Houston Hardwood Tipoff Set for 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1

Free T-shirts & food while supplies last with free admission; Students with 2 chances to win $10,000

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 19, 2012)  With less than a month before the start of the University of Houston basketball season, fans of both the men’s and women’s teams can catch their first glimpses of the Cougars during the Houston Hardwood Tipoff.

The event – which is free and open to the public – begins at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1, inside the Athletics/Alumni Center. Fans can receive free food and free Houston Hardwood Tip-Off T-shirts while supplies last.

Student-athletes from the men’s and women’s teams will square off in a variety of competitions, including a 3-point shootout and a slam dunk contest.

Current UH students also will have multiple chances to win $10,000. Two students will have one chance each during the event to hit a half-court shot and walk away with the cash.

Men’s head coach James Dickey and Women’s head coach Todd Buchanan will introduce their teams and offer insights on both squads heading into the 2012-13 campaign.

SEASON TICKETS & PARKING

Men's and women’s basketball season tickets are now available at the Houston Athletics Ticket Office. Men’s general admission season tickets begin as low as $135, while reserved seating season tickets start as low as$195.

Families also will enjoy the men’s Family Fun Plan. For only $299, families receive two adult and two youth general admission season tickets. Additional youth season tickets in the Family Fun Plan can be purchased for $75 each.

Women's season tickets can be purchased starting at only $75. These general admission season tickets are part of a Flex Plan. Fans can use one ticket per game, invite 16 friends to come out to a single game or any combination in between. Fans can also get closer to the action by purchasing season floor seats for only $200.

Fans can order their season tickets by calling 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) or by visiting UHCougars.com and clicking the Tickets tab and following the appropriate links. For more information, fans canvisit the Athletics Ticket Office or click here.

To secure parking spaces and to support student-athlete scholarships through Cougar Pride for the upcoming season, fans should contact Cougar Pride at 713-743-GOUH or email cougarpride@uh.edu. Fans also can visit UHCougars.com and click the Cougar Pride tab for more information or click here.

ABOUT THE MEN’S TEAM

Under the leadership of Dickey and his coaching staff, the Cougars signed one of the nation's elite recruiting classes. This highly heralded group is ranked among the country’s top 25 classes by three national media organizations.

As the program prepares to move into the BIG EAST Conference for the 2013-14 season, these talented newcomers will play key roles in the Cougars' success in, arguably, the best basketball conference in the country.

With the addition of national recruit Danuel House, the Cougars will have three recent members of the ESPU 100. House joins sophomores and 2012 Conference USA All-Freshman Team members TaShawn Thomas and Joseph Young.

Thomas led the Cougars with 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and added a team-high nine double-doubles during his inaugural season. Young returns as the Cougars’ leading scorer with 11.3 points per game and ranked among the Conference USA individual leaders in 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal percentage.

The Cougars begin their schedule at 7 p.m., Nov. 6, when they play host to Concordia in their lone exhibition of the season. Houston opens the regular season at noon, Nov. 9, with both games inside Hofheinz Pavilion.

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S TEAM

The Cougars will once again have several new faces on the roster along with a very familiar one in senior point guard Porsche Landry.

Landry was primed for one of the greatest seasons in program history a year ago when she suffered a season-ending injury in just the third contest of the season. The Houston native, who was averaging 22.0 points per game at the time of the injury, was granted another year ofeligibility and will look to lead a young but talented squad back to postseason play.

Two other starters from last season return in Mae Woods and Terran Alford, who tied the single-game rebounding record with 20 boards in just her third collegiate contest.

The Cougars also welcome transfers Marissa Ashton and Destini Texada to the mix for the 2012-13 season. Ashton, a 6-0 forward whostarted her career at Texas Tech, will look to make an immediate impact while Texada, another 6-0 forward, will become eligible in late December after transferring from Houston Baptist.

