Grantland Fantasy Preview

I’ve often wondered, why do millions of people play fantasy football?

More specifically, why do 30 million people partake in this phenomenon that has become just as- if not more- important as the NFL itself?

When you think about it, devoting hours of research or handing over a Benjamin can help you, yes; but really, once the ball is kicked off of the tee (teams still use a tee, right?) everything changes.

It’s a common concept, on some levels. People prepare so much- or so little, in some cases- for something that is out of their hands.

Oh, you forgot to start a TE? Tough luck.

Matt Ryan has a bye this week, “(insert expletive).”

When that game starts, you can’t pick up your phone and hypothetically throw Beanie Wells on the bench and replace him with Isaac Redman.

No, once the game has commenced, you do something that every GM, coach, trainer, beer salesman and fan do every Sunday. You watch and hope.

To fans, that’s what football is about. Watching and hoping that things turn out the way you wanted them to.

Even if you didn’t start a TE.

My top 5 players (and a sleeper) for 2012:

1)   Aaron Rodgers- Who is Brett Favre anyway? Last year, Rodgers averaged 25.7 points per week and threw for over 250 yards and two TD’s in all but two games. The dude never has a bad outing. Not to mention that Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were bullied- by the football Gods’, I’m assuming- into handing the ball off to James Starks and the one-legged Ryan Grant. Seasoned vet Cedric Benson should be a much-needed upgrade. Don’t be surprised if Mr. Discount Double-Check eclipses the 400-point mark.

2)   Ray Rice- It’s hard to turn down a guy who is a yards-from-scrimmage fiend. Besides the fact that he’s exceeded 2,000 all-purpose yards in two of the last three years, Rice has been arguably the most durable back in the league- not missing a game in the last three seasons. Want more? Rice has averaged 72 catches in the last three years- tops for running backs. All of this without mentioning that he has successfully kept Joe Flacco’s unibrow away from media scrutiny and somehow diverted the attention to recent #1 NBA draftee, Anthony Davis.

3)   Calvin Johnson- Have we established that he is head and shoulders above all other wideouts yet? Good. Have we realized that we may not ever see some of the catches that he makes ever again? Great. Have we come to a conclusion that he can’t be a human being? Very possible.  What more do you need?

4)   Arian Foster- Every time I watch Texan games, I think to myself, “Arian Foster has 140 yards and 2 TD’s?!” He’s the NFL’s version of Kevin Durant. He’s good at almost everything and he’s always going to get his; but he does it so quietly. Matt Schaub has turned into a watered-down robot, hardly grasping the title of “game-manager” and Andre Johnson has dealt with some nagging injuries over the last few years. Foster is such a threat out of the backfield; evident by his 53 catches in 12 games. He’s a stud, if you haven’t noticed.

5)   Tom Brady- You know what’s crazy? How cool Tom Brady is. Well, that’s true. However, what I meant to say was that last year, Brady outdid his best season yardage-wise by over 400 yards and still finished 400 more behind Drew Brees. This guy is so darn’ consistent. Why yes, it helps to have two matchup nightmares at TE, a scrappy Oklahoman who catches passes that aren’t even thrown to him and a drill sergeant, who happens to be the most personable coach in the NFL (kidding). But someone has to orchestrate the magic that the Pats aim to display. Enter the coolest guy ever. Woops, did I say that again?

Sleeper- Ryan Broyles- I thought it was the perfect draft selection. Draft a guy who is an outstanding route runner with tremendous hands who can emerge as a security blanket for Matthew Stafford. He did some of everything  (and did it unbelievably) at OU, something that will help him get on the field very quickly. We all know that Megatron will take the top off of the defense until Roger Goodell creates a rule that will stop him. But in the Lions up-tempo, pass heavy scheme, Broyles could end up as the third- or even second- guy in Detroit.

  

  

Sulphur hurler Ty Williams signs with Seminole State JC

Ty Williams has been smiling since he was a little boy.

