Thursday, July 21, 2005

 

Trinity names former Lynch standout Amie Smith Bradley as new HC

San Antonio – Trinity University is pleased to announce the hiring of Amie Smith Bradley as its new women’s basketball coach, effective immediately.

Coach Bradley, a four-year starter and member of the 1,000 point club for the University of Texas women’s basketball team, is the founder and owner of a basketball skills training company in Dallas, as well as an active coach in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). She was a graduate of 22-time state champion (Dallas) Bishop Lynch High School, and has also been an assistant coach at the school since 1999.

“Today is a great day for Trinity women’s basketball,” remarked Trinity Director of Athletics Bob King. “We are privileged to hire a talented young coach that has been close to the program the last three years. I am very pleased in the search process, and the number of top-quality candidates that we were able to consider.”

Coach Bradley has watched the team closely over the past three seasons, as her younger sister Jenna Smith led Trinity to two playoff appearances – including the 2003 NCAA Division III National Championship.

“I’m excited about the athletics and academics at Trinity,” said Coach Bradley. “My focus is to bring in players from around the state. There is definitely a lot of talent out there. I’m also excited about inheriting a winning program from Coach Geyer.”

Former head coach Becky Geyer left Trinity after 13 years of service to the University, leading the Tigers a record of 164-50 (.766 winning percentage) over her last eight seasons. Under her guidance, the Tigers won three Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and the only four NCAA playoff appearances in its history.

“She comes highly recommended by outstanding coaches and administrators in collegiate women’s basketball,” continued King. “With her days at the University of Texas and her involvement in basketball in Dallas and the AAU, I believe Coach Bradley will provide the program with wonderful opportunities in recruiting. The returning team is very fortunate to have a quality coach such as Amie Bradley.”

In addition to her playing and coaching experience, Coach Bradley has organized numerous basketball clinics and camps, and has also helped Texas universities in evaluating talent for recruiting.

The Trinity women’s basketball team returns two starters and 12 letterwinners from last year’s team that advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen, and finished with a 25-5 record.


 

Lynch and Louisiana Tech's Ryan Moats signs with the Eagles

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia Eagles signed two of their draft selections Wednesday, agreeing to four-year deals with third-round pick Ryan Moats and fifth-round pick Trent Cole.

Moats, a 5-foot-8, 210-pound running back, set school records for yards rushing (1,774), touchdowns (18), and carries (288) at Louisiana Tech. He is a product of Dallas' Bishop Lynch HS.

Moats finished his college career with 499 carries for 3,176 yards and 28 TDs. He also received first team All-WAC honors as a sophomore following a 1,364-yard, 10-touchdown performance.

 

Tomball Concordia Lutheran crusades in the land of cheese

Riveness' crew hones hoops skills at Wisconsin camp
By TODD HVEEM, Houston Chronicle Correspondent, July 20, 2005, 7:56 pm

The Concordia Lutheran Crusaders have made a 20-hour bus trip in hopes of improving their high school basketball program.

The Crusaders, who are struggling to remain competitive in the rugged TAPPS 3-5A, drove to Milwaukee last Saturday for the bi-annual Wisconsin Lutheran College basketball camp. The five-day team camp ends Friday.

"This is the third time we have gone," said Concordia Lutheran coach Garrett Riveness, who is entering his sixth season at the helm. "They usually have it every two years.

"We have a good relationship with coaches up there. They have a team camp and they keep it small. They have individual instruction, then we play in a tournament."

The Crusaders also will spend at least one day at the Milwaukee Bucks training camp, Riveness said.

"They have a good relationship with the Bucks," Riveness said. "It is really neat for the kids. It is really a fun trip."

Even the 20-hour bus ride?

"Sure," Riveness said with a laugh. "The kids love it. It is especially fun for them. We leave on Saturday evening, so we pull into Chicago about lunch time the next day. We then eat and head up to Milwaukee."

Riveness said nine players made the 1,500 plus-mile trip.

"We have kind of limited it to that number," he said. "The college does a good deal for them. They let them stay in the dorm during the camp and tournament. The college coaches have them over for dinner, so they don't spend any money on food. The whole trip costs kids $150."

