The Columbus Telegram from Columbus, Nebraska • 9

Columbus, Telegram Albion edges NU coach: Huskers not Pierce Labonte on final leg of setting new record to win abandoning player Mid State crown Page 2B Page 7B Page 5B Q) WILIS) Page 1B 4. Sunday, April 21, 1996 mm mm mm mm Phillips goes to Rams Jets take Johnson with 1st pick 1996 nfl draft rincr nniiun FIRST ROUND "If it helps our team, that's all I care about," she said. Considered perhaps the best running back of the draft, PViiltina ran fnr 1 a 1 Jacksonville, Arizona and Baltimore, the teams with picks two, three and four. ST. LOUIS (AP) Despite his off-field troubles, the St.

Louis Rams wanted Lawrence Phillips enough to trade up to sixth in the NFL draft. When their turn came Saturday, the Nebraska running back was still waiting to be chosen. At least two other teams with high picks and an interest in Phillips, on probation for assaulting a former girlfriend, decided to pass on him. Not the Rams. "We obviously don't think it is a major risk," coach Rich Brooks said.

"I'd be kidding you if I didn't think there was some concern." Rams owner Georgia Frontiere said Phillips' past didn't worry her. A 1.722 'yards in 1 New York Jets, Keyshawn Johnson, wr, Southern Cal. 2. Jacksonville, Kevin Hardy, lb, Illinois. 3.

Arizona, Simeon Rice, de, Illinois. 4. Baltimore, Jonathan Ogden, UCLA. 5. New York Giants, Cedric Jones, de, Oklahoma.

6. St. Louis (from Washington), Lawrence Phillips, rb, Nebraska. 7. New England, Terry Glenn, wr, Ohio State.

8. Carolina, Tim Biakabutuka, rb, Michigan. 9. Oakland (from Houston), Rickey Dudley, te, Ohio State. 10.

Cincinnati, Willie Anderson, Auburn. sioner Paul Tagliabue officially opened the proceedings. But then things got strange. Jacksonville selected Illinois linebacker Kevin Hardy, who then drew faint praise from Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin. "He's got to improve his quickness and some of his technique," Coughlin said.

Arizona, which had wanted Hardy or offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden of UCLA, took Hardy's pass rushing teammate, Simeon Rice, a move that shocked even Rice. See DRAFT, Page 7B I NEW YORK (AP) Keyshawn wearing an ankle-length, 3off-white coat and surrounded by entourage of 20, was the toast New York, the first pick in the JNFL draft Saturday. i It might have been Lawrence tPhillips if not for his off-field troubles. Phillips' no-contest plea to mis-jdemeanor assault caused a couple jof teams to back away from him, reshuffling the early selections in ijthe draft. Instead of being predictable, this draft was deceptive.

i The top teams did just what said they wouldn't do, partic- i Phillips iwf. ouspeiiueu for six games last year after It started straightforwardly enough, with the New York Jets using just 10 seconds of their allotted 15 minutes to select Johnson, the flamboyant wide receiver from Southern California. It was welcome news to a crowd that was chanting, "Keyshawn! Keyshawn! Keyshawn!" even before commis the he still ran for 712 yards and 11 TDs, starring in the Cornhuskers' Fiesta Bowl win that gave them the national title. See PHILLIPS, Page 7B Somber mood, miscues mark NU spring game V- L. III 1 L.Jtli)j.

I Vl Brown's FGs lift Reds to 20-17 win over Whites LINCOLN (AP) Nebraska's prelude to next season was not exactly what the two-time defending national champions would be proud of, but Saturday's spring game was at least a nail-biter. Kris Brown kicked three field goals, including a 25-yard game winner with 3 seconds left, to give the Red a 20-17 victory over the White in the annual scrimmage that is the finale of spring practice. The field goals were the only points the first team offense, playing in red uniforms, could put up against the No. 1 defense, which was in white. The only Red touchdown came in the third quarter when I-back Damon Benning bob-bled a punt, then scooped up the ball and rambled 87 yards to score.

"I GUESS it's the age-old quandary does that mean your offense isn't any good or your defense is pretty good? I think it's more of the latter," coach Tom Osborne said. "The old adage is, if you play good defense and have a good kicking game, you've got a chance. I think we can do that and the offense will come around." The game was sloppy, with muffed punts, fumbles and penalties. Most players said that their minds were on Brook Berringer, the former Husker quarterback who was killed with another man in a plane crash on Thursday. "I think everybody had it on their minds," Osborne said.