Houston welcomes eight other newcomers to the squad, including six high school standouts and two junior college stars. The Cougars' recruiting haul has received national recognition, placing No. 40 in ESPN HoopGurlz' final rankings, while Houston's early signing period class in November was tabbed the nation's 22nd best by Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

After opening their season on Nov. 9 at Mississippi State, the Cougars meet their second straight Southeastern Conference opponent when they play host to Alabama at 7 p.m., Nov. 13, inside Hofheinz Pavilion.

Houston Soccer Falls to Colorado College Friday Evening

Houston will face UTEP on Sunday at Robertson Stadium

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 19, 2012) The University of Houston soccer team fell 3-1 to Colorado College on Friday evening at Robertson Stadium. The Cougars are now 6-7-3 on the season and 2-3-3 in Conference USA.

“Over the last couple of weeks we have worked very hard,” Head Coach Chris Pfau said. “Today we just had nothing left. We were tired and a step behind. I was happy we fought back and tied the game. We now just have to refocus and realize we have three game left.”

The Tigers would strike with a minute and a half left in the first 45, and go into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

Both teams came out in the second half battling. The Cougars would knot the game in the 62^nd minute when sophomore forward Kelsey Zamora found the back right corner off a pass from senior forward Katelyn Rhodes.

Eight minutes later, the Tigers would go up 2-1 after senior midfielder Hannah Peterson found sophomore forward Jaclyn Silsby. Colorado College would score the game-winner in the 81^st minute and hold on to the victory.

UP NEXT

The Cougars will host UTEP at 1 p.m. Sunday at Robertson Stadium.

STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Soccer on Twitter @UHCougarSoccer and "Like" /HoustonCougarSoccer on Facebook.

Matt Hogan kicks six field goals to lead Houston to 39-17 win over UAB

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 13, 2012)Getting the ball inside the red zone and failing to score a touchdown can be a major problem for some teams, but note the Houston Cougars,

Houston had to settle for five field goals when the University of Alabama-Birmingham defense shut down the Cougars’ offensive drives, but in the end they prevailed, downing the Blazers 39-17 at Robertson Stadium in Houston.

David Piland continued his offensive assault in the air, completing 32-of-44 passes for 362 yards and one touchdown.

Charles Sims showed the Blazers, and the fans at The Rob, why Piland hands the ball off to him so frequently.

The swift running back, who played his high school ball at Houston’s Westbury High School, carried the ball 26 times for 133 yards.

The Cougars got the ball into the zone at the 9:52 mark in the first quarter on a 25 yard pass from Piland to junior wide receiver Shane Ros.

Ros finished the game with seven receptions for 114 yards

The Blazers tied it up at the 6:32 mark in the first quarter with the Cougars settling for the first of their four red zone field goals; a 23-yarder, three minutes later.

Matt Hogan connected on five more field goals of 27, 23, 29, 52, and 29 yards.

His six field goals set a school and Conference USA record for total number of field goals in a single game.

When asked in the post game press conference about the records, he replied,
 

I was just actually told after the game. I had no idea so I guess the feeling is pretty nice. Everybody wants to see six, but I like to try and get three when I can. It’s all actually very surprising. I just go out there when I’m told, but it’s always nice to get a three when possible.

Red shirt freshman Kenneth Farrow and true freshman Ryan Jackson both added to the Houston scoring onslaught on runs of one-yard and 10-yards respectively, both in the third quarter.

Houston’s offense continued to show improvement, but they did have issues capitalizing on long drives as shown by their failure score touchdowns five times while inside the red zone.

Head coach Tony Levine addressed that very issue when questioned by the media after the game.
 

It’s nice to have one of the best kickers in the nation with [Matt] Hogan, but we would prefer seven over three. We have to do a better job of that, and I give UAB credit. They weren’t going to let us run the ball. When you get inside the 10 and the field is condensed, your passing game is limited. We’ve got to do a better job of finishing and executing blocks in the red-zone.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Phillip Steward reeked havoc on the Blazer offense; totaling 13 tackles and sacking quarterback Austin Brown twice for major losses.

