Cowgirls Drop SLC Opener Against Lamar

BEAUMONT, TEXAS (December 31, 2022)  McNeese women’s basketball jumped out to an early four point lead but Lamar caught fire from three-point range on its way to an 82-61 Southland Conference opening win here Saturday.

The loss drops McNeese to 3-9 overall and 0-1 in league play while Lamar improves to 7-5 overall and 1-0 in the SLC.

Stephanie Guihon was the only Cowgirl to score in double figures, ending the game with 17 points.  Thirteen of Guihon’s 17 points came from the free throw line as she finished the game making 13 of 15 from the charity stripe.

McNeese was held to a 33.9 shooting percent (19-56) including 18.8 percent (3-16) from three-point range while Lamar ended the game shooting 44.1 percent (30-68) and a blistering 54.5 three-point percent (12-22).

The Cardinals also outrebounded the Cowgirls 44-38, something McNeese head coach Lynn Kennedy said the Cowgirls needed to improve on.  Turnovers have also been an issue for the Cowgirls this season. McNeese turned the ball over 18 times in the game resulting in 24 Lamar points.

Lamar had three players score in double figures with Sabrina Dean leading all players with a game high 20 points.  Dean was 8 of 13 from the field and 3 of 4 from behind the arc.  Akasha Davis chipped in 16 points and Portia Adams ended the game with 12 points, all coming from three-point range.

McNeese will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 5 to host Northwestern State in its SLC home opener. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at the Legacy Center.

Houston Cougars rally to win Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly 

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved 

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA (December 23, 2022) After a lackluster first half, the Houston Cougars finally got their offensive playbook together and downed the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns by the score of 23-16 in the 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.  

Louisiana dominated the first half after putting six points on the scoreboard after driving 75 yards in 15 plays when quarterback Chandler Fields (Archbishop Rummell HS, Metairie, Louisiana) connected on a four-yard pass to Johnny Lumpkins (Frederick Douglass HS, Atlanta, Georgia) for the score. Kenneth Almendares (Brazosport HS, Clute, Texas) added the kicking conversion to give the Ragin' Cajuns a seven-point lead at the 7:39 mark of the first quarter. 

After Houston failed to advance the ball and gain an offensive edge, Almendares kicked two consecutive field goals, both from 42-yards out, to push the Louisiana lead to 13-0 with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. 

Four minutes later, the Cougars finally scored with a 33-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Hebron HS, Carrollton, Texas) to KeSean Carter (The Woodlands HS, Willis, Texas) for six points. Kyle Ramsey (Ridge Point HS, Missouri City, Texas) missed the extra point' making the score 13-6 with three minutes remaining in the half. Louisiana increased its lead when Almendares booted a 22-yard field goal with two seconds left to increase their lead to 16-6 at the half.  

Houston began to make offensive progress in the second half, driving 70 yards in 13 plays to cut Louisiana's lead to three. Tune found Nathaniel Dell open in the end zone' completing a two-yard pass for the score, Ramsey found success on the extra point; pushing the score to 16-13 at the 9:21 mark of the third quarter. 

The Cougars evened the score at 16 after driving 31 yards in nine plays, with a 19-yard Ramsey field goal with 13:40 remaining in the game. After Louisiana fail to get into the end zone, Houston got the ball back with 2:59 remaining in the game. Tune skillfully marked 92 yards down the field on 2:39 and completed the drive with a 12-yard pass to Dell for their second combined TD of the game. Ramsey again converted the extra point to give the Cougars the Independence Bowl trophy. 

As a result of his performance, Tune was honored as the Offensive Most Outstanding Player while Houston defensive back Art Green (Hutchinson CC, Chesterfield, Missouri) was selected the Defensive Most Outstanding Player. 

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl 2022: Houston Cougars Pregame Press Conference

Video by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA (December 22, 2022) This is the pregame press conference from the 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl with Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen, wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, and quarterback Clayton Tune.

Quarterback Clayton Tune (Hebron HS, Carrollton, Texas) leads the American Athletic Conference in career touchdown passes (101), is two touchdown passes shy of Tanner Mordecai's (SMU, 2021) single-season record (39) and one shy of Demond Ridder (Cincinnati, 2018-21) and Holton Ahlers (ECU, 2018-present) for the league's career touchdowns responsible for (117) record.