The light-hearted, blonde-headed senior was grinning from ear-to-ear on Tuesday, as he signed his LOI to play baseball at Seminole State Junior College next fall.

Sulphur's Ty Williams, with parents Randy
and Melody and coach, Corey Cole, signs
his LOI with Seminole State JC last Wednesday.

Williams, who was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs at SS and P, is elated about taking his game to the next level.

“I’m ready to go play,” said Williams. “I really like Seminole (State) and I’m excited to get up there and get everything going.”

Seminole State JC has been a hot spot for Division I universities, as well as professional endeavors.

The Trojans have over 180 players to play professionally and have made 15 NJCAA World Series appearances, making Seminole State one of the top JuCo programs in the nation.

This season, the Trojans finished with a record of 41-15 and were recently eliminated by Connors State Junior College, in the semi finals of the NJCAA Regional II tournament.

“They’ve been really good in the past,” said Williams. “They have a bunch of talented guys up there right now, so hopefully, I’ll be able to come in and contribute to their success.”

Not only is Williams excited about joining such a successful institution, he’s glad he’ll be able to remain in some familiar spots on the diamond.

“They told me I’m going to pitch and play shortstop; which will be nice, because that’s what I’ve done my whole career,” Williams said.

The do-it-all athlete comes from a long-line of Bulldogs, as his father, Randy, and brother, Colt, both played football at Sulphur, while his mother, Melody, and sister, Ashley, were track and basketball standouts for the Dogs. Williams also has a younger sister, Reilly, who is in the 8^th grade.

Williams, who also starred in football at Sulphur, was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Bulldogs, amassing over 2,400 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air, while running for 2,200 yards and 22 scores in 27 career games.

On Tuesday evening, Williams was named the 2012 Outstanding Male Athlete at the All-Sports Banquet; an almost perfect way to cap off his stellar four-year career.

“It was an honor,” said Williams. “I loved my time at Sulphur, and winning that award meant a lot to me.”

Long-time family friend and former Sulphur standout, Bear Runyan, presented Williams the award, an honor he had received in his senior year, 18 years ago.

Runyan presented the plaque to the slender young man, dressed in boots; Williams shook his hand and turned to face the camera.

You guessed it; he smiled.

Football opens spring practice

Whitt Carter

Sulphur Times-Democrat

Football is back; at least for a little while.

Spring practice opened up Monday and with 39 kids suited up, head coach Jim Dixon is anxiously awaiting the 2012 season.

“Our numbers are up,” Dixon said. “We don’t have as many as we have in the past, but we will have more than we had last year.”

After an injury-plagued season seven months ago saw the Dogs finish 4-6, optimism is high, due to the return of numerous key players.

“We’ve got a lot of kids back from last year,” said Dixon. “We had a lot of kids who got to play because of injuries last year, so they got some good experience.”

The Bulldogs return junior(s) QB Ryan Rackley and RB Tanner Watson, as well as senior WR Haydn Rogers, all whom played vital roles during the meat of the district schedule, including a season-ending, home victory over Dickson.

“We had a bunch of kids that had to step up and play last year and I thought they did a really good job,” said Dixon. “We got down here in the last home game against Dickson and pulled one out. The coaches and I were all very proud of them, on the way they finished the season.”

Sulphur opened spring practice on Monday, looking
to improve their 4-6 record from 2011.

Rackley stepped in for injured QB Ty Williams periodically last season and eventually became the starter in the last two district games.

As far as Dixon is concerned, the underclassman has a bright future.

“Rackley is going to be a really, good quarterback,” said Dixon. “He’s tough as nails and he works really hard.”

Watson was a do it all for the Dogs last season, seeing time at RB, WR, LB and most all special teams; impressive for a sophomore.

“Watson is a heckuva good player,” said Dixon. “He did a lot for us last year and he was only a sophomore. He’s going to be a really, good.”

Rogers has been the Bulldogs biggest deep threat at wide out the past two years and according to Dixon, he has gotten even better since this past fall.

