The Daily Chronicle from De Kalb, Illinois • Page 10

B2 DAILY CHRONICLE, Online at NIsitexora and Wednesday, September 25, 2002 Sports Morris edges Sycamore golfers in Redskin country ft' rj I --r Ryan Evans each had a 41. Kaneland's Milo French tied Zolecki's nine-hole total with a 39 and coming in next was Stephen Schenk (41). Neil Eckman and Andrew Burkholder tied with a 42 for the Knights. Kaneland (10-1, 3-1 Suburban Prairie Conference) travels to face Lemont High School on Thursday for a 4 p.m. meet Indian Creek boys win, Somonauk girls triumph SHABBONA Indian Creek High School's boys golf team continued its roll on Tuesday with a 164-179 victory over Somonauk High School.

The Timberwolves' Kyle Davis led the pack, shooting an even-par 37 to notch meet medalist honors. Davis isn't the only strength of Indian Creek, however. Joel Johnson's 40, Kyle Mitchell's 41 and Nathan Hart's 46 helped Indian Creek post its 14th win of the season against just four losses. "We are getting good scores right now from Joel Johnson and Kyle Mitchell to go along with Kyle Davis," Indian Creek coach Gary Richardson said. "Their games are coming together really well.

Nathan is really improved and we need to get him going before region-als." Luke Hochstatter fired Somonauk's top score with a 43. Nate Rousseau and Jon Napolitano both shot 45 while Blake Christopher finished his nine holes with a 46. In the girls meet, the Bobcats Emily Zuege's 52 led SHS to a 218-246 win over the Timberwolves. Nicci Schultz's 54 paced the Bobcats scoring while Megan Decker and Jill Maroscia each shot a 56 to give Somonauk its winning score. Chronicle photo HOLLY LUNDH Northern Illinois' Gerard Taylor (15) tries to catch up to Western Illinois' Stacy Coleman (7) during Saturda8 disappointing 29-26 loss to the Leathernecks.

NIU's defense has been far too generous In yielding yardage this season. Huskies' early season featured tough losses, multiple injuries From Staff Reports MORRIS Close, but not quite enough. That has been the story too often in the mind of Sycamore High School golf coach Andrew Stacy when his Spartans have competed on the road this season. On Tuesday it was the same story as Morris High School defeated Sycamore 158-160 at the Morris Country Club. The Spartans are now 4-7 this season and 2-3 in the Suburban Prairie Conference White Division.

"It's tough to lose these close matches, especially on the road where we've struggled," Stacy said. "We've talked about the importance of not wasting strokes during a round and playing smart. Tonight really emphasizes that point when you lose by two strokes Morris's Steve Chamberlin was medalist with a nine-hole round of 36. Sycamore was led by Karl Bchrens (38), Daniel Painter (38), Chris Brown (40) and Bo Smith (44). "Behrens played well, finishing the round with two birdies," Stacy said.

"Painter and Brown also put together nice rounds. We need to be able to put together four solid scores as a team." Sycamore competes Thursday when it hosta Belvidere High School at 4 p.m. Minooka squeezes by Kaneland in SPC action MINOOKA Minooka High School had four players shoot a 41 or under to defeat Kaneland High School 161-164 on Tuesday afternoon. Jon Zolecki led Minooka's charge by firing a meet best 39. Bob Steinmetz followed with a 40 and David Martinez and ROYALS from B1 Royals coach Larry Peppers said.

H-BR travels to Leland High School on Thursday for a 4:15 p.m. match. Kaneland puts in extra work ELMWOOD PARK -Kaneland High School figured out the best way to miss traffic play some overtime. The Knights battled Elmwood Park High School through two overtimes before losing 2-1. The Knights led 1-0 following a goal by Mike Ott and Bears sign DT Ernest Grant CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bears signed defensive tackle Ernest Grant to a two-year contract Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Grant played in 1 1 games, starting three, for the Miami Dolphins in 2001. He had 22 tackles and half a sack. The Dolphins drafted him in the Indian Creek's top scores were turned in by Shawna Kauffmann (58), Kimberly -Knudson (58), Elizabeth Eaton- (J4)' and Melissa "Somonauk is really looking forward to regionals. Their scores were really good," Richardson said.

