The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 36

1 i V' ain IIW 0 a jjJfi If iwftl (I 'J' -Vf i- i- (I I i 1 A i tr -f -v'-' vv''A: ''w r1 S'- '( -'V' Myerstiielone' Na teammates with his "When a young guy oomes to an older guy like that and asks a question like that it kind of stuns you" Fhilyawsaid "lt lets you know that really into it fi the kmg nuvUate jiist the kind of guy he Myers also asked RjrteT and defimsive hack Kenny McEn-tyre and defensive end BJ Cohen both Arena League Veterans and respected members of the locker rdom what he could dotoinqnove Myers made the most of the oppmtunity rRwter gave- himL lt reasonAs arootieMyers haH XX) cati-ly ftayn in receiving yardswJthU4 and scored 18 touchdowns This season he's kept up his solid play with 61 catches for 684 yards and 12 touchdowns jBut even mofe tiun his play on the field Myers 25i has im- pressea many oi with his willrnghes to learn Just ask quaiteiback Hay- 'ereT Myers is one trf my vwite football players period Rtetsaid You'd be hard-pressedtofind a Brigade jayer liie MyersHe does everytiiing be supposed to do as a teammate and as a playn But good hick frying to get him to tell you about any of that Tm a--laid-back person Myers said dant ask fa much I dtmt conqllain about anytiiing 1 just do what I have to do to get tire job done' I tty to stay humble I vfa raised that way and how beeu my whole life" ty'TERB AMYLOR -The Kama CKy Star -When KevtaRater hired as cnarfi of theBrigade beforethe 2006 season the first tiling he did was tell Jerel Myers Rater had been the New Or- leans VooDoot defensive coo dinatoi and Myers was on the prartice squad fa the entire 200S Arena Football League seasdn- But Myers never ought i pass or even "They all told me to keep do- fee a tryout after tiie BufEalo ing vriiat IVe been doing which Bills released him from their is just make Myers said- practice squad in 2004 fBut Porter) andBJtech told He latched on witii die Voo-ine to take a more Vocal ieaderr poo in January 2005 then went active re ceiver from last Brigade already stinted -offering bw more CBCoumgement to: his twnnynatp fin riv- liiyMlf nteu have to appreciate any bppmtunity you can get as far as football goes" Myers said "They haveto bring me' here I could be at home" Home is Baton Rouge La where Myers spent almost half a year working out and waiting commit K-Stete basketball has a numbers crunch with recent development By HOWARD RiCHMAN Th Kansas City Star It Mjpears three6-foot-7 bas-ketbaUplayei 1 players are cm tiieir way to Kansas Stm and one jdans to arrive sooner tiian effected 'That would be Jamar Sa-muels vriw plans to skip his senior season at The Patterson School in Lenow NjC after he finishes up the onetelf credit he needs to graduate in sum-: -mer schooL He anticipates witii K-State in the fell to his coach Tbrry 'IftuaiLV'- -''X -y -r- The other two players are Victor Dubovitsky who signed in November with Tfexas AScM but was granted a release when Aggitecoach Billy Gillispie left -'to talk flm Kemuterkfo and guard Andre Gilbert of Mount San Jacinto College Duboyitsky said ud by phone hoped to sign Tuesday tiiat he as soon as thepierworkwas ready Gilbeit missed half tiie season witb a shoulder injury Now herte where it gety tricky': K-State had tee scholarship available and another is expected toopen because' Jason played one dcrwn Why call him first? FROMDI While mom sits with Abbys naive li- promdate neman Lawrence Ree' State named BranAm'Mkiiand Dale Vestal works to get die best angle to capture his daute- tert kicks Ohvidea-- Abby made her season debut fbr the Koyotes a lbpeka-based Item diefletkiii indoor American Professional Foodall League two weeks ago at the Kansas Expocentre Dale needed a beer to cafes his nerves tiiat day but die footage still came out shaky At least' Abby She made three of four extra points -tiiat nfcht and spent half an hour anerward ugnihg auto While Amy gave Abby her looks curly hair smilehose and all cherishes the rare instances vriien her daug- ter conforms to wwiagi sHie stufi Dale is tbedming dad and tiie shoulder to punch cm By' now used to Abby -y playing with boys She played baseball through childhood be: she thought it was corny 'tohitagrapefruit-sizebalLAnd in junior high Ab pbw wide receive ball team She thought kickers thefoot- wimpi Next year shell tb the1 FOOthall British Columbia Li- Ons where he caught 36 passes: tawCtw far 473 yards downiMyerswaswitixtheli- ons when Poiter caifed and of-' fered