The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 23

THE SALflWJbURNAL Sports BASEBALL D3 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL D4 PRO FOOTBALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL End zone has eluded Lockett Swift sophomore receiver still making catches, but has yet to score a touchdown By ARNE GREEN The Salina Journal AP file photo K-State receiver Aaron Lockett, shown celebrating one of his six touchdown catches last season as a freshman, returns to his home state Saturday. MANHATTAN On the schedule, it is Oklahoma State's homecoming. But Aaron Lockett hopes this is the week he leads a homecoming parade of his own straight into the Cowboy end zone. Lockett, Kansas State's speedy sophomore receiver, would like nothing better than to break his season-long scoring drought Saturday in Stillwater, located less than an hour from his hometown of Tulsa. "I'm hoping this is the week," said Lockett, who still has 22 catches half his freshman total for 334 yards through Six games.

"If it was to come any week up to now, I'd love it to be this weekend. "I've had the opportunity three times to get inside the five, but I just can't get in the end zone." A year ago, Lockett got there six times and broke a school record by averaging 21.1 yards per reception. He is still averaging 15.3 yards a catch this year, but the new big- play receiver has been junior college transfer Quincy Morgan with 24 receptions for 607 yards a 25.3-yard average and six touchdowns. "If I can get in the end zone it definitely Wlwn: Saturday, 11:30 a.m. WnofV! Lewis Field, StlHwa- ter, Okla.

TttovMon: Fox would be an asset to our offense," Lockett said. "If I can start producing a couple of points, make a couple of more big plays and raise my level of play to Quincy's level, we would definitely be a more effective offense." Morgan, a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder with sprinter's speed, has benefited from opponents' attention to Lockett. But he said it is only a matter of time before his teammate finds his way across the goal line. "We talk about it every week," Morgan said. "He's a big-play guy.

I'd love to see him score a touchdown. Unfortunately right now it's just not working out. "He's still being the leader that he is. He's going out and making plays when we need them. Hopefully his time will come at home (in Oklahoma)." Regardless, Morgan said, Lockett's value to the offense is immeasurable.

"He's been like a brother to me, as far as helping me get the offense down and helping me along," Morgan said. "We'Vte become really close, playing along each other and helping each other. "I think he's as happy for me as anybody else is right now." At 5-7, 155 pounds, Lockett presents a smaller target than Morgan, but one with a proven ability to get behind defenders. Last year he caught five passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma State in Manhattan, a feat he would love to duplicate this weekend. "It's going to be kind of interesting to see how they do it against us," Lockett- said with a smile.

"Last year they played some man and we were able to get some big plays on them. This year that may See 'CATS, Page 03 COLLEGE SOCCER Defense, late goals send KW past Bethany Coyotes deny Swedes with third shutout in their last four games By ARNE GREEN The Salina Journal Kansas Wesleyan, fit to be tied much of the season, is starting to find ways to win. The Coyotes held their own with a solid defensive effort Bethany 0 Tuesday night, then struck for two quick goals KCAC MEN Wesleyan in the closing minutes to claim a 2-0 Kansas Conference soccer victory over Bethany at Martin Stadium. Bethany won the women's game, 5-1. The Coyote men, who improved to 11-1-4 with a 5-0-1 league record, got both of their goals in the last nine minutes of a tense back-and-forth match that saw both teams come up empty on several scoring chances.

In the 82nd minute, Murad Dibbini spotted Merrick Henry near the Bethany goal and played a long ball through. It bounced off two Swede defenders and landed in front of Henry, who slid it past goalkeeper Nathan Keith into the lower left corner. "I saw Murad and kind of made eye contact," said Henry, who also assisted on the Coyotes' second goal. "The ball bounced off a few defenders and was right at my feet. "It was thinking, 'OK, I have to put it It was more of a placement." The second goal, in the 86th minute, started with a run down the right side by defender Thomas Potter, who played the ball to Henry.

Henry held the ball until Potter could get back onside, then fed it to the middle, where an open Craig Peck placed it low past Keith into middle right portion of the net. "We were running down there together and I waited for him," Henry said. Bethany had two golden opportunities midway through the second half but just missed the mark. In the 68th minute, Brian Taylor got open about 15 yards from Wesleyan's goal on the right side, but fired just wide of the far post. Four minutes later, Michael Meachum delivered a long crossing pass from the left corner that Eli McBride headed high and to the right.

Wesleyan keeper Frank Bustos also was forced to come up with a big save late in the first half when he was caught just off his line by Todd Muschik. Muschik let go a blast from 35 yards out that a back-pedaling Bustos punched straight up, then tipped again, over the cross-bar. "The big thing I've been pleased with is our play in back on defense," said Wesleyan coach Brian Berner. "I expect Murad and Merrick to make big plays. "Our defense has really played well." It was the third shutout in the last four games for the Coyotes.

And after tying their league opener against Southwestern they have won five straight. "After going through four ties, we decided that we couldn't let down any more," said Henry. "We just started playing like a team. I feel real good about winning against these guys." Berner said he was concerned about facing Bethany, a team the TOM DORSEY The Salina Journal Kansas Wealeyan'a Carrie Stryjek (left) and Bethany's Jaime Fry collide while going for the ball See WOMEN, Page 04 during Tuesday's Kansas Conference game at Martin Stadium. PRO FOOTBALL Alexander ready for return By DOUG TUCKER The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, When Dale Carter first returned to Kansas City after starring in the Chiefs' defensive secondary for most of this decade, Derrick Alexander was intrigued.