Riveness said several of his varsity players coached younger kids in a summer basketball league to help pay for the cost of the trip.

"We ran a summer league at our school for players in grades five through high school," Riveness said. "The kids did not come in as part of a team, but we would place them on a team and they would play that way.

"We let our varsity kids coach the younger kids to help pay for the trip. We wanted them to feel like it was their trip."

Riveness said he had some players also play in a summer league in Conroe, and some other young athletes attend the Don Eddy basketball camp.

"We really had stuff going about six days per week," he said. "Not every kid was doing everything, but it kept us all pretty busy."

The Crusaders return a trio of potential stars in Nathan Elrod, Kyle McCluskey and Jake Griedl. Elrod, who is only a junior, stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds.

"He is a big kid," Riveness said. "He was a second-team all-district selection."

The 6-5 McCluskey, who is a senior, was an honorable mention all-league choice a year ago, and Griedl started at point guard as a sophomore.

"We also have Chris Duffy coming back," Riveness said. "He was our sixth man as a freshman. He has done well this summer."

Riveness said he has more than 35 players in the program and hopes to have a freshman team this season.

"We kind of had to pay some dues last year, but the kids are really coming along," he said. "They are improving and having fun.

"We are building a lot from the ground up. We are adding a freshman team next year. We used to have a freshman team, but when our enrollment dipped, we had to drop it. We have started to grow again now."

Concordia Lutheran, however, will not participate in a fall basketball league.

"We will probably not do that," Riveness said. "We have a lot of kids who play football and run cross country. When kids are committed to a fall sport, we expect them to do that. We could probably field a JV-caliber team (in the fall league), but I think kids ought to be sticking with fall sports."

Riveness said Northland Christian and Houston Christian could be the teams to beat in TAPPS 3-5A.

"They were so strong last year, but they both graduated a lot," Riveness said. "Lutheran North also graduated some, but they still have their big scorer back.

"We are coming up. It should be real tight. Nobody is going to go winless or nobody is going to run through the league."

 

Westbury Christian's Preadom to Wichita State

Shockers add guard to roster
Wendell Preadom changes plans for prep school to commit to Wichita State

BY PAUL SUELLENTROP, The Wichita Eagle

Guard Wendell Preadom hasn't visited Wichita yet, but what he's heard about the Wichita State basketball program is good enough.

Preadom, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard from Houston's Westbury Christian School, said he has committed to Wichita State and will sign a nonbinding letter of intent within a week.

Preadom, who will be a freshman this season, said WSU assistant coach Tad Boyle saw him play with his AAU team this summer. Boyle was impressed enough to bring in coach Mark Turgeon and they sold Preadom on WSU, causing him to change his plan to attend Maine Central Institute, a prep school.

Preadom said Turgeon offered him a scholarship last weekend after watching him play with the Houston-based T-Mac All-Stars in a tournament in Denton, Texas.

"I know the program is up and coming," Preadom said. "Good competition. Every game is packed. That sounds pretty good."

Preadom said he will visit WSU in late July or early August. He will join Houston products P.J. Couisnard, Karon Bradley and Nick Rogers on the WSU roster.

Preadom averaged 12 points, five rebounds and four assists for Westbury Christian, which won its third straight Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 5A title in March. Teammates Jeremy Barr (Southern California), Sean Coleman (Tulsa), Peter Stein (William and Mary) and Obi Ikeakor (Saint Louis) will also play Division I basketball.

Westbury Christian coach Greg Glenn described Preadom as an explosive player who can drive, shoot and plays good defense.

"He's very good in the open court," Glenn said. "He plays bigger than he is."

TexasHoops.com ranked Preadom as the No. 63 senior in Texas after the season. He was one of 20 players named TAPPS All-State for classes 4, 5 and 6A.

TexasHoops.com describes Preadom as a strong, well-rounded guard who can penetrate and score inside as well as shoot three-pointers, run the team, rebound and defend.

Preadom's letter of intent is nonbinding because the signing period ended May 18. He will also a sign a financial aid agreement. WSU coaches cannot comment until they receive the signed paperwork.

