BATTERED RAMS FOCUS ON FRESNO ST. CSU ACHING FOR BYE WEEK AFTER BEATING ON TURF AT LAS VEGAS.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Angel Hernandez Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

Colorado State football coach Sonny Lubick deserves a break this week.

He would love to tell his players to relax and recuperate for the home stretch of their Western Athletic Conference regular season.

Lubick will indeed be able to do that in one week, just after the Rams meet Fresno State on Saturday (noon, Hughes Stadium, alternate cable television channels) and before CSU must travel to San Diego State on Nov. 22 for its regular-season finale.

The problem is the Rams could use that time off now instead for waiting later for that bye week.

``I wish it were,'' Lubick said. ``We've got to regroup this week and get everybody healthy . . . That's all we can do.''

Just as CSU (7-2, 5-1) faces its most crucial game yet in seeking the WAC's Pacific Division title, the Rams must crawl out of their most critical injury crisis of the season.

Lubick is awaiting the verdict on the knee of hobbled guard Anthony Cesario - a 6-foot-6, 300-pound starter viewed as the heart of the offensive line along with center Mike Newell, who strained a medial collateral ligament in Saturday's 45-19 victory at Nevada-Las Vegas.

Cesario's injury follows another knee injury to CSU wide receiver Geoff Turner in a practice prior to the Oct. 26 Tulsa game. And both of those mishaps preceded several other aches suffered on the artifical turf at UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium. Cesario's usual counterpart at the weak-side guard position, Steve Dundee, pulled his left hamstring in the game. Geoff Turner's usual counterpart, senior wide receiver Paul Turner, strained his left patellar tendon. And Fort Collins-bred freshman cornerback Andy Engelstad suffered a concussion.

Dundee, Cesario and Geoff Turner are listed as questionable for the Fresno State game. Engelstad and Paul Turner are probable.

``We've got to get Geoff back because he is such a threat,'' Lubick said. ``I hope we get Anthony back. We're pretty banged up at this present time.''

The casualty list harked back to CSU's medical struggles in 1996 games on artificial turf, where games at Hawaii and Oregon essentially deprived the Rams of three starters for most of the year (Dundee, former tight end Justin Shull, tackle Adam Wallace) and a game at Nebraska cost Geoff Turner much of his effectiveness after he suffered a separated shoulder.

It's not quite what CSU needed before facing Fresno State (5-4, 4-1) in a game that won't necessarily clinch the Pacific title but comes close to knocking out its closest competitor in the division.

``They'll be tough. They're still in the thick of it,'' Lubick said.

Lubick still took some consolation in how the Rams survived the adversity on Saturday, rolling up 291 rushing yards behind an improvised and remolded offensive line.

``Losing Anthony Cesario early in the game, that hurt us a little bit,'' Lubick said.

Such work aided CSU into notching its first five-game winning streak since starting the 1994 season with a 7-0 record.The Rams broke running back Kevin McDougal for his fourth 100-yard game of his season and career. The Rams have a 5-1 record this season when a running back gains at least 100 yards in a game.

However, the Rams defense didn't slack up in its contributions. CSU free safety Myron Terry's first-quarter interception return for a touchdown - one of a career-high two picks in the game - marked the fourth time in the past five games that a Rams defender has scored. And CSU has now taken away 22 turnovers during its five-game winning streak while handing over the ball a mere four times.

Late surge lifts Johnson to victory; Caution flag works against Kenseth, beaten on last turn at Las Vegas.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: Associated Press

LAS VEGAS - It took Jimmie Johnson 270 laps to get to the front Sunday, but that was soon enough.

Johnson took advantage of a late-race caution flag, catching and passing Matt Kenseth in a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish Sunday in the NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet surged past Kenseth's No. 17 Ford on the outside after the two sped side-by-side through the third and fourth turns on the 1.5-mile oval for the final time. The winner crossed the finish line 0.115 seconds - about half a car-length - ahead as he led a lap for the only time in the race.

Johnson said he sympathized with Kenseth for getting beat that way, noting he lost to Carl Edwards on the same kind of move last spring in Atlanta and then edged Bobby Labonte with an outside pass on the last lap last May at Charlotte.

'I was slowly catching Matt before that last caution,' Johnson said. 'I think we could have got up there to race with him but, if it stayed green, I believe Matt had it in the bag. Then we got that last yellow.

'I thought long and hard about what I would do if I was protecting the lead. I knew I wanted to be on the outside. I faked kind of to the bottom and he kind of bought it.'

Formula One: Defending Formula One champion Fernando Alonso of Renault almost collided with one Ferrari and held off the challenge of the other to win the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir, Bahrain.

A1 Grand Prix: Team France, with 22-year-old Nicolas Lapierre behind the wheel, finished second to Team Mexico in the 30-minute Sprint race in Monterey, Calif., to wrap up the championship in the inaugural season of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations. Mexico's 20-year-old Salvador Duran made it a doubleheader sweep for his team in the Main race.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

USC VS. UCLA: A CLOSER LOOK USC NOTEBOOK: HOW'S A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS SOUND NOW?(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: - Scott Wolf

For the first time since 1998, USC will be going bowling.

The Trojans (6-5, 5-3) are headed to the Las Vegas Bowl on Christmas Day against the Western Athletic Conference's No. 2 team. Among the possible opponents are Colorado State, Utah, New Mexico and Air Force.

``These last couple seasons we didn't go anywhere, so definitely it's huge,'' USC defensive lineman Ryan Nielsen said. ``It's so big because when we were 1-4, the guys didn't get down and didn't quit.''

--Band director: After the game, USC coach Pete Carroll got a chance to lead the Trojan band to the strains of ``Conquest.''

Asked how it felt, he said, Carroll said, ``What went through my mind? This doesn't happen in the NFL.''

--Rivalry games: In the annual ``Blood Bowl'' between the student newspapers, the Daily Trojan defeated the Daily Bruin 24-12. In the team managers' game, USC defeated UCLA 9-7.

--Recruit watch: Among the recruits at the game were Long Beach Poly's offensive lineman Winston Justice, defensive lineman Manuel Wright and safety Darnell Bing. Also at the game was St. Bonaventure of Ventura tailback Lorenzo Booker.

``I know our coaches were talking after the game and saying, `Can we go recruit tonight?' '' Carroll said.

--Go for it: Carroll signaled that he wanted to go for a fourth-and-1 situation at UCLA's 3-yard line in the second quarter, because a ball boy held his fingers inches apart. But the offensive coaches quickly protested and advised kicking a field goal because the Trojans were actually more than a yard from a first down.

--No injuries: In what was a first for the Trojans this season, USC did not report any injuries.

Free safety DeShaun Hill left the game with cramps, and it forced Carroll to improvise. He switched strong safety Troy Polamalu to free safety and use freshman Jason Leach at strong safety.

--Game ball 2: Cornerback Antuan Simmons, who had a 36-yard interception, was awarded the game ball. Simmons also received the game ball last season, when he was sidelined for a stomach tumor operation.

--Post-game melee: At least three fans were taken off by stretcher, according to witnesses, after being struck by police officers on the field after the game. Some fans were allowed to storm the field, but others were pushed back and had confrontations with police.

--Big win: This is USC's biggest margin of victory in the series since 1979, when the Trojans won, 49-14.

--Few points: USC allowed 197 points this season, its fewest during a regular season since the 1995 team allowed 180.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 5 boxes

Photo:

Coach Pete Carroll is taken aback by a Gatorade shower after USC had victory locked up.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) SCORING SUMMARY

(2) PLAYERS OF THE GAME

(3) GOAT OF THE GAME

(4) STATE OF THE GAME

'Cats over 'Dogs in 10; Smith, in from Las Vegas, scores the winning run.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: PRESCOTT ROSSI Special to the Times Union

ValleyCats 2

Muckdogs 1

Two days ago, Andrew Smith was living in Las Vegas and out of professional ball. On Saturday night, he scored the winning run for the Tri-City ValleyCats.

Eric Taylor's two-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the ValleyCats a 2-1 victory over the Batavia Muckdogs in front of 4,175 fans at Bruno Stadium.

Smith, a 22-year-old who played at the University of San Francisco, scored the winning run just hours after he flew into the Capital Region.

'He arrived off the plane after 6:20. I never got a chance to really talk to him,' said Tri-City manager Gregg Langbehn. 'I asked if he could steal bases and he said `Yeah,' so I put him in.'

In the bottom of the 10th, Tri-City's James Goethals reached base on a two-out walk. A single by Nick Moresi, followed by a wild pitch and an intentional walk to Tim Torres, loaded the bases.

Smith replaced Goethals after the wild pitch to put speed on the bases. Taylor then worked a seven-pitch at-bat before hitting a grounder up the third-base line that was too difficult for Cody Montgomery to field cleanly and throw to first, allowing Smith to score the winning run.

Fans were treated to a pitchers' duel for the first nine innings. After giving up a run to the first batter of the game, Tri-City pitchers did not allow another run. Starter David Qualben again pitched brilliantly, allowing only one run on five hits in six innings. Cory Lapinski threw four hitless innings of relief and earned the win.

Taylor tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with his first home run of the season. Through 25 games, the ValleyCats have hit only four home runs.

The ValleyCats (15-10) will try for their fourth straight win as they play the middle game of the three-game set with Batavia (13-9) at 6 p.m. tonight.

Prescott Rossi is a local free-lance writer.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

WHITAKER REMAINS LOOSE AMID LAS VEGAS HOOPLA.(SPORTS) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER

LAS VEGAS -- Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker entered the final pre-fight press conference in a large ballroom at Caesars Palace wearing shades, a cap turned backwards, gold chains and an earring, headphones and a Penn State T-Shirt.

While promoters, trainers, other fighters on the undercard of Saturday's Whitaker-Oscar De La Hoya fight and various officials droned on and on, Whitaker rocked on. And while the dog and pony show raged on, Whitaker sat, swaying back-and-forth, often with eyes closed, while listening to a Phil Perry CD.

When it was Whitaker's turn to speak, he talked of how De La Hoya will begin to feel the pressure when reality sets in Friday night that he will have to fight the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound.

``This is the Academy Awards,'' Whitaker said. ``Between about (11 and 11:30) Saturday night, I'll be picking up my Oscar.''

Whitaker's trainer, Ronnie Shields, later laughed about it.

``He shocked me with that,'' Shields said. ``That line right there probably sold about another 10,000 homes for pay-per-view.''

Pay-per-view sales going briskly

The fight, which will be broadcast on TVKO, has been selling well so far. TVKO officials estimate that between 800,000 and 1 million homes will purchase the fight, which would top the pay-per-view record for a non-heavyweight fight. Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez in 1993 set that record with 740,000 buys and grossing between $25 million and $28 million in pay-per-view sales.

Promoter Bob Arum said the number of closed-circuit locations that will carry the fight could approach 2,000.

