The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 19

Home News Tribune IC Contacts Sports Editor Jack Genung: (732) 565-7231 Reporting scores: (732) 565-7237 Fax: (732) 565-7209 E-mail: hnsportsthnt.com On the Internet: thnt.com Sunday, August 10, 2003 NFL Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey irisiPE SI'ORTSWIRE iyuu ivuuiusun io points ieaas tne C2 C6 New York Liberty to a 65-56 victory over the Washington Mystics. C2 apologizes for his comments about Dallas coach Bill Parcells. Cll FOR THE RECORD MARINERS 2, YANKEES 1 Jets practicing deep pass routes By KIT STIER STAFF WRITER Even though the idea is contrary to the offensive tendencies of both their quarterback and the offensive coordinator, the Jets are practicing deep pass routes during this training camp. Coach Herman Edwards, a former defensive back, knows go routes, long pass patterns down the sidelines, and post routes, where a receiver heads deep and toward the direction of the goal posts, which can cause havoc in a defensive backfield in more ways than one. "We're not going to come out throwing bombs," cautioned Edwards, who had two go routes called in the Jets exhibition opener in Tokyo last week and is apt to try more against Cincinnati in the Meadowlands today.

"You have to have it in the arsenal. We have some guys who can run and make a play down field and a guy to throw it to them." Quarterback Chad Pennington, known for his accuracy but not his ability to throw deep, is the guy who supposedly can hit the marks. Receivers Santana Moss, Curtis Conway, who caught a 42-yarder in Tokyo, and Kevin Swayne are the targets with deep threat speed. "My natural personality is to move the chains and take chances when they're obviously there," Pennington said. "While we're in practice we can take more chances and work on it.

We haven't changed our philosophy. We're just working on it in practice because we can. We targeted some areas we need to get better at." Pennington brushes aside the notion he has a weak arm. "It doesn't bother me because it's not the truth," he said. "A deep throw is a mentality.

It's timing, it's trusting your receivers. If you're talking about the Hail Mary, that's a different story." The Jets longest pass play last year was a quick screen from Pennington to Moss for 43 yards. The departed See Jets, Page Cll TODAY Bengals (0-0) at Jets (0-1) lp.m., CBS Ch. 2 ESPN 1050 AM WABC 770 AM LY RIVALRY FRIEND The Associated Press Andy Pettitte allowed only two runs and five hits in a complete game, but suffered the loss. Meche quiets Yankees' bats i 1 1 MM Hi 4 By JEFF MONTEZ STAFF WRITER NEW YORK For all of the story lines bursting from Yankee Stadium's walls in the division-leading Yankees' weekend series against the division-leading Seattle Mariners, the epic Seattle pitcher Gil Meche wrought yesterday Wasn't the first to come to mind.

It wasn't an all-japan slugfest between Hideki Matsui or Ichiro' Suzuki. Brothers Aaron and Bret Boone weren't big factors for their respective teams, and neither Jeff Nelson nor Armando Benitez saw action in the bullpen. But what a sellout crowd of 54,945 did see was Meche, a 24-year-old down-and-n early -out pitcher who missed the last two seasons recovering from surgery in his throwing shoulder, shut down the Yankees' offense for the second time this season with a dominating 2-1 Seattle victory. "This is the type of game I've been looking for," said Meche, who is 13-7 with a 3.63 ERA. Meche's accurate assault didn't take long either.

At 2 hours, 21 minutes, the dissection of the Yankees who managed only three players reach ing base was quick and overpowering. Meche had his way with the Yankees In their previous meeting this year, a 6-0, six-hit win at Yankee Stadium on April 29. He says his shoulder is considerably stronger now than then and the Yankees noticed. Yesterday's eight-inning, two-hit win was his longest, and what he considered his best, pitching performance of his career. See Meche, Page C9 r- -v I GEORGE OlIVARSpecial to the Home News Tribune Keon Braswell, left, and Willie Foster, right, were rivals in high school, but are now teammates at Rutgers.

THREE FRESHMEN FROM MIAMI BONDING QUICKLY AT RUTGERS Pettitte has been anchor of staff NEW YORK There was Andy Pettitte, taking a backseat again, this time to Seattle Mariners right-hander Gil Meche, who overpowered the Yan kees yes- terday. It is not a new place for Pettitte, who has taken the back-seat so many times on In the grand scheme, it doesn't matter which Florida rookie edged the other two in a meaningless late-night sprint. Their race does, however, speak volumes about Rutgers' incoming class and its inherent need for competition. Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano has pulled together three recruiting classes during his tenure, each more talented than the last. And while the product won't be displayed until Rutgers meets Buffalo on Aug.

30, the early returns are encouraging. "I think all the (freshmen) are talented, they just need to get used to things," junior wide receiver Chris Baker said. "Once they get a few more practices with us, it's all ball from there." During their senior year, Daniels' and Foster's Miami Central team defeated Braswell's Norland squad handily, but the head-to-head competition and local familiarity sparked an immediate bond between the three upon their arrival to Piscataway. "(High school rivals) don't always bond most quickly, but that's never been an issue," Schiano said. "They bust each other, but it's fun.

The world is so much smaller with the internet and email and instant message that these kids coming here know each other fairly well. They've kind of created something already." See Rutgers, Page C5 By JOHN AIELLO STAFF WRITER PISCATAWAY Depending on who you ask, the race had three different winners. "I won," Rutgers University freshman cor-nerback Keon Braswell said. "It was close, but I definitely won." Let's set the scene. Three incoming freshmen Braswell, Marcus Daniels and Willie Foster were at Rutgers earlier this summer.

A long way from their Miami homes, the fast friends and future teammates sought some form of entertainment late one night. Instead of calling for pizza or renting a movie, Braswell, Daniels and Foster hit the street. The trio wasn't looking for trouble, but rather a finish line. "We always had a little rivalry," Braswell said. "So we got up at two o'clock in the morning to see who was fastest." Daniels and Foster, wide receivers from Miami Central High School, and Braswell, their counterpart from neighboring Norland High School, burned some of their boundless energy in a 40-yard dash for supremacy.

The winner, in Daniels' opinion? "It was definitely me," the 6-foot-2, 180-pound flash said. And Foster's pick, as if there were any doubt? "I won," Foster said with a smile, indicating he knew more than he was willing to reveal. entire career as a single body of work, as one season, he'd be the Yankees ace for that whole time. Except for Bernie Williams, Pettitte is the senior Yankee in service with nine seasons, the only other link to the past the past here being the days before the latest dynasty; the Buck ShowalterDon MattinglyJack McDowell days. Pettitte came into this season with a .646 winning percentage, behind only Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Clemens among active pitchers with 150 decisions or more; and just ahead of Greg Maddux and Mussina.

That's heady company. Late last month, he became the first pitcher to win 12 or more games in See Anchor, Page C9 RICK CARPINIELLO his own pitching staff, hidden in the shadows of more flamboyant, more decorated starters like Roger Clemens, David Cone, David Wells, Mike Mussina, Jimmy Key, even Kenny Rogers (Yankees manager Joe Torre threw that last one in there). But if you took Pettitte's MARK R. SULLIVANChief photographer Marcus Daniels, left, played at Miami Central High School with Willie Foster. THE NEW JEEP DISCOUNTER SINCE 1946 i JUST 4 MINUTES FROM WOODBBIDGE MALL -f 732.388.1200 1305 SL George Ave.

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