Wide receiver Nathaniel Dell (Independence CC, Daytona Beach, Florida)has been named a Second Team All-American by several publications including The Athletic and Pro Football Focus. The junior, who has declared for the NFL Draft, leads the nation in receiving touchdowns (15) this season. Dell's 30 receiving scores since the start of the 2020 season paces the country as does his nine games of 125-plus receiving yards since 2021

HOUSTON FB: Independence Bowl Practice B-Roll

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA (December 21, 2022) The Houston Cougars (7-5, 5-3 AAC) will face off against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium on December 23, 2022.

This year's edition of the Independence Bowl will be 10th meeting of the two programs going back to 1946. The Cougars have won the past seven meetings, including the most recent (October 7, 2006) which was won by Houston 31-28.

Below is video, courtesy of Houston Athletics, of their practice on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT Friday in Shreveport and will be broadcast on ESPN. 

Boise State downs North Texas 35-32 in Frisco Bowl

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

FRISCO, TEXAS (December 17, 2022) Boise State quarterback Taylen Green (shown right) threw for one touchdown and rushed for two more to lead the Broncos to a 35-32 win over the North Texas Mean Green in the 2022 edition of the Frisco Bowl at Toyota Stadium. The 6-6 redshirt freshman, who played his prep ball al Louisville (Texas) High School, completed 13-of-22 passes for 137 yards while carrying the ball 12 times for 119  yards. As a results of his performance, he was selected, by a vote of the media in attendance, as the Most Valuable Offensive player of the game.

Offensively, the Broncos tallied 455 yards, with 318 of the yards coming on the ground. Running back Ashton Jeanty (Lone Star HS, Jacksonville, Florida) carried the ball 28 times for 178 yards with wide receiver Latrell Caples (Lancaster HS, Lancaster, Texas) catching six passes for 87 yards.

North Texas posted just 20 yards less than Boise State on offense in their losing effort. Quarterback Austin Aune (University of Arkansas, Argyle, Texas)  completed 17-of-32 passes for 238 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. Jordan Smart (UT Permian Basin, Round Rock, Texas) caught three passes for 94 yards with running back Ikaika Ragsdale (Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas, Neveda) carrying the ball 21 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

Defensively, middle linebacker Ezekial Noa (shown right) was honored as the Most Valuable Defensive player of the game, due to his interception return of 52 yards.

The Broncos finished their season with a 10-4 record with the Mean Green dropping to 7-7. North Texas will kickoff their 2023 schedule with a Saturday, September 2 matchup against the California Golden Bears at Apogee Stadium in Denton. Boise State will begin 2023 with a game versus the Washington Huskies, also on September 2.

AUSTIN FC SIGNS U.S. INTERNATIONAL FORWARD GYASI ZARDES

Photo courtesy of Austin FC

AUSTIN, TEXAS (December 12, 2022) Austin FC announced today the Club reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Gyasi Zardes to a multi-year contract. Zardes joins the "Verde & Black" on a three-year guaranteed deal through the end of the 2025 season, with an option for the 2026 season. 

“I can’t wait to step out on the field at Q2 Stadium and represent both Austin FC and the community as a whole,” said Zardes. “I love the way Austin FC plays, and look forward to working with Claudio, Josh, and the rest of the team. This is a special moment for my family and me.” 

Zardes joins Austin FC as one of the most accomplished forwards in MLS history. Since entering the league in 2013, he has made 267 regular season appearances during stints with the LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew, and Colorado Rapids, scoring 97 goals and registering 25 assists. His goal tally ranks 13th-most in league history. 

 
Zardes was a key member of two MLS Cup-winning teams, scoring 16 goals in 2014 to help the Galaxy lift the trophy and contributing 12 goals in 2020 as Columbus won the title. He was voted an MLS All-Star in 2015, and the MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 after scoring a single-season career best 19 goals while working with Josh Wolff, who coached Zardes as an assistant with Columbus Crew. 

 

“We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Gyasi and his family to Austin, and we’re excited to add a player and person of his quality to our roster,” said Austin FC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna. “Gyasi has one of the most impressive resumés of any striker to have played in MLS and brings excellent goal-scoring and leadership to the team.” 