TVKO will utilize new anti-piracy technology in an attempt to catch viewers who try to steal the pay-per-view signal.

De La Hoya likes not missing a meal

Less than three years ago, De La Hoya became a world champion at 130 pounds. He has moved up quickly since then, first to lightweight, then junior welterweight and now takes his first run at welterweight without so much as a tuneup fight before facing a polished veteran.

At 5-foot-11, De La Hoya has the frame to handle additional steps up the ladder. His goal is to win titles in six weight classes.

``I was concerned about the seven pounds I had to gain and that it would slow me down or I wouldn't have the same power,'' De La Hoya said. ``But we did everything right in training for this fight, and I feel faster and stronger.''Quote-unquote

Blustery Lou Duva, on co-trainer/conditioning coach Bob Wareing: ``This guy knows more about weight training than Jane Fonda.''

Duva again, on Whitaker: ``He can punch from the right side. He can punch from the left side. I would say he's naturally amphibious.''

TYSON TO FIGHT THOMAS MAY 30 IN LAS VEGAS.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: Staff and wire reports

Pinklon Thomas is in and Larry Holmes out as future title defense opponents for heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

Tyson will put his World Boxing Council title on the line against former champion Thomas on May30 in Las Vegas, probably at the Hilton, Bill Cayton, Tyson's co-manager, confirmed Thursday.

The fight will be carried on Home Box Office, which also televised Tyson's knockout of Trevor Berbick for the WBC title and his decision over James 'Bonecrusher' Smith last month for the World Boxing Association crown.

Those fights were part of the HBO unification series, which has since been disbanded, but the fight with Thomas (29-1-1) is simply a WBC title defense for Tyson (29-0). It is not yet known whether the WBA will recognize the defense.

Cayton said the Thomas fight will serve as a mandatory WBC defense, and that a future fight with Tyrell Biggs later this year would also fall into that category.

Thomas lost some stature along with his WBC title in a 12-round loss to Berbick in March, 1986, and Biggs looked bad in knocking out David Bey on the Tyson-Smith card.

Cayton, who declined to announce purse figures for the Thomas fight, said both Thomas and Biggs are viable opponents.

'(WBC's) ranking committee ranks Thomas No.1. He's a former champion and a very good fighter,' Cayton said. 'Biggs is a former Olympic champion. They both have status and credibility.'

Negotiations with Holmes, the former champion, broke off because Holmes, 37, wanted too much money, Tyson's co-manager Jim Jacobs said.

MARINERS TAKE LONG VIEW IN LAS VEGAS ZDURIENCIK'S FOCUS ON THE FUTURE MEANS THE END OF THE LINE FOR IBANEZ IN SEATTLE.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Byline: JOHN HICKEY P-I reporter

LAS VEGAS -- The Mariners knew they were going to need the winter to retool their offense.

The job increased in magnitude Sunday when left fielder Raul Ibanez declined the club's offer of salary arbitration.

Ibanez wants a multiyear contract in free agency. Had he accepted the arbitration offer, he would have been tied to the Mariners for just one season, though the sides could have continued to negotiate a longer deal.

Now, who knows?

'We will leave the door open,' Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said late Sunday. 'We might circle the wagons and decide to do something else (go to two or three years with Ibanez). We certainly would have liked to have had him for this season.

Thus began the winter meetings for the Mariners, taking place this year at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

The meetings officially begin Monday morning, and Zduriencik comes to Vegas with no particular urge to gamble on his team's future. He says he'd like the Mariners to be competitive in the AL West in 2009, but that's not what drives him.

'Right now, there is a larger picture,' Zduriencik said in looking forward to the meetings.

Specifically, he wants to move the Mariners in such a way that the club is competitive year after year, which is something former GM Bill Bavasi failed to do. The Mariners have had losing records in four of the past five seasons. They had perhaps their worst year ever in 2008, with 101 losses despite a $121 million payroll.

He will have to do it without Ibanez. And the left fielder doesn't figure to be the last key member of the 2008 team to exit. To add the run production the Mariners need, Zduriencik probably will have to trade pitching.

The Mariners did make one move Sunday, completing their coaching staff with the naming of Alan Cockrell as hitting coach. The Mariners spread out the hiring of manager Don Wakamatsu's staff over the past week, and now it's time to focus 100 percent on the roster.

Zduriencik wants to build for the short term, but needs to maneuver for the long term. Doing the latter may mean that 2009 will be another tough season, but Zduriencik is nothing if not optimistic.

'I want to be competitive in 2009,' he said. But, he pointed out, it's not all about signing big-ticket free agents and making a series of trades.

'The biggest thing we'd like to do would be to get this club healthy,' he said. 'Then it would be to get players to play to their potential. Then there are holes to fill. As we go to the (meetings) we'll have discussions (about moves) and whether they help the club short term or long term.

'This is a club that lost 101 games.'

Zduriencik and his staff have had conversations with most big league clubs, but the conversations by their very nature have cross-purposes. There isn't one of the other 29 general managers who wouldn't like to pick some of the prizes off the Seattle roster in a trade on the cheap.

Up to a half dozen teams have their eyes on closer J.J. Putz, for example, and wonder if Putz's injury-decimated 2008 has the Mariners ready to deal.

Moves like that are not on Zduriencik's agenda, however.

'I'm not looking to trade anybody,' he said. 'I'm going into the meetings open minded. I'm getting calls from other GMs wanting to talk about players. (But) I'm not in the mood to give anybody away. I'm in the mood to improve this ball club.

'If I can improve, I will entertain (trade offers).'

Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki is probably the only player on the roster who wouldn't get traded under any circumstances. Young starting pitchers Felix Hernandez and Brandon Morrow are close to untouchable.

Zduriencik probably can afford to trade starting pitching, however, because Morrow and lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith gave indications late in the season they were ready to step up as starters. Lefty Jarrod Washburn is entering the final year of his contract, and the club could move him to make room in a rotation that includes Carlos Silva - slimmed down after a 4-15 season - and Erik Bedard - healthy after missing about half of the 2008 season because of injuries.

'He feels great, and he looks great,' Zduriencik said of Bedard. 'I've heard that he was not 100 percent (healthy) last year. The fact that he is so upbeat now is very encouraging to me. He should roll into spring training ready to go.'

There will be some big names available in free agency, starting with outfielder Manny Ramirez, but expect Zduriencik to bypass the costliest free agents. Instead, the Mariners' needs are so great that he will need to focus, both in free agency and in the trade market, on adding a number of players of lesser cost to fill the gaps.

Toward that end, the Mariners are going into the winter meetings with only 36 players on their 40-man roster, meaning they have plenty of room to add players should the right deal come along.

WCC tourneys kick off tonight; At Las Vegas; Saint Mary's again a classic bubble team for NCAA berth; Zags strong.(Sports) - The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA)

Byline: Bud Withers; Seattle Times staff reporter

Seemingly with more possibilities than in recent years, the West Coast Conference basketball tournament tips off Friday night in Las Vegas.

It appears there are three prominent story lines to the tournament's second rendition in Vegas, with the event sold out at the 7,471-seat Orleans Arena:

* Can somebody come from deep in the pack to nab the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament?

* Will No. 2-seeded Saint Mary's, a classic 'bubble' team for the NCAA field, do enough to get in?

* Can top seed Gonzaga (25-5) nail down a No. 4 or 5 NCAA seed if it wins the event, and thereby make a better case for being placed at Spokane Arena for the first and second rounds of the NCAA?

'For the first time, there are some teams coming out of the 4-5 slot that could make some noise in this tournament,' says Randy Bennett, the Saint Mary's coach. 'It's been awhile since I remember it that way.'

Gonzaga and Saint Mary's benefit from the double-bye format of the event, which was designed to protect the regular-season champion. So those two don't hit the floor until Sunday night while the lower six seeds sort things out Friday and Saturday nights.

No. 5 seed Loyola Marymount meets No. 8 Pepperdine, the winner facing No. 4 San Francisco and Gonzaga getting the team that advances. In the other half, No. 6 San Diego faces No. 7 Santa Clara, winner to meet Portland. That survivor gets Saint Mary's.

Both USF and Loyola thwarted Gonzaga on their home floors, and the Dons extended the Zags to the final possessions last week in Spokane.

'If we're fortunate enough to play Gonzaga, we've played them well,' said USF coach Rex Walters. 'We definitely have confidence.'

'They kind of go to a smaller lineup at times, spread the floor and try to bounce it (use the dribble) and shoot it,' said Mark Few, the Gonzaga coach. 'They've shot it very well against us.'

Saint Mary's, meanwhile, is in a familiar position. A year ago, it was fighting what would be a losing battle to get into the NCAAs. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the Gaels in now, but only marginally.

'It's ironic,' said Bennett. 'We have the same exact record (24-5) we did last year at this time. There are so many similarities.'

Added Bennett, 'We're a better team. I don't think we're more talented.'

Lunardi has been projecting the Zags as a No. 4 or 5 seed, which could land them in Spokane. But it's almost a given that they need to win the WCC first, and then it might be a hairline call.

The league's women's tournament also will take place at the same site. Gonzaga, 17th-ranked and winner of 16 straight behind league player of the year Courtney Vandersloot of Kentwood High, is a solid favorite to claim a second straight NCAA berth.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com

FACTS

Sunday

Gonzaga vs. TBD, WCC tournament, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2

RODMAN: VIVA LAS VEGAS BUT NOT EVERYONE PLEASED WITH FORWARD'S TRIP.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Scottie Pippen does not sound happy about Dennis Rodman's trip to Las Vegas after another sub-par showing in the Chicago Bulls' Finals-tying loss to the Utah Jazz Sunday night.

``We don't have any control of what Dennis does off the court,'' Pippen said gravely. ``It's his preference what he wants to do after the game.

``You would think that he would want to start to look and evaluate what's going on on the court with himself but as I stated it's his priority, and whatever he chooses to do, as a teammate I don't have any say-so about it.''

Rodman returned for yesterday's workouts, and was even early.

Bulls coach Phil Jackson said he had not ``endorsed'' Rodman's trip. ``I thought maybe he was going to the state line. He made it beyond that,'' Jackson said.

``Dennis is the kind of person that needs to blow off some steam and I imagine he got it done.''

Michael Jordan seemed unconcerned.

``If that's his way of getting away and getting a renewed attitude . . . I don't have a problem with it - as long as he comes back ready to play Wednesday,'' Jordan said.

Rodman himself, after getting no points and just six rebounds, made no apologies. ``I went out and had a good time and was relaxing. I got rid of this bad taste in my mouth. I had to do that,'' Rodman said.

The flamboyant six-time rebounding champion added: ``I'm not married. I don't have to entertain a family or nothing like that. So we have two days off (before tomorrow's Game 5) so I wanted to get the hell out of here and relax.''

