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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Optimism high but questions remain for Bulldogs

By Rodney Haas rhaas@kdminer.com KINGMAN After a successful summer workout program with more participants than in years past, theres optimism running through the Kingman High football program as the Bulldogs begin tryouts at 6:30 a.m. Monday. But that sense of optimism might dissipate quickly if the there arent enough freshman on that first day. The opening of Lee Williams High School to freshmen only this year has left head football coach Rob York with a great unknown. How many freshmen will show up and will it be enough to field a team? The worst-case scenario for York is to field only a varsity team. Best case would be to have enough players for freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams. The realistic scenario if there arent enough players to field three teams is to have varsity and freshman teams and move the sophomore players who would normally play JV to varsity. I want to have three teams. I want to have a full program, York said. We just need to get some freshmen to come out so we can have that freshman squad and I know all the (freshmen) kids that have been (to offseason workouts), they want a freshman team too. York has had an average of around 45 players show up for summer weight training and summer conditioning, including 10-15 freshmen players. When practice begins Monday, he would like to see 100 players. He is expecting between 60-70 players and with 60 players, it would be pushing it with two squads he said. Its going to be close, York said. It depends on who shows up. If we have 30 freshmen show up and we have 60 kids, we can deal with that 30 kids on varsity and the freshman can have their own program. York wont know until after the first couple of weeks of practice if there will be enough players for three teams or if there will be just a freshman and varsity teams. Having two teams would give the varsity squad more depth by inserting sophomores in for three plays to give a break to a junior or a senior. The sophomores will get the experience and that is a huge, huge help, York said. They could come in for one series on defense for one of our junior or senior linemen that are going both ways. Thats a huge help as far as conditioning. While York will figure out what to do with player numbers at a later time, hes still optimistic about the season after having a very successful offseason conditioning program. In years past numbers would range around 20-25 players showing up. This year that number was in the mid 40s and led by a junior class that hopes to reverse last years 1-9 season. Because of the offseason numbers, York can have actual tryouts for the first week of practice. Those players trying out and those players who have not shown up all summer for workouts will have to meet certain averages and marks set by players that have attended offseason drills. We got the kids that put the work in and we have enough where we can finally go, You know you dont deserve to be on the field, York said. Because of the numbers situation, York isnt expected to make cuts. Instead, the players who didnt show up over the summer but still expect to play, will see their playing time relegated to the scout team and will have to prove to the coaching staff that they should be

Kingman High running back Matthew Waite tries to avoids a Surprise Valley Vista defender during the Bulldogs 29-15 loss on Oct. 14 in Surprise. After a successful summer workout program, KHS will begin practice Monday morning with tryouts. But as the Bulldogs open practice, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, such as the number freshmen that will show up. playing. They didnt put the work in over the summer, York said. There are kids that are better than them and they deserve to go first. If they show us they can go through practice and have the pride on the scout team and they are kicking someones butt and they put the work in, then theres a chance. Besides tryouts, the other new change for the start of practice this year came from the Arizona Interscholastic Association, who is putting limitations on practices in order to avoid possible heat-related illnesses. Because of this, KHS will hold morning workouts next week from 6:30 a.m. till 8 a.m., at which time the Bulldogs will do most of the conditioning work. KHS will return for a normal practice from 5:30-7:30 with the last half-hour being more of a walk through. For us its really not that big of a deal because it really doesnt get that hot, York said. But down in Havasu is a big deal, and down in Phoenix is a big deal. As KHS prepares to kick off the 2012 season to a lot of unanswered questions regarding the numbers, there is reason to hope that 2012 will be different from years past. The incoming junior class has just three losses under their belt in two years and that same group was instrumental in making the summer workouts successful. This was the best summer weve had since I took over and hopefully it will carry on, York said. We can finally make it to where the summer has meaning with the amount of kids that showed up. that killed 12 people and injured 58 others. The car lists the names of the 12 killed, plus the inscription, For Those Lost, Those Injured And Countless Acts of Bravery 7/20/12.

RODNEY HAAS/Miner

Mandatory meetings set for LWHS athletes

Lady Bulldogs to hold camp

KINGMAN Athletes interested in participating in athletics at Lee Williams High School this fall will need to attend mandatory meetings for their sport. The meetings are as follows. Vo l l e y b a l l , 3:30 p.m., Aug. 9 with practices beginning after school on Aug. 13; Boys/Girls golf, 4 p.m., Aug. 6 at Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course; Cross Country, 3 p.m., Aug. 6 at LWHS; Football, 3 p.m., Aug. 6 with practices beginning after school Aug. 10; and spirit line (cheer), 3:30 p.m., Aug. 9 with tryouts from Aug. 13 until Aug. 17. All participants will need to have completed a physical form, emergency consent form, rules form, concussion awareness form and pay a $1 activity fee before being allowed to participate. All paperwork is available at Lee Williams high school. For information contact LWHS Athletic Director Cory Williams at 7186000.

KINGMAN The 2012 Bulldog Volleyball camp will take place July 30Aug. 3 at Kingman High school. Cost of the camp is $50 with two sessions open from 8-11 a.m. for grades 6-8 and noon- 3 p.m. for high school ages. Registrations can be taken at the door on July 30. The Lady Bulldogs will begin the 2012 season with tryouts beginning at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 6 at KHS. Players must have their physicals and clearance card from the office in order to try out. For more information contact KHS volleyball coach Traci Rosenbach at 928-897-2112

Greinke traded to Angels

trade deadline, the aggressive Angels followed up a huge offseason highlighted by the big-money signings of free-agent stars Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. It should be fun. They are a great team, Greinke said in Milwaukee when the deal was completed. After the first month of the season, they have been one of the best teams in baseball. There is a lot of talent there. A lot of great players. The pitching staff will be pretty incredible. Greinke joins an outstanding rotation that includes fellow All-Stars Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Wilson and Ervin Santana, who has struggled badly this season. The Angels began the day five games behind first-place Texas in the AL West but in position for a wild card.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Angels made their latest big move Friday, acquiring ace pitcher Zack Greinke from the Milwaukee Brewers for rookie shortstop Jean Segura and two minor leaguers. By winning the sweepstakes for Greinke, perhaps the most-prized arm available before Tuesdays

Lawsuit claims Cards DE Talley beat bar patron

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) Arizona Cardinals defensive end Ronald Talley is accused of smashing a champagne bottle on the head of a man at a suburban Detroit bar. Robert Ford, 30, of

Detroit was attacked near the restroom of the South Bar in Birmingham on March 26 and then dragged to the alley by bouncers, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Oakland County Circuit Court against Talley and unnamed bouncers. Fords injuries required 13 staples, attorney Jonathan Marko said Friday. The scalp has healed but the insides of his head will never be the same, Marko said. He had trouble talking to me about what happened. He cant remember things. He definitely had a closed-head injury. Talley, a Detroit native, was at Cardinals training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz., Friday. He said after the teams practice that the lawsuit took him by the surprise but that he could not comment on the details. Right now theres no comments that I can make, Talley said. Its new to me, so Ill have to go and get some representation to be able to

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properly comment. Ford and Talley know each other but were not together at the bar, Marko said. He said he has at least three witnesses who saw the attack at the bar, which is now closed. Birmingham Police Chief Donald Studt said the incident is under investigation.

Driver honors Colo. shooting victims

DENVER (AP) The NASCAR Sprint Cup car Regan Smith is driving this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will honor victims of the shootings at a Colorado movie theater. Smith drives for the Furniture Row Racing Team, whose shop is about seven miles from the Aurora theater where a gunman launched an attack July 20