“He’s gotten a little bit faster and quicker,” Dixon said. “He’s come a long way and he’s still growing.”

The Bulldogs will practice through next week, a total of eight more practices, to round out a quick spring schedule, but one that Dixon says, is still important.

“We started spring ball a few years ago and it’s helped us out a lot,” said Dixon. “We’re able to get in some good work before school lets out.”

The Bulldogs return a large number of starters (and key players) from last year’s squad; something that Dixon and the rest of the coaching staff is eager about.

“We’ve got about 14 starters back from last year, as well as three or four kids who played a ton for us,” said Dixon.

Spirits are elevated around the Bulldogs camp this spring and Dixon will be the first one to tell you: everyone’s excited for August to get here.

“We’re really optimistic about next year,” said Dixon.

Golfer Seventh at State

Whitt Carter

Sulphur Times-Democrat

The Sulphur Boys Golf program has made a habit out of reaching the State Tournament. 

And when they get there; they can’t help but play well.

Last week, the Bulldogs not only continued their extensive state-qualifying streak, but also carried on in their stretch of good play, as they finished 7^th place in the Class 3A State Tournament at Dornick Hills Golf and Country Club in Ardmore.

After finishing the first day (36 holes) in 5^th place, the Bulldogs proceeded with solid play from juniors Collin Hoyle (80) and Jordan Barefoot (83) to finish only two strokes behind Bethel and five shots behind Marlow.

“We didn’t have our best day on Tuesday, but we finished at 7^th in the State Tournament and that’s great,” head coach Toby Todd said. “It’s another big accomplishment for our program and for this team.”

Senior golfer Hayden Hancock finished
his career as a three-time state qualifier.

This year’s finish is the team’s highest since 2008, when they also placed 7^th.

“There was a lot of pressure on this group of guys, knowing that it could possibly be the tenth straight year,” said Todd. “Our seniors, Hayden and Parker, did a great job of leading this group all year.”

Hancock, who entered the state meet at Dornick Hills playing his best golf of the year, paced the Bulldogs on day one, firing a 78-82, helping the Dogs occupy a top-five position with 18 holes to play.

“Hayden played great on the first day. He played really well at the Regional Tournament, and he really carried it over to state,” Todd said. “He’s meant a lot to our program and he was a big part of continuing this tradition.”

Tinsley shot his best round of his career in the second round on Monday, carding a team-high 78, boosting the ‘Dogs to their lowest round of the year (322).

“Parker had his best performance of the year on Monday,” said Todd. “He has really come a long way as a golfer and he helped us out tremendously this year.”

On the first day, Todd’s bunch was paired with eventual and defending state champion, OCS; something that the former All-State golf coach said ended up helping in a big way.

“I felt like playing with them (OCS) was something that helped us stay focused. When your playing with a team that you knew, had a chance to win state again, it makes you concentrate and I thought that helped us play very well on the first day,” said Todd.

The Bulldogs finished the 2012 season strong, capping off one of the more impressive terms in recent years.

“Overall, it was a huge success,” said Todd. “It’s a pretty awesome feat, making the streak a decade long.”

The Bulldogs were champions twice during 2012, winning their own event, The Sulphur Tournament and The Lindsay Invitational.  Sulphur also placed 2^nd in their three other events: The Chickasaw Pointe Meet, LCC Conference Tournament and the SCC Conference Tournament.

“I’m very excited for everyone that was involved,” Todd said. “It really didn’t have a whole lot to do with me. It’s about the kids that we have been blessed to have, along with the hard work they have put in every year.”

As far as 2013 goes, Todd is excited about continuing the good play and the state-qualifying streak, with a little help from some new faces.

“We’ll have Collin (Hoyle), Jordan (Barefoot) and McLane Jolly coming back, which will give us a great chance of competing at the state level, once again,” said Todd. “We’ll also have a freshman coming in, Spencer Upton, who has a lot of potential and has a chance to be a great attribute to our group of guys.

