TelegramSports
Willis, Leopards not counting on luck
Bill Willis has had good luck and bad luck in his long career as the men's golf coach at Temple College.
For instance, take a look at last spring: Gregg Wille of the Temple Daily Telegram reports that Willis's top
player was sophomore Justin Schulze, whom he was able to nab primarily because Schulze's high school
football career at Copperas Cove overshadowed his golfing exploits. So Willis had to consider himself
lucky when Schulze completed his stellar stint with the Leopards last June by winning the NJCAA Division
II individual national championship by six strokes.
However, Willis ran into some bad luck at the same tournament. After a poor opening round at Texas
A&M Golf course in College Station, TC picked up its play and trailed Iowa's Indian Hills Community
College by a mere four strokes through three rounds of the 72-hole event. The Leopards had the
momentum going into the final round, but the then the rains came, cutting the tourney short and washing
away Temple's shot at capturing the school's second team national title.
"If we had played the last day, we would have won," Willis said. "We were really playing well, and Indian
Hills wasn't playing that well. Everybody was disappointed we didn't get to play."
This spring, Willis believes his team might be good enough that luck won't be much of a factor. Based on
their players' scoring averages from the fall season, the Leopards are ranked No. 1 in the country in the
NJCAA's Division II to begin the year.
TC teed off as the nation's top dog for first time on Feb. 26, when it competed in the first round of the 36hole St. Mary's University spring Invitational at San Antonio's Cedar Creek Golf Course.
"The team this year is actually better than last year's, and with the way they played in the fall, this is maybe
the best team we've ever had here at Temple College," Willis said. "I know we've never been ranked No. 1
before."
And the Leopards' best player, freshman Casey Carnes of New Braunfels, is someone Willis had never
heard of before last summer. The coach got a tip from one of his former players about the unheralded
Carnes, who was looking for a place to play college golf. Willis had one scholarship left -- only because
another player decided to go to another school.
"That was the best thing that ever happened to me," Willis joked. "Once I saw Casey swing three of four
times, I knew he had what it took to be good."
Carnes was better than good in the fall -- he was the nation's best player, averaging 71.9 strokes per round
to carry the country's top D-II ranking into the spring. Talk about good luck.
"Casey's a very strong player who's got a real solid golf swing and doesn't make many mistakes," Willis
said, "He's totally dedicated to being a good player."
Fortunately for TC, Carnes isn't too far ahead of his teammates. Freshman Chad Faucett of Katy had a 72.5
average in the fall to rank third in the nation, sophomore Brad Besler was fifth at 73.5, sophomore Ben
Griffin was ninth at 74, and freshman Mark Dunlap of Round Rock was 24th at 75.6.
Griffin is still recovering from a wrist injury he suffered in between semesters, so freshman Blake Cameron
of Salado, a three-time state tournament qualifier who transferred from Southwestern University after the
fall, will join TC's top five.
Faucett and Dunlap -- unlike Carnes -- each won a tournament in the fall, and Besler, according to Willis, is
an extremely talented player who could benefit from not letting his bad shots linger.
As for their six-event spring schedule, the Leopards know they simply have to have a lower 108-hole score
than Cisco Junior college after the Texas State Championship in San Angelo and the NJCAA Region V
Tournament in Lake Whitney to once again qualify for the national tournament.
"It's never even been close," Willis said. "If we lose to Cisco, we don't deserve to go anywhere. That's just
the way their program is."
Therefore, TC's spot in the national tourney is pretty much reserved on an annual basis. This season, it's up
to the Leopards to make sure they're playing their best golf by the time they return to the A&M track where
they were denied the top prize last year.
"They just have to keep the confidence that they have -- and they have a lot," Willis said.
"Our guys are hard individual workers, and that's the way you have to be in golf.
"That certainly doesn't mean we're going to play as well this semester as we did in the fall, but I don't
know. I don't want to put any extra pressure on them, but if they play like they did in the fall, they will.
But there's a lot of luck involved."
And having good luck never hurts.
