Baseball: Alabama comes from behind to beat Kentucky. 4C
Sports
S A T U R D A Y , A P R I L 25 , 2009
SECTION C
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HER LEFT LEG IS
FINE
From staff reports
CHICAGO | Debuting on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights,” Tuscaloosa heavyweight Deontay Wilder ran his professional boxing record to 4-0 with a quick victory at the UIC Pavilion. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Wilder, known as the “Bronze Bomber,” hammered 30-year-old Joseph Rabotte early and often and scored a technical knockout in the first round. The bout, televised by ESPN2, was scheduled for four rounds. “Every win feels good,” said the 23year-old Wilder. Deontay “I’m always excitWilder ed after a win, but I keep telling myself this is just the beginning. We’re climbing the ladder right now. This is just a stepping stone. “I want to thank God for keeping me safe and keeping my opponent safe.” Wilder recorded his first knockdown in the opening minute. Wilder sent the 6-3, 264-pound Rabotte to the canvas again at the 1:19 mark. Wilder was declared the winner at the 2:33 mark after flooring Rabotte a third time with a powerful right. “For the most part everything we had planned worked out,” Wilder said. “I wanted to keep the jab out there and set him up for the right hand. I knew when I felt the blow in my gloves that it was over.” Wilder said he had a little problem with the “soft canvas” footing that slowed him down. “I just couldn’t get that off my mind,” said Wilder, adding that he wanted to use movement and his athletic ability to his advantage. ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas said Wilder displayed some bad habits because of his lack of experience but added “the eraser makes up for all those mistakes. His power and his confidence come from the right hand.”. “With the power he’s got, we’re working on him fighting tall, which is a boxing term for not bending over at the waist and not falling in,” said Jay Deas, Wilder’s co-manager with Mark Breland. “I think Deontay is getting better and better with every fight.”
Lofton holds off pack to win ARCA race From combined reports
TALLADEGA | Justin Lofton refused to let go of the lead for the final 46 laps of Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX Series 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. And then he refused to let go of the winner’s trophy. Lofton held off 59-year-old Bill Baird and Alabama native Grant Enfinger following a late-race restart to win for the first time this year and only the second time in 24 career ARCA starts. Afterward, he happily clutched his winner’s trophy through a round of media interviews. “This is phenomenal,” Lofton said. “We had an awesome car, an awesome race. This car really deserves to be in Victory Lane.” Lofton grabbed the lead away from female driver Alli Owens midway through the race and never relinquished it. SEE ARCA | 6C
CORRECTION
A high school tennis player was incorrectly identified in Thursday’s edition of The Tuscaloosa News. The photo was of Hannah Windle of Tuscaloosa County High.
Ex-Tide players set for Draft
Lauren Parker
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA | For as long as he can remember, former University of Alabama center Antoine Caldwell has watched the NFL Draft on television. But this time will obviously be drastically different because one of the names he’ll see scroll by on the bottom of the screen will be his own. “It’s what ever y player who played college football dreams of,” Caldwell said. The All-American is one of a handful of Crimson Tide standouts who hope to be selected this weekend, beginning with the first two rounds tonight. Under a new more broadcastfriendly format, teams will have 10 minutes to make picks during the first round, seven minutes in the second. Rounds three through seven will be Sunday until Mr. Irrelevant (who in 2007 was Detroit Lions defensive back Ramzee Robinson) is announced at No. 256 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fall 2007: Concussion
2002: Right shoulder surgery and a small bicep tendon tear in her right arm. Both were fixed in one surgical procedure.
Summer 2007: Torn labrum in left arm, in front of the shoulder. Spring 2009: Hit with ball on her right arm causing a deep bone bruise. She has worn a brace since. Summer 2007: Compartment syndrome release on her lower right leg
Spring 2007: Right knee arthroscopic surgery
NFL DRAFT
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
Wilder KO’s Rabotte in first round
■ When: Today at 3 p.m.; Sunday at 9 a.m. ■ Where: New York ■ Format: Teams have 10 minutes to make selections in first round, seven minutes in second round, and five minutes in rounds 3-7. ■ TV: ESPN (ESPN2 8 p.m. today) and NFL Network
“I’ll probably start paying attention in the second round,” running back Glen Coffee said. “It’s exciting, but at the same time I still have a lot of work to go. I still have (training) camp. I still have to make the team.” Coffee, whose draft stock appears to be on the rise of late, could be selected on the first day along with Caldwell and safety Rashad Johnson of Sulligent, after apparent first-round lock Andre Smith. Quarterback John Parker Wilson is also expected to be drafted, SEE DRAFT | 5C
Despite numerous injuries throughout her career, Alabama second baseman still going strong By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Editor
TUSCALOOSA | Lauren Parker has gone through operations on both shoulders, her right arm, her right knee and her lower right leg. She’s also had a major concussion, a deep bone bruise in her elbow, several muscle strains and the usual scrapes and bruises that come from playing collegiate softball. About the only part of the University of Alabama senior second baseman’s body that hasn’t needed a major repair is her left leg. “That’s pretty much it,” said her fa-
laugh about all the injuries she has played through in her softball career. She can do so because five ■ Where: Alabama Softball operations and hundreds of hours Complex ■ Schedule: Today, doubleheader in the training room have not kept her down. at 1 p.m.; single game on Sunday “The day I quit playing, somebody’s at 1:30 p.m. ■ Records: Alabama 40-8 overall, going to have to carr y me off the field,” she said. “I’ve been through all 16-6 in SEC; Auburn 28-21, 8-14. these injuries and I could have quit on ■ TV: WVUA the first one in high school and then ■ Radio: 90.7 FM I could have quit on the second one or the third one, but I’ve just got this ther, Joel, a carpenter in Port Neches, passion inside of me. “As long as my body’s going to go, Texas. “I think she’s still got moveI’m going to go.” ment in her fingers.” Like her father, Parker can SEE PARKER | 4C
ALABAMA VS. AUBURN
STAFF FILE PHOTO
Antoine Caldwell is one of several former Alabama players who hope to hear their name called this weekend at the NFL Draft in New York.
Titans split with Bulldogs By Aaron Suttles Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA | When you’ve reached heights not before attained, sometimes you momentarily lose control of the things that were seemingly natural before. The Holy Spirit High School baseball team can vouch for that. After playing solid, fundamental baseball all season long and through last week’s first-round playoff games, the Titans suddenly looked around and
For video highlights of Holy Spirit vs. Sweet Water, visit www.tuscaloosanews.com.
were hit squarely in the face with the realization that they were in the second round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs. Then they panicked. STAFF PHOTO | MICHAEL E. PALMER Holy Spirit committed eight errors in game one of its best-of-three sec- Holy Spirit’s Michael Tant reaches for home plate as Sweet Water ond-round playoff series with Sweet catcher Eric Lynne tags him out during Friday’s Class 1A second-round SEE TITANS | 3C playoff game.