Designers' inventions could turn your luck; A show in Las Vegas displayed new products that might change your fishing doldrums into a boat-filling bonanza ... or maybe not.(SPORTS)(Ron Schara) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

Byline: Ron Schara; Staff Writer

If your fishing success has hit the summer doldrums, do not despair. It's probably not your fault, although I confess that's only a guess.

There is help on the way, however.

Last week in Las Vegas the world's best lure designers and tackle makers opened their giant tackle box of new inventions, gizmos and whatchamacallits to help you catch more fish.

Some of them actually will.

Other fish-fooling inventions tend to raise an angler's eyebrow.

I was hiking the aisles of the giant tackle box the other day when a Florida fellow by the name of Bruce Young ordered me to halt. 'You're walking by the Laser Lure booth?' he asked, incredulously.

I had to admit I had no idea if a walleye loved laser lights as much as shiners. Young had no doubts. He said he had created a line of diving crankbaits that transmit a laser beam. He came up with the idea after accidentally discovering aquarium fish were attracted to the laser light.

He said lasers have been banned at most aquariums because fish love lasers.

Will bass have the same laser passion? If the Laser Lure booth is around next year in Las Vegas, we'll know the answer.

There also was no shortage of Minnesota-based fish concoctions: One of the simplest but unique new products unveiled by Northland Tackle, Bemidji, is a Sling-Shot worm weight, a quick change system invented by Minnesotan Don Link for Texas rigging, Carolina rigging or livebait rigging.

It's a bullet sinker and much, much more.

Lindy Tackle of Brainerd introduced a pre-rigged slip bobber system for those walleye seekers who are unsure of how to correctly assemble the effective combo. Now, it comes in a package.

Normark folks, makers of Rapala, keep coming up with new modifications of the famed Rapala design, this time a slender version of the Shad Rap, called the Minnow Rap. It will cast better than a Shad Rap and will run to depths from 5 to 11 feet.

Pure Fishing, the makers of FireLine, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, achieved a breakthrough in the superline category with the first translucent braided line called Crystal. It's clear like monofilament but has the strength of Fireline.

Most of these new angling weapons will hit the tackle shelves by next spring in time for the 2007 fishing season.

No doubt, the fish are shaking in their fins.

Las Vegas "bird" Shooting.(sports and recreation) - Paraplegia News

The 14th National PVA Transhoot Circuit wrapped up with the end-of-the-year tournament on September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nev. The event took place at the Clark County Shooting Park, a shotgun center with 24 lighted, combined trap and skeet fields. It had 49 participants.

Friday started with an air rifle clinic at the hotel. National Rifle Association Disabled Shooting Services Director Vanessa Ross brought all the equipment necessary for the clinic: backdrop, targets, rifles, ammunition, binoculars, etc.

On the trap range, Friday saw practice under clear skies and extreme heat. Saturday was the first day of competition with 100 singles and 50 pair of doubles, with clear skies and more heat. Sunday featured another day of clear skies and heat for the 100 handicap targets.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Cal-Diego PVA took the Chapter Team Award, ahead of squads from Oregon, Vaughan, and Nevada. The California team won by a mere two birds, 1,301-1,299.

Cal-Diego's Doug Vann earned High Overall Wheelchair honors with a score of 278/300, and Dave David's 285 was High Overall.

In overall circuit results, Cal-Diego also captured the Chapter Team Award. Vann received the end-of-year High Overall Award. John Pilotte (Wisconsin PVA) was High Overall Wheelchair. Ed Hutchison (Arizona PVA) took the Chad Crowley Award as highest-scoring PVA voting member. He also won a brand-new rifle scope and Leupold binoculars.

The Monday after the trapshoot saw Nevada PVA's first pistol shoot at the Clark County Shooting Complex. The course was ten rounds of practice at the 15-yard line, followed by ten rounds slow fire (10-minute time limit) at the 15-yard line, then two five-round events (90-second time limit each) at the 15-yard line and a repeat of those at the 25-yard line. Jim Russell (Cal-Diego) took home top honors and a certificate for a new Glock pistol.

On behalf of all the 14th PVA Circuit atendees, PVA staff, and Nevada PVA, we would like to thank the following sponsors: Rob Johansen and SKG Shotguns, Cabela's, Winchester Ammunition, Michael Harris and Rolls Vans, Leupold Optics, Clark County Shooting Complex, Vanessa Ross and NRA Disabled Shooting Services, and Mary Dvornick and Safari Sun. Special thanks go to Hilda Fox of Cal-Diego PVA for her support and volunteer efforts on the PVA Trapshoot Circuit.

For complete National Trapshoot Circuit results, go to www.pva.org.

Par for the course in viva Las Vegas.(SPORT) - Sunday Life (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Byline: LINDA BRIEN

JUST got back from a five day trip to Las Vegas where I lost more than a few dollars.

Not on the gaming tables or slot machines, I hasten to add, but on the golf courses.

You only have to look at Augusta this weekend to appreciate the special quality of a top class American course. But boy do they know how to charge for them too.

A round at the Stallion Country Club 10 miles from the Strip cost a cool $525 for two. Ok, so that included clubs but it sure didn't leave much for a cool beer from the refreshment trolley that whizzed tantalisingly around the perfectly manicured fairways.

Things looked only marginally better at The Royal Links as the club honoured a previous booking made at a cheaper sister course. It cost $475 for 18 holes -- a ' bargain' said the caddie who probably didn't realise that it would be cheaper and easier for us to play the real Turnberry and Royal Troon than the dodgy Las Vegan replica.

But we simply had to draw the line at $365 per ROUND per PERSON at the Bali Hai -- a delectable course in a tropical setting whose website blurb neglected to point out was on the flight path right beside McCarran airport with jumbos landing every other minute.

In fact the money saved on forgoing that pleasure paid for a chopper ride over the Grand Canyon, a champagne brunch inside it, with change for a night at the Blackjack table in Caesars Palace after.

Lumpy and bumpy they might be but suddenly our wee municipal courses this side of the pond don't seem so bad after all... TUNING into the NCAA top four basketball finals made a pleasant change from Premiership drudgery last weekend.

SKY SOX SCORE FIVE IN FOURTH TO RALLY PAST LAS VEGAS 9-4.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: News Staff

COLORADO SPRINGS -- Craig Counsell singled home two runs to cap a five-run fourth inning as Colorado Springs rallied for a 9-4 victory over Las Vegas in a Pacific Coast League game Wednesday night at Sky Sox Stadium.

Counsell's looping fly just inside the left field foul line plated the Sky Sox's seventh and eighth runs. They trailed 2-0 after the first inning, but scored three runs in the third before adding five in the fourth on two hits, four walks and an error. Counsell also singled in the seventh inning.

Doug Dascenzo hit two doubles and a single and drove in a run for Las Vegas. Homer Busch added two hits, including a home run to start the game.

Boxing: JONES JR NEXT UP FOR JOE; BOXING: CALZAGHE v HOPKINS, LAS VEGAS, TONIGHT, FROM 10.30PM LIVE ON SETANTA SPORTS 1.(Sport) - The Mirror (London, England)

Byline: DAVID ANDERSON in Las Vegas

JOE CALZAGHE is in line for an emotional farewell fight back home in Wales against Roy Jones Junior.

Calzaghe faces Bernard Hopkins tonight - and if he wins he is set to take on the pound-for-pound king.

Talks have already started between both camps and the fight could take place at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on November 15.

Jones is in Las Vegas and will be ringside for Calzaghe's US debut with Hopkins.

And he admits he would love to fight the Welshman.

'If it's big enough, I'll do it,' said the American.

'I'm taking Calzaghe to win and that would be a fight I would be interested in.'

Meanwhile, fellow Brit Amir Khan is backing Calzaghe to conquer America.

Khan, along with David Haye, Enzo Maccarinelli and Gavin Rees, has flown over to support Calzaghe.

BRIEFLY : LUYENDYK WINS POLE IN INAUGURAL LAS VEGAS RACE.(SPORTS) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

One era will end and another will begin today in the Indy Racing League's first Las Vegas 500K.

The race will mark the inaugural event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the finale for the cars and engines used by the fledgling IRL since its opening race last January at Orlando, Fla.

Arie Luyendyk put himself in the record books Saturday with a pole-winning lap of 226.491 mph, a mark that will likely stand as a track record for years with the IRL set to introduce its new combination of 4-liter, non-turbocharged engines and totally new chassis next January.

Dave Villwock posted the fastest qualifying speed for today's 30th Bill Muncey Cup Unlimited Hydroplane powerboat race on Mission Bay in San Diego.

Randy LaJoie cut deeply into David Green's lead in the Busch Grand National series with a convincing victory in the MBNA 200 at Dover Downs International Speedway in Delaware.

Denver Nuggets power forward Tom Hammonds was unhurt after an accident while competing in the NHRA Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals in Mohnton, Pa. Hammonds lost control of his Oldsmobile Cutlass Pro Stock drag racer immediately after leaving the starting line in the left lane. The car crossed to the right lane, hit the right retaining wall and rolled.

TENNIS

Top-seeded Thomas Muster failed to convert on four match points in a second-set tiebreaker before rebounding to beat Lucas Arnold in the semifinals of the Colombian World Series in Bogota.

Muster, who finished off the unseeded Argentine 6-1, 6-7 (9-7), 6-3, will face defending champion Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador in today's final. Lapentti, seeded fourth, beat No. 7 Mauricio Hadad of Colombia 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Third-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain advanced to the final of the $500,000 Romanian Open tennis tournament to face fourth-seeded countryman Alberto Berasategui.

Moya, ranked 24th by the ATP, struggled to defeat unseeded Romanian Andrei Pavel 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the semifinals at Bucharest's Progresul clay court. In the second semifinal match, Berasategui, ranked 25th, upset Christian Ruud of Norway 6-0, 7-5.

Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, only 17 years old, beat Italy's Flora Perfetti 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 and advanced to the semifinals of the $160,000 Pupp Czech Open in Prague.

Sports Active: THE NURDLER - I was rescued by a Las Vegas vicar - The Independent on Sunday (London, England)

The cricket season is still in its infancy, but already my clubhave experienced more peaks and troughs than Sir Edmund Hillary.

The pavilion was improved over the course of the winter, and ourground is as picturesque as ever. On the flip side, local youthsonce again mistook our covers for trampolines a couple of weeks ago,causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage in the process.

As for the cricket, our first team, bolstered by a number of newsignings during the close season, are sitting second in theirdivision, while the second team, strengthened by a number of lastseason's first-teamers, are also riding high.

Our Third XI, however, have been a tad inconsistent. A couple ofweeks ago, they looked a batting side to be reckoned with as theycruised to victory, having posted 230 on a tricky wicket. Not onlythat, but their batting line-up was about to be bolstered by, er,me.

Last week I was trying to come to terms with the fact that I wasabout to make my first appearance for the threes in more than 10years. I consoled myself that I would be moving down to a team whoseconfidence would be high after such a resounding performance.

