www.mcdonoughvoice.com ■ The Voice ■ Saturday, June 22, 2013 B1
Sports
QUOTE OF NOTE "I know I enjoy playing in games that mean a lot. I enjoy the big stage. I think we have a lot of players in this room that do that and that's the reason why we keep getting back here." Chicago Blackhawk Patrick Sharp, who leads the NHL with 10 playoff goals
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? INFORMATION? Contact Sports Editor Scott Holland at sholland@mcdonoughvoice.com or (309) 833-2114.
INSIDE TODAY
PRO SPORTS, B2
Standings, schedules and scores HEAT REPEAT, B3
Garza pitches into 9th, Cubs beat Astros 3-1 CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Garza pitched into the ninth inning and Anthony Rizzo hit his first home run since May 18 to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Houston Astros 3-1 on Friday after a rain delay that lasted more than 3 hours. Darwin Barney and
Scott Hairston also homered for the Cubs. The subject of trade speculation, Garza (2-1) allowed four hits and struck out eight in eightplus innings for his first win since beating Arizona on May 31. Garza, who threw seven
scoreless innings Sunday in a no-decision against the Mets, walked Jose Altuve to begin the ninth and was replaced by Kevin Gregg, who earned his 11th save in 11 tries. Chris Carter broke up Garza's shutout bid with a leadoff homer in the sev-
enth. Carter's 15th home run was a sharp line drive to right-center. Rizzo, who entered in a 4-for-40 slump, finished with two hits after the start was delayed by rain for 3 hours, 18 minutes. The first baseman agreed to a $41 million, seven-year
GOING PRO
Miami tops San Antonio COLLEGE CHATTER
ROCHESTER, Mich. (AP) — Oakland University says women's basketball coach Beckie Francis was fired for cause earlier this month. The school released a statement Friday saying Francis' conduct and behavior in April led to an internal review in May when she was suspended without pay. It did not provide any details about her alleged conduct or the review. Francis declined comment Friday. Last week, her husband, Gary Russi, announced his retirement as president of the 19,000-student suburban Detroit university on the same day Francis was relieved of her duties.
IN THE KNOW
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The smell of Notre Dame doesn't come cheap. University licensing Director Michael Low tells the South Bend Tribune that that the Cloudbreak Group is working with Steiner Collectibles to develop the fragrances. Low says ND Gold Eau De Toilette for men and Lady Irish Eau De Parfum will be available this fall, with 3.4-ounce bottles expected to retail for $62. Low says Notre Dame encourages its licensing partners to develop innovative products of high quality that are not commonly available. The Sports Business Daily first reported on the Notre Dame fragrance line earlier this week. It reported that Cloudbreak has built the Yankees scent into a brand worth more than $10 million since rolling it out last spring.
TV BEST BET SATURDAY NHL 7 P.M. NBC — Playoffs, finals, game 5, Boston at Chicago
SUNDAY BASEBALL 7 P.M. ESPN — Texas at St. Louis
MONDAY HOCKEY 7 P.M. NBC — Playoffs, finals, game 6, Chicago at Boston
See CUBS - B4
Former Scot QB Tanney gets job with Bears MONMOUTH COLLEGE MEDIA SERVICES
Oakland U. says it fired women's coach for cause
Company plans Notre Dame cologne, perfume for fans
contract on May 13 and has struggled since the deal, hitting .200 with one home run and 11 RBIs. Barney was a triple short of the cycle for Chicago, which had lost four of five and scored 11 runs in its
SCOTT HOLLAND/THE VOICE
Western Illinois guard Ceola Clark III dribbles the ball up the floor from a game this last March. Clark announced he was signing a professional contract to play basketball in Kosovo.
Clark’s professional career begins in Kosovo WESTERN ILLINOIS MEDIA SERVICES
MACOMB - Reaching the ultimate goal in life brings with it highs and lows. One must have the strength to handle any adversity that comes their way. Ceola Clark III continues to reach for the ultimate goal of playing in the NBA, after having to overcome adversity during his sixyear career at Western Illinois University. The next step in reaching that goal has been accomplished. Clark has signed on to play professional basketball with Sigal Prishtina in Kosovo. “(Sigal Prishtina) gave me a guaranteed contract which is rare for a rookie overseas,” Clark said. Ahmet Kandemir is the head coach of the team that plays in the Kosovo Basketball Super League and the Balkan League. “(Kandemir) speaks real highly of me and thinks he can turn me into a NBA player in a few years,” Clark said. The professional dream was dealt a large blow at the end of his final season as a Leatherneck. Driving into the lane against North Dakota State in the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament, Clark tore his ACL.
