach Hehn. Matyk finished with 78 yards on 6-for-12 passing.

St Petersburg's offense struggled until the third quarter when running back Laroy Williams scored on an 8-yard run. He finished with 105 of the team's 170 rushing yards on 14 carries.

Kicker Sean Covington, who brought St Petersburg to within three on a 30-yard field goal with eight minutes left, had his 49-yard try blocked by Austin Lawrence.

Max Martinez, Times correspondent

Anthony Salveggi, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 14, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Pinellas Park amassed 336 rushing yards en route to a dominant win.

A blocked punt set up the Patriots' first score, a 3-yard run by Tahrelle Moseley. Pinellas Park made it 21-0 on runs by Jaquan Clark and Moseley. On the first play of the Rebels' next drive, Tyree Graves intercepted Drew Boylson and returned it 20 yards for a score.

Dixie Hollins cut it to 28-7 on Marcus Smith's 95-yard kickoff return. He later returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score

The Patriots opened the third with a long drive capped by Moseley's third touchdown, a 3-yard run. Clark later added a 5-yard score.

Patriots coach Kenny Crawford credited his fellow coaches.

"I turned the keys over to the offensive staff," Crawford said. "They called all the plays."

Anthony Salveggi, Times correspondent

Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 14, 2012

BROOKSVILLE — The team that Hernando was expected to be following last season's district championship hasn't come into focus in the Leopards' first two games.

That performance continued in Friday's 38-6 loss to South Sumter.

Hernando (0-3) started the game better than the previous two weeks, holding the Red Raiders (3-0), which had scored 132 points in the first two weeks combined, to only 13 at the half. The Leopard defense thrived on penetration and was holding South Sumter's deep backfield to less than 4 yards per carry.

Field position caught up to Hernando over the course of the game. Red Raider punter Clay Simmons twice pinned the Leopards inside their own 5. The second half opened with two three and outs for Hernando as well.

Simmons, also the Red Raiders quarterback, tossed two more touchdown passes, bringing his season total to eight without an interception. Both scoring connections went to lead receiver Ladovick Gibson (three receptions, 52 yards). It was the second week in a row Gibson caught two touchdowns.

Tyrail Hawkins (3-of-6, 8 yards, one interception, five carries, 20 yards, three catches, 21 yards) had his worst offensive performance since his sophomore season from a yardage standpoint, while Ra'shaad Hart saw the majority of snaps under center for the first time this season.

"We need to pass the ball more," Hernando coach Dwayne Mobley said. "It comes down to our offensive line stopping the defense and giving our quarterback time."

Mobley pointed out that he was searching for a way to get his playmakers more ways to touch the ball. Hart (4-of-7, 29 yards, 15 carries, 42 yards) looked effective in the role.

For South Sumter, one of the premier programs in the state, it was the seventh straight victory over Hernando since 1997. It left Mobley grasping for answers heading into next week's district opener against Land O'Lakes.

Miles Parks, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 14, 2012

TAMPA — Middleton won for the first time in more than a year as the Tigers beat Lennard 17-12 on Friday night.

The game marked Alonzo Ashwood's first win as head coach.

"This was my first victory but that's just our breakthrough," Ashwood said. "I kept telling them, 'Let's win one game and then let's keep moving on.' "

Down for most of the night, Middleton bided its time as Lennard was plagued with penalties and long third downs for most of the second half. The Tigers finally broke through with just under six minutes left in the game, when senior Amp Carswell rushed for a 53-yard touchdown, emphasized by a ferocious stiff arm at the 30-yard-line.

Before Friday night, Middleton last won Nov. 12, 2010, at Blake.

Miles Parks, Times correspondent

Times wires
Friday, September 14, 2012

Mets 7, Brewers 3

MILWAUKEE — Lucas Duda homered and doubled, Jonathon Niese pitched six strong innings and the Mets ended a six-game losing streak. Milwaukee fell to .500 at 72-72, four games behind St. Louis for the second National League wild-card spot.

Times wires
Friday, September 14, 2012

White Sox 6, Twins 0

MINNEAPOLIS — Rained out the night before, Chris Sale threw six scoreless innings to post his 17th victory and the White Sox kept their one-game American League Central lead. Sale cruised to his third win in three starts against the Twins this year. Sale was supposed to pitch Thursday at home against Detroit, but the last matchup of the season between the division front-runners was postponed until Monday.

Times wires
Saturday, September 15, 2012

Phillies 12, Astros 6

HOUSTON — Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer, Domonic Brown had a two-run shot, and John Mayberry and Ryan Howard each had three RBIs as the Phillies rode a four-run first inning and came one run shy of a season high.

Michael Paonessa, Times Correspondent
Saturday, September 15, 2012

BRANDON — Freedom captured its first victory of the season, defeating Brandon 20-14 Friday. Brandon took a 14-6 lead into halftime behind a solid rushing attack. The backs rushed for 89 yards and two TDs in the first half.

Patriots quarterback Taylor King connected with wideout Alunte Fleshman on a 12-yard TD with 2:30 left in the fourth. A successful two-point conversion by the same duo tied the score at 14.

