Rangers Rise Keys to Victory and Fall
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on the Cowboys roster is Tashard Choice and believe me Choice is the right choice when it comes to a third down back. Choice has both speed and the hardiness needed to be a pounder. Not as much as Jones or Barber of course but enough to give the opposing Defensive coordinator a headache. As a group the Cowboys threeheaded monster will give Dallas something they haven’t had since their dynasty of the 90’s, a running game. There is one key factor that you cannot forget in the rushing equation. That is the BIG-FELLAS up front. It all starts in the trenches. As an offensive lineman myself i gotta give some love to those who never get any credit. Because when it comes down to it, nobody not Barber not Choice not Jones not even Emmit Smith would get anywhere without those big bodies leading the way. Well Emmit might make it but honestly how many Emmits’ you see out there? Exactly not many, which is why Dallas’ big o-line and three headed monster will lead them to the promise land. But there is a saying in the NFL that saying is that defense wins Championships. Some may argue whether that helps or not, but i say that a strong defense certainly does help. Led by DeMarcus Ware the Dallas defense is a defense that on one day can shut out a team yet another day let a offense have them for breakfast. According to “espn. go.com” the Dallas defense ended the season ranked number eight
New Coach Q&A
Most of us know or have heard about the photojournalism teacher, Mr. Josh King, or the art teacher, Mr. Jay Asp. What you might not know is come the end of October, they will become known as Coach King and Coach Asp to the girl’s basketball program. So, let’s get to know these new additions a little better... Q: Why did you want to become a basketball coach here at Central? Asp: Because I saw the greatness of Mitchell Davis and wanted that influence to make me a better human being. King: I wanted to be like Gene Hackman in the movie Hoosiers. Q: What are you most looking forward to this season? Asp: Sweater vests, angry tirades, and blocking helpless little girls’ shots in practice King: Working exclusively with Mitchell Davis. Q: Did you play any sports in high school? Asp: Yes, football, basketball and track King: Yes, football, basketball, track and baseball Q: Beside coaching and teaching, what else do you like to do?
Ashley Bryce Staff Writer
overall, allowing 294.3 yards a game and an average of 22.8 points a game. That means the offense has to score at least 24 points to win and in today’s NFL that is hard to do. To be succesfull this year the defense has to step up and hold opposing offenses to significantly lower points and yards this season than last. Now i’m not saying they have to shut them out or anything, just hold them enough to give Romo some confidence and take off some of the pressure so Tony can just go out there and play his game. In order to do that everyone has to step up, the defensive line and secondary especially. Both can make plays when they want to and both show great effort most of the time. They NEED to show it all the time. Surrounding the ball carrier and flying to the ball goes a long way in todays league. One final ingredient the Cowboys need to succeed this season. That is staying healthy at every position. Just like last year, this year Dallas is not very deep in any position and any injuries will result in catastrophe. Last year Dallas lost way too many people they lost the punter Matt McBriar for the season, Romo for six weeks, Felix Jones for the season, and many more than i can count on my fingers. If Dallas stays healthy, they run the football and they defense steps up there is no reason why the Cowboys cannot be a playoff caliber team this season.
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Brent Pollard Staff Writer Going into the 2009 MLB season, Texas Ranger fans were hopeful for a playoff berth for the first time since 1999, where they were swept in the first round. Fans were very excited about their powerhouse lineup, lead by stars Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Hank Blalock and Michael Young. According to cbssports.com the Rangers’ minor league system “boasts groves and troves of talent, headlined by starting pitchers Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, and Michael Main.” The division winner of four of the last five years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, lost Fransisco Rodriguez and Mark Texiera in the off season, two of their best players. With all that said, without a doubt the Rangers would make the playoffs, right? The Rangers’ season started with promise, as the top run-scoring team in the American League. Every hitter in the lineup from top to bottom seemed to be having an all-star season, and the pitching staff was doing better than they had in several seasons. Coming out of the second half of the season, the Rangers continued their success. However, they were losing ground to the Angels in the division race, and it seemed they would be in a very tight wild card race with the Boston Red Sox. The Rangers kept up the pace with Boston, but come the final month of baseball, the Rangers repeated what they do every year: choke (although it normally occurs in July instead of September). The Rangers still had a good winning percentage in September. However, they failed to win games when they had a chance to gain ground on the Red Sox. As September went along, the gap between the Red Sox and Rangers kept growing. As usual, the Rangers successfully disappoint their fans. “The Rangers choke again as usual,” said Justin Roden, 12. Once again, playoffs are off in the distant for the Rangers. Crucial injuries along with the bats cooling down left the Rangers in a position of winning being a difficult task. The Rangers were unable to beat the teams playoff teams should beat, like the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. Excluding Scott Feldman, who was dominate down the stretch, the pitching continued their usual ways before the 2009 season. Although the Rangers slumped towards the end of the season and failed to make the playoffs, it can not be forgotten how good of a team they were this season and the excitement they brought to the fans. The power hitting of Kinsler, Cruz, and Young and the performance of the young pitching staff kept fans entertained for this season and very hopeful for the 2010 season. Although the Rangers were much more successful in this season than in several years, once again they leave their fans looking forward to next season rather than the post season.
Jackson Wallace Staff Writer The Dallas Cowboys started the regular season off right with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The final score was 34 to 21. In order to continue their success the cowboys will need to rely on their running game to get them through December and hopefully January and February. Dallas has several options at running back, their starter Marion Barber is a pounder. He can break tackles and knock a Mike linebacker straight off his feet. According to “NFL. com” Barber carried the rock 238 times for 885 yards in the 2008 season. With an average of 3.7 yards a carry and 59 yards a game, Barber doesn’t get much but he does loosen up the defense enough for Tony Romo to air it out to somebody like Roy Williams or Miles Austin. Number two on the Cowboys depth chart at running back belongs to none other than Felix Jones out of Arkansas. Jones is an electrifying player, he can break one at any time and provides that speed threat that the Cowboys need desperately in the backfield. Jones only played in the first six games last year for Dallas but oh what a six games it was. According to “espn.go.com” Jones had 30 rushing attempts for 266 yards and averaged an whopping 8.9 yards a carry. I can almost guarantee that had Jones not gone out for the season the Cowboys would’ve made the playoffs in 2008. The third and final running back
Asp: Play with kittens, knit sweaters, participate in mixed martial arts fights, and return the many phone calls from Mr. King wanting to hang out with me. King: Travel, I like visiting new places and learning about other cultures; I also like taking pictures. Q: What do you for see for this basketball season? Asp: Total world conquest King: I see the opportunity for improvement and chances to do good well this season. Q: As the “new” coach, how well do you get along with the rest of the coaching staff? Asp: They all hate me because I’m so much better at basketball and better looking then they are. King: I get along with everyone except Mr. Asp, I don’t know what it is about him, but they’re all pretty funny to be around. Q: What is your number one goal for this season? Asp: To not get punched in the face by coach McKinney. King: To kill Mr. Asp in creative side line gear and get better as a team.