But the thirds would have to wait a little longer for myappearance. I discovered (or should I say decided - I am the club'schairman of selectors) that I was going to be in the second team ataround 1.15 on Saturday morning.

That was when I received a call from Skeggsie, our first-teamcaptain, in a mild state of panic. As soon as his name appeared onmy mobile phone I prepared myself for bad news. Somebody hadobviously dropped out of the first team.

It was worse than I thought: two players had dropped out. Thepair in question had a pretty reasonable excuse, however: they wereat Heathrow airport waiting to board a plane to Las Vegas to getmarried - although not, I hasten to add, to each other. I was goingto benefit from my clubmates' decision to tie the knot: I was backin the second team. Viva Las Vegas!

I ended up opening the batting for the twos and scored acreditable 22 on a very wet wicket. We made 146 for 9, and it provedenough. The threes weren't quite so lucky - they were skittled forjust 42.

It is rare, in a most forms of cricket, for a team to fail toreach the half-century mark. So for it to happen twice in a weekendis highly unlikely. At least you'd think so, wouldn't you? OurSunday First XI, is a mixture of players of varying abilities. Just24 hours after the third team's capitulation, the Sunday Firsts,under my shrewd leadership, equalled a club record. And it was allgoing so well at tea.

Our hotchpotch of eager youngsters and creaking oldies hadperformed wonders to keep much stronger opponents down to 150 for 9off 45 overs. Less than an hour into our innings, though, and it wasall over. We were bowled out for 39.

SC INSIDE LOOK: USC U-G-L-Y IN LOSS TROJANS REVERT TO EARLY-SEASON ILLS IN LAS VEGAS BOWL DEFEAT.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS - Like a child unsure whether he had been naughty or nice, USC took a long time unwrapping its Christmas present.

Everything seemed to be going in the right direction for the football program. Four consecutive wins to finish the regular season earned the Trojans a chance to play on Christmas Day in a bowl game, their first in three years.

Santa came to town and the Trojans believed they deserved the best he had to offer, a season-ending bowl victory to acknowledge their improvement and carry over the momentum to next season.

But, in the end, all they got was a lump of coal. And they can't explain why.

The confidence from a late-season surge and dismantling of UCLA was shattered Tuesday as USC regressed to its early problems running the ball, protecting quarterback Carson Palmer, kicking and stopping opponents in key situations. Utah eagerly accepted the Trojans' holiday hospitality in a 10-6 Las Vegas Bowl victory in front of 22,385 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

USC has a history of underwhelming performances in all non-Rose Bowl bowl games, with a record of 20-8 in the Rose Bowl and 5-6 in all others. If it wasn't the Rose Bowl, the Trojans seemed to be uninterested.

That wasn't the case in this bowl. USC players desperately wanted to set the tone for the future.

``This is a step backward for us,'' Palmer said. ``We needed this game badly to take momentum into next season.''

It's difficult to pinpoint why USC didn't perform, unlike the 1998 Sun Bowl, in which the Trojans were lackadaisical before a loss to TCU.

``There's nothing you can point your finger at and say this was the problem or this is the answer,'' senior defensive lineman Bobby DeMars said. ``It wasn't Vegas. It wasn't distractions. We worked hard and did everything right (leading up to the game).''

But as soon as the game started, USC (6-6) hardly could do anything right. The Trojans couldn't manage a first down in the first quarter as the offensive line didn't give Palmer enough time to pass.

He was sacked twice, including a nasty hit by Utah's Sheldo Deckart back to the USC 4 as Palmer did well just to hold onto the ball. Palmer took four sacks in the game.

The offensive line also couldn't give the Trojans any room to run. USC was held to 1 yard rushing on 25 carries.

Trojan rushers gained 79 yards but lost 78 on sacks and runs stuffed in the backfield. It was the fewest rushing yards by USC since 1999 against Arizona. The 151 total yards were the fewest by USC since it gained 124 in 1996 against Washington.

When the Trojans finally did score on a 2-yard run by Sunny Byrd five minutes into the third quarter, kicker David Davis - the Pacific-10 Conference's most accurate field-goal kicker during the season - missed the extra point wide right. In the first half, he missed a 47-yard field goal attempt.

A combination of the inability of USC's offense to sustain drives and the defense failing to stop Utah (8-4), especially on third down, gave the Utes more than a 16 minute advantage in time of possession. Utah rushed for 222 yards on 54 carries.

USC had the Utes pinned at their own 8 with third-and-15 and 3:30 remaining in the game when Utah quarterback Lance Rice found tight end Michael Richardson over the middle for a 21-yard gain and first down. USC had one last chance to get the ball back on third-and-5 with 2:32 left, but running back Adam Tate eluded linebacker Frank Strong at the line of scrimmage and got the game-clinching first down.

USC safety Troy Polamalu was named USC's most valuable player of the game for his career-high 20 tackles. But he sat dejected during the postgame news conference, only looking up briefly to say thank you for the award before going back to thinking about what might have been.

Polamalu nearly blocked a punt in the fourth quarter that could have given USC the lift it needed.

``I can only blame myself,'' Polamalu said. ``I didn't do everything. I could have blocked that punt. I missed tackles. I could have changed how the game turned.''

But blaming USC's defensive leader is more preposterous than any of the options.

``They just came out and beat us,'' senior cornerback Kris Richard said. ``They shoved the ball down our throats. We were prepared and just got beat. It happens to football teams.''

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Utah running back Dameon Hunter, right, takes a lateral during the Las Vegas Bowl on Tuesday as USC's Frank Strong, left, is blocked.

WEST LAS VEGAS HANDS LADY TIGERS BASKETBALL FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON.(Sports) - Taos News (Taos, NM)

Byline: GABE TOTH

By Gabe Toth

The Taos News

The Lady Tigers came out with a weak showing against West Las Vegas last Tuesday (Dec. 4), dropping the Dons' season opener 55-41 for their first loss this year.

Coach Robert Trujillo said the girls just didn't play their A game that night.

'They knew that they didn't play their best,' he said. 'You have to come out to play every night.

'We struggled a little bit. We started off slow. West brought their running game, and we just came out flat.'

He said free throws could have made a difference in the game, but the Taos girls shot a lukewarm 15 for 35 from the line.

The girls were only down 21-17 at the half. However, a weak third quarter for the Lady Tigers put the game in WLV's hands, as Taos scored only two points during the quarter and never recovered.

COUNTDOWN TO NEVADA-LAS VEGAS.(Sports) - The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI)

From the infirmary: Alvarez said Monday he doubts free safety Kevin Huntley will be able to play Saturday at Nevada-Las Vegas due to a sprained left ankle sustained in the season opener.

If Huntley, officially listed as questionable, cannot go against the Rebels, redshirt freshman Bobby Myers is expected to start and should get some extended work.

Meanwhile, linebacker Donny Eicher and offensive tackle Aaron Gibson have been cleared for practice. Eicher tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the spring game and underwent surgery May 23. Gibson strained the ACL in his left knee during preseason camp.

Alvarez said a realistic target for Eicher returning to action is the Big Ten Conference opener with Penn State Sept. 28. Gibson, meanwhile, is a day-to-day situation.

Using your connections: Turns out there are a lot of ties that bind UNLV coaches and players to football entities in Wisconsin.

For starters, UW running backs coach Brian White had two different coaching stints with the Rebels, the latest ending in 1994 when he came to Madison. Not only are some of his recruits on board, so are seven coaches with whom he shared a common goal, including head coach Jeff Horton.

Then there is Wisconsin linebackers coach Jay Hayes, who coached at California the same time as current Rebels assistant Mike Bredeson.

As far as players go, Badgers defensive end Dave Cruickshank played last season at Saddleback (Calif.) Community College along with current UNLV center Bubba Gonzalez and linebacker Scott Patton; Rebels long snapper Darin Lovat is the nephew of Green Bay Packers offensive line coach Tom Lovat; UNLV kicker Gabe Zendejas is the nephew of former Packers kicker Max Zendejas; UW true freshman defensive back Sam Elmore and Rebels linebacker Steve Newton hail from the same Banning (Calif.) High School program; and, last but not least, Wisconsin freshman linebacker Eddie Hartwell was a standout at Cheyenne High School in Las Vegas.

DOUBTFUL BOSTROM WINS SUPERBIKE TITLE FAST PPIR START GIVES LAS VEGAS RESIDENT FOURTH VICTORY IN RACE.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Steve Trivett

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

FOUNTAIN -- According to the surfer, Friday was a bummer.

Sunday turned into a winner for the rock climber.

Eric Bostrom, who surfs and climbs when he isn't racing motorcycles, sat in his trailer late Friday and bemoaned the fact that he and his Kawasaki 800 weren't handling the usually friendly Pikes Peak International Raceway very well.

Two days later, Bostrom rode that same Kawasaki to victory in the American Motorcycle Association Cruise America Chevy Trucks Superbike Championship in a rain- delayed, wreck-shortened final.

``Going in, I had no idea who was going to win,'' Bostrom said. ``There were six guys who could have won, and I wasn't real sure I was one of them. We had fought it every practice session.''

Bostrom took care of three pretenders less than 10 seconds after the green flag fell. It took him one lap to overtake the last.

Starting fifth on the grid, Bostrom, who won this race in 1998, 2000 and 2002, jumped to second behind Anthony Gobert immediately after the start, then caught him going into the second lap.

Bostrom had pushed his lead to more than 5 seconds over Kurtis Roberts when a red flag came out after a wreck and oil spill on lap 41 of the 49-lap event - causing officials to declare the race over because the leader had finished more than 80 percent of the scheduled laps.

``At the start, it was either go on the paint (the inside line of the track) or back off,'' Bostrom said. ``Backing off didn't seem like an option.''

Backing off never was an option for the 26-year-old Las Vegas resident who grew up on the California coast.

``I had a good time (Sunday),'' Bostrom said. ``It was a ride-your-

(rear)-off race the whole way. That start set us on fire.''

Three hours before the green flag fell, it was doubtful the race would happen.

A thunderstorm pelted the track for almost two hours starting at noon (the original starting time), and postponement was an option until an hour before the race finally started at 3:45 p.m.

``That made it even more exciting,'' Bostrom said. ``I was certain nearly all day that we weren't going to be able to race at all. That makes it even sweeter.''

Roberts finished second on his Honda by more than 6 seconds over pole-sitter Aaron Yates, the yearlong Superbike points leader.

``At the beginning we didn't get the start that we wanted,'' Roberts said. ``And Eric stepped up the pace right from the start. I knew where Aaron was, and I didn't want to melt the tires putting on a big charge, and all of a sudden the race was over.''

Yates, who had taken the pole in qualifying Saturday, had to battle with Ben Bostrom, Eric's older brother, on the 32nd lap to get into third and couldn't make a run at the top two before the race was red- flagged.

``I think I was picking up on Kurtis and was ready to go after him when the red flag killed it,'' said Yates, who has a 244-239 lead over Bostrom in the standings.