TC finishes strong at Abilene Classic
ABILENE -- The Temple Daily Telegram reported that the Temple College tennis teams picked up wins in
three of four dual matches at the Abilene Classic at Rose Park, including a valuable sweep on Seward
county (Kan.)
The TC men polished off a perfect season-opening weekend with a 4-3 win over Hardin-Simmons and a 54 victory over Seward County.
The Leopards defeated Howard Payne and McMurry in matches on Friday.
The TC women suffered an 8-1 loss to Hardin-Simmons in their first match of the day, but rebounded with
a 7-2 win over Seward County.
The Lady Leopards finished the event with a 2-1 mark and improved to 2-2 on the season.
TC's victories over Seward County counted toward the national junior college rankings.
"We're worn out, but it was a good tournament for us," TC coach Dick King said. "There were teams from
all over Texas playing here and we're pleased with our results. The women were out-gunned against
Hardin-Simmons, but they rebounded and we got the points against Seward County."
Leopards go 3-1-1 at San Jac/Galveston Tournament
GALVESTON -- The Temple Daily Telegram reported that The Temple College softball team won three of
its five games and also had a loss and a tie at the San Jac/Galveston Classic.
Coach Larry Hennig's Leopards used the four-hit pitching of freshman Cheryl Kilgo to beat San Jacinto 2-0
in the opener. Later in the day against Houston Baptist, TC took a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning but then
allowed three runs and had to settle for a tie due to darkness. That night in Galveston, Vanessa Rowe
pitched the Leopards to a 3-1 win over Texas Lutheran.
On day 2, TC suffered a 4-3 loss to host Galveston in its first game, with Kilgo (4-1) allowing 10 hits and
taking her first collegiate defeat, In their finale at the tournament, the Leopards (6-2-1) responded to beat
Trinity 4-3 behind the pitching of sophomore Jaime Holly.
"We didn't play as well as we could have," Hennig said. "In the loss and the tie, we just got outplayed. I
think we're headed in the right direction at this point, but we've got work to do."
Leopards, MCC split doubleheader
It was a good day for Temple College's baseball team last Wednesday against McLennan Community
College -- until the 11th inning of the team's second game, that is.
The Tempel Daily Telegram reported that after TC's Leopards beat the Highlanders 6-2 in the front half of
the doubleheader, MCC used three errors in the top of the 11th to erupt for six runs and claim a 9-3 win at
the frigid Danny Scott Athletic Complex.
The twinbill split left Temple 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the Northern Texas Junior college Athletic
Conference. McLennan is 7-7 and 1-1 in conference play.
"Playing a rival like MCC, we really wanted to get two wins,"
Temple coach Craig McMurtry said. "But if we can win three out of four in conference, we'll take it."
In the day's first game, the teams were tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the fifth, which is when TC took
control.
The Leopards got a two-run single from Ralph Hamilton and scored four runs in the frame, and reliever
Aaron Smith pitched two strong innings to close out the Highlanders.
Freshman left-hander Sam Hall (2-0) threw five innings to earn the victory.
In the nightcap, MCC overcame a 2-1 deficit after five innings by scoring single runs in the sixth and
seventh innings to go ahead 3-2.
That score held up until the bottom of the ninth, when, with two outs, TC's Ryan Jackson blasted a solo
home run to left-center to tie the game and force extra innings.
After a 10th in which Brook McClain flew out to deep center and Hamilton got to second with one out but
was stranded, the Highlanders got the breaks they needed in the 11 th.
TC dropped a pop-up and made errors on two consecutive MCC bunts, and the visitor's ensuing hits off TC
reliever Jason Condel (2-1) led to six unearned runs.
"We kind of gave them the game," McMurtry said. "We had been out there a long time, but so had they.
"It was a rough day as far as the conditions, and our guys handled it well."
Highly ranked Leopards at Blinn
BRENHAM -- The Temple Daily Telegram reported that the Temple College softball team took the field
against Blinn college as the No. 2 team in the country, according to the NJCAA Division I Preseason Poll
released recently.
Coach Larry Hennig's Leopards, 2-0 after sweeping Lon Morris in their season-opening home
doubleheader, battled the Lady Bucs in a twinbill at Blinn's new softball complex.