"Our girls didn't have one of their better meets." The Indian Creek boys team will golf again on Thursday at Earlville High School at 4 p.m. while the girls are off until next Thursday when they host the Bobcats again. Somonauk's boys squad hosts Serena High School today at 4 p.m. and the girls hit the course on Thursday at Geneva High School for a 3:30 p.m. meet.

Sandwich hits on all cylinders SENECA Roger Keller waited all season for a performance like Tuesday's. The Sandwich High School golf coach was gleaming after the Indians posted a victory in a three-team Interstate Eight Conference meet held at Nettle Creek Golf Course. Sandwich earned first place by shooting a 159, led by Jay Mullens's 38 and Jon Baker's 39, to knock off Wilmington High School (194) and Seneca High School (202). "It was the first time in the 150s," Keller said. "A couple of players can still improve.

We need golfers to push each other and improve. Jay finally got into the 30b. He has been working hard to get into position to battle for number one James Kveton and Robert Ixntzen completed Sandwich's scoring card as euch shot a 4 1 The Indians move forward to Thursday's 4 p.m. match at Indian Creek High School. two overtime sessions.

Elmwood Park pulled out the victory due to an 8-7 margin in penalty kicks. The Knights host Iiemont High School on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. here in the twilight meet two weeks ago. Both Alison and Kaylie had strong races. They continue to improve.

Oh, for the need of two more girls." The Indians cross country squad travels to Mendota High School on Thursday. tratw 4MJ1A "1 a DVIII luxury at Cawgar tM9 I "I VC an DeKalb Sycamore www.bnanbemis.com remained ahead thanks to a solid defensive effort Kaneland held the Tiger scoreless until allowing a goal with 1:15 left in regulation to tie the game at 1-1. The contest was still tied after team than their team," he said. The Leathernecks, led by quarterback Russ Michna, proved him right at least on the offensive end by dissecting the Huskies. WIU might as well been dressed in No.

1 rated University of Miami The Leathernecks bombarded Northern Illinois with a onslaught of big plays. WIU had 16 plays of 10 or more yards among its 80 plays. That was never more painfully obvious than on Western Illinois' game-winning drive. Stacy Coleman -the leader of the motorcade with a Huskie Stadium record 215 receiving yards hauled down catches of 16, 11 and 37. The entire crowd of 23,598, the best attendance in over two years, knew Coleman would get the ball, yet the Huskies still couldn't stop him.

They spread us out and got us in open air," said NIU coach Joe Novak. "The (WIU) wideouts really hurt us." Northern Illinois' offense needs Fleck and Keith Perry to return. Sam Hurd and Dan Sheldon have proven to be valuable additions to the receiving corps, and both have a promis-iilg future, but nothing beats experience. Fleck and Perry's experience level can certainly speed up Josh Haldi's growth process. The Huskies were 3-of-13 on third down conversions against the leathernecks and for the second week in a row, generated no offense with the See HUSKIES, on B6 and sweats.

The injury curse continued as Anthony Falbo missed the entire second half and Gerald Taylor and Akil Grant both left the game for short periods. Now, the Huskies must tread through the shark-infested waters of the MidAmerican Conference in hopes of gaining the bulk of victories necessary for a third consecutive winning season. The non-conference season, and especially the WIU game, exposed a number of holes that badly need patching up before the start the MAC First, the Huskies must get healthy. The return of Thompson and possibly even Lionel Hickenbottom in a few weeks will help immensely. Michael Turner has taken his game to another notch the last two weeks, but Thomas Hammock, who will be undergoing testa with a specialist at the University of Minnesota on Thursday, might still return to help the depleted I luskie oflbn.se.

Second, Northern Illinois' defense must play up to the level it showed at the University of Wisconsin. The Huskies allowed 451 yards total offense against Wake Forest University, 389 at the University of South Florida and 417 to Western Illinois. Western Illinois' Jon Kowalyshen, who blocked Steve Azar's first quarter 51-yard field attempt, said it best during the postgame in assessing NIU's team. "Coach said we have more Division I-A players on our By Bobby Narano Chronicle Sporta SlulT DeKALB Northern Illinois University 'h 2002 non-conference schedule wasn't for the faint of heart. The Huskies put their fans through a roller-coaster ride of emotions, exhibiting a multitude of highs and lows through four games.