When asked, “what’s next?” for Sulphur golf, Todd could help but shake his head and smile.

“The sky is the limit for these guys, and our program.”

Sulphur golf marks ten-year state qualifying streak

Whitt Carter

Sulphur Times-Democrat 

Same story; different day.

For the tenth year in a row, the best young golfers that Sulphur has to offer took a familiar trip: a voyage to the state tournament.

A journey, which began in 2003, has continued on through a decade’s time, marking one of the more impressive stretches in recent memory of Sulphur High School athletics.

Since the streak began ten years ago, 18 golfers have represented the Bulldogs in the state tournament.  Remarkably, 11 of those golfers participated in the state tournament three times and six individuals were four-time state qualifiers.

Under the leadership of Tony Duck for the first two years and current coach Toby Todd since 2005, Sulphur has produced seven top-ten finishes, three top-four individual medalists (Chase Todd 2^nd, Bryeson Lance 3^rd & 4^th) and four All-State athletes (Todd, Chase John, Lance and Grant Bates).

“Those kids’ work ethic were tremendous throughout their careers,” said Toby Todd. “We were very fortunate to have those players in our program. They were the leaders’ of their squads and they set the tone for how the season was going to be.”

Chase Todd, who now serves as the Head Basketball/Girls’ Golf Coach, was the backbone of the first two squads to advance to state, who finished 10^th in 2003 and 6^th in 2004.

Chase, younger brother of Toby, was strolling the fairways of Sulphur Hills since he was a young boy, taking advice from older golfers’ that he would use throughout his career.

“The great thing about the golfers out at Sulphur is that so many of them are willing to help out,” said Chase Todd. “As I was growing up, I learned quite a bit from people like Carson Hollis, Michael Jennings, Heath Hancock, and David Thompson.

Throughout the historic stretch, many times, a freshman was called upon to play a vital role in team scoring.

Toby Todd acknowledges this as one of the keys to making return trips to the State Tournament possible.

“That has been a huge part of our success during this run,” said Todd. “We get these young guys involved in our system and getting them experience in as many tournaments as possible. All of these guys have been excited about golf, which gave us a chance every year.”

In 2005, the budding young star, Lance, joined fellow standout John at the state tournament as the Dogs capped off their highest finish in school history, taking third.

Lance, who was a top ten finisher in all four of his trips to state, said it was Toby Todd who helped him settle into his role, one that would help the Bulldogs garner their bronze medals.

“I think my freshmen year was his first year to coach high school golf. He did a really good job in leading us to a 3rd place finish at State. As each year went by, he became a better coach and was always emphasizing practice, practice, practice. He was dedicated to getting us to the tournament no matter what it took,” said Lance.

Bates, who was chosen as All-State last year, wanted to continue the tradition of returning to the State Tournament by taking advice from Todd and being the vocal leader of his team.

“He really helped all of our mental games. We would get discouraged with a hole or a shot and he would be right there to pick us back up and get us on the right track,” said Bates. “We were becoming a part of something great. My goal, year in and year out was to get my game to the point to help us make the state tournament. All of the regular season was just practice for the big show.”

This year’s club has exceeded expectations, by pushing the state-qualifying streak to a double-digit count. However, for the first time, there isn’t a star carrying the bunch. This season, it’s been a team effort.

“This year’s group has been special,” Toby Todd said. “There hasn’t been that one guy that’s carried us. There have been five guys who’ve carried us. It’s been a different guy almost every round; a total team effort.”

The 2012 squad, consisting of Hayden Hancock, Parker Tinsley, Jordan Barefoot, Collin Hoyle and McLane Jolly, has some remnants from past Sulphur golf heroes’, a plus, if you ask someone who has been around a while.

“It’s cool to see the family ties on the team this year,” said Chase Todd. “Both (Jordan) Barefoot’s and (Hayden) Hancock’s fathers played golf when they were in high school.”

