Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • B1

mfitw ws-Iournal CLASSIFIEDS SPORTS ALSO INSIDE Obituaries: 5B Comics: 6B INSIDE THIS sA. mm SECTION THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 No weak links in Lobo Invitational This past season was a storied run, collectively, for East Texas teams. The 2014 season saw the first soccer state championship come back to the Hallsville girls, Tatum boys hosting soccer tournaments this weekend teams make the trek to Longview beginning today for the 2016 Lobo Invitational. "We're not short of good teams and we've set this up with quite a schedule," Wright said. "There's no padding in this one." Ten area teams will kick off the three-day event today at Lobo Stadium and the Longview High School grass fields.

Nacogdoches, Jacksonville and John Tyler will compete in Group A. Joining the Lobos in Group will be Mount Pleasant and Henderson. Rounding out the field in Group is Forney, Tyler Lee, Lufkin and Kilgo-re. The Panthers, who took down Pi yrtSfr. fgzp- area.

"When you look at the amount of teams that have gone to the regional finals or the state tournament in recent years, it's great to see," Wright said. "It's not just Dallas or Austin area teams anymore. It BY HAYDEN HENRY There was a time when East Texas soccer coaches could set up their schedule against a team where a win wasn't guaranteed, but they had a good feeling of their chances. That's not the case for the area anymore. "One of the things that has changed in the time that I've been at Longview, there was once a time where there were schools that traditionally weren't very good and, now, there's not many teams like that anymore," Lobo head coach James Wright said.

"Times have changed and this game has progressed in this area so much and the competition has really risen." HALLSVILLE LADYCAT SHOWCASE Joining the host Ladycats in the tournament are Pine Tree, Henderson, White-house, Lindale, Pleasant Grove, Mabank and John Tyler in the varsity division and Pine Tree, Henderson, Whitehouse, Lindale and John Tyler in the JV group. Today's schedule at the high school field has Pine Tree vs. Whitehouse (JV) at See SOCCER, Page 2B FROM STAFF REPORTS Hallsville's girls and Tatum's boys will host soccer tournaments this weekend, bringing together 16 total East Texas teams for three days of action at three locations. The Hallsville Ladycat Showcase is a three-day tournament at the high school field and Bobcat Stadium, while the Tatum Tournament is set for Friday and Saturday at Eagle Stadium. James Wright shows that this area is competing and continues to rise." East Texas teams are already off on an follow-up attempt in the 2016 season and large contingent of those See LOBOS, Page 2B Four Hallsville athletes to play at next level Broncos' Manning healthy for playoff BY NATHAN HAGUE first year on varsity.

He ished the season with a .435 batting average, two doubles, HALLSVILLE Four one home run, 13 RBI and an Hallsville High School athletes on-base percentage of .660. will play ball at the next level "He's going to Hendrix Col-Wednesday morning. Erin Mc- lege and that's a very tough Carson Henderson Colton Obertheir Callum will continue her volleyball career at ETBU. Carson Henderson will play baseball at Hendrix College in Arkansas, while Colton Obertheir and Justin Slaten will play baseball at Panola College. McCallum completed her fourth year with the Ladycats this past fall.

During her senior season, she had 70 aces and 231 kills, 267 digs. In her four years, she finished with a total of 207 aces, a hitting percentage of .176, 829 kills, 1,318 digs, 47 blocks, and a pass rat-ing of 1.93 out of three. "She's definitely a huge part of the program," Hallsville head volleyball coach Kayla Whatley said. "Our very first year that we were together, we were 14-23. So it was a little bit of a rough season.

As the program progressed we went 30-10, 38-4 and then this past season we went 35-5. As total record, we were 117-42." McCallum will join an ETBU program that went 21-7 overall school to get into," Hallsville head base-ball coach Scott Mitchell said. "They have high standards at that school and he has exceeded those exceeded those standards. He'll be a great fit there and I have no doubt he'll do very well." Henderson will join a Division III program that finished last year with an overall record of 19-22 and went 7-14 against Southern Athletic Association opponents. "Hendrix was probably one of the best schools I visited," Henderson said.

"I was accepted to a few other pretty good ones as well, but this had the biggest draw to me because it's got the small campus, a really strong academic environment and the campus life is really solid. "The coaching staff there is really fantastic. Coach (Neil) Groat is a going that I will thoroughly enjoy playing for and I really think that we will bring a World Series back to Conway. I look forward to that." BY ARNIE STAPLET0N Associated Press ENGLEWOOD, Colo. It looks like Peyton Manning will be the healthiest quarterback in Denver this weekend.

His counterpart is nursing a sprained right shoulder and his backup a sprained right knee. "I obviously haven't played a ton here in the last few weeks," Manning said Wednesday. "I needed that time in order to get healthy certain parts of my body. At the same time, other parts of your body take advantage of that, right? Not getting hit and not getting pounded on, you try to take advantage of that and feel better for it." Manning, who missed the equivalent of seven weeks with a left foot injury, makes his first start since Nov. 15 when the Broncos (12-4) host the sixth-seeded Steelers (11-6) on Sunday.