"I think everybody felt bad about it." A video tribute to the late quarterback played on the screens at Memorial Stadium before Saturday's scrimmage was partic- Berringer adds to NU football legacy See Page 6B ularly moving for quarterback Matt Turman, who was Berringer's roommate on game weekends last fall. "I walked off by myself. Brook and I were good friends and I just wanted to take a few minutes before the game to remember him. I went through a lot with him," Turman said. "HE HAD some tough times, like down at the Orange Bowl where he'd played all year and then (Tommie) Frazier got the start.

I was there for him to talk to. I just wanted to get off by myself and thank him for being there when I needed him." To a man, the Huskers interviewed after the game said they were deeply saddened by Berringer's death and that the tragedy had affected their performances Saturday. "It was about football today, but there was somebody on our minds the whole time we were out there," rush end Grant Wistrom said. "It was hard playing today," guard Chris Dishman said. "The minds weren't into it.

That may have been a factor in the game." THE WHITE team opened a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter on a 2-yard run by I-back James Sims. The advantage increased to 14-6 after an 18-yard second quarter pass from Monte Christo to tight end T.J. DeBates. Benning's punt return and a 2-point conversion pass from Scott Frost to Jon Vedral knotted the score at 14-14 and the squads traded fourth-quarter field goals before Brown hit his game winner. The scrimmage was attended by 48,659, a record for the spring game.

(JP AND ALMOST OVER Columbus High girls high jumper Crystal Hines strains to clear the high jump bar during her second attempt at feet, 8 inches during the Norfolk Invitational track and field meet Saturday at Norfolk. Hines missed the attempt and missed her remaining jjfltempt to fall out of the competition, won by teammate Lindy Muhle with a jump of 5-4. Telegram photo by Steve Wolf pHS struggles at Norfolk Invitational meet By The Telegram Staff moved into fourth on the area chart with her time of 1 minute, 2.4 seconds, added a fourth in the 100-meter hurdles. Darren Ivy was the Columbus High boys' top finisher at the meet. Ivy, finishing second to Millard North's Scott Schaefer, lowered his area-leading time in the 800 with a 1:58.7 clocking.

Schaefer was timed in 1:58.2. Aaron Prokopec was the only other Discoverer boy to break into the top four, getting third in the pole vault. The area leader in that event, Prokopec cleared the bar at 13-0. Tuesday's dual at York is scheduled to begin 4:30 p.m. tured third at 5-0.

Muhle is the current leader in the high jump on the Telegram-area leader chart. Freshman Laura Pilakowski gave Columbus another six points in her field event speciality, the long jump. The area leader in the event, Pilakowski stretched the tape to 16-5, beating Laura Martin of Fremont by two inches. A pair of Millard North athletes, Anne Oldham and Anna Trauernicht, swept first and second in the event. Amanda Went, meanwhile, was the Columbus girls' top finisher on the track with her third-place finish in the 400.

Went, who meet with 126 points, with Norfolk taking second with 105 and Fremont third with 99. CHS boys coach Dick Luebbe said several factors contributed to the lackluster showing by the Discoverers. "Between prom tonight and some other things we had a lot of people missing," he said. "We have a dual with York Tuesday. We just need to get everybody back and regroup a little." Definitely not missing was the CHS girls high jumpers.

Lindy Muhle took the Discoverers' only gold medal of the day in the event, clearing the bar at 5 feet, 4 inches, while Alysia Rickert cap NORFOLK Columbus High fcund points tough to come by at the Norfolk Invitational track field meet Saturday at Norfolk. Both the Discoverer boys and girls teams finished sixth in the Seven-team field. The girls, com-iing off a runner-up effort at )maha Central, scored 45 points while the boys' team finished 'with 24. Fremont won the girls title "with 148 points, followed by JMillard North and Norfolk, which tied for second with 92 points jgach. Grand Island won the boys 5 Avalanche drops Canucks for 2-1 lead NOTHING BUT NET- Peter Forsberg (21) of the Colorado Avalanche puts the puck past Vancouver Canucks goalie Corey Hirsch during the first period of their NHL playoff game in Vancouver Saturday.