Chase Todd, Lance and Bates all have fond memories of their careers that, as a whole, spanned from 2003-2011.

From bus rides with flat tires, to lessons from former PGA Professional Hollis, to joking around during tournaments; it’s no secret that this impressive ten-year journey can be summed up fairly easily: fun.

“I’ll remember the friendships I made, more than anything,” said Lance.

“I’ll remember how much fun we had, going to tournaments and playing golf together,” said Chase Todd, who was an individual runner-up in ’03 and a tenth-place finisher in ’04.

“Sulphur golf will, no doubt, be remembered as one of the most fun times I’ve ever had, “ Bates said.

That sounds pretty fun to me.

Behind the Scenes: UCO Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jacob Black

UCO Strength and Conditioning Coach Jacob Black has been a weight-room junkie since he was a young boy.

The Ohio native hasn’t slowed down since, and now, finds himself coaching over 250 athletes on eleven teams in what he calls, his ‘favorite place.’

“The best part about my job is that I get to help these kids and get to be in the weight room every day,” Black said. “Being around weight-lifting for a long time, this is what I have wanted to do from the start.”

Black graduated from Ohio University in 2007 after playing football for the Bobcats for two years. After a career-ending injury, Black joined the Ohio program as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach.

After arriving at UCO in 2008 as a graduate assistant, Black took charge as the Director of Strength and Conditioning this past year.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and a master’s degree in Science Education from UCO, Black works with all sorts of different teams, from football, to women’s soccer, to rowing, and talked about the differences in each sports’ training.

“You have to know what kind of sport you are dealing with and what kind of movements those sports use,”said Black.

Not only does Black work with different sports, but more importantly, he works with both male and female athletes, which constitutes different styles of leadership and coaching.

“Men and women are totally two different people. You can’t just come into the weight room and yell and scream with women, as you do with men,” said Black. “You have to get women interested in working out, and use different things to get them to think the right way.”

Black works closely with the Broncho football program that has seen rough times in recent years, and talked about the focus of discipline, and focusing on minor details that make big differences, as a new staff enters in 2012.

“It’s a discipline issue. It’s all about the little things that turn into big things,” Black said. “Last year, discipline was an issue, as well as inconsistency.  We have some athletic kids with potential, but right now we are just trying to get them to have the correct attitude and be more disciplined.”

The big, blonde-headed instructor who frequently wears a smile is focused on getting the UCO Football program back to national prominence.

“I want to help get football back to where they were in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. People didn’t want to come play here against UCO, and these kids need to realize their potential, and get back to where we were,” stated Black.

Obviously with Black being an expert in weight training, realizing that an athletes’ diet is as important as anything.

However, recently Black and his assistants have picked up a new diet, in which most people wouldn’t normally expect.

“Krispy-Kreme doughnuts,” said Black. “My assistant and I got them for free and solely ate them for a whole day. Surprisingly, we consumed less calories than we normally do.”

There you have it, the secret to having a beach body: doughnuts.

Newman bats too hot for UCO

Cameron Mavroulis (44) dives for a ball during a game between UCO and Newman in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista.

Clear skies and winds out of the southwest was the perfect recipe for tons of offense on Tuesday afternoon, as the UCO Bronchos fell to familiar foe Newman University, 18-11.

The Bronchos (8-3), who have gotten off to a hot start in 2012, played host to a struggling Newman ball club, which had yet to find their rhythm on offense prior to Tuesday’s contest.

However, Newman (6-4) brought their bats to Wendell Simmons Field on Tuesday, using five homeruns and 20 hits to hand the Bronchos their worst loss of the season.

Led by Tanner Vinson (5-for-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI) and Corey Cowan (3-for-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI), the Jets scored in every inning except the third, and ran through six UCO pitchers.

“After a four-game sweep, human nature is to have a letdown,” said UCO head coach Dax Leone. “Especially when your pitchers don’t throw it in there, and work behind in the count, and tack on the wind, it happens.”