Brown spent much of the game looking up at the Cougars after being sacked a total of eight times.

In fact, the entire Houston defense contributed to the win with three players, D.J. Hayden, Chris Cermin, and Derrick Mathews accounting for nine, seven and seven tackles, respectively.

The 25,212 fans at Robertson Stadium were treated to a different kind of entertainment during halftime when a red-clad masked man rushed onto John O’Quinn Field.

He was quickly dispatched by security personal and was taken into custody by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and University of Houston police.

Houston will have a quick turn-a-round this coming week as they prepare to face SMU in just five days.

The Cougars will travel to Dallas on Thursday to take on the Mustangs with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.

Houston Cougars to face UAB in second conference game of season

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 12, 2012)  After coming off their second win of the season by defeating North Texas 44-21 last Saturday at Robertson Stadium, the Houston Cougars will be looking for their second conference win as they take on the University of Alabama-Birmingham with an 11:00 a.m. kickoff on Saturday morning at Robertson Stadium.

The Cougars are currently 2-3 in head coach Tony Levine’s first year at Houston.

Houston and UAB have split the last meetings with the Cougars winning last year’s game by the score of 56-13 in Birmingham.

The Cougars are 1-0 in Conference USA, defeating Rice 35-14 on Sept. 29 while the Blazers are 0-1 in conference play after losing to Tulsa 49-42.

UAB only victory this season was a 52-3 win over Southeastern Louisiana last weekend.

The Cougars will look to sophomore quarterback David Piland and junior running back Charles Sims to continue their offensive assault on the field.

Piland has throw for over 300 yards in each of his last two games while Sims rushed for 207 yards in only 10 carries against North Texas.

In games where Sims has rushed for over 100 yards, the Cougars are 5-0.

In his past two games, Sims has rushed for a combined 368 yards, which is number three on the all-time school list for two-game totals.

Sims is also number six on the school’s all-time list for rushing touchdowns with 24.

Bryce Beall, who played from 2008-2012 tops the list with 39.

Piland is number eight on both the career completions (356) and career passing yards (4,363).

Case Keenum (2007-2012) leads both lists with 1,546 and 19,217, respectively.

The game will be the central event of Family Weekend as the families of current UH students come to campus to attend and take part in various activities.

North Texas Mean Green drop non-conference game to Houston Cougars, 44-21





Charles Sims rushed for a career high 210 yards
against North Texas. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-
La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2012,
All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications


HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 6, 2012) What a difference a new offense coordinator and four weeks can make.

The Houston Cougars scored 31 points in the first half and running back Charles Sims rushed for 216 yards in three quarters to win their second game of the season by the score of 44-21 over the North Texas Mean Green at Roberson Stadium in Houston.

Four weeks ago, the Cougars suffered a 30-12 loss to Texas State in a game that some predicted would lead to a 0-12 season for the Cougars.

Head coach Tony Levine quickly made changes, including the replacement of his offensive coordinator, and things started happening.

Despite losing their next two games and going 0-3 before their bye week, the Cougars have rallied to beat Rice last week, 37-6 and downing North Texas to raise their season record to 2-3.

The main reason is the improved performance and confidence of quarterback David Piland and his getting the ball into the hands of Sims.

Piland completed 3 1of 41 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns while handing off to Sims for 21 carries.

Sims rushed for 216 yards while only losing six for a net total of 210 yards and one touchdown.

In addition, he also had five receptions for 55 yards and another touchdown.

However the confidence of Piland, who is looking more and more like a quarterback who enjoys commanding the offense and getting the ball to Sims, is one of the reasons for the Cougars  improved performance five games into the season.

Kenneth Farrow also contributed to the rushing total; carrying the ball eight times for 88 yards and a single touchdown.

Piland also kept the ball on two carries for 13 yards, scoring his own rushing touchdown.

Dewayne Peace scored the other touchdown for the Cougars while rushing for 83 yards on nine carries.