Brandon kicker Willie Burkhart missed a 20-yard field goal as time expired. After Brandon running back Cyrus Dooley fumbled on its opening overtime drive, Freedom's King ended the game on a 1-yard rushing TD.

"Our players have been conditioned a lot this year to handle a game like tonight's," said Pats coach Todd Donohoe. I'm proud of our team's fight."

Michael Paonessa, Times correspondent

Colby Cole, Times Correspondent
Saturday, September 15, 2012

PALM HARBOR — Palm Harbor University defeated Seminole 34-0 on Friday night for its third straight victory to open the year.

The Hurricanes were led by quarterback Tyler Kaminski, who got the Hurricanes on the board in the first quarter with a 20-yard touchdown run. He ran for a 7-yard touchdown in the third, and threw a 35-yard TD pass to Quentin Cumings. He capped off his day with a 40-yard score to Cumings. Kaminski finished with 168 passing yards, 62 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.

PHU also got a strong performance from running back Jonah Fiskaa, who finished with 88 yards — including a 9-yard TD run in the first quarter. Seminole was held to 129 total yards.

"We played a sloppy game; we didn't look sharp at all," PHU coach Matt Lepain said.

Colby Cole, Times correspondent

Phillip Haywood, Times Correspondent
Saturday, September 15, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Gibbs wasted little time jumping on Spoto en route to a 53-13 win Friday.

Quarterback Patric Jones started things off with a 44-yard gallop to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Emmanuel Stewart, who finished with 112 yards on 12 carries. He also threw one touchdown.

Quincy Turner outran defenders for a 53-yard touchdown to put the Gladiators up 14-0 in the first quarter. The Gladiators were clicking on all cylinders as Jones hit Maurice Hall with a 40-yard strike.

Xavier Kirnes scored twice on the defensive side of the ball as the Gladiators went into the locker room with a 41-0 lead.

"I liked our execution and we cut down on our penalties," coach Antonio Knox said. "I was really pleased with our defense."

Phillip Haywood, Times correspondent

Times wires
Saturday, September 15, 2012

Angels 9, Royals 7

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pinch hitter Kendrys Morales hit two-run homer during an eighth-inning rally and Torii Hunter walked with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run.

Times wires
Saturday, September 15, 2012

A's 3, Orioles 2

OAKLAND, Calif. — Yoenis Cespedes, playing with a sore right wrist, hit a two-run homer for the A's in a matchup of surprise playoff contenders. The loss kept the Orioles from taking the lead in the American League East. Jonny Gomes hit a go-ahead single in the fifth to back A's rookie Tommy Milone. Matt Wieters led off the Orioles' ninth with an infield single. But Derek Norris threw out pinch-runner Xavier Avery trying to steal second to end it.

Times wires
Saturday, September 15, 2012

Dodgers 8, Cardinals 5

LOS ANGELES — Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer and Luis Cruz a three-run homer (part of his career-high four RBIs) as the Dodgers ended a four-game skid during which they scored three runs.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — Chris Thompson ran through the Wake Forest defense with abandon Saturday, scoring on runs of 74 and 80 yards in No. 5 Florida State's 52-0 victory.

Just under a year ago, it wasn't clear whether Thompson would be able to run at all.

Thompson, a 5-foot-8 senior, broke two vertebrae in his back last year against the Demon Deacons.

But all the months of recovery and rehabilitation paid off Saturday. He sped down the FSU sideline twice in a span of 3 minutes, 10 seconds, sparking the Seminoles (3-0, 1-0 in ACC) to a dominating victory.

"It was emotional. When Coach (Jimbo) Fisher first started talking to me, I almost burst out in tears," Thompson said of earning a game ball after rushing for a career-best 197 yards on nine carries, all in the first half. "I was just holding it back. It meant a lot to me, and it meant a lot to all my teammates. I just wanted to do whatever I needed to do for us to be successful."

As Fisher saw Thompson running back from the end zone, he thought back to that hospital room and remembered his positivity and confidence that he'd be back on a football field again.

"Sitting up there in the hospital, he was actually consoling me," Fisher said. "I was talking to him in the bed, that everything was going to be all right. We didn't know what his future was. 'Coach, I'll be back.' It's amazing. It can't happen to a better young man, and I'm very proud of him today."

FSU's defense never let up, holding Wake Forest (2-1, 1-1) to 126 total yards and a 1-for-16 day on third downs. The Seminoles have outscored their opponents 176-3; the last time FSU didn't give up a touchdown in three consecutive games was 1964, when the receivers coach was a young assistant named Bobby Bowden.

"It's satisfactory, but you can't be complacent," defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan said. "You never want to be too satisfied. Even though the scoreboard said what it did, we still have so much room left for improvement."