He said Evansville, Jacksonville State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Lamar also had shown interest.
Preadom fills WSU's 13th and final scholarship for the 2005-06 season. He joins a recruiting class that includes freshman center Ryan Bradley, from Florida, and junior college transfers Ryan Martin (Coffeyville) and Jared Young (Pratt).

Division I transfers Keith Wooden (Arizona State) and Phillip Thomasson (Colorado State) are also expected to attend WSU this fall and be eligible in 2006-07.

Reach Paul Suellentrop at 269-6760 or at psuellentrop@wichitaeagle.com.

 

McKinney Christian's Aja to Lucas Christian Academy

By BRENT YARINA, McKinney Courier-Gazette

Rene Aja is returning home after three years at McKinney Christian Academy.

Aja, the MCA head football coach the past two seasons, was named the athletic director at Lucas Christian Academy on July 1.

The former Mustang head coach led MCA to a 16-6 record and two playoff berths in his two seasons. Aja came to MCA in 2002 via Dallas Metro, where he coached for six years.

"It took some time and prayer," Aja said of his decision to leave MCA. "When it came down to it, Lucas and I met each other's needs."

As the athletic director of Lucas, Aja will control the day-to-day athletic duties and coach football, track and girls basketball, something he did at Metro but not at MCA.

"I want to be able to have my hands in everything," he said. "I like to be involved year round, and Lucas gave me that."

Aja knows what kind of team he leaves behind, however.

"I left a very good team," he said. "Having to leave a team that could win district this year made it a real hard decision, but I wanted something brand new.

"Sometimes as a coach you need something like that to motivate you."

Still, the head coach had a tough time saying goodbye to his players, especially the seniors, who started varsity football the same year he arrived.

"I talked to my kids and told them I was going to miss them," Aja said. "They told me the same thing. It was a real hard thing to do."

But goodbye isn't forever. Lucas and MCA are both members of TAPPS 2A, and the two schools are scheduled to play a football game at MCA this fall, according to Aja.

"I rest easy now at night knowing what I am doing," Aja said. "It's not a brand new thing, but new things can be started and I want a hand in that."

MCA athletic director Keith Bollinger was unavailable at press time.

Contact Brent Yarina at sports@courier-gazette.com.

 

Midland Trinity grad Bennett shoots par to win Palmer area championship

by Len Hayward, Midland Reporter-Telegram, 07/21/2005

MIDLAND -- Brent Bennett called it a day where he had to grind it out. Bennett, though, worked his way through his troubles to shoot an even-par 72 and win the Ryan Palmer Foundation West Texas Area Championship in the boys 16-18 division by one stroke on Wednesday at Hogan Park Golf Course.

"I struggled to hit the ball today," said Bennett, who was a part of back-to-back TCAL and TAPPS state golf championships at Midland Trinity. "I had one birdie and a whole bunch of pars. It was just one of those days where you have to eke out pars."

Bennett, who will walk on at the University of Tulsa this fall after graduating from Trinity this spring, shot a 2-under 70 for a two-round total of 142, which was good enough to hold off Craig Feuer. Feuer made a second-day charge after shooting a 76 on Tuesday to card a five-under par 67. He finished at 143, one stroke behind Bennett.

The two-day event was to help determine qualifiers for the upcoming Westcott Tour Championship, scheduled for July 28-29 at Woodbridge Golf Club in Wylie. Bennett, third-place finisher Ethan Summers and fourth-place Dylan Dockery all qualified for the Tour Championship in the boys 16-18 division. Feuer had qualified earlier for the championship.

Bennett said Wednesday he was not planning on playing in many Westcott Tour events this summer, but said a friend talked him into playing an event at Midland Country Club earlier this summer.

He shot a 67 in that one, and also wanted to come back to play in the West Texas Area Championship because it would be the last time he would play in the event before he went to college. Bennett said he won the event when he was 9-years old.

"I played for a little bit of nostalgia," said Bennett, who was second to Brian Scherer in the Texas-Oklahoma tournament a few weeks ago in Wichita Falls.

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