Matt Hogan was 3-for-3 in field goals, contributing nine points, with a game best of 55-yards along five extra points.

On the defensive side of the ball, Phillip Steward and Everett Daniels each had three solo tackles and nine assists to lead the Cougars with 12 each.

Kent Brooks and Chris Cermin both had one interception.

The Cougars will next face the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday, October 13 with an 11:00 a.m. kickoff at Robertson Stadium.

Jackie Sherrill, UTSA’s Polo Gutierrez, Gridiron Heroes speak to SA Touchdown Club

Football legend Jackie Sherrill poses with Chris 
and Eddie Canales of Gridiron Heroes and 
they announce their Helmet Free Tackling 
Academy set to run nationally in 2013.
Photo Submitted  by Ron Oswalt

By Ron Oswalt and Shawn Michael Tripputi
Special for TexSport Publications

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (September 21, 2012) The weekly meeting of the San Antonio Touchdown Club were treated this week by speakers Jackie Sherrill, Gridiron Heroes and University of San Antonio Assistant Coach/Running Backs Coach Polo Gutierrez.

Gutierrez told the crowd, “We had a heck of a game this week at UTSA ; it was a good day for us. This season we have running backs by committee because we have three that do a good job for us.”

When asked from the crowd Gutierrez responded by saying, “The Alamodome is a great home for us and our recruits can play in a large metropolitan city. It is amazing the speed and strength we have this year over last season. Recruitment this year over last is night and day and joining Conference USA is a great tool for us. The kids know CUSA and their teams.”

Football legend Jackie Sherrill (Left) poses with Chris and Eddie Canales (Center, Right) of Gridiron Heroes, as they announced their Helmet Free Tackling Academy, which is set to run nationally in 2013.

Sherrill told the group, “Ask me any question, but my answers are my opinion only. He reflected on past days by saying Coach Bryant was a man’s man and Coach Broyals was the best business man in college football.”Sherrill spoke of his days being raised in Biloxi, Mississippi and playing for Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama. He started the 12th Man and also won 5 of 7 games versus the Longhorns during his tenure in College Station.

Sherrill owned the room sharing past football experiences and said, ‘Players win games, coaches don’t.” Today with social media and so many other outlets and recruiting services it has changed the athletes of today. You only remember the people in your life that make you do things you don’t want to do. These are the people that help you accomplish great things. You must give players more than X and O’s. Noting that Nick Saban is the best college coach today because he gets the most from his players.

Sherrill told the group about how Texas A&M increased its marketing, branding and reputation by joining the SEC. He discussed the SEC footprint and how that will help the Aggies with advertising dollars.

When asked by the crowd about the Aggies expectations this season. Sherrill said, “I expect them to win 7 games but it will not be easy in the SEC.” He also talked about first year Aggies Head Coach Kevin Sumlin and how all the high school coaches like him and he should be successful.

The group also learned from Gridiron Heroes and their Helmet Free Tackling Academy. A camp that will be introduced nationally in 2013 under the direction of Coach Bobby Hosea and his tackling techniques.

Sherrill said, “I used to take helmets off my players when possible. We need to teach our players to stay on the field and on their feet. We must use proper technique and not to lower the head.

Gridiron Heroes Founder Eddie Canales added, “Football is at a crossroad. Science is telling us that we need to change the way we are teaching tackling. Our Helmet Free Tackling Academy is about prevention. It’s about making the game safer while preserving the game itself. I Hope and Pray no Coach, Trainer or Parent has to ever call me at Gridiron Heroes.”

The packed room showed support and overall has a great day of sharing the great game of football in San Antonio.