Mat Mladin, Yates' Suzuki teammate who was second in the points standings heading into PPIR, had to pit on the 35th lap because of tire problems and finished ninth, which dropped him to third in the standings halfway through the season.

Chevy Trucks Superbike

Name, Hometown, Bike, Interval

1. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Kawasaki 800, 40 laps; 2. Kurtis Roberts, Hickman, Calif., Honda 1000, +5.25; 3. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 1000, +11.59; 4. Ben Bostrom, Las Vegas, Honda 1000, +12.57; 5. Anthony Gobert, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Ducati 998, +21.83.

6. Jason Pridmore, Ventura, Calif., Suzuki 1000, +29.94; 7. Miguel Duhamel, Repetigny, Canada., Honda 1000, +34.62; 8. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ontario, Suzuki 1000, +38.26; 9. Mat Mladin, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Suzuki 1000, +40.09; 10. Steve Rapp, Coronado, Calif., Suzuki 1000, +50.70;

11. Ricky Orlando, Erie, Suzuki 750, 39 laps; 12. Daniel Turner, Fort Collins, Yamaha 1000, +0.38; 13. Shawn Higbee, Big Bend, Wis., Suzuki 1000, +4.54; 14. Pascal Picotte, Repetigny, Canada., Yamaha 1000, +8.96; 15. Mike Sullivan, Centralia, Wash., Suzuki 1000, +22.64.

Others

34. Gregory Glennie, Boulder, Yamaha 1000, 1 lap; 40. Sean Fry, Denver, Yamaha 1000, did not start.

Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship

1. Jamie Hacking, Greer, S.C., Yamaha 600, 20 laps; 2. Aaron Gobert, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Yamaha 600, +0.28 secs.; 3. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 600, +0.91; 4. Damon Buckmaster, Cypress, Calif., Yamaha 600, +2.20; 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Kawasaki 599, +5.50.

Others

18. Martin Sims, Denver, Suzuki 600, +59.51; 21. Terry Skogen, Carbondale, Yamaha 600, 19 laps; 22. David Lambert, Pueblo, Suzuki 600, 19 laps; 24. Darin Scherer, Thornton, Yamaha, 600, 19 laps; 27. Jeff Grace, Colorado Springs, Yamaha 600, 19 laps.

28. Will Sequino, Highlands Ranch, Yamaha 600, 19 laps; 29. Torsten Zorn, Boulder, Suzuki 600, 14 laps; 31. Michael Applehans, Denver, Suzuki 600, 7 laps; 35. Elton Curry, Denver, Yamaha 600, did not finish. 37. Mike McCracken, Louisville, Suzuki 600, did not finish.

MBNA Grand Prix

1. Richard Oliver, Auberry, Calif., Yamaha 250, 20 laps; 2. Charles Sorensen, San Jose, Calif., Aprilia 250, +8.42 secs; 3. Simon Turner, Miami, Honda 250, +14.81; 4. Colin Jensen, Ketchum, Idaho, Aprilia 250, +38.20; 5. Edward Marchini, Placerville, Calif., Yamaha 250, +42.49.

Others

Boxing: Viva Las Vegas in Harrison title bid.(Sport) - Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland)

WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison will have a unification fight in Las Vegas next year and Marco Antonio Barrera is his No.1 target.

The Cambuslang fighter was ringside at the MGM Grand on Saturday and witnessed new WBC super-featherweight champion Barrera outpoint fellow Mexican Erik Morales.

Harrison, however, wants his next visit to boxing's capital to be strictly business and he is ready to put his WBO belt on the line.

His father and trainer Peter said: 'The visit to Las Vegas was worthwhile just to experience the atmosphere of a big fight there.

'Having tasted it, Scott's now desperate to have a piece of it and even after watching that great bout at the weekend close up, Scott reckons he has the beating of both of them. And so do I. Scott doesn't fear anyone.

'Scott's manager Frank Maloney was working behind the scenes, using his contacts in an attempt to arrange fights with Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez or Injun Chi over there.'

Harrison is particularly anxious to take on Marquez, the reigning WBA and IBF champion, as beating him will provide a short cut to unifying the division.

Peter added: 'I'm hoping we'll be back before Easter. Scott has been a world champion for two-and-a-half years now and it's time to jump up again.'

CAPTION(S):

LAS VEGAS TOURNAMENT: ST. MARY'S OVERPOWERS SYLMAR.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: George Vranau Special to the Daily News

LAS VEGAS - The Sylmar boys' basketball team was faced with a tall order Tuesday night if it was going to advance to the semifinals of the Las Vegas Powerade Holiday Prep Classic's Millenium Cup.

The challenge facing the Spartans was St. Mary's of Arizona, the No. 7 team in the West, according to USA Today, and its 7-foot center, Channing Frye. The Arizona-bound Frye had a big effort, totaling 27 points and 13 rebounds to earn game MVP honors as the Knights defeated the Spartans 85-69 at Durango High.

Frye wasn't the only weapon that Sylmar (2-7) had to face against St. Mary's (9-1). The Spartans also had to try and contain guards James and Jason Fontenet, twins bound for New Mexico State. James finished with 15 points and Jason scored 12 points.

Sylmar trailed 49-25 at halftime and by as many as 28 points in the second half before rallying behind John Valdez's 15 points, including three 3-pointers during a 19-5 run that cut the St. Mary's lead to 58-44 with 7:30 remaining in the game.

Earnest Williams and Jeff Morse added 14 and nine points, respectively, for Sylmar.

``We came out flat and played sluggishly in the first half and you can't do that against a team that has the weapons they do,'' Spartans coach Bort Escoto said.

--Valley Center 69, Montclair Prep 62: Eric Kaufman scored 17 points as the Mounties rallied but fell short and were narrowly defeated by the Jaguars (9-3) in a quarterfinal game of the Bronze Cup Division.

Trailing 58-39 with 8:24 remaining in the game, Montclair Prep (5-4) went on a 22-5 run and cut the deficit to two points with 1:13 left, when Derek Daniels was fouled while in the act of shooting.

Daniels went to the foul line with a chance to tie the game but made only one of the two free-throw attempts. Two costly turnovers by the Mounties in the final minute of play ended the comeback bid. Daniels finished with 16 points.

--North Hollywood 68, Cleveland 30: Josiah James scored a game-high 16 points and was named the game MVP as the Huskies (5-3) defeated the Cavaliers (0-8) in a Bronze Cup consolation game.

Richard Jenkins had 13 points with 14 rebounds and teammate David Danipour added 12 points for North Hollywood.

--Harvard-Westlake 71, Silverado (NV) 63: Game MVP Craig Weinstein scored 20 points to lead the Wolverines (3-4) past the Skyhawks (4-6) in a Silver Cup consolation game.

--Green Valley (NV) 73, Crescenta Valley 62: Chris Tarne scored 19 points and senior James Jenkins added 17 points for the previously unbeaten Falcons, who saw their 12-game win streak end in a loss to the host Gators (5-4) in a quarterfinal game of the Gold Cup Division.

ON THE ROAD TO RESPECT REBUILDING WYOMING, UCLA CROSS PATHS IN LAS VEGAS BOWL.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Randy Holtz, Rocky Mountain News

Joe Glenn wants Wyoming football to be taken seriously again.

Karl Dorrell wants UCLA football to be taken seriously again.

The dual missions are on their way to getting accomplished.

Glenn and Dorrell, who share strong Colorado ties and a passion for getting things done, are in their second year of rehabilitation projects.

The fruits of their two years of labor will be on display Thursday night before a national television audience when Glenn's Cowboys and Dorrell's Bruins face off in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.

The battle between once-proud programs trying to retrieve that pride kicks off at 7:45 p.m. MST on ESPN. Both teams are 6-5, but Glenn and Dorrell have a right to feel 2004 is but a preview of coming attractions.

'To go to a bowl game in our second year is huge for our fans, our students and the university,' Glenn said before the team flew to Las Vegas on Sunday. 'But I think the most important thing about it is the expectations of your student-athletes get higher. The expectation level of your guys goes up, and that can be very important when you're trying to build something.'

Glenn, who led Northern Colorado to two NCAA Division II national titles, brims with personality, with spunk and verve. He has needed it, taking over a long-dormant Wyoming program that struggled through some unusually lean years under previous coaches Dana Dimel and Vic Koenning.

This is Wyoming's first bowl appearance since 1993. UCLA has been to bowls far more frequently in the past decade, but much of the luster of the baby-blue-clad Bruins has faded in recent years.

Dorrell, who prepped for his first coaching job by assisting for the University of Colorado and the Denver Broncos, is out to change that. Along with him for the ride are several coaches with Colorado ties, including assistant head coach Jon Embree, defensive coordinator Larry Kerr and linebackers coach Brian Schneider.

Embree starred at CU, then coached there for 10 years. Dorrell plucked Kerr and Schneider from Sonny Lubick's staff at Colorado State.

Glenn knows them all, developing a particularly close relationship with Kerr through the years.

'Larry and I have been dear friends for 15 years,' Glenn said. 'We've traded a lot of ideas at clinics and things and we've played a lot of golf together. But I don't think it's an advantage either way that we know each other so well. A lot of things have changed.'

Both coaching staffs are trying to change attitudes at their schools that mediocrity was OK. Glenn won't stand for that. Neither will Dorrell. Both view the game Thursday as another load of bricks in the rebuilding process.

UCLA is a 111/2-point favorite, owing largely to the fact the Bruins play in the Pacific-10 Conference and took top-ranked rival Southern California to the limit before losing 29-24 on Dec. 4.

But Glenn warns not to count out the Cowboys, who have undergone an impressive transformation despite losses against Utah and New Mexico to end the regular season.

'This team we're playing has athletes like you can't believe,' he said of the Bruins. 'They're not only very big, but they're very talented. Athletically, we'll have to be at our best and play above our heads.

'It'll take a Herculean effort, but it's doable. If they overlook us, watch out.'

It was easy to overlook the Cowboys in past seasons. Not now. Colorado State found that out last season when the bowl-bound Rams left Laramie with a loss.

Now the Rams are staying home for the holidays and the Cowboys are bowling.

It's a testament to Glenn. But he wants more. Much, much more.

holtzr@RockyMountain News.com or 303-892-5439

INFOBOX

Colorado Bowl

In addition to Wyoming coach Joe Glenn, six of his staff members and more than 30 players having Colorado connections, the Las Vegas Bowl also will feature a Wyoming opponent - UCLA- with several ties to Colorado. The UCLA staffers who once played and/or coached in Colorado:

* Karl Dorrell, coach - Assistant for six seasons at the University of Colorado under Bill McCartney and Rick Neuheisel, coaching receivers. Assistant for three seasons (2000-02) for the Denver Broncos under Mike Shanahan, coaching receivers.

* Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach - Played at CU as a running back under McCartney. Assistant for two seasons at CU under Gary Barnett, coaching running backs.

* Tom Cable, offensive line coach - Assistant for two seasons at CU under Neuheisel (offensive line) and Barnett (offensive coordinator).

* Jon Embree, assistant head coach/tight ends - Played four seasons at CU under McCartney. Assistant for 10 seasons at CU under Neuheisel and Barnett, coaching tight ends, defensive ends and receivers.

* Larry Kerr, defensive coordinator/linebackers - Defensive coordinator for 10 seasons at Colorado State under Sonny Lubick.

* E.J. 'Doc' Kreis, strength and conditioning coach - Strength and conditioning coach for 10 seasons at CU under Neuheisel and Barnett.

* Brian Schneider, outside linebackers/ special teams - Played four seasons at CSU as a linebacker under Earle Bruce and Lubick. Assistant for six seasons at CSU under Lubick, coaching tight ends and special teams.

CAPTION(S):

Photo (2)

Karl Dorrell, coach of UCLA, and Wyoming coach Joe Glenn, both of whom have Colorado ties, share a goal - to return their once-proud programs to respectability.

Boxing: Hatton promises to be a belter in Las Vegas SPORTS ROUND-UP - Birmingham Evening Mail (England)

RICKY Hatton weighed in wearing a pair of Union Jack underpants,in front of almost 1,000 fans at the Palace Casino in Las Vegas lastnight.

Both Hatton and his opponent Juan Urango weighed in 1lb under thelight-welterweight limit, on 9st 13lb.

Hatton took the microphone and told his supporters: 'I am reallyproud to be here and to get this sort of reception.

'This belt is definitely coming back home with me.'

The Manchester 'Hitman' meets Urango for his old IBF light-welterweight title at the Paris Casino tonight, desperate to put on ashow.

Hatton declared: 'I have said all along I want people to go awayfrom my fights feeling they have been entertained.

'Vegas is about the biggest names in entertainment and I have notbeen involved in a stinker yet so I am in the right city. I alwaysbelieved I had the ability to fight on the big stage.'

Hatton has won over the Las Vegas public this week with his self-deprecating brand of humour and talk of being genuinely awed by hisnew-found superstar status on the Strip.

Now he has the chance to become a semi-permanent fixture, withvictory over Urango leading to a June super-fight back in this desertcity against the all-action Mexican Jose Luis Castillo.

Meanwhile Bradford's Junior Witter puts his WBC belt on the lineagainst Mexican Arturo Morua at London's Alexandra Palace tonight.

But Witter also hopes to unify the light-welterweight division bymeeting Hatton - assuming both men win tonight.

'It's the logical fight,' said Witter. 'If he wins and when I winit's definitely going to be an appealing fight.'

JACKSON GLIDES FOR FIVE TDS AVENGERS CRUISE PAST VEGAS TO WIN ARENA LEAGUE OPENER AVENGERS 60, LAS VEGAS 48.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

As the final remaining member of the inaugural 2000 Avengers and one of the team's fan favorites, offensive specialist Chris Jackson was given the honor of being the last player introduced before Sunday afternoon's Arena Football League opener against the Las Vegas Gladiators.

Jackson, a fourth-year pro from Washington State, made the most of the moment, dancing first to the left, then to the right with the Staples Center spotlight on him. And once the game started, Jackson needed only 34 seconds before he could display his moves again in the end zone.

On the first play of the Avengers' season, Jackson beat Las Vegas' Dennison Robinson on a corner route and hauled in a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Graziani. The play set the tone for the Avengers' 60-48 victory in which Jackson nearly tied a team record with five touchdown catches.

``Obviously, it was a great start for us,'' Avengers coach Ed Hodgkiss said of Jackson's catch. ``Right away, we kind of sent a message.''

Jackson ended the first half with a third-down touchdown catch with four seconds left in the second quarter, and he raced to a 45-yard touchdown on the Avengers' first play after halftime. He finished one score away from tying his single-game team record set last season.

``I just go out there and do what the defense allows,'' Jackson said. ``They were in single coverage, and I got (Robinson) turned around a little bit. That left me wide open in the end zone.''

Graziani is in his second full season throwing to Jackson.

``It's kind of weird,'' Graziani said. ``Right now, it's like I know exactly where he's going to be. ... When he runs great routes like that, it makes my job a lot easier.''

On a historic day for the Arena League, which made its NBC debut with four games in the afternoon, the Avengers scored on nine of their 11 possessions, never trailed and held on to win in front of an announced crowd of 14,827, a team record for the regular season.

Before the game, though, most of the Avengers had their attention on a television in their locker room, eager to see what the league's new Sunday afternoon national-television broadcasts were going to look like. The Avengers' game next Sunday against division rival San Jose will be televised by NBC (Channel 4).

``It felt like you were watching an NFL game,'' said Graziani, who finished 18 of 23 for 288 yards and seven touchdowns. ``This league has something special.''

But the Avengers had to withstand a final surge by the Gladiators - who moved from New Jersey to Nevada only 16 days before training camp started - to win the second home opener in franchise history.

The tense moments started with 1:26 left, when Jay McDonagh found Mike Horacek for a 5-yard touchdown. The Gladiators closed to 54-48 with the score but were called for being offsides on the ensuing onside kick. That gave the Avengers the ball on the Las Vegas 6-yard line, and Graziani scored on a 3-yard touchdown push to put away the game.

Afterward, Hodgkiss was quick to praise Sunday's performance. Because of the new NBC deal, the Arena League canceled its preseason and moved back the start of its regular season two months to the first weekend in February. The Avengers traveled to Dallas to scrimmage last week but had not played in a game situation.

``With no preseason games, I honestly had no idea what to expect,'' said Hodgkiss, whose offense easily exceeded the coach's 58-point target for most games.

On the other side, the Avengers debuted a revamped defense under new coordinator Doug Kay and started three rookies. Two of them, defensive specialists Damen Wheeler and Wasswa Serwanga, made interceptions. Wheeler also earned a measure of respect, as the Gladiators threw at him only once in the fourth quarter.

``I didn't eat anything all day,'' said Wheeler, a former Jacksonville Jaguars nickel back who came to the AFL after a stint two years ago in the XFL. ``I was so nervous. ... I'm just happy to be surrounded by so many good players.''

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Avengers offensive specialist Chris Jackson catches one of his five touchdowns during a 60-48 victory over Las Vegas at Staples Center on Sunday.

Wild hopes jackpot follows its selection of Las Vegas winger.(SPORTS) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

Byline: MICHAEL RUSSO; STAFF WRITER

LOS ANGELES - Jason Zucker might be from Las Vegas, but he says his poker game is not as good as his hockey game.

The Wild traded its third- and fourth-round picks to the Florida Panthers on Saturday so it could acquire a third second-round pick and gobble up the gritty, super-fast left winger from the United States Under-18 program in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the 59th pick.

The highly decorated American and former IHL Las Vegas Thunder stickboy became the first Nevada-trained player to be drafted in NHL history.

'It's great for me to have the honor,' said Zucker, who scored 29 goals and 53 points in 60 games with the national team and will attend the University of Denver. 'I'm an idol to some kids, and I think it's great to get Vegas hockey on the map as soon as possible.'

Zucker, 18, was one of 14 players selected out of the United States National Team program in Ann Arbor during the two-day NHL draft. Zucker and Dallas Stars first-round pick Jack Campbell were the only two U.S. players to win three gold medals in one calendar year -- 2009 and 2010 Under-18 championships, and 2010 world junior championships.

Zucker was the youngest player on that team and came up clutch throughout the tournament.

'I was lucky to be part of that team,' he said. 'I'll talk to my [U.S.] teammates the rest of my life. Every one of those guys is a brother to me, and it'll stay like that the rest of my life.'

Born in Newport Beach, Calif., Zucker moved to Las Vegas at 2 months old. He played roller hockey until age 6 but learned to love ice hockey while playing with brothers Evan and Adam. He was so good, he moved to California at age 10 to play for the L.A. Hockey Club.

After two years, he returned home to play for the Las Vegas Outlaws AAA team before moving to Detroit at age 15 to play for Compuware.

'There I realized it could be [not] a dream but a goal to play professional hockey,' he said.

Sleeper goes early

The Wild opened the second round with the 39th pick by choosing Kelowna Rockets winger Brett Bulmer (40 points in 65 games), a Red Line Report 'sleeper' whose stock rose dramatically in the second half. He was the 164th North American skater on the NHL Central Scouting Service's midterm rankings.

'He brings an edge, he's got a little nastiness to him,' assistant GM Brent Flahr said.

Then, with the 56th pick acquired in March from Washington in the Eric Belanger trade, the Wild drafted left winger Johan Larsson from Sweden's Brynas Jr. (34 points in 40 games). Some scouts say Larsson was the best player in the world under-18 tournament.

'We want the biggest, strongest, fastest, most-skilled guys, but if a kid's got character and a kid's got hockey sense, it gives him a good chance to find a way to play,' Flahr said. 'All these guys have a number of characteristics our [scouts] found valuable.'

Team will see if top pick attends training camp

The Wild will talk to Mikael Granlund's agent to determine whether the first-round pick wants to return for the team's development camp July 12-19. While the Wild would love the Finnish center there, Flahr said Granlund has been back and forth to the United States so many times in the past month, the team won't put pressure on him to come.

Flahr said because the Finnish Elite League season starts so early, the likelihood of Granlund attending the Wild training camp might be slim. But perhaps an arrangement can be made to have Granlund join the team in Helsinki for part of its week there Oct. 1-8.

Minnesotans popular

Max Gardiner was one of 14 Minnesotans taken on Day 2. He'll join Minnesotans Erik Johnson, David Backes and T.J. Oshie with the St. Louis Blues.

'With the success of those guys, maybe that played a part in them picking me,' Gardiner said.

Other Minnesotans drafted: Centerville's Tyler Pitlick (Edmonton, 31), South St. Paul's Justin Faulk (Carolina, 37), North Oaks' Mark Alt (Carolina, 53), Minnetonka's Justin Holl (Chicago, 54), Eden Prairie's Jason Clark (Islanders, 82), Woodbury's Max Gaede (San Jose, 88), Bloomington's Joe Faust (New Jersey, 114), Bloomington's Caleb Herbert (Washington, 142), Detroit Lakes' Tanner Lane (Atlanta, 160), Thief River Falls' Zane Gothberg (Boston, 165), Chanhassen's Nick Mattson (Chicago, 180), Mahtomedi's Ben Marshall (Detroit, 201) and West St. Paul's Christian Isackson (Buffalo, 203).

The Wild didn't choose any.

'There were several Minnesota players we liked, but just the way the draft broke, we weren't able to call any names,' General Manager Chuck Fletcher said.

The four Minnesotans taken in the first round -- Derek Forbort, Nick Bjugstad, Jarred Tinordi and Brock Nelson -- tied the most ever. Fourteen Minnesotans have been taken in the first round the past five drafts -- double the amount taken in the previous five drafts.

