The Manhattan Mercury from Manhattan, Kansas • 9

MP ft PageBI SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2003 THETANHATTAN MERCURY IfJSIDE Kevin Lockett votes for Snyder to fill KSU opening fcote BASKETBALL Mark Janssen mjanssenthemercury.com "If," Kevin Lockett said, "I had a vote, which I don't, it would be for Bill Snyder." "If," he added, "that he would be who now lives in Kansas City and is manager of Minority Entrepreneur-ship for the Ewing Kauffman Foundation. "Just as it was when President (Jon) Wefald was hired, and just as it was when coach Snyder was hired, this is a defining moment for this football program. "It's at a point that will determine whether you have the opportunity to return to the dominance of the late-1990s, or go back to being a cellar program like it was for all of those years," see No. 2, Page B2 taking the job forthe right reason.If he would agree to take it for three to five years, or beyond, yes, whom would you know what you're getting. That wouldn't be true with any other hire.

You know the team would be well coached and that the team would play hard. Even in the down years, it wasn't because of lack of effort or people being out of position. It was just too early in his stay and we weren't winning, yet." If not Snyder, Lockett, who was in Manhattan this week for an executive committee meeting of the KSU Foundation, requested this wish. "I hope a committee is formed to find the right coach," said Lockett, since the firing of football coach Ron Prince, but added, "It was in very general terms. He gave me no indication what he was thinking." But in Lockett's opinion, "If he feels he's ready for those 18-hour days, he's the right guy." Lockett, who still ranks as KSU's all-time leading receiver with 217 catches and 3,032 yards (1993-96), admitted to hearing that the opportunity had been given to Snyder to return, but insisted that it did not come from his former coach.

With Snyder, Lockett said, "You rather have? But if it's just on an interim basis for next year, then no, that wouldn't be in the best interest for Kansas State." The former Wildcat all-American receiver said he's talked with Snyder It. Wildcats extend losing streak with 56-28 loss to Nebraska 1 VII v- I Wildcats have Wildcats win opener What Michael Beasley did last year individually, Kansas State did as a team. Scoing, rebounding and passing. The Wildcats demonstrated that team play on Friday night as they opened the season with a 96-57 win over Florida at Branv lage Coliseum. B4 KSU women top UTEP Shalee Lehning scored 1 1 points and dished out 11 assistes for her 14th career double-double while Shalin Spani added a game-high 13 points as Kansas State's women's basketball team used a strong start in the second half to defeat UTEP 65-44 on Friday night in El Paso.

B4 it ore7 FOOTBALL 5 Rock Creek falls to Andale Rock Creek ended its season in the Class 4A state quarterfinals Friday with a 46-12 lossto two-time defending state champion Andale at Bishop Stadium after allowing the Indians to build a 33-0 halftime lead. B8 pro FOOTBALL Chiefs prepare for I high-powered Saints The Kansas City Chiefs and their No. defensive unit will face off Jvlth'the top offense in the NFL when bowl hopes dashed in loss to Huskers Mark Janssen mjanssenthemercury.com Four wins, and one game to play (. V. they play the New Orleans Saints today t11a.m.

B5 I SCORES AP Top 25 Alabama (1) 32 Mississippi State 7 Florida (3) 56 $outh Carolina (24) ...6 Simple mathematics says that Kansas State cannot reach the needed six wins to become bowl-eligible in 2008. "Coming in, we wanted to win the North and go to the Big 12 championship game, and win that one," said Joshua Moore. "We had big hopes, but things didn't happen." As to why, no one said it better than junior Brandon Banks. Declining to say that the team was divided, Banks did say, "We have some others that do not" With that being the case following Saturday's 56-28 loss to Nebraska, Kansas State will limp into the 2008 finale Saturday at 2:35 p.m. against an even more lowly 2-9, 0-7 Iowa State team.

