1997_08 The Daily Collegian August 1997

              THE DAILY
£ COLLEGIAN
O Thursday, August 28, 1997
Sports
COMER
National champs on
roster
Eight players on the Fresno
State's roster played on national
championship teams during the
summer.
Ryan Boyajian. Jeff Fluharty
and Jesse Morgan played for the
undcr-20 champion San
Dieguito Surf.
Dana McGregor. Ricardo
Ramirez. Mario Sanchez and
Craig Tomlinson played for the
U.S.I.S.L. Champion San Luis
Obispo Roadrunners.
Freshman Adam Maurcr
played on the under-17 cham¬
pion La Jolla Nomads.
-Sports information
Men's soccer NSC A A/
Umbro rankings
I.St. Johns
2. Virginia
3. UCLA
4. Florida International
5.Indiana
6. Washington
7. Crcighton       • % '
8. Southern Methodist
9.UNC-Greensboro
10. Rutgers
11. FRESNO STATE
12. Williams & Mary
i3. Maryland
14. UNC-Charlottc
15. James Madison
16. South Florida
17. Harvard
18. Penn State
19. Bowling Green State
20. Air Force
22. Saint Louis
23. Duke
24. Cal State Fullerton
25. Connecticut
Soccer news ranking
I.St. Johns
2. Virginia
3. UCLA
4. Washington
5. Indiana
6. Maryland
7. Rutgers
8. Southern Methodist
9. Florida International
10. UNC-Charlotte
II.UNC-Grccnshoro
12. FRESNO STATE
13. Creighton
14. William & Mary
15. George Mason
Men's soccer lands starting keeper
By Luis Hernandez
The Daily CoTlegian
If the Fresno State foothall is
culled "Wide Rcceivcr-U" for pro¬
ducing receivers who went on to
start in the NFL. there ought to he
a similar clever name for the men's
soccer. After all. it has produced
several keepers who are now play¬
ing professionally. Would "Shut
Out State" sound OK?
Mark Dougherty. David Kramer
and J. J. Wozniak arc some of the
recent graduates of "Shut Out
State." An impressive alumni list.
With the new season, a new
protege has arrived. Jeff Fluharty.
former Sacramento State university
keeper, is now Fresno State's start¬
ing goalkeeper and a newly admit¬
ted student to the fictitious
goalkccping school.
"That's the main reason I came..
I knou that most of Fresno State
goalkeepers have gone pro,"
Fluhart) said. "I wanted to find out
What it takes "
If degrees were given out after
one performance. Fluharty would
have gotten his already. He shut out
his former team to cam his first vic¬
tory as Fresno State's goalkeeper.
"It wasn't much pressure." he
said of playing his former team. "I
know who I play for."
Fluharty just arrived to Fresno
State this year, and so far, he is im¬
pressed with the Bulldogs' pro¬
gram.
"It is awesome." Fluharty said.
"Just walking into the stadium, and
the crowd hcing there." f   »
Playing for the Bulldogs is
something that Fluharty wanted to
do two years ago. Former Head
Coach John Bluem was Recruiting
him at that time. However. Wozniak
transferred to Fresno State first.
Fluharty ended up going to Sac¬
ramento. After Wozniak graduated
last year. Fluharty finally got his
chance to play for the Bulldogs.
Fluharty says he brings quick¬
ness to the team's defense. Using
his quickness. Fluharty has heen
ahle to provide a solid presence in
the hack of the Bulldogs' defense.
With his performance. Fluharty
says he has heen ahle to gi-ve confi¬
dence to the rest of the team.
Fluharty is in charge of guard¬
ing 8 feet hy 8 yards of goal. A lot
of real estate, while facing 60 miles
per hour shots. However, Fluharty .
doesn't worry.
"It is all ahout positioning," he
said. A good positioned keeper re¬
duces the angles and the possibili¬
ties of an attacker.
Good philosophy. It might even
be the topic for a thesis to get a de¬
gree from "Shut Out State."
Ryan Weber — The Daily Collegian
New kid in the net. Jeff Flaherty clears the ball from his goal area.
He came to Fresno State, to continue the fine Bulldog goal keeping
tradition.
North Carolina will win the National title
Dave Te Thomas
College football inside scixip
NORTH CAROLINA-The rule
of Florida State is coming to an end.
The Tar Heels are loaded for Bear
this year, featuring a defense that
could sec the likes of DT-Vonnie
Holliday. DE-Greg Ellis & OLB-
Brian Simmons all do in the first*
round of the '98 draft...Having fully
recovered from injuries QB-Chris
Keldorf will have favorite target
WR-Octavus Barnes to go to on
deep routes & newcomer HB-Rufus
Brown looks like he's ready to carry
the full rushing load...Toss in frosh
LB-Ricky Smith. ILB-Kivuusama
Mays & pass thief CB- Dre' Bly &
you can sec why this team is my •
favorite to he the Cinderella story
for the upcoming season & my top
choice for national title honors.