There were 59 Americans taken in the draft, including a record-tying 21 in the first two rounds.

WILD'S DAY 2 SELECTIONS

BRETT BULMER

Second round (39th overall)

Position: RW

Ht./wt.: 6-2, 175 pounds

Age: 18 (April 26, 1992)

Hometown: Prince George, B.C.

Team: Kelowna (WHL)

JOHAN LARSSON

Second round (56th overall)

Position: LW

Ht./wt.: 5-10, 210

Age: 17 (July 25, 1992)

Hometown: Lau, Sweden

Team: Brynas Jr. (Sweden)

JASON ZUCKER

Second round (59th overall)

Position: LW

Ht./wt.: 5-11, 174

Age: 18 (Jan. 16 1992)

Hometown: Las Vegas

Team: USA Under-18

JOHAN GUSTAFSSON

Sixth round (159th overall)

Position: G

Ht./wt.: 6-2, 194

Age: 18 (Feb. 28, 1992)

Hometown: Koping, Sweden

Team: Farjestad Jr. (Sweden)

DYLEN MCKINLAY

Seventh round (189th overall)

Position: RW

Ht./wt.: 5-11, 162

Age: 18 (April 20, 1992)

Hometown: Langley, B.C.

Team: Chilliwack (WHL)

MICHAEL RUSSO

MINNESOTA CONNECTION IN THE DRAFT

A look at the Minnesotans and those playing in Minnesota last season who were selected in the NHL entry draft this weekend:

Rd (pick), Team, Player, Pos., Hometown, 2009-10 team

1 (15), Los Angeles, Derek Forbort, D, Duluth, U.S. Under 18

1 (19), Florida, Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine, Blaine HS

1 (22), Montreal, Jarred Tinordi, D, Burnsville, U.S. Under 18

1 (30), N.Y. Islanders, Brock Nelson, C, Warroad, Warroad HS

2 (31), Edmonton, Tyler Pitlick, C, Centerville, MSU Mankato

2 (37), Carolina, Justin Faulk, D, South St. Paul, U.S. Under 18

2 (53), Carolina, Mark Alt, D, North Oaks, Cretin-Derham Hall HS

2 (54), Chicago, Justin Holl, D, Minnetonka, Minnetonka HS

3 (69), Florida, Joe Basaraba, RW, Fort Frances, Ontario, Shattuck-St. Mary's

3 (71), St. Louis, Max Gardiner, C, Minnetonka, Minnetonka HS

3 (82), N.Y. Islanders, Jason Clark, C, Eden Prairie, Shattuck-St. Mary's

3 (88), San Jose, Max Gaede, RW, Woodbury, Woodbury HS

4 (114), New Jersey, Joe Faust, D, Bloomington, Bloomington Jefferson HS

4 (118), Tampa Bay, James Mullin, C, Cincinnati, Shattuck-St. Mary's

5 (142), Washington, Caleb Herbert, C, Bloomington, Bloomington Jefferson HS

6 (160), Atlanta, Tanner Lane, C, Detroit Lakes, Detroit Lakes HS

6 (165), Boston, Zane Gothberg, G, Thief River Falls, Thief River Falls HS

6 (180), Chicago, Nick Mattson, D, Chanhassen, Indiana (USHL)

7 (201), Detroit, Ben Marshall, D, Mahtomedi, Mahtomedi HS

WALDORF IS ENJOYING HIS STAY IN LAS VEGAS.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- On a day when the wind howled and scores soared, Duffy Waldorf may have been the most surprised golfer in the Las Vegas Invitational.

Make that pleasantly surprised, after a 3-under 69 Friday left Waldorf with a four-shot lead after three rounds of a tournament suddenly turned topsy-turvy by wind gusting to 45 mph that caused scores to balloon.

``I never saw a leaderboard so I didn't know I had that kind of lead,'' Waldorf said. ``I really had no idea what a good round today would be.''

Playing away from scoreboards and on the Desert Inn Country Club course, the most sheltered of the three courses used in the tournament, Waldorf shot six strokes worse than he did a day earlier. It was still enough to vault him from a tie for the lead to a four-shot margin over Billy Mayfair. Fred Couples was tied with Kevin Sutherland another shot back.

Defending champion Tiger Woods, who double-bogeyed two holes on his front side after flubbing shots around the green, shot a 5-over 77 on the more open TPC Summerlin course and was 12 shots back. Senior PGA: Bob Eastwood, continuing the finest season of his career, shot a 5-under-par 67 in a strong, steady wind Friday for a two-stroke lead over five players in the first round of the Raley's Senior Gold Rush in El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Eastwood, a second-year Senior PGA Tour member who earlier this season claimed the rain-shortend Bell Atlantic Classic, fashioned a five-birdie round despite wind gusting over 30 mph on the 6,772-yard Serrano Country Club course.

``I hit a lot of good, solid putts in the wind today and that was the key,'' said Eastwood, whose $699,908 season earnings are nearly half the prize money he earned as a three-time winner in nearly 25 years on the PGA Tour. ``The holes didn't move around too much like the ball was.''

CAPTION(S):

UTAH STUFFS USC'S OFFENSE TO CAPTURE LAS VEGAS BOWL TROJANS HELD TO 151 YARDS.(SPORTS) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- With a methodical rushing attack and an overwhelming defensive effort, Utah won the Las Vegas Bowl exactly the way Ron McBride always hoped his team would play this season.

Adam Tate rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Utah's defense limited Southern Cal to one yard rushing as the Utes cleaned up in Las Vegas for the second time in three years, beating the Trojans, 10-6, on Tuesday.

McBride, soaked from a Gatorade dousing, led the cheers and the school fight song after the Utes controlled the ball over the final 5:43 with a poise they didn't show while blowing fourth-quarter leads against Brigham Young and Air Force in their final two regular-season games.

''We were under a lot of criticism for the Air Force and BYU games, but adversity is what I like,'' McBride said. ''I was determined that we were going to come down here and win this game. We needed this. We played with the ultimate determination.''

The Utes (8-4) won with their defense, which embarrassed USC's strong offense. The Trojans (6-6), who had their four-game winning streak snapped, finished with 151 total yards.

After scoring its only touchdown on the first possession of the second half, USC didn't get across the Utah 40-yard line for the rest of the day as linebacker Sheldon Deckart and the Utes' defense, missing two starters, dominated.

''We let them come right at us, and we stopped them,'' Deckart said. ''It was a big part of our game plan to make big plays, and then keep making big plays.''

Southern California, which entered the game hoping to build for a run at the Pacific-10 title next season, instead found nearly its every move thwarted by a Utah game plan that seemed to anticipate every trick in head coach Pete Carroll's store.

The Trojans didn't manage to accumulate positive rushing yardage until midway through the fourth quarter. Carson Palmer, who was 15-of-26 for 150 yards, missed open receivers and saw other passes dropped.

''I don't think they thought we were comparable to them,'' McBride said. ''They didn't think we were in the same league. They were destroying teams in the last five weeks of the season . . . but it's a funny game.''

UTAH7 3 0 0-10

USC0 0 6 0- 6

First Quarter

Utah-Tate 3 run (Kaneshiro kick), 5:26.

Second Quarter

Utah-FG Kaneshiro 26, :29.

Third Quarter

USC-Byrd 1 run (kick failed), 10:03.

A-30,894.

UTAHUSC

First downs 2012

Rushes-yards 54-22225-1

Passing 136150

Comp-Att-Int 12-21-115-26-0

Return Yards 860

Punts-Avg. 6-38.08-37.8

Fumbles-Lost 1-11-0

Penalties-Yards 10-956-47

Time of Possession 38:0121:59

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Utah, Tate 23-103, Hunter 17-94, Russell 2-15, Ita'Aehau 1-7, Houston 1-3, Rice 6-1, D.Smith 1-1, Fortune 1-1, team 2-(minus 3). USC, Byrd 10-31, Howard 3-14, Poston 3-12, Hale 1-8, team 2-(minus 13), Palmer 6-(minus-51).

PASSING-Utah, Rice 12-21-1-136. USC, Palmer 15-26-0-150.

RECEIVING-Utah, Lyman 4-41, Richardson 3-35, D.Smith 2-24, Russell 2-19, Houston 1-17. USC, Kelly 3-33, Pitts 3-32, Colbert 2-38, Holmes 2-16, Dickerson 2-8, Hale 1-13, Byrd 1-8, Landrigan 1-2.

CAPTION(S):

photo

TIGERS SWEEP WEST LAS VEGAS TO END REGULAR SEASON IN BASEBALL; ; THS TO PLAY COBRE AT STATE.(Sports) - Taos News (Taos, NM)

Byline: Cody Olivas

Estevan Martinez and Isaiah Concha each pitched complete games, helping the Taos High baseball team beat West Las Vegas 9-7 and 9-1, Saturday (April 28) in Taos' regular season finale.

'Ending the regular season on that, it was a good,' THS head coach Mark Montoya said. 'We're playing good, high-caliber baseball.'

In the first game, the Tigers took an 8-4 lead into the sixth inning. Alejandro Tavarez hit an RBI single to score Noah Romero and put the Tigers up 9-4.

In the seventh, the Dons rallied. West Las Vegas hit an RBI single and then a 2-RBI triple to get within two runs of Taos, 9-7. After a base on balls, the Dons got the tying run is scoring position. Concha, however, got the next batter to pop out in foul territory and then got the final batter to ground out to his shortstop.

In the second game, THS jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Concha hit a single to start the game and after stealing second to get in scoring position, Romero knocked him home. Romero stole second and advanced to third on a Kiko Martinez ground ball. Then, as soon as West Las Vegas' pitcher started his windup, Romero sprinted home and slid under the catcher's tag, stealing home and putting THS up, 2-0.

The Tigers scored twice more in the second and third innings. Rich Padilla started the second with a double and Larry Martinez knocked him in with a single. After a passed ball helped Larry Martinez get to third, Estevan Martinez laid down a perfect bunt on a squeeze play to help Larry Martinez score.

In the third, Kiko Martinez hit a single, then Lucas Robles blasted a ball deep to center that the center fielder kicked into left field, allowing both Tigers to score on the play, putting THS up, 6-1.

Romero started the fifth inning by smacking a triple, but he was gunned down at home going for an inside-the-park home run.

Tavarez then hit a triple of his own, slapping a pitch down the right field line. Kiko Martinez laid down a bunt to score Tavarez and later scored on a Padilla double.

Romero knocked in Taos' ninth run with a double in the sixth.

With the two wins, which Taos won without starters Leroy Pacheco and Keith Imberger, THS finished third in district 2 AAA with a 5-4 district record. Raton finished first (6-3) and Robertson (5-4) took second.