Houston falls to 0-2 on the season; loses to Louisiana Tech 56-49

 

Louisiana Tech's Kevin Saia (57) loses his helmet
while trying to open a hole against the Houston
Cougars defense. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La
Vita Loca Photography, Copyright 2012,
All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 9, 2012) "I told our team no side of football, offense, defense or special teams, should leave here feeling good or satisfied about what just happened,"

That was the message Houston head coach Tony Levine told his team and later relayed to the media late Saturday night after the Cougars lost their second straight game of the season, 56-49 to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

The Cougars got better on the field since their opening season loss to Texas State but they are still miles away from where they need to be this season.

Quarterback David Piland's performance against the Bulldogs was much improved, comlpeting 53 of 77 passes for 580 yards and four touchdowns,

He even had four carries with a fourth quarter scamper of 33 yards, however many big gains were nullified by penalties.

Houston committed 15 penalties for 138 yards and that very fact was addressed by Levine in the post-game press conference.

"Penalty wise those mistakes are largely technique. On holding call, if our guy gets a hand outside the framework of a defender's body that error leads to a penalty. On some false starts, there were some things going on the field, some communication errors and other factors. We had a number of face-mask penalties where our guys would be playing hard, but again that is mostly a technique related issue. Twenty-six penalties combined on both sides is a sloppy football game, and that will not be tolerated by us."

　

Offensively, Charles Sims got the ball more than he did against Texas State.

That was one of the issues involved in the resignation of offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt and was stressed to his replacement, Travis Bush.

Sims had 21 carries for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 53 yards.

It was evident on the field that Sims needed to get the ball more and when asked after the game about that very fact, he replied, "I felt pretty good and going earlier. We need to get rid of the little things."

　
Houston will now have one week to prepare before they head to Los Angeles for their first road game of the season against UCLA.

The Cougars will be facing a Bruins team which is 2-0 in 2012, including a 36-30 upset win over No. 17 Nebraska on Saturday night.

UCLA stunned the Cornhuskers with 653 yards of total offense.

Houston will have to take their game to the level against UCLA if they want to avoid going 0-3 for the first time since 2001.

Last second field goal gives Texas Southern 44-41 win over Prairie View A&M

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 2, 2012) With kicker Robert Hersh connecting on a 47-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, the Texas Southern Tigers broke the tie score and defeated Prairie View A&M Panthers 44-41 in front of 22,516 fan at Reliant Stadium on Saturday evening.

The game was an offensive juggernaut, with 1,044 yards of total offense between the two teams.

 

Prairie View jumped out to an early 20-7 lead in the first quarter and continued to hold the lead at halftime with the score of 27-17.

 

Texas Southern came back to take the lead in the third quarter, 38-34.

 

The Panthers then tied the score at 41-all with 1:16 left in the game.

 

Hersh then broke the tie with the field goal to give the Tigers possession of the Durley-Nicks Traveling Trophy.

 

The trophy is awarded to the winner of the annual Labor Day Classic game between the two schools and has been in Prairie View’s possession for the past five years.

 

TSU was able to snatch the trophy in 2006 when they came away with a 17-14 win at Reliant Stadium.

 

Riko Smalls led the Tigers in rushing with 11 carries for 101 yards while Fred Plummer caught five passes for 142 yards.

 

Edward Loving-Perkins contributed to the TSU offensive punch by rushing for 88 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns.

 

Hersh connected on three field goals of 25, 42 and 47-yards for nine points.

 

Defensively, William Parker accounted for eight tackles, seven of them solo, with Tyerrell Jones and Trey Walker contributing six solo tackles each.

 

Texas Southern will hit the road next week when they travel to Denton to face the North Texas Mean Green on Saturday, September 8.

 

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Houston Cougars drop final season opener at Robertson Stadium to Texas State Bobcats 30-13

David Piland (8) completed 17-of-44 passes for 211 yards and 

one touchdown. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca

Photography, Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 1, 2012) The Tony Levine era of Houston Cougars football officially began on Saturday night and the result was not what the fans and the alumni were looking for.

With the inability to stop the Texas State Bobcat offense, the Houston Cougars dropped their final opening game at Robertson Stadium 30-13 in front of 32,207 fans.