Powered by a fifth inning that saw eight runs on five hits (two homers), the Jets took control of the afternoon contest, and never looked back, as they took a commanding lead, going up 12-4.

Nonetheless, the resilient Broncho club wouldn’t bow out, as they responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.

Doubles by Austin Rycroft and Jordan Mullin coupled with singles by Cameron Mavroulis and Kevin Blue saw the Bronchos answer with four runs of their own, to bringing themselves within four runs, trailing the Jets 12-8.

However, consistent hitting and run scoring by the Jets would keep the Bronchos from mounting any sort of a comeback.

Newman managed two runs in the sixth, one run in both the seventh and eighth, and added two more in the final inning, continuing to pile the runs on top of UCO in the latter part of the game.

“Its just one game, and our guys won’t think too much into it. It’s definitely not our brand of baseball, but give credit to Newman for swinging the bats well,” said Leone.

The senior Rycroft and the junior Mavroulis, who both had solid outings, paced UCO in the loss.

Rycroft finished the day 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI’s. Mavroulis was 3-for-4, with a HR and also knocked in two runs.

Leone is excited about his club, who managed 14 hits on Tuesday, as they move forward, into the deeper part of the season.

“We have a lot of returning guys in our lineup. We have started off on the right foot this year. This group of guys is a great group, and they play the game right. The good teams are the ones who can bounce back from a loss like this, so we’ll see,” said Leone.

The Bronchos travel to Texas A&M Kingsville this weekend for a three-game set before returning home next Tuesday to host Mid-America Christian University.

UCO Grapplers return home with top-ten finish, three All-Americans

The UCO wrestling team is no stranger to the D-II National Championships, having won 15 team titles and boasting 36 individual champions in the program’s storied history.

This weekend, the Bronchos left the 2012 National Championship tournament successful once again, bringing home a seventh-place team finish, and three All-Americans.

Tanner Keck (184 pounds), who battled an injury late in the season, finished fourth and Ky Corley (149 pounds) and Casey Rowell (141 pounds) both finished fifth, with all three garnering All-American status in 2012.

The UCO squad, led by seven-time national coach of the year David James, took a nation-leading ninequalifiers to the tournament, which was held in Pueblo, Colo.

“We certainly didn’t have the tournament we were looking for, but I’m proud of the guys who placed and I though they did well,” James said. “We had some guys who didn’t perform like they are capable of and that was disappointing.”

After the first session of the first day, UCO was in the driver’s seat, winning six of their nine matches, and found themselves high atop the team standings in second place.

Sophomore Dustin Reed (133 pounds) and freshman Chris Watson (165 pounds) both had exciting first round matches that fueled the Bronchos early on in the first day.

Reed, wrestling against the seventh-ranked Even Yenolevich from Kutztown University, was in trouble early as he fell behind 5-0 after the first period. Reed would completely turn things around, and pinned Yenolevich (32-1) at the 3:16 mark of the match.

Watson was faced with the task of wrestling the third-ranked wrester in the country, Isaiah Jimenez of San Francisco State.

A grind-it-out type of match saw Watson trailing after the first period, tied through the second and eventually controlling Jimenez for the entire final period to snag a major upset, winning 3-2.

The second session of the first day wasn’t as pleasant.

After a stellar first part of the day, the Bronchos fell to fifth in the team standings after the evening session and saw six of their nine wrestlers eliminated from the tournament.

“It wasn’t a very good night for us, that’s for sure,” James said. “We entered the tournament with nine guys and it was obviously a disappointment to only have three left after the first day. We were just hoping that the three we had left would continue to push forward.”

Those three did continue to wrestle well, placing in the top five of their weight class and helping UCO to a top-seven finish.

With the addition of Keck and Rowell, UCO will enter 2013 with five wrestlers boasting All-American honors.

“Seven of our nine qualifiers will be back for next year,” James said. “We’ve got to do the right things in the offseason to get better in order to get this program back where it belongs.”