The news of the ranking was a pleasant surprise for Hennig, who led TC to a 44-15 record and the Northern
Texas Junior College Athletic Conference championship in 2000 in their second season of competition.
"This is quite an honor and is a credit to our players, parents, school, and community," he said Tuesday in a
statement. "What a vote of confidence for our program! Now we have to take care of business on the
field."
Hennig also announced the early signings of two all-state high school seniors: West catcher/outfielder
Melissa Maler, who caught for current TC pitcher Cheryl Kilgo the last two seasons, and Shiner pitcher
Lindsey Maxey, who played on state tournament teams in 1998 and '99.
TC men, women cruise to victory
ABILENE -- The Temple College tennis teams had an easy time of it on Day 1 at Rose Park, with the
Leopards dominating Howard Payne and host McMurry in their first two matches of the spring season and
the Lady Leopards cruising past McMurry to even their record at 1-1.
Playing the first of four dual matches in two days in Abilene, the TC men hammered HPU 6-1. Leopards
singles players winning in straight sets were J.R. Martinez, Cayce McNeill, Chris West, Matt Snyder, and
Jon Bush. The team of John Luxton and Martinez won in doubles, as did the West-Bush and McNeillKeary Baillio duos.
The Leopards then pounded McMurry 7-0, with No. 1 player Luxton joining TC's other five players in the
singles win column. He and Martinez won again in doubles, as did West and Bush.
The TC women wasted little time in defeating McMurry 6-1. Ace Esther Delgado didn't drop a game in
winning her singles match, and Kathleen White, Sabrina Nicholson, Stephanie Blaney, and Elisa Klepper
also posted victories. In doubles, the team of Delgado and White -- ranked fourth in the nation in NJCAA's
Division II -- won 8-3, as did Klepper and Sudrey Howland.
"We had the easy matches today, even though some were competitive," TC coach Dick King said. "We'll
have our hard matches tomorrow."
TC sweeps past Crusader JV
The Temple College baseball team's hitting has been up-and-down early this season, but its pitching has
been just about as good as Coach Craig McMurtry could ask for.
The Temple Daily Telegram reported that the Leopards' mound men did the job once again as starters Josh
Harris and Andy Chevalier and several relievers dominated the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's junior
varsity in TC victories of 5-2 and 6-0 at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.
In the opener, right-hander Harris limited the Crusaders to two singles in five innings, and lefty Matt
Trepkowski ended it by coming in and quelling a UMHB rally in the seventh.
It was more of the same for TC (5-5) in the night-cap, with righty Chevalier allowing only two hits and
striking out seven in five innings before relievers Ryan Guthrie and Chris Hill closed out the Crusaders in
the sixth and seventh, respectively.
"We got really good pitching today," McMurtry said, "Harris and Chevalier did great, and I thought we did
a decent job of getting some hits with runners in scoring position."
Temple jumped on UMHB right away in the first game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to seize
a 2-0 lead. Daniel Anderson led off with an infield single against Joey Morgan and eventually scored on a
passed ball, and Matt Jones walked and later scored on Ryan Jackson's single to center field.
Anderson came through with a run-scoring single with two outs in the second, and the Leopards took
advantage of sloppy play by the Crusaders to score twice more in the fifth. Jerod Fikac scored from second
on an error by the second baseman, and a wild pitch plated Thomas Melvin to make it 5-0.
UMHB used the wildness of TC reliever Shannon Keeney to load the bases with no outs in the seventh, and
the Crusaders got one run on a Trepkowski wild pitch and another on a Leopards throwing error. But the 67 Trepkowski got Rusty Whittaker to fly out to Ralph Hamilton in deep right with two outs and two men on
to end it.
The twinbill's second game lacked any drama, as Temple -- which split a pair against the Crusader JV on
Feb. 5 -- scored single runs in the second and third innings before blowing it open with three in the fourth
against righty Will Furrer.
TC shortstop Johnny Torres had two hits and drove in two runs, Anderson tripled, and Hamilton and
Stephen Johnson doubled for the Leopards.