The Cougars could manage only one touchdown and two field goals offensively.

Houston accounted for 326 total yards on offense but their inability to maintain drivers and get the ball into the end zone was a major factor in the loss.

The Bobcats had control of the ball for 43 minutes of the game which severely limited the Cougars scoring potential.

David Piland, who had not seen action as quarterback since 2010, completed 17-of-44 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown.

He also threw one interception and was sacked twice.

Head coach Tony Levine addressed Piland’s performance in the post-game press conference:

“I will notice more once I see the video. Nobody plays exceptionally well offensively when you have the ball for 16 minutes and score 13 points. We have to distribute the ball into the hands of our play makers better. We have to get Charles Sims going better than we did. I’m not saying he didn’t play well, but I would hesitate to say anybody on offense played an outstanding game based on sheer number of points.”

Piland was also critical of the Cougars’ performance, stating

“We had chances and didn’t exploit them how we should’ve. We should’ve made more easy throws. We needed to move the ball down the field and over the middle.”

Defensively, Houston pretty much allowed the Bobcat offense to score at will.

The Cougars gave up 248 rushing and 196 passing yards to Texas State allowing them to score three touchdowns and three field goals with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter.

For Houston, Charles Sims rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries to lead the Cougars on the grown.

Larry McDuffey caught two passes for 73 yards and one touchdown while Daniel Spencer accounted for 49 yards on six receptions.

The Cougars next opponent will be against Louisiana Tech on Saturday, September 8 with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.

SMA Bears Report To OPSU

Aubrey Oswalt, Photo from OPSU

 

By Shawn Tripputi

Sportswriter

Special for TexSport Publications

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (August 20, 2012) It is August, and that only means football is right around the corner. That is especially true for two San Marcos Academy graduates. Aubrey Oswalt and Eddy Haddad both graduated from SMA this past spring, and were recently named Texas All-Stars, and played in the SportsmarketingExperts.com Bowl in Houston, Texas.

The two teammates have played in high school, but now they are going to do what many dream of doing, playing college football. Aubrey and Eddy both have reported to Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) to launch their football and academic careers.

OPSU is a Division II school that is on the rise. According to last season statistics, the OPSU Aggies ranked second in overall defense. In addition to the good defense, they also hired an offensive minded coach in Russell Gaskamp. Gaskamp, has plenty of offensive experience when he played for the University of Texas. He helped Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams lead the nation in rushing in 1998, and paved the way for UT to be ranked among the nation’s top 25. He has also spent the past seven years coaching in the Lone Star Conference, with his last stop being in Angelo State University.  

Many times high school football players that attend private schools get overlooked for various reasons, but Gaskamp believes there are some gems that can be found. “I think it is a common mistake to overlook private school athletes in Texas… There are plenty of good football players in the private ranks and we feel like these two guys have a chance to develop into quality players for the Aggies down the road.” Gaskamp also said, “OPSU will always be open and actively recruit private school kids that need a chance to blossom at the NCAA Div. II level.”

Aubrey had a few offers to play at other colleges, but he chose OPSU for a reason. "I have really enjoyed the football staff and the campus at OPSU. I am blessed to have the opportunity to play college football on the D2 level and get my degree.” Aubrey will play tight end for the Aggies, and Gaskamp is looking forward to it, “We are always looking for TE body types because they are less and less used at the HS level and Aubrey fits that mold.” Aubrey is also quick to point to who helped him get to where he is, “I have had so many people in San Marcos along with my family contribute to my foundation to get me here to Oklahoma."

There is big difference of pace from high school to college football, but Aubrey is up to the challenge. “The game here is much faster than high school but I am adjusting and look forward to contributing to the Aggies program in anyway.”

Eddy Haddad, Photo from OPSU

Aubrey’s former, and now future teammate Eddy Haddad will be playing defensive end for the Aggies. “Defensive line prospects are always difficult to find and we were glad to pick up Eddy late. He has worked hard to change his body over the summer.” Coach Gaskamp said. Eddy is also very excited to be working with the OPSU coaches. “The coaches are unbelievably amazing! They are very smart and I am glad to be coached under them, and I look forward to an incredible year.”