Colorado went on to a 4-0 victory to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-7 Western Conference series. AP photo VANCOUVER, British Columbia AP) Peter Forsberg, Valeri jKamensky and Claude Lemieux iach scored power-play goals in the first two periods as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 Saturday night. iThe Avalanche dominated special teams to take a 2-1 lead in the est-of-7 Western Conference playoff series. Game 4 will be Monday 'flight at GM Place. fJiGoaltender Patrick Roy stopped 128 shots for Colorado for his sixth ifareer shutout in the playoffs, piaking few difficult saves.

Scott Young scored the only even-fitreneth goal in the last period Hirsch, who faced 31 shots. There was little evidence of the physical play Vancouver displayed in Game 2 when the Canucks won 5-4 Thursday in Denver. Most of the Vancouver penalties were taken in frustration as Colorado played a near-perfect road game, keeping things simple until connecting on the power play. The Avalanche made the most of a two-man advantage midway through the opening period after penalties to Alexander Mogilny and Martin Gelinas of the Canucks. Forsberg scored his power-play goal on a slick pass to the far post by pointman Sandis Ozolinsh.

Vancouver had a similar advantage later in the first period, but Colorado denied the Canucks for 75 seconds with Sylvain Lefebvre and Craig Wolanin in the penalty box. Colorado continued its sharp-shooting in the second period with two more power-play goals. Kamensky got credit for the Avalanche's second goal when his shot bounced into the net off Vancouver defenders Bret Hedican and Trevor Linden. Lemieux, top playoff goal-scorer last season with 13 for New Jersey, got his first in this series when he converted a sharp passout from Kamensky. fjigainst Vancouver goalie Corey IjohannesKobus title leads CHS girls tennis team to 4th place fi Thn Toinnrtim Cfaff tni lrnmTipnt with a hve in the first, round Knufiinek and Kindra Zouhek of Wilher- title in No.

2 doubles. The team rallied for The Telegram Staff tournament with a bye in the first round, Kastanek and rundra AouneK 01 wimer- title in No. 2 doubles. The team rallied for By Sports Today AUTO RACING U.S. 30 Speedway, 7 p.m.

Sports Monday BOYS GOLF Fremont at Columbus, 4:30 p.m. TRACK Scotus, Schuyler at Lakeview triangular, 4:30 p.m. Albion, Clarks, Fullerton at Central Nebraska Champions Invite, 5 p.m. at Grand Island (individuals by invitation only) LINCOLN Powered by No. 1 doubles fejiampions Lacey Johannes and Jenny Kobus, the Columbus High girls tennis Ham claimed fourth place at the rlJeatricoPiuH tournament Saturday at Hhe University of Nebraska-Lincoln courts.

Columbus finished the meet with 23 jjrpbints, three points more than fillh-place Beatrice. Lexington won the team title with 134 points, followed by Lincoln Pius with 80 and Grand Island Central Catholic with an 8-4 win over Liz Soderquist and Heather Trautman of Hastings, and added a 9-7 win over Laura Boeshart and Carrie Vestecka of Pius and an 8-3 win over Dani Eichmann and Tiffany Pallas of Wilber-Clatonia. Breen and Shannon are now 4-2 on the season after going 3-1 Saturday. Jessie Goebel found the competition tough in No. 1 singles, going 0-2 on the day.

She suffered losses of 6-3, 6-1 to Hastings' Amy Jurgensmeier and 8-3 to York's Kristin Mumm. Columbus is scheduled to host Norfolk on Tuesday, beginning 4 p.m. won three matches to secure the title. The team ran its record to 7-3 and has now won five matches in a row. The duo won the title with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win over Sheanna Karre and Jenny Heiser of Pius who were undefeated coming into the final.

"Lacey and Jenny really showed a lot of toughness by coming back against Pius," Columbus coach Doug Terry said. 'They are really establishing themselves as a dominant doubles combination." Johannes and Kobus advanced to the final with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Micki Clatonia and a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Amanda Maloley and Krissy Motzner of Lexington. Kim IiOuis, meanwhile, was fourth in the No. 2 singles competition. Ixtuis came from behind to down Sarah Stohl of Waverly 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round before losing to Jeniffer Nigro of Pius 6-0, 6-0 in the semis and Nicole Flanders of Grand Island 8-3.

Andrea Breen and Erin Shannon came back from a tough 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 first-round loss to Michelle Schroeder and Beth McQueen of Beatrice to win the consolation and Kobus, who started the 1 Johannes fc!.