him a chance to join the Brigade "Hes one of those guys thafs atoughguy a steaayguy a tough guy and hell do everytiiing you ate him to Porter said "You ever have to Worry about him die kind of player you -V want on your football 10 reach larez A Paytor sports -i AuaMew'i -a mMln iJ 1 or inWD to Bennett plans on transferring 1 tiiis month after finals Bennett no longer is listed on the team roster at the Wtesite That still njtehs 'would be one over tiie limit of 13 so something has to give Ga transfer nonqualifier etc) in the coming weeks Stay tuned 1' As for Samuels forward -who averaged 22 points nine1 rebounds and three blocks it take him long to make an Impact at this level according folhute "He's a terrific young man who eventually will be the1 whole package at small fins: wtei" Thiax saidJamar picks' tilings up quickly" Dubovitsky meanwdnkcan- celed a scheteled visit to Iowa after hisvisit lastweekend at K-Stete He avejagBdpoints' and six rteounas for Chjpola Junior Cdlege of Marianna Ba uce aewart whose Oka-Itete-Vfelton juco team played Chqx)la said Dubovitsky re-'v m1prt tiim "of Jptjiana PacCTS forward Mike Dunleavy has bitime range fea good frtetiirow shooter ted' lispie have taken him' if ne was a bum stoet" doesnl necessar over power you but he has good the feel Som rhythmYouL him heY confident what he's Nteraska second base- man Jake Opitz said Edwards is oh the watte list for the prestigious Dite Howsef Tlophy tiie award presented: -annnally to the hationY top- player (tiie Royals' Alex Gordon received it at Nebraska) On Monday K-Stateleamed that' Edwards is on the lllot for tiie Roger Clemens Award which goes to the nation's tqp pitcher K-State pmher Rte Vaughn played against Edwards as a teenager and recognized his' talent: "He may not hate the best teiff arouhdbih going to outwork yon and he knows go-T ing ten ft heY -going to beat your vaugbn said care tf fitting y45p witii 20 bombs he1 like TUi going to strike you out right Altiioufih Edwards is likes what he sees in Edwards who was a setup man as a soph-: gV omore before emerging seasonasthecloser "He has some abilities that we look fot Lte has the body the) stature" said Lafferty intrigued by' slidec on draft day his name will be K-State coach Brad Hill was sold on Edwards during the recruitingperiod becauseqf his desire to take- tiie mound inthe-i latter stages ofgam wantte lhc ball every time" Hill st pretty im-v portant in the -back end of a' play soccerat jnlyfMBMi bounty v' Ccanmunity Cpllegeher eligi EDWARDS: nittod PhilyavK Aftef the Rri-1 45-42 loKtoCoIorado on gacfeS4 April 27 Mytrsasked Philyaw wnatl he could to do to help the team improve -y surrounding Saturdmr nighf makes tins job skmc She breaks out her makeup kit and applies thebhish Ruefo character Abby days the un-willing makeover victim "This is more tiian mudv" Abby complains But Amyis eating tins iteShe onlygets to tortureher daugh-ter maybe once a year this is tiie- part you thing" she says bughing and pullingput the mascara: When ifs oyer Alfoy opens her eye Now she's taldhg a moment to enjoy the view: Abbyslips oncteam-colored vether painted toesAf- heels ovetl ter pinning the boutonniere on herdate she dumps her jersey in a hamper ted fishes for tiie last remaining Gatorade in the tank Abby the inrorint her sports bra tell visible on' her bare back is the tastKoyote to leavethe Expocentre ill Ifs 45 minutty till midiiight and prom is almost over by tiie time tiie Vestal caravan arrives The doors were supposed to be makean exception for Abby GhamBlionairfs beats are bumping from speakers while 1 PHOTOS BY BIU STEPHENS I SPECIAL TO THE STAR After making one of six extra points for the Kansu Koyotes (above tight) Abby Vestal -emerged from the locker room ready for the Lawrence High prom (top) and pinned the boutonniere on her dite Brandon Mallend Abby had a whole team te styt-s hut the wild circumstances ists bility intact because she beplayingfootfall never played with Dale remembers yeam tef fevorite day the opening day of KU Abby at 5feet 8150 ppunds finally (fid get to play football as -J a vanity kicker for1 Lawrence High- She thought bier football career was ova after hut sea-V son until she gota tell ftomthe Koyotes fo Fteruary The team needed a kicken -r-l was like: Air tight OK Whatever' Abby says really care I just wanted to play a guy or Abby has bten biuy all week jdaying varsftysoeem forLaw-rence Hii and could not prac- tice with the Koyotes let akme wonry about prom