It was a gruesome moment for those watching, but Clark was undeterred from letting it affect his future in professional basketball. “I’ve been going to the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, they are really good with high-profile athletes, and said they haven’ t seen anyone with an ACL that has been so far ahead of schedule,” Clark said. The injury occurred on March 11, and if the rehab continues to go as well as it has, he could be back on the court by the end of August. “I started running two weeks ago, there is no projected date, but hopefully I can be back on the court at the end of August,” Clark said. “But, I’m not going to rush it. I’ ll have to see what the doctors say and if it feels right mentally,” he added. The path to signing a professional contract began with finding an agent. He eventually hired Eamon Walsh of Lee Basketball Services. Clark drew interest from teams in Austria and France before landing with Sigal Prishtina. “Kosovo was the best offer for me to play in a high league,” Clark said. “The Balkan League is one of the top leagues overseas,” he added. Sigal Prishtina won
the league championship in six consecutive seasons from 20052010. Playing overseas will be much different than playing with the Leathernecks, however a few of his former teammates at Western have helped Clark in his journey. “I’ve been talking with David Jackson and Louis Johnson (about playing overseas), it’s great to have those guys that you’ve played with help you out and get ready to pursue my dream,” Clark said. Physicality will be the biggest difference in the game for Clark. “I’m coming in at 24 (years old) against guys that are five, six, and seven years (older) that have professional experience,” Clark said. Clark’s best friend and former Northwestern point guard Michael Thompson has also given him advice. “I’ve been talking to him about the game and the things that I need to be conscious of over there,” Clark said. Thompson has spent two seasons playing in France. Clark certainly experienced ups and downs at Western. The Gurnee, Illinois native redshirted his freshman season, 2007-08. That team finished 12-18. Losing seasons followed for the
next three years. “I’ ve been through every situation you can think of,” Clark said. “An injury at the start of the season (2010-11), going through a rebuilding (of the program), coaching changes, and adversity.” The Leathernecks bounced back from a 723 season in 2010-11 to reach the Summit League Tournament championship in 201112. “I know how it feels to be at the bottom and to work your way to the top,” Clark said. Clark wrapped up his Leathernecks career winning a regular season Summit League championship in 201213. The title-clinching win came at Western Hall in front of more than 5,000 fans. “The atmosphere we had there with all the fans was awesome,” Clark said. “The way we started at Western being picked last in the conference to now ending my (senior) year winning a conference championship.” Now it’s on to a dream of playing in the NBA, but the next chapter will be set in Kosovo. “(Sigal Prishtina) will be looking for me to step right in and play, they love my game and it’s going to be a great situation,” Clark said. “I’m very excited,.”
MONMOUTH – Mitch Tanney’s abilities off the field -- rather than what the former Monmouth College quarterback displayed in action -- were the deciding factors in him landing a job this week with the Chicago Bears. Tanney, who graduated summa cum laude in 2006 with degrees in math and Spanish, was hired to fill the Bears’ newly-created position of director of analytics. He will be in charge of analyzing and breaking down data to give the Bears the best options in each situation for every player. In other words, Tanney will be compiling the equivalent of baseball’s sabermetrics. While he’ll never take a snap, Tanney will be calling the signals to some degree on Sunday afternoons. The Bears will use Tanney’s reports for individual game situations, scouting and player development. The older brother of recent Monmouth standout Alex Tanney, Mitch led the Fighting Scots to a Midwest Conference title and their first NCAA playoff appearance in 2005. His academic and athletic background made him uniquely qualified for the position. “There are very few people who have a competitive football background like Mitch does at a key decision-making position as well as the math background he has and the experience in this field,” said Bears general manager Phil Emery. “What you’re trying to do is figure out the probability of success of taking the chance or not taking the chance in terms of a successful outcome not only in that given situation but what it could mean in terms of the overall game.” Tanney experienced plenty of success on the field. As a senior he set the NCAA record for completion percentage (73.6) on his way to a 19-2 record. In 2005, he was named a finalist for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy. After playing for various arena league teams following his career at Monmouth, Tanney earned his MBA from the University of Iowa and had been the manager of football products and sports analytics for STATS LLC. Among his duties at STATS, Tanney performed historical research and comparison data projects. Tanney becomes the second Fighting Scot to land a high-level position with the Bears. Ken Geiger, a 1953 Monmouth graduate, was a scout with the Bears when they won the Super Bowl in 1985.