At least the best part of Saturday's striking 29-26 loss to Division I-AA Western Illinois University was it marked the end of a baffling non-conference slate. The last two years, both 6-5 seasons, were highlighted by two non-conference victories. But that wasn't the case this year. Injuries have been the toughest opponent for the Huskies this season, whether it be from practice or games, the 2002 squad has been beset with injuries. Watching the leathernecks celebrate Huskie Stadium was painful for the NIU faithful, but paled in comparison to counting NIU's walking wounded.

The coin toss before last Saturday's opening kickoff was a true indicator of NIU's frustrating early season. As captains Larry Williams, Kric Didesch and Tim Vincent stood in the center of the field in full pads and uniform, the trio of Thomas Hammock, P. J. Fleck and Vince Thompson were 15 yards directly behind chatting with an official near the sideline. All three were reduced to wearing just their jersey tops Notre Dame's 1949 Heisman winner, Leon Hart, dies at 73 CROSS COUNTRY from B1 and Kaylie Hartman 25th.

"We wanted Mariana to try to take the lead at the end," Pax said. The second time through the woods she passed (into first place) and was able to win comfortably. (The second-place runner) beat her CHECK OUR OFPRE-DRIVM VEHICLESI 11,098 DVill Art! IMS CD Mud Set P-107M 1 991 1 825 BRIAN BJEMI1 Hart, a mechanical engineering student, also was an outstanding student, Lattner said. "Leon was probably a little more intelligent than the average football player," Hall of Fame lineman Lou Creekmur, who played for the Lions from 1950-59, said from his home in Plantation, Fla. "He had a degree in engineering and he had an IQ that was a lot higher than the rest of us.

"Sometimes he'd flaunt it" Playing in the NFL from 1950-57, Hart helped the Lions win titles in 1952, 1953 and 1957. He earned All-Pro honors in 1951. During his pro career, Hart played end, defensive end and fullback. In his eight seasons with the Lions, he had 174 catches for 2,499 yards and 26 touchdowns. He ran for 612 yards and five touchdowns, all in 1956, and had four interceptions, eight kick returns and twice returned fumbles for touchdowns.

After retiring from football, Hart lived in Birmingham, and ran a number of businesses, including one that made tire-balancing equipment His son, Kevin, played for the Irish from 1977-79. His grandson, Brendan, is a walk-on junior tight end for the Irish. A funeral service is scheduled for Saturday in Birmingham, Mich. He will be buried on the Notre Dame campus. going to be a great player, lie was second team to Jack Zilly, our regular right end, and he played an awful lot as a freshman.

That didn't happen a lot at Notre Dame." Lujack said the 6-foot-5 Hart was on the losing end of game once in college. In 1948, some former Irish players suited up and played in the spring game against the Irish. "We beat them; the pickup team beat them, and they were undefeated," Lujack said. "We had a really good time. I think that was the only time the varsity was beaten by the pickup squad." Hart, who was from Turtle Creek, was one of only two linemen to win the Heisman.

Larry Kelly of Yale was the other, in 1936. Hart was the last non-skilled position player to win the Heisman until Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. Hart and former Notre Dame quarterback Angelo Bertelli are the only players to win the Heisman Trophy and national championship in the same season and then become the first overall player taken in the NFL draft Hart was The Associated Press athlete of the year in 1949. "He was a great act," said John Lattner, who won the Heisman at Notre Dame in 1953. "I remember watching him in high school.

He was a great athlete and had a great pro career. He was a nice guy, too." By Tom Coyne AP Writer SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP). -Leon Hart, who won the 1949 Heisman Trophy and helped Notre Dame win three national titles, died Tuesday at 73. He also was a member of three NFL championship teams in his eight seasons with the Detroit Lions.

Hart died at the St. Joseph Medical Center in South Bend, Notre Dame associate athletic director John Heisler said. Hospital spokeswoman Betty Rowley said she did not know the cause of death. "It simply falls into that category of the good die too soon," Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham said. "He has been such a fine person and such a fine player and such an integral part of this program's history." The Irish went 36-0-2 during Hart's four years at the school, winning national championships in 1946, 1947 and 1949, and finishing No.

2 in 1948. He was one of the last two-way players at Notre Dame. John Lujack, a quarterback who won the Heisman in 1947, said he knew when Hart joined the Irish in 1946 that he was in for a great career. "He was a big freshman, he weighed about 260 pounds, we tried to fool him on a couple of plays and he wasn't very foolable," Lujack said. "We knew he was hit a or Id (815) 895-8105 888-4-B-BEMIS AM lax, mtt, Icwim.

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