details And after making her first: kick nothing but net through the 10-footwuk crossban rr her next two attempts are blocked by an uninqieded rusher from the -right side "Tbo quite" Dak sijghs- The Koyotes soore their fburtii touchdown Abby walks to tiie ten She goes throughher routine three steps harm two to-the Ieft and ldcks No jail-break this time but Abbs attempt ricochets off tibe ldl crossbar Dak shuts down tin camcorder andsits down behind Abby to encouragement He forces smile She shakes her 'head bummed that she cant enjoy the prom" Dak says Ill Moments after the 49-2 win: Abby peels herself from the benm and slowly- walks to the middk of tiie tmt She may have made only one of six extra points but sheY still a rbete Celterity A Koyotes fen from Wash-bum Rrnal recognize Abby as an opponent from high school and the two share a laugh-season for Lawrence Abby made 34 of 37 extra points and three field goals That October wight against Washburn Rural Vestal made all time point-after kicks and nailed a 22-yard field goaL "She' kicked my (tear) We thought she was a dude be- cause she was kicking the: (crap) out of 1 Abby teconunodates her fens with autographs but she hu to get going PromYalreaily -started the KU Student Union would I want to go to prom after that? Abby sijte to -her mother not the ideal place for Ibmmi Lee says FRtiMDl we always said we can make it I know we can make it6 First K-State needs to qualify for the Biz 12 tournament and as been that has been tough enough The top eight teams compete in the Conference tournament in Oklahoma City and the Wildcats have played in the Big 12 tourney just once in 10 years qualifying 2002 A 'The Wildcats have finished last the Jeagiue four times since 2000lndudiiigthreeof -the never posted a winning confer- ence record and combined fin' a 25-81-2 mark during 20034)6 But -is- sixtii in the league at 9-ll and 31-17 overall as tbe Tegular season hits the homestretch The Wildcats who 1 tiiis weekend at home play against Tfexas are only onehalf game behind ftitiiilace Nebraska and two out of fourth a spot heldbythe Aggies A chunk of the credit zoes to nales against Big 12 opponents Edwardshas produced He went the fund two innings in 'late March in victory wards said want to help us makea statement" Edwards is 3-0 with a 092 earned-nin average and hasn't allowed run in 17 of 19 pearances in2O0Z He has given up just three eamed runs in VsinningSi And check this out: Batters are hitting only 127 against Edwards who has 43 strikeouts and has allowed 13 hits and walked nine His 11 saves including one' last weekend' against Kansas tied the school -single-season mark of 11 by Da- vid Johnson In 1997 Abby and Mailand make a bee-' line toward tbe garden back-' iMailand buying the pictures even though gteing the big Which is OK with him maybeshell spring fortite- ets when they attted tiieir next on derby Abby makes demolition a small amount per game with tiie Koyotes V-Now' 'loses the heels foot to die dance floor The DJ dnqs the beat andspins aslow song giving another excuse fay couples ttf dance -even closer 1 Ahhy throws hef solid arms around MailtedV shoulders The two rock back and forth in tecular motion fte several ballads and finally AhbyVaR lowing herself some releate Her feet still hurt jrom the work but for now she seem to mint! those lcirlw- Brides she was theonlyorietoihakeakfokout (ff to say she fetes the best in a dress 'Not too many professional kjckers can pull JbutAbbycan "I was feeling a lot better I gift to see my Abl Mbby mr Sports reporter at Tb Star call (816) 234-4389 or sand a-malj to cbucknartgkcstarcom prom preparation but 'Abby slips into office for a teower and chang Sbeclos- es thedootMom trieSmaking Small talk bid getting anxious can smell her (body) spray" Amy Vestal says after Lsteaungaptekinside As mute as Abby lets on Amy knows her daughter will look and feel beautifoL Five minutes latet Abby-opens tiie' doot Her hair is oalong wet ted the bathroom tile fipot Her dress is accented by a fkiwery bow around the and tulle netting She turns to fece the mirror as tnom ad-' mires the view Giteher a moment here Abby is Usually fitted by Sporting Goods so Amy lus the right to 15 thisdress now time for Amy to i game that you have a guy that can finish ft oft Our guys feel that They know if they have1 ablygoingtp win" Tb reach Howard Richman -(816)234-4791 or sand a-rrtaMtp itffcnrnBnQnNCRwxpfn 1 played her in football last 'ga to work Last year for prom 4.