Eddy also was amazed at the atmosphere that OPSU provides. “The college is great! [It has] great people, and everyone is very welcoming.”

Aubrey and Eddy have already started practice and are working really hard to help the team out in anyway they can, and Coach Gaskamp already sees that. “We are real excited about Aubrey and Eddy joining the OPSU Football team.  Both have shown flashes early in camp and are working hard to learn.”

The OPSU Aggies open their 2012 football schedule Sept. 1 against the Missouri University S&T Miners, a Great Lakes Valley Conference member, in Rolla, Missouri.

Everything to do with dogs under one ruff!

35th Annual Dog Show Brings Array of Events for the Entire Family.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 10, 2012) The Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows, one of the finest indoor dog shows in America, is celebrating its 35th year at Reliant Center, July 18-22, 2012. This canine extravaganza brings together dog lovers from across the nation and provides an array of events and exhibitions for the whole family to enjoy.

Beginning Wednesday, visitors can catch the Houston Working Dog and All-Terrier shows and chat with owners/handlers as they prepare their show dogs in the Crating and Grooming area. Thursday offers an all-specialty group of shows, as well as the Working Dog and All-Terrier show, with only Conformation (Breed Judging) competitions that end with “Best of Breed” awards. Friday through Sunday each show culminates with a “Best of Show” winner, chosen from finalists among the seven variety groups with more than 150 different breeds represented. Besides Breed Judging, spectators can watch agility dogs race though obstacles, soaring dogs catching Frisbees, flyball teams hurdle to beat the clock, impressive dancing dogs and more throughout this multi-faceted series of dog shows.

The five-day event incorporates events like Meet the Breed. Meet the Breed, a valuable opportunity for potential pet-owners, offers a hands-on experience with more than 110 breeds and an opportunity to discuss their advantages and disadvantages with breed experts.

The McScotty Market is a dog lover’s dream. In the McScotty Market, you can find booths selling every dog necessity imaginable and major canine welfare organizations presenting helpful information. After shopping, browse through some impressive amateur artwork from Houston-area students at the Mari Jon Filla Student Art Exhibit. The exhibit displays creative artwork from kids, grades K through 12, expressing their unconditional love for the family pet.

Dog show visitors can also support animal welfare at CAP’s “Best Little Doghouse” Designer Doghouse Competition. Here, spectators can vote for and bid on their favorite custom-made doghouse. Auction proceeds benefit Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter and other valuable services to Houston’s dogs in need.

The Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows, sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, supervised by Onofrio Dog Shows and sponsored by Purina, is Houston’s must-see dog event! This premier canine event attracts more than 40,000 spectators, participants and vendors. Adult admission is $10 per day at the door or via Ticketmaster. Tickets for senior citizens are $5 and children 12 or younger are $1 with adult. Visit www.reliantdogshows.com or follow us on Twitter (@Reliantdogshows) for the latest information.

Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire Fight to Scoreless Draw



Action was interse between the Dynamo and
the Fire. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco
Photography, Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 3, 2012) In a match that both teams desperately wanted to win, the Houston Dynamo and the Chicago Fire battled to a scoreless draw at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.

Both teams had opportunities to put the goal in the net, but either superb defense or miscues on offense kept the ball from finding home between the goal posts.

In the fourth minute, midfielder Brad Davis got a shot of from 35-yards out, but it went wide.

Forward Macoumba Kandji tried to rip one off after some aggressive action in the Fire penalty box, but it went into the side netting.

Chicago had a shot in the 32th minute when midfielder Chris Rolfe got the ball behind the Dynamo defense.

He fed the ball to forward Dominic Oduro and he drilled it towards the goal.

Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall made a diving save to keep Chicago scoreless.