 
A frequent member of the U.S. Men’s National Team since his debut in 2015, Zardes has 68 senior international appearances with the Stars-and-Stripes to his name. He has scored 14 goals at the international level, with his most recent an 86th-minute game-winner for the USMNT against Qatar at Q2 Stadium in the semifinal of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. Zardes was a member of the USMNT squads that won the Gold Cup in 2017 and 2021. 

 

“Having worked with Gyasi in the past, I couldn’t be more excited to have him join the team here in Austin,” said Austin FC Head Coach Josh Wolff. “His quality, humility, and work ethic as a striker fit our system well, and it’s fantastic to add another player with his level of MLS success to our locker room.”  

 

Born in Hawthorne, California, Zardes played in the LA Galaxy academy system and collegiately at Cal State Bakersfield before beginning his professional career. 

Houston Dynamo FC sign forward Ifunanyachi Achara

Photo courtesy of USA Today and Imagn 
via Houston Dynamo FC

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 11, 2022) Houston Dynamo FC signed Nigerian forward Ifunanyachi Achara (shown right) for a one-year contract in addition to a club options for 2024. He  was selected by the Dynamo in Stage 2 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on November 22 and signed on December 7.  He is the third addition to the Houston Dynamo FC this offseason and brings the current Houston roster to 22 for the upcoming season.

The 25-year-old played in 30 matches over the past three seasons with Toronto FC, tallying three goals in 30 appearances. Prior to Toronto, he played for Black Rock FC in USL League Two in 2019, making 10 appearances and scoring three goals.

Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad was quoted, from a prepared press release,

“Achara is a powerful and fast, young attacker who provides valuable depth across our front line. As a club, we are looking to add more players with a history of winning trophies, regardless of the level. We were impressed by Achara’s leadership role during a very successful period for the Georgetown Hoyas. We look forward to his continued growth as a young professional and expect him to add to our culture and contribute to our attack in 2023.”

In college, he played four seasons for the Georgetown Hoyas, leading them to a NCAA Division I national title. He posted 20 goals and seven assists in 47 appearances for the Hoyas.

HCU Huskies fall to UT-Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly       
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 10, 2022) HCU Huskies guard Bryson Long connected for three points to tie the score at six at the 17:25 mark of the first quarter. After that, the UT-Rio Grande Vaqueros hit the gas and proceeded to their 95-82 win over the Huskies at Sharp Gymnasium on Saturday night.

The Huskies got within eight points of the Vaqueros with 52 seconds remaining in the first half, but never got any closer; with UTRGV leading by 24 points early in the second half. The loss was the eighth for the Huskies in 2022 and set up a rematch against the Vaqueros on Sunday, December 18 on Padre Island.

Brycen Long (Gilbert HS, Gilbert, Arizona) led the Huskies with 26 points, his second highest scoring performance of the season. The starting guard was followed by Bonke Maring (Cypress Springs HS, Cypress, Texas) with 18 and Andrew King (Bella Vista Prep, Phoenix, Arizona) with 14. 

UTRGV (6-4) tallied four players in double-digits with Will Johnston (The King's School, Sydney NSW, Australia) leading the way with 28 points. Dima Zdor (Saint James School, Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine) posted 11 rebounds; the most of the entire match.

Shooting and rebounding is what contributed to the Vaqueros win, as they outshot the Huskies from the field (56% to 44%), three-point shooting (47% to 34%) and in total rebounds (44 to 28). The Huskies carried a slight edge in free throws (76% to 62%).

North Texas, Boise State to face off in Frisco Bowl

Photo courtesy of Matthewsowell via Wikimedia Commons 

By Chris Price
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

FRISCO, TEXAS (December 11, 2022) The City of Frisco will play host to one of the first games of the 2022-23 collegiate bowl game season at Toyota Stadium with North Texas facing off against Boise State in the 2022 Frisco Bowl.

North Texas (7-6) will be making their 14th appearance in a post-season bowl game; along with five bowls games held in Texas, going all the way back to the 1946 Optimist Bowl in Houston. They have also made appearances in the Sun Bowl (1959), Heart of Texas Bowl (2014 and 2016), along with the 2021 Frisco Football Classic.