"We have kids who are very professional and a professional staff," said K-State coach Ron Prince. "We want to send these seniors out of here with a win. We feel bad for this senior crew, butthat'stherealityofit." Prince praised his team for fighting hard until the end of Saturday's game, and said he didn't expect that to change for the Iowa State game. Senior Ian Campbell added, "I don't ..35 ..,.7 Iexas(4) Kansas .45 Stanford .23 fit pennState(7) 34 Indiana 7 Utah (8) 63 San Diego State .........14 Boise State (9) .45 Idaho 10 Staff photos by Rod Mikinski Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman is sacked by Nebraska defensive linemen Ndamukong Sun and Pierre Allen during the Wildcats 56-28 loss Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The loss was K-State's fifth in a row and officially eliminates them from bowl contention.

see No. 3, Page B2 .30 Ohio State lOiniois ..20 30 Oklahoma State (11). Colorado ...17 Nebraska fans swamp stadium in blowout of Wildcats ..52 Missouri (12) Iowa State 20 Georgia 17 Auburn 13 sh 'p Ball State .31 Miami (OH) 16 BYU(16) 38 Air Force 24 Wildcats defensive back Courney Herndon returns an yards for a in the first quarter on Maryland 17 North Carolina (17) 15 the fans, and I apologize for that. It's unfortunate." Nebraska is not the Nebraska of old by any stretch of the imagination, but Saturday, Kansas State did its best to make the Cornhuskers look like it in the 28-point loss to the Big Red. Nebraska rolled through K-State's defense for 610 yards with a nifty combination of 270 yards on the ground and 340 through the air.

How bad was it? Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz, who averaged just 15 rushing yards per game this season with a total of see No. 1, Page B2 Mark Janssen mjanssenthemercury.com To the few remaining Kansas State fans, it had to be a sickening sound. "Go Big Red! Go Big Red! Go Big Red! Go Big Red!" With Reds out-numbering Purples at the end of the game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium Saturday, the chant of "KSU" could barely be heard. "All of this is pretty hard to believe," said K-State senior defensive end Ian Campbell after Saturday's 56-28 loss to Nebraska. "We just didn't do the right things as a team.

It's not fun for us and it's not fun for ISU (19) -40 31 Boston College Florida State (20) 17 ..28 Cincinnati (22) touisville 20 34 Oregon State (23). California ..21 ..70 Houston. Tulsa (25) 30 No. 14 Wildcats lose to No. 4 Longhoms in five games Big 12 Conference ..56 J- ..28 Joel Jellison Nebraska Kansas State Baylor Texas .41 Sports Writer ..21 The No.

14-ranked K-State volley College K-State sports The NFL "I think she's learning," Fritz said. "She has an opportunity ahead of her to grow as a player and I think she is taking advantage of it." Texas didn't let up in the second set and jumped out to a 9-6 lead. The Wildcats caught up in the middle of the game to tie it up at 15-15. K-State took thelead.butcouldn'thangonasTexas scored five of the last seven point to win the set 25-20. Rita Liliom and Korobkova led the Wildcats with five kills a piece while Destinee Hooker took the lead for the B4 BS B8 14-2) climbed back into the set and tied it at 25-25.

The Longhoms scored three straight points to take the set 30-28. Natalya Korobkova and JuliAnne Chisholm each scored four kills for the Wildcats, and Soriana Pacheco had 12 assists. Ashley Engle led Texas with seven kills and one service ace. Both teams had six errors in the set and the Longhorns had 19 kills. Chisholm finished the match with eight kills and K-State coach Suzie Fritz was happy with the way she played when given the opportunity.

Longhorns with six kills. Pacheco added another 12 assists to extend her match total to 24. Michelle Kocher led Texas in assists at that point in the match with 27. The Wildcats got things going there way in the third set with an early 8-5 lead. K-State led the rest of the set with the Longhorns coming as close as one several times.

The Wildcats fought off a late comeback from Texas to take the set 25-22. Korobkova led the Wildcats in kills see No. 1, Page B4 ball had fourth-ranked Texas exactly where it wanted them Saturday. But a slow start in the fifth set led to the Wildcats falling behind and ultimately losing 28-30, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22, 9-15 at Ahearn Field House. K-State (22-6, 12-5 Big 12) started out on the wrong end of the first set, trailing 4-1 early on.

Midway through the set, the Wildcats came from behind to tie the game at 15-15. K-State went on to build a 20-17 lead, bu Texas (21-3, High School Playoff Football CONTACTS Joshua Kinder, Sports Editor 776-2300, ext 244, ildrrfer9themercury.com Marshal Moon, Sports Writer 776-300, ext 245, rnmoorWtrmercury.com.