The Dynamo definitely had the edge with attempts on goal with a 5-2 advantage and they also shut down the Fire in total passes (275-223) and possession (55 %-44%).

Forward Will Bruin had two of the five shots with Davis, Kandji, and Adam Moffat each contributing one.

Midfielder Marco Pappa took both of the shots for the Fire.

Corey Ashe received a yellow card in the 39^th minute when he was called for an off the ball foul.

That was the only infraction in the game.

The Fire’ current streak of three straight wins ended with the tie, with the Dynamo extending its undefeated streak at BBVA Compass Stadium to seven (4-0-3).

In the second half, the shots either were wide, high or blocked by someone who was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time.

The tie earned both teams a single point, but did not move either one up in the standings.

The Fire and the Dynamo remain in fourth and fifth respectively in the Eastern Conference.

The Dynamo will have the 4^th of July off but will be back on the practice field on Thursday to prepare for their road game against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, July 7.

Philadelphia Union fall to Houston Dynamo on late goal by Brian Ching

Brian Ching came off the bench to score
the winning goal against Philadelphia.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-
La Vita Loco Photography

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012, TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 30, 2012) Brad Davis scored his fourth goal of the season to lead the Houston Dynamo to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union in a Saturday evening match at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.

Davis drilled the ball from the top of the box, on a pass from Macoumba Kandji, to give the Dynamo a 1-0 lead.

Also assisting on the play was Honduras international player Boniek Garcia.

Garcia came into the game in the 19^th minute and fed the ball to Kandji whom passed it to Davis for the score.

He was making his first appearance for the Dynamo and first practiced with his teammates this past Thursday.

The goal was Davis’ 25th regular season goal for Houston, moving him past Dwayne De Rosario into second place on the all-time Dynamo scoring list.

Philadelphia came back one minute into the second half when Keon Daniel took the ball from 25 yards out and knocked in a left-footed goal to tie the score.

The final goal of the game was scored by Brian Ching, who came off the bench in the 74^th minute to replace Will Bruin.

In the 83^rd minute, Ching was pushed in the back by Union midfielder Gabriel Farfan as both players were fighting for position.

Ching was awarded a penalty kick which resulted in the goal when the shot struck the underside of the crossbar and ricocheted into the back of the net.

The winning goal was Ching’s second of the year and 79th regular season goal of his career.

In team statistics, the Dynamo had ten shots on goal as apposed to eight for the Union.

With the win, the Dynamo raised their season record to 6-5-5 which places them in fifth in the Eastern Division.

The Union dropped to 3-9-2 which kept them steady in ninth place in the same division.

The Dynamo will have a short practice on Monday as they prepare for a Tuesday evening match again the Chicago Fire.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will feature post-game fireworks as the Dynamo honor the U.S. Armed Forces with Military Appreciation Night.

Two Gulf LSC Swimmers Named to U.S. Olympic Team

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

OMAHA, NEBRASKA (June 29, 2012) Two Houston area and Gulf LSC swimmers have punched their tickets to the XXX Olympic Games in London.

Cammile Adams of Cypress, Texas and Breeja Larson of Mesa, Arizona, both of whom swim for Texas A and M University, have made the United States Olympic Swimming Team and will compete in London.

Breeja won the women’s 100-meter breaststroke in the time of 1:05.92, just touching out current world record holder Rebecca Soni by .07.

Her time ranks her second in the world this year and the 12^th fastest of all time.

Breeja is the first Aggie swimmer to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in an individual event.

Not to be outdone, Cammile Adams also earned her rings by winning the 200-meter butterfly.

Her time of 2:06.52 ranks sixth in the world for 2012 and makes her the second Aggie ever to make the U.S. Olympic swimming team in an individual event.

In addition, Erika Dittmer of Spring, Texas along with Rita Medrano and Lili Ibanez will be representing Mexico in London.

They were named to the squad at the Mexican Olympic Trials in early June.

All five young ladies are coached by Steve Bultman.