Boise State comes to Frisco posting a  9-4 record in 2022, including an 8-0 mark in Mountain West games, before falling 28-16 to Fresno State in the conference championship game.

Sean Johnson, Frisco Bowl Executive Director stated:

"We are excited to have two outstanding teams participate in the 2022 Frisco Bowl, the Boise State Broncos and North Texas Mean Green. We are looking forward to hosting this great matchup and to welcoming the teams and their passionate fan bases to Frisco, Texas for an exciting week of bowl events and a fantastic game at Toyota Stadium."

Tickets for the game can be accessed by clicking here.

HCU Huskies down St. Thomas Celts 68-43

Story and video by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 10, 2022) The HCU Huskies had four players score in double-digits in route to a 68-43 win over the St. Thomas Celts at Sharp Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies led the game the entire 40 minutes, with their largest lead being 25 points at the 8:15 mark of the fourth quarter. Graduate student Julija Vujakovic (Lycee des Garcons du Luxembourg, Bereldange, Luxembourg) led the scoring with 18 points in 35:07 of playing time. She was aided by N'Desasija Collins (Timberview HS, Mansfield, TX) who added 11 points. Sisters Enya and Erin Maguire, who played their prep ball at The Hun School in New Jersey and hail from Belfast Northern Ireland, each chipped in 10 points for the Huskies. Marilyn Nzoiwu (Cedar Ridge HS, Round Rock, TX) led the Huskies in rebounds with nine.

For the Celts, starting guard Hayden Morin (Atascocita HS, Humble, TX) put 11 points on the scoreboard followed by Alilyah Macias (Lutheran North HS, Houston, TX) with nine. Jeci Gonzalez (Kempner HS, Houston TX) came of the bench to pull down five rebounds.

The win pushed the Huskies to a 5-4 record before hitting the road to take on Texas State on December 20 and the No. 19 Texas Longhorns on December 21. They will close out 2022 with a New Year's Eve matchup against New Orleans to begin Southland Conference play.

St. Thomas will next face New Orleans on December 12 on the road.

Tickets for Houston Dash playoff debut on sale Tuesday

Photo courtesy of USA Today, Jon Durr, and Houston Dash

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 2, 2022) Tickets for the first playoff game in Houston Dash history will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, Oct. 4, the team announced today.  

The Dash will kick off the 2022 NWSL Playoffs powered by Shell Energy against the Kansas City Current at 4 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Oct. 16 at PNC Stadium. Houston’s quarterfinal match will be live streamed nationally

on Paramount+. 

Tickets will be available at HoustonDash.com starting at $7 in the upper level as part of the popular 713 Night promotion, which features $7 tickets, $1 hot dogs and $3 beer. Additionally, the first 10,000 fans at the playoff opener will receive a free Dash Rally Towel courtesy of Shell Energy. This match is expected to surpass the Dash attendance record, previously set at 13,025 against Chicago on July 12, 2015.  

 Houston Dash 365 Season Ticket Members will have the first opportunity to secure their seats and purchase additional tickets during an exclusive Member Presale on Monday, Oct. 3 beginning at 11 a.m. All other fans can register for priority access at HoustonDash.com to secure seats before they go on sale to the public. Limited hospitality packages and group experiences are available starting Monday, Oct. 3.  

The Dash finished the 2022 regular season fourth in the NWSL table after a 2-1 win in the season finale at Washington on Saturday night, ending the year with a 10-6-6 mark. Houston and Kansas City split the regular-season series with a win apiece. The Dash defeated the Current 2-0 in Kansas City in the second week of the season and KC returned the favor with a 2-1 win in Houston on July 1. 

Led by England national team star Ebony Salmon’s nine goals, Houston’s attack produced 35 goals this year, which was third-most in the league. Defensively, goalkeeper Jane Campbell recorded six clean sheets behind a back four that conceded just 27 goals in 22 games. 

 A win on October 16 would result in the Dash traveling to Seattle to face OL Reign in the NWSL semifinal on October 23 at Lumen Field. The winner of that match will head to DC for the NWSL Championship at Audi Field on October 29. The Dash will aim bring the first NWSL Championship to Houston to go alongside their 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup championship.