Ben Roethlisberger promises he'll do everything he can to be there for the Steelers. He was injured on a sack by Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict in the second half of Pittsburgh's 18-16 wild-card win. Brock Osweiler was injured against San Diego two weeks ago before Manning's epic cameo secured the AFC's top seed and earned him his starting job back. Osweiler worked on the side with strength and conditioning coach Luke Richesson on Wednesday while rookie Trevor Siemian split snaps with Manning. Coach Gary Kubiak said he anticipates Osweiler being healthy enough to serve as Manning's backup against Pittsburgh, however.

Roethlisberger sat out practice Wednesday with QBs Landry Jones and Michael Vick sharing snaps for the Steelers. "I want to be out there (Sunday), unless I'm going to hurt the team," Roethlisberger said. "If you can't throw the ball 25, 30 yards downfield, I think you're hurting your team. So, I don't think we put ourselves in that situation. But if we can find any way possible to get out there, whether it's with pain medicine, whatever it is, if I can deal with the pain and make plays, even if I have to be in a lot of pain the next day, then I'll deal with it." Manning is healthy enough to run Kubiak's offense from under center like he did on 40 percent of his snaps against San Diego.

He mostly worked Justin Slaten David Zalub owskiAP Photo Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws a pass during a practice session Wednesday at the team's headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The Broncos will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a second-round AFC playoff game Sunday in Denver. Manning, who has been slowed by injuries this season, has been named the starter for the game. Erin McCallum and 8-3 in American Southwest Conference play. "I love the campus," McCal Until that point, Henderson, who plans to major in political Roethlisberger's health and availability are a bit murkier.

The two-time Super Bowl champion said he felt "something kind of crunch" when Burfict drove him into the turf. He went to the locker room but returned to lead the Steelers on their winning field goal drive in the final minute. Steelers All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown remains in the NFL's concussion protocol, and starting running back DeAngelo Williams is still a long shot to return from a right foot injury. So the Steelers could be without their top rusher, receiver and passer against the NFL's No. 1 out of the pistol or shotgun formations earlier this season when he was dealing with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.

It's an injury he figures won't be 100 percent until the offseason. "I think we do a good job when we can do everything we have in our playbook," receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. "Peyton's foot is healthy so we can do anything we need to do." What they need is for Manning not to add to the 17 interceptions he threw in just nine starts. "Offensively, we just have to take care of the football, but I think we can do what we need to do," Sanders said. "Peyton's healthy, we're ready." lum said.

"I'm familiar with it science, has high expectations because my older sister played for his Bobcats in 2016. there. I love being close to my "This season I honestly family. My family is a big think we have a chance to go thing. I'm going to be a special- and win the state champi- education teacher.

I feel like I onship and I think that even still have a lot more to work on, though we don't have quite as especially at the college lev- much experience as we've had el." Last year was Henderson's See HALLSVILLE, Page 2B NCAA vote allows Big 12 to hold football championship game SAN ANTONIO (AP) The Big 12 field, for example to play a title plays one, but it was determined to 12's position. left out of the 2014 College Football Conference got what it wanted and game pitting its top two teams, pro- have the right to do so. How the Big 12 would decide who Playoff when both programs had showed the smallest power confer- vided it plays a round-robin regular The decision to play a champi- plays the game would still have to be strong resumes to make the final ence in major college football still has season schedule as the Big 12 does onship game rests with Big 12 mem- determined. Bowlsby said the new four. Many pointed to the lack of a ti- some muscle.

now. ber schools, whose next meetings are rule only requires the "top two" tie game on the final weekend of the A rule change approved Wednes- The vote by the NCAA Division I in early February, Bowlsby said. If teams. season as the reason why. day at the NCAA annual convention Council passed 7-2.

The Atlantic approved this year, a title game could At Texas, one of the league's tradi- The Sooners got in the playoff this will allow the Big 12 to hold a champi- Coast Conference and the American be played as early as next season, but tional powers hasn't won a title since year as the No. 4 seed while the Pac-12 onship game as early as next season if Athletic Conference voted against it. 2017 would be more likely. 2009, President Greg Fenves and new was left out. it wants to.

The Pac-12 didn't vote but later said it "I could not forecast how the athletic director Mike Perrin issued a The right to hold a title game with The change scraps the require- supported the change. school athletic directors, presidents joint statement saying the change 10 schools likely eases the pressure to ment that leagues have 12 members The Big 12 is the only major confer- and chancellors will vote," Bowlsby "opens up a lot of possibilities that we expand, something a majority of Big and play in two divisions in order to ence that doesn't play a football title said. need to look at closely." 12 schools haven't wanted to do in re-hold a title game. The new rule lets a game. League Commissioner Bob Although the Big Ten initially Being the only major conference cent years.

smaller league one with 12 teams Bowlsby said he doesn't know if the wanted to keep divisions as a require- without a championship game hurt However, Bowlsby wouldn't rule in its name but only 10 on the playing change will guarantee the league ment, it ultimately accepted the Big the Big 12 when Baylor and TCU were out expansion..