Big East
SYRACUSE-Most pick Miami,
but they lost DE-Kcnard Lang.
Kenny Holmes & WR- Yatil
Green...There's little left as pro
prospects go in Hurricane
territory...Look for renewed dedi¬
cation to football from basketball
wannabe QB-Donovan McNabb to
get the passing game in gear again
for the Orangemen...Having a re¬
ceiver like Jim Turner & power
back Robert Konrad around will
give McNabb blue-chip tools to
work with...The defense is paced by
hard-hitting safety Donovin Darius
& injury woes that plagued line¬
backer Antaunc Ponds is
gone...While Syracuse will get a
January 1st bowl berth, the confer¬
ence has been stricken by hard
times & don't look for any teams
here finishing in the top ten.
Big Ten
PENN STATE-Like Miami.
Ohio State has lost too much via
graduation to make a mount to
unseat the powerhouse Nittany
Lions...Even with the loss of QB-
Wally Richardson, the passing
game will actually be much better
as Mike McQucary steps up to take
over the starting reigns...He'll have
the best running back in the nation.
Curtis Enis to give him a breather
when he doesn't want lo loss the
ball & huge WR target Joe
Jurcvicius to make the acrobatic
catches upfield.The OL features
young, but talented tackles in John
Blick &
Floyd Wcddcrburn...Linebacker
U lives again, thanks to mostly
Aaron Collins, Brandon Shor»-&
Jim Nelson leading the way...Jason
Collins & Shino Prater replenish a
secondary^that lost three starters to
graduation.
Big Twelve
NEBRASKA- The Cornhuskers
will remember the beating they
experienced at the hands of Texas
in the Big 12 championship game
last year & despite having exciting
James Brown at QB, hard-running
HB Ricky Williams & run stuffcr
NG-Chris Akins. the Longhorns
will finish runner-up in '97 to Ne¬
braska... Scott Frost, a former safety
(and a future pro safety) will bring
toughness to the husker QB posi¬
tion, but look for the ground game,
the team's staple, to be featured
again if injuries don't force HB-
Ahmad Green to the sidelines for
an extended period...Green will
have huge holes open for him up
front with All- American guard
Aaron Taylor leading the way &
frosh FB-Dan Alexander already
bringing back memories of Tom
Rathman.Grant Winstrom & Jason
Peter lead what may be the best DL
in college...Some may be saying,
"Hey Dave, whaj about Colorado?"
1 say, without a cohesive defense,
the Buffs will take second cake in
the Big 12 North picture, but still
have enough offense to make it to
a January 1st bowl berth...Other
bowl-bound teams are Kansas State
& don't count out Brandon Stewart
& the Texas A&M Aggies.
Big West
UTAH STATE-Many believe
that this lesser confcrence^will fea¬
ture Nevada as its champ, but the
name of the game will be an aerial
Attack & Utah State has some fine
stud receivers in Nakia Jenkins,
Guillermo Chavez & Reggie
Hill...The OL is the strong suit with
AII-BWC candidates Mauricio
Jourdan. Mark Rommel & Bran¬
don Dyson up front...HB-Demario
Brown is an emerging star, but un¬
less the Aggies get a QB soon. Ne¬
vada & QB-John Dutton could
make Utah State a second-place
team & out of the minor bowl
picture...The Aggies' strength on
defense is their DL. led by end Ben
Crosland & tackle Walter
Fiefa...Craig Miller & John Dale
Carty will make sure the second¬
ary is again stingy.
Conference USA
EAST CAROLINA-A no-
braincr here, even with an improv¬
ing defense featured by
Cincinnati..The human cannonball.
Scott Harlcy returns to carry the
rushing load & the QB will be Dan
Gonzalez, who got considerable
playing time last year when Marcus
Crandcll was injured...Having a
future All Pro receiver like Larry
Shannon around will greatly
enhanceGonzalez's
development...The OL must come
around though, as only center
Danny Moore started up front last
year...With NG-Travis Dardcn, CB-
Dwight Henry back from knee
woes & OLB- Rderick Coleman to
lead the way, a defense that went
from 105th in '95 to 37th in the na¬
tion last^year will continue to im¬
prove.
Pac-10
WASHINGTON-Upscts could
rule in the conference, especially
with intra-statc rival Washington
State featuring QB-Ryan Leaf, DE-
Dorian Boose & HB-Michacl
Black, all future NFL 1st rounders.
. but look how much talent the Hus¬
kies have. 9