"It must be a funny feeling to go back into the stadium where you used to play and play against your old team," Alexander said last month when Carter came in as a member of the Denver Broncos. Then Alexander added, "I know it's going to feel funny to me when we go to Baltimore." Now that day is about to arrive. Alexander, who leads the Chiefs with 379 yards in pass receptions, will get his first look at his former fans and teammates when the Chiefs (3-2) play the Ravens (2-3) Thursday night in Baltimore. "I think it's going to be fun," Alexander said. "It's special because you always want to play well against the team you used to play for, no matter what the situation was.

But it's really just another game. We've got to go out and play well." Alexander had two good seasons in Baltimore before signing a free agent contract with the Chiefs following the 1997 season. He caught 64 passes for 1,099 yards When: Thursday, 7:20 p.m. Where: PSINet Stadium, Baltimore. Television: ESPN.

and nine TDs in 1996, then the following year had 65 receptions for 1,009 yards and another nine TDs. "I'm excited about going back and playing for somebody I used to play for," said Alexander, who had 54 catches for 992 yards and four touchdowns with the Chiefs last season. Unlike Chiefs' running back Bam Morris, who left Baltimore under something of a cloud, Alexander simply took a better offer from Kansas City. "There's no bitterness at all. I left there on good terms," Alexander said.

"I'm just looking forward to getting back and playing in the new stadium." While Alexander tries to play down his return to Baltimore, he's not fooling his teammates. "He's already up for it. He talked about it a long time ago," said quarterback Elvis Grbac. "I think he's excited about going back there. He left on his own, just a part of the deal.

But any time you go back to play your former team, you want to play extremely well." COLLEGE BASKETBALL Top prospect commits to KU Six-foot-5 Stevenson is regarded as one of the top five prospects in the nation By The SaHna Journal LAWRENCE DeShawn Stevenson, regarded by many recruiting analysts as one of the top five high school basketball prospects in the country, has given a verbal commitment to Kansas, Stevenson, a 6-foot-S senior from Washington Union High in Fresno, said Monday night he'd chosen Kansas over Fresno State, UCLA, Connecticut and Kentucky. Stevenson, who visited the KU campus last weekend for Late Night With Roy Williams, said he called coach Williams and told him he would sign a letter of intent with the Jayhawks during the early signing period, which starts Nov. 10. "I picked Kansas because of the great coach and great tradition," Stevenson said. "I knew I wanted to go there the whole time.

Kansas has been watching me since the seventh or eighth grade. "Coach Williams was honest with me. Big 12 coaches poll Page D4 He was an assistant for Dean Smith (at North Carolina). He must know something." Stevenson also said he was reassured that Williams would not leave for another school or the NBA while Stevenson was at Kansas. "I asked coach Williams and he said he was staying there because he loves Kansas and that's the school for him," Stevenson said.

Stevenson averaged 27 points a game last year in leading Washington Union to the California Div. Ill state title. Last year, he was first-team all-state and California's junior player of the year. He also was the California Div. Ill Player of the Year.

The Jayhawks may also get another California prep star. Travon Bryant, a 6-8 forward from Long Beach's Jordan High School, said he is also leaning toward the Jayhawks after visiting KU over the weekend. Bryant said he favors the Jayhawks over California, Kentucky and Missouri, where he will visit over the next three weekends. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Braves survive Mets in Braves blow 5-0 lead in first inning, then win on bases-loaded walk By BEN WALKER The Associated Press ATLANTA It was amazin' all right and in the end, it was the ii Atlanta Braves with the miracle. BravM 10 Andruw Jones drew a bases- loaded walk from Kenny Rogers with one out in the llth inning and the Braves somehow survived a final string of Mets' comebacks, beating New York 10-9 Tuesday night to win the NL Championship Series 4-2.

On a night that had even more drama than the Mets' 4-3, 15-inning victory Sunday at Shea Stadium, the teams gave a roaring, raucous crowd of 52,335 all it could handle. The Braves wrecked the Mets' hopes of a Subway Series and advanced to the World Series to face the New York Yankees. Game 1 in the rematch of the 1996 Series will be Saturday night at Turner Field. The Mets, who trailed 5-0 in the first inning, looked like they might become the first team in postseason history to win three in a row after losing the first three. But after the Mets took a 9-8 lead on Todd Pratt's sacrifice fly hi the 10th at exactly the stroke of midnight, the Braves tied it in the bottom of the inning on pinch-hitter Ozzie Guillen's single.

Then in the llth, Gerald Williams led off with a double and moved up on Walt Weiss' sacrifice. Two intentional walks loaded the bases for Jones, and he worked the count full before taking a ball high and outside. Mets manager Bobby Valentine slammed the railing on the top step of the dugout and shouted, "Oh, no!" when Rogers missed. The tension showed on both sides, as every player, coach and person in each dugout was up against the railing for the final batter. The crowd, including a healthy dose of Mets fans, shouted along in the fifth straight game of the NLCS decided by one run.

Russ Springer wound up thjjC winning pitcher. Braves catcher Eddie Perez, a starter because Javy Lopez was out for the season, was MVP of the series. Now the Braves get a chance avenge their loss to the Yankees in" the October 1996. This marks the first time Series rivals have met in the regular season Atlanta went 2-1 at Yankee Stadium in inter- league play right after the All-Star break. The Mets, four outs from elimination in Game 4 and two outs away in Game 5, almost found another way to win.

With "Why not?" written on a clubhouse board, they scored three times in the sixth to chase starter Kevin Millwood and make it 5-3. Mike Piazza, banged up and silent for most of the week, home- red off reliever John Smoltz to tie it at 7 in the seventh. SUGGESTIONS? CALL BOB DAVIDSON, SPORTS EDITOR, AT (7M) tKMtt) OR 1-IQ04874JW OR E-MAIL AT vWtoneMljOUrnal.com.