After opening with two Division I-AA opponents, FSU had a chance to validate its No. 5 ranking against a Wake Forest team that beat the Seminoles last year in Winston-Salem. FSU scored four touchdowns in 10 minutes, starting with EJ Manuel's 16-yard run and Rashad Greene's 60-yard punt return, then Thompson's two touchdowns. Plant's James Wilder Jr. rushed 16 times for 94 yards, and Manuel added touchdown passes in the final minute of the second and third quarters, before getting the fourth off. Backup Debrale Smiley rushed for a final score to hand Wake Forest its most lopsided loss since the Seminoles won 72-13 in 1995.

The win was most special in seeing Thompson back to his old ways, getting his best day as a Seminole after his worst scare last season.

"We didn't know what was going to happen to Chris (last year)," said Manuel, who finished 15-of-24 for 176 yards and three total touchdowns. "I'm extremely happy for him. Chris is a great guy, a great young man. Today was his day."

FSU has a much tougher challenge next weekend, as No. 11 Clemson comes to Tallahassee having beaten the Seminoles five times in the past seven meetings, including last year.

"To see (Thompson) come back from that injury is pretty special," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "I wish he'd waited 'til Clemson to have a big day, but it's good to see him back."

By Mike Gore, Times Correspondent
Saturday, September 15, 2012

What's cool: The rain has cooled off the bay lately and made the water tannic in color. Do not be concerned. If anything, it is a welcome sight. Bait is everywhere, and the fish are eating the bottom out of the boat. As the weather continues to get nicer, you can bet your favorite fishing holes and passes will be crowded. The snook bite has been phenomenal, and I have been catching more big fish than in a long time.

Water flow: With all the fresh water we have pouring into Tampa Bay, look for water changes. This will be a good indication where you have good water flow. The flow pushes bait around on the incoming and outgoing tides. Make sure to set up where you can present your bait to look the most natural. Cast up into the current and let the bait drift along a point or mangrove line.

Also good: The redfish bite continues to be strong. The big breeders have started to school up. These fish will make their way in from St. Petersburg all the way into north Tampa Bay. Just remember these fish get pressured pretty hard, so the key to catching them is to set up and wait. Try scouting them and learning their pattern before throwing bait. Of course, you can catch a few out of the school if you just go after them. But if you learn their pattern and can set up in the right position, you will catch them for hours instead of minutes. Try live bait or dead sticking bait.

Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — While Chris Thompson's two long touchdown runs grabbed the spotlight, sophomore RB James Wilder Jr. had a strong game in FSU's 52-0 win against Wake Forest, rushing a career-high 16 times for 94 yards.

"At the end of the game, they usually let me get the tough yards. I love to wear out defenses," the Plant High graduate said. "I heard a quote from one of the linebackers: 'I'm tired of hitting big No. 32.' Those are quotes I like to hear. That means I know I'm doing my part."

Wilder had 11 carries for 64 yards in the second half, and after three games, he has 220 rushing yards, already more than the 160 he had as a freshman.

A two-way prep standout, Wilder also had his first college tackle, making the hit on the final kickoff of the first half to stop Wake Forest at its 20-yard line.

BEEN A WHILE: With FSU's shutout, the Seminoles haven't let Wake Forest score an offensive touchdown in their past 14 quarters at Doak Campbell Stadium, a stretch that goes back to the first half of Wake's 30-0 win in 2006. The Demon Deacons beat FSU 12-3 in 2008 on four field goals, then were shut out 31-0 in 2010.

RECORD ACCURACY: FSU QB EJ Manuel hit 15 of 24 passes, which actually lowered his completion percentage for the season, which was 77 coming in. For his career, Manuel has completed 66.6 percent of his throws, second in ACC history behind only Virginia's Matt Schaub (67.0).

GOOD MEMORY: As Thompson raced down the sideline on his first touchdown, one Wake Forest defender had an angle on him, CB Kevin Johnson. Thompson, who played in the Panhandle at Greenville Madison County, said he thought of a high school game against Crawfordville Wakulla, when he had one player to beat who wore the same No. 9 as Johnson, and he made the same cutback near the end of his run to reach the end zone.

MORE LOCALS: Alonso DT Demonte McAllister had three tackles and a quarterback hurry for Florida State. … Tampa Catholic's Christian Green caught one pass for 10 yards for the Seminoles. He had two for 23 in FSU's opener against Murray State. … Wake Forest S Duran Lowe, a Plant City graduate, had five tackles, tying for third on the team. Plant's Lovell Jackson, a senior flanker, played but did not catch a pass.

MAKE IT TWO: Rashad Greene's 60-yard punt return for a touchdown was his second in three games, after scoring FSU's first touchdown of the season on a 47-yard return against Murray State. He has stepped up well taking over for the dismissed Greg Reid.

GAMEDAY IN TOWN: ESPN's College GameDay will originate from Tallahassee Saturday for FSU's game against Clemson. The crew will set up at Langford Green on campus.

THIS AND THAT: Wake Forest's 13 punts match the school record, set in 1946 and matched in 1973. Wake had 520 yards in punts, four times as much as the Demon Deacons totaled on offense (126). … FSU's first four offensive touchdowns came on drives lasting less than a minute, including 12 seconds for Thompson's second TD, an 80-yarder.