SPORTS

Team chemistry makes a difference
David Roach | Staff Reporter

Last time I told you how important the offense is to a sports team, yet some still felt as though defense can do it all.
But, what about team chemistry? Does that factor not play a key role in a team’s success, or lack thereof?
I say, it certainly does.
The aspect of team chemistry has even made its way into the world of video game sports. In fact, I was recently forced to trade a few valuable players from my Houston Texans franchise, on Madden NFL 2005, because they felt miserable being there. It was causing problems with everyone’s performance on the field.
The same is true for sports teams in the real world.
Let’s take the Texas Rangers and their exploits in these past couple of years for example.
Now, here is a team that was boasting the American League MVP Alex Rodriguez on its roster but managed another last place finish in the AL West in 2003, not boasting so much about the latter.
There are obviously numerous reasons for the Rangers being unsuccessful last year, including terrible pitching, but team chemistry no doubt played a key role.
At least some of the other players had to be a little resentful if not at least intimidated by a newcomer to the group pulling in the largest sum of cash ever offered to a Major League Baseball player – a $252 million contract. Plus, “A-Rod” was one of the few, true veterans on the team. The mood in the Rangers locker room was likely a bit awkward, and any coach will tell you off-the-field distractions usually carry onto the field.
So, since Rodriguez eventually desired to leave the organization anyway, Rangers GM John Hart and owner Tom Hicks cut their losses and traded him to the Yankees.
Rodriquez later joked to his wife about being on a team (Rangers) with a bunch of kids, and whether or not he was being sincere, the feelings were obviously there and is some proof the Rangers’ chemistry was not the best mix.
We all then heard the predictions of how terrible the Rangers would be this season without their superstar, and I was one of the critics.
However, the Rangers now have for the most part a cohesive group of young players at similar points in their careers, and boy did they ever prove our predictions wrong this season. They failed to make the playoffs, but the simple fact of them even having a shot at it says something of the importance of team chemistry, regardless of who is on the roster.
There are other examples of this including Detroit’s upset of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals this past summer and the history-making comeback made by the Boston Red Sox in this year’s American League Championship Series. Neither Detroit’s NBA team nor Boston’s baseball team had the star-power boasted by the competition, yet each squad played as one and got the job done.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s ongoing feud certainly had something to do with their Lakers falling to a Piston team that seemed to have little hope of knocking off a virtual All-Star squad. And, how else can one explain Boston, or any team for that matter, winning four-straight games, two at the Bronx, with its back against the wall to knock off a star-studded New York Yankee club and reach the World Series?
Great team chemistry and a common focus leading to superb play on the field, that’s how.
Sue, it would be nice to still have the best player in baseball, arguably, in a ballpark two hours away. But, the bottom line is I’ll take a team with a shot at a championship over A-Rod any day.


MSU Picks up 25-24 Road Win over East Cantral Tigers
Jennifer Tavlian | Sports Editor

The Indians spent the better part of Saturday’s game against East Central playing catch-up.
But the defense again came to the rescue, stopping Tigers running back King Bennett with 33 seconds left to pick up a 25-24 win.
MSU advances to a 6-2 overall record and 3-1 in the Lone Star Conference South.
East Central chewed up 8:42 of the fourth quarter with a 14-play, 66-yard drive. With the Indians trailing 24-18 with just over four minutes left, Marcus Davis returned a kickoff 50 yards to midfield.
Sophomore running back Ross Harrison shrugged off defenders as he made his way down to the 15-yard line. And it was Harrison who picked up the game-tying touchdown on a 13-yard run.
Kristian Foster’s extra point gave the Indians a one-point advantage.
The Indians were then faced with something they hadn’t had all day; the pressure of protecting the lead.
MSU’s defense stepped up to the challenge, stopping Tigers’ Matt Suffal short on third-and-four with 39 seconds left in the game. Bennett was stuffed on fourth-and-one with 33 seconds left to secure the win.
“We ended up being fortunate,” head coach Bill Maskill said. “We stopped them and that gave us a mental lift. Then the 50-yard kickoff return gave us the momentum.”
The Indians went back-and-forth with the Tigers all afternoon.
Bennett scored first for East Central, but MSU answered with a seven-yard touchdown connection to Mark Crowe from Rahsaan Bell.
Bennett scored again on a 43-yard pass from Wilson Pirtle. The Indians answered with a 27-yard Foster field goal.
ECU went with Bennett again, giving him the ball for a two-yard touchdown run. Bell hit Myron Cooper with a 23-yard pass for the score. A two-point conversion was run in by Bell and the Indians trailed 21-18 at halftime.
Harrison rushed for 130 yards on 16 carries and picked up his third 100-yard game of the season. Bell completed 15-of-22 passes for 141 yards.
Antwaun Hudspeth led the defense with 12 tackles and Kevin Taulton racked up ten tackles.
“We never gave up, never gave in and we never quit believing,” Maskill said. “This gave us a boost of confidence.”
The Indians will try to carry that confidence over to this Saturday when they host their last regular season home game against Eastern New Mexico.
The Greyhounds will come to Memorial Stadium with a 4-1 LSC South record after a 29-22 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville this past weekend.
MSU lost to Kingsville 27-3 on Oct. 16.
MSU has posted four straight seven-win seasons, but never have advanced to the NCAA playoffs.
“In past years, it’s been up to someone else to win and then we might make it in (to the playoffs),” Maskill said. “This year it’s up to us to get in and we have to find a way.”


Lady Indians end game in a Tie
Whitney Schoening | Staff Reporter

This weekend the Lady Indians took on San Angelo State University. The game ended in two sudden death overtimes in which neither teams were able to clinch a victory.
The ladies took an early lead in the first half when Jennifer Schroeder scored an unassisted goal at the 19:17 mark. The lady Indians entered the second half with a new style of defensive play. Coach Jeff Trimble decided to play the second half with man marking and was pleased at the results that came from making the defensive decision.
“I decided to try something different,” stated Trimble. “I put in two freshmen, Aubrey Harris and Melissa Brown, and I was pleased at their performance.”
With the new style of defensive play the Lady Indians were able to keep the Belle’s from scoring until the 75:19 mark in which Shana Brown scored on assist by Megan Lynch bringing the score to 1-1.
The game then went into two 10 minute sudden death overtimes in which neither of the teams scored bringing the game to an end.
Coach Trimble felt that the team played well and while he was concerned with the number of missed corner kicks he states,
“Defensively I think we are doing very well and I am very pleased with our playing.”
The Lady Indians will be on the road this weekend playing their last two games before the Lone Star Conference Finals on November. The Lady Indians will play a double header with the boys against Northeastern State on Friday and then take on the East Central Lady Tigers on Sunday.