All four district teams earned a spot in the state championships. THS earned the No. 13 seed and will play at No. 4 Cobre in a best-of-three game series in the first round this Friday and Saturday (May 4-5). THS finished its regular season 10-12-1 while Cobre went 23-3.

'I don't think their record is indicative of how good they are and our record isn't indicative of how good we are,' coach Montoya said. 'It doesn't get any easier from this point on. It's going to come down to who's playing the best ball that (weekend).'

Raton is the No. 5 seed at state and will host Shiprock in the first round of state. Robertson got the No. 6 seed and will host Pojoaque while West Las Vegas was seeded No. 15 and will play at Hope Christian.

RODMAN IN CHIPS AT LAS VEGAS.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

By now, Dennis Rodman knows he's expected to skip out to Las Vegas during the NBA Finals in Utah. He did just that on a Wednesday night that stretched into yesterday morning.

Rodman was scoreless with 10 rebounds off the bench in Chicago's 88-85 loss in Game 1. As has become his custom, Rodman wasn't on the Chicago sideline when Bulls coach Phil Jackson wanted to put him in the game in the first quarter.

He stayed in the locker room, riding a bike to keep loose. Rodman started the second quarter and ended up playing 40 minutes.

Soon after the game ended, Rodman was on a plane for Vegas. Rumor had it that he didn't arrive back in Salt Lake City until 5 a.m.

The Las Vegas Sun reported that Rodman made the rounds of three casinos. According to the paper, Rodman at one point accumulated more than $20,000 in chips at a Las Vegas Hilton craps table.

``We worked out an agreement that as long as practice isn't missed and as long as he is able to have a little space and time to recover, this is going to be OK,'' Jackson said. ``This is not going to be something that is negative.''

When Rodman arrived at practice with the Bulls yesterday, he got angry when one of the media mob stepped on his shoe. He then refused to talk to reporters.

BIG SMOOTH MOVING UP: Among the many story lines in this series is the fact that John Stockton and Karl Malone have rocketed to the top of the list of those who have played the most playoff games without winning the NBA title.

Stockton leads the list with 141 games. The Lakers' Elgin Baylor is next with 134, Malone is third with 131. New York's Charles Oakley is fourth at 129 and Sonic forward Sam Perkins is fifth with 129, nine ahead of Charles Barkley. Retiring Sonic captain Nate McMillan's 98 is tied for 14th with ex-teammate Derrick McKey.

YET ANOTHER JORDAN CHALLENGE: After Wednesday's victory, Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson wrote that the series was over, based mostly on the historical fact that the team winning Game 1 has won the Finals 80 percent of the time.

Michael Jordan claimed he didn't read the column, but was quick to offer refutation.

Las Vegas slugfest a hit with US papers.(Sports) - Manila Bulletin

Byline: nick giongco

LAS VEGAS Some of Americas leading publications have dispatched reporters and photographers to cover Saturday nights super-featherweight slugfest between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales at the MGM Grand.

Lee Samuels, the public relations man of Top Rank, the lead promoter of todays heavily-hyped showdown, said publications like the Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Sacramento Bee, San Diego Union-Tribune, Arizona Republic, Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News and top Mexican paper La Opinion, Las Vegas-Review Journal and Las Vegas Sun, are in town to catch the action.

Samuels revealed that the Ring magazine, acknowledged as the Bible of Boxing, even sent three writers to cover the event and a Japanese TV crew as well as an English news team are already here in anticipation of a mega fight.

Todd DuBoef, the new president of Top Rank, said they had to add more seats in the $75 section as he expects more fans to make a bee-line to the box-office just hours before the show gets on the road.

Owing to the unusual number of newsmen, the promoters have decided to further enhance the services available for those covering a fight that has all the trappings of a classic.

LAS VEGAS BOWL: SINS FORGOTTEN IN SIN CITY UCLA WINS LAS VEGAS BOWL, LOOKS AHEAD TO NEW ERA UCLA 27, NEW MEXICO 13.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS - It was hardly the way they drew it up, playing without their coach in a stadium in the middle of the desert, in front of the smallest crowd of their careers against a bunch of guys that two weeks ago they couldn't identify without a scorecard.

But there they were, Ben Emanuel, Rodney Leisle, Marcus Reese and Ricky Manning, all looking up into the stands in the final minute and leading a posse of UCLA fans through an eight clap.

When they were through clapping, thrusting their fists in the air and hugging each other, it was hard to tell this wasn't what they had in mind all along.

The Bruins' 27-13 victory over New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl in front of 21,584 on Wednesday might not be one worth remembering, but it was one worth savoring.

After the humiliating losses to USC and Washington State, the sacking of coach Bob Toledo and the uncertainty of the future under incoming coach Karl Dorrell, the Bruins were just happy to leave the field wearing smiles.

``People don't understand how much drama we've been through,'' Reese said. ``I mean, we've been through a lot the last few weeks - all the wondering about what's going on. This feels great.''

Particularly for the 14 seniors, the coaching staff, interim coach Ed Kezirian and Leisle, the junior defensive tackle - all of whom have likely participated as Bruins for the last time.

``I've always wanted to be the richest man in Las Vegas,'' said Kezirian, the team's academic adviser who was thrust into his new position two weeks ago. ``Right now, I feel like I am.''

Rich or poor, it's always nice to have good defense and special teams and they were what paid the bill against New Mexico (7-7).

Las Vegas Bowl MVP Craig Bragg broke a tie early in the third quarter with a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown and early in the fourth quarter the Bruins' defense made back-to-back plays that clinched the game.

Safety Jarrad Page picked off a pass that bounced off the back of New Mexico tight end Zach Cresap and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to put UCLA ahead 20-6.

On the next play from scrimmage, UCLA cornerback Joe Hunter stripped New Mexico receiver Joe Manning of the ball and linebacker Brandon Chillar recovered at the New Mexico 31. Seven plays later, Tyler Ebell scored on fourth-and-goal 1-yard plunge to put the Bruins ahead 27-6 with 10:40 to play.

In addition to the three turnovers, the Bruins held New Mexico tailback DonTrell Moore, who averaged 141 yards the past four games, to 17 yards on 14 carries.

``To be honest, we knew they were scared,'' said Hunter, a senior who played the minutes of a starter Wednesday. ``They're a good team, but thought we could break them with a big play. We needed one breaking point.''

The UCLA defense knows a breaking point when it sees one. In its past two games, the Bruins have allowed 100 points.

``We owed coach (Phil) Snow a good defensive effort,'' said middle linebacker Reese, who had a team-high eight tackles and three sacks. ``The last couple of games we let him down.''

The Bruins' defense and special teams made up for a woeful offensive effort. UCLA was held to a season-low 167 yards and helped the Lobos to their only points until the final minutes - on Desmar Black's 55-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

UCLA (8-5) struggled to adjust to New Mexico's unorthodox 3-3-5 defense, which held the Bruins to negative yardage on 15 of their 61 plays. Their first scoring drive, a 49-yard field goal by Nate Fikse after a New Mexico fumble, was four plays for minus-12 yards.

``It's a tough defense,'' UCLA quarterback Drew Olson said. ``It's confusing and they're good at running that. There's not much you can do.''

Olson, who started, was supposed to play the first and third quarters, but on his final pass at the end of the first quarter, he hit his thumb on a New Mexico player's helmet. It swelled up at halftime and he did not return.

The best and only real drive the offense had was after it recovered Manning's fumble at the New Mexico 31. It was also the only real coaching decision Kezirian had - what to do on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

Unlike Toledo, he had plenty of advice. ``We were all yelling to go for it,'' Emanuel said.

Kezirian looked good when Ebell - after the Bruins had been stuffed on two running plays - leaped over a pile and into the end zone.

Kezirian, who concludes his head-coaching career as the only one in school history with a perfect record, deflected any credit toward the seniors and the assistant coaches, most of whom will begin looking for work today.

The day was especially satisfying for Snow, the defensive coordinator. He doesn't expect to be back and was miffed when Kezirian was chosen to be interim coach, but he was pleased with how the past two weeks went.

``We coached them hard the last couple weeks and we didn't get any static,'' Snow said. ``They didn't have to listen to us if they didn't want to - we're not going to be around next year - but they were great.

``They can walk away with their chin up high.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) UCLA running back Tyler Ebell (2) is in the middle of a pack of celebrating Bruins players Wednesday after UCLA defeated New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl.

(2) UCLA's Jarrad Page returns an interception 29 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday.

Joe Cavaretta/Associated Press

(3) UCLA defensive end Rusty Williams holds aloft the trophy the Bruins won by defeating New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Eric Jamison/Associated Press

Box:

AVENGERS CAN DECIDE DESTINY AVENGERS 54, LAS VEGAS 51.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

The Avengers didn't clinch a playoff spot Saturday night, but they made things a lot easier on themselves.

With seven teams in contention for three playoff berths heading into their penultimate regular-season game, the Avengers needed a little breathing room. They provided it for themselves with a 54-51 victory over Las Vegas in front of 14,588 at Staples Center.

The Avengers will clinch at least the eighth, and final, playoff spot if they beat Orlando next Sunday and can still make it even if they lose to the Predators. A loss to the Gladiators on Saturday would have complicated matters immensely, but quarterback Tony Graziani and an efficient offense came through.

They also could clinch a spot with losses by Tampa Bay, New York, Indiana and Austin today. Saturday's loss eliminated the Gladiators from playoff contention.

``That's good,'' Graziani said. ``We knocked them out, and now that's one less thing we have to worry about.''

Graziani has had two of his three lowest passing totals in the last two games, but they have both been victories. Against Las Vegas, Graziani completed 17 of 24 attempts for 229 yards and six touchdowns.

The Avengers led by 10 points for most of the second half after taking a 27-17 lead early in the third quarter on Graziani's 10-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ingram. Las Vegas cut the deficit to three points by scoring with 17 seconds remaining in the game, but Chris Jackson recovered an onside kick.

Graziani scored the touchdown that ended up being the game-winner as he pushed the ball in from one yard out with 28 seconds left to give the Avengers a 54-44 lead.

The first half didn't match expectations, considering the Avengers and Gladiators came into the game with two of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. The Avengers led 20-17 at halftime.

Both teams played it safe for most of the half and limited their offenses to short- and medium-range passes. Neither defense made a stop in the first quarter, which Las Vegas led 10-7, and then the Avengers missed a great chance to take control of the game midway through the second quarter.

One of Graziani's rare deep pass attempts, on the first play of the second quarter, connected with Jackson for a 32-yard touchdown to give the Avengers a 14-10 lead.

Las Vegas slowly drove down the field on its ensuing drive, but on the sixth play, from the Avengers' 8, quarterback Clint Dolezel lofted a pass near the goal line toward Lenny Ware, but Avengers linebacker Greg Hopkins easily got the interception.

Rich Hammond, (818) 713-3611

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Las Vegas' Dennison Robinson loses his helmet as he is stopped by Kevin Ingram, top, and Damen Wheeler.