Bearkat Safety Earns Another National Award
by Cheval John
The awards keep piling up for SHSU’s safety Darnell Taylor.
Today, Taylor earned a spot in the 2012 Walter Camp All-America Squad.
The senior from Mesquite, TX led the team in tackles this year with 100.
He was named the Southland Conference (SLC) “Defensive Player of the Year” for the second year in a row.
Defensively, he played a critical role when the Bearkats won their second consecutive SLC title this year that allowed them to be selected for the NCAA FCS playoffs.
In the playoffs, the Bearkats went through three Big Sky Co-Champions in Cal Poly, Montana State and Eastern Washington to make it to the FCS National Championship Game in Frisco, TX for the second year in row.
It was the first time that the Bearkats have ever made consecutive appearances in the FCS playoffs and the title game.
They will have a second go-around with defending champion North Dakota State Bison on January 5 at 1 p.m eastern time on ESPN2.
Both teams played last year in the championship game with the Bison coming on top with 17-6 win.
The Walter Camp All-America squad honors players who made a significant impact for their respective teams from nine conferences and 24 institutions in the FCS.
The honor is named after Walter Camp, who is considered the “Father of American Football” because he developed the present game as we know it.
Here are the list of the Camp All-America Squad
2012 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team
OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt Class Hometown
WR Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois 5-10 181 Jr. Miami, FL
WR Aaron Melette, Elon 6-2 220 Sr. Sanford, NC
TE A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State 6-4 245 Soph. Jacksonville, FL
OL Earl Watford, James Madison 6-4 295 Sr. Philadelphia, PA
OL Mike Sellers, The Citadel 6-0 290 Jr. Summerville, SC
OL Billy Turner, North Dakota State 6-6 300 Jr. Shoreview, MN
OL Chris Howley, Maine 6-3 295 Sr. Runnemede, NJ
C Corey Howard, Central Arkansas 6-1 290 Sr. Wichita Falls, TX
QB Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion 6-1 295 Soph. Atlanta, GA
RB Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook 5-10 205 Sr. Riverhead, NY
RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota State 6-0 215 Soph. Eagan, MN
PK Patrick Murray, Fordham 5-7 182 Sr. Mahwah, NJ
DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt Class Hometown
DL Caleb Schreibeis, Montana State 6-3 252 Sr. Billings, MT
DL Colton Underwood, Illinois State 6-4 255 Jr. Washington, IL
DL Brandon Thurmond, Arkansas Pine Bluff 6-2 260 Sr. Augusta, GA
DL Davis Tull, UT-Chattanooga 6-3 230 Soph. Knoxville, TN
DL Joseph LeBeau, Jackson State 6-1 245 Sr. New Orleans, LA
LB Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State 5-11 240 Sr. Decatur, GA
LB Matt Evans, New Hampshire # 6-0 228 Sr. Hanover, MA
LB Stephon Robertson, James Madison 5-11 225 Jr. Alexandria, VA
DB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State 5-11 194 Jr. Minneapolis, MN
DB Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston 6-0 195 Sr. Mesquite, TX
DB Cooper Taylor, Richmond 6-5 235 Sr. Atlanta, GA
DB Jaquiski Tartt, Samford 6-1 220 Soph. Mobile, AL
P Andy Wilder, Northern Arizona 6-3 205 Jr. Scottsdale, AZ
KR Jerodis Williams, Furman 5-11 208 Sr. Prattville, AL
Bearkats Win O.T. Thriller 65-63 Over UC-Irvine
by Cheval John
Huntsville, TX-The Bearkat basketball team was pushed to their limits yesterday against a really good University of California-Irvine Anteaters in the final game of the Progressive Legends Classic Subregional.
The Bearkats knew that they had to give it their all if they wanted to beat an Anteater’s team that went toe to-toe with UCLA Bruins a week ago and narrowly losing to Southern Mississippi the day before.
They did just that in overtime behind a go-ahead, game-winning shot by Darius Gatson with 15 seconds left for a 65-63 win over UC-Irvine.
“I came off the screen. … .I was hoping to turn the corner and got some contact and I was able to get the shot,”
Gatson said.
“It was a big play for us.”
The Bearkats totaled 47 rebounds in the game. Most of the rebounds came on the offensive side of the ball that produced 18 second chance points.
Terrance Motley and Michael Holyfield had eight rebounds apiece.
“They both played really well,” head coach Jason Hooten said.
“Defensive end is technique and offensive end is just heart. We got 17 offensive rebounds. That’s just the will to go get it.”
“(Terrance) Motley got five and (Michael) Holyfield got four. … .That give’s you extra possession everytime.”
The Bearkats opened the game on a 12-2 run. They were leading 19-9 at one point before UC-Irvine came storming back with a 10-1 run of their own to cut the lead to 20-19.
When it was all said and down, the Bearkats were leading 30-25 at halftime.
Then things got really interesting as the Anteaters opened the second half on a 6-0 run to take a 31-30 lead behind a three-pointer by Mike Best and a pair of buckets by Will Davis II.
From there, it was an all-out battle by both teams as they were five lead changes and three ties.
With the score tied at 58, the Bearkats had an opportunity to win it in regulation, but couldn’t convert that allowed the game to go into overtime.
UC-Irvine went on a 5-3 run to lead at 63-61 with about two minutes left in overtime.
“I was sitting there thinking, ‘we’re going to win this game,'” Hooten said.
“Even when we got down in overtime, I just knew one of these guys were going to make a play.”
That turned out to be the case.
After Motley’s free throw that cut the lead to 63-62, Gatson made a huge steal that gave the Bearkats a shot at winning the game in the final seconds.
Gatson, who finished with 13 points, drove to the basket and laid it in for the go-ahead score at 64-63.
UC-Irvine couldn’t convert to tie it up and Gatson made one of his free throws to increase the lead to 65-63.
Then in desparation, the Anteaters threw up a prayer, but missed with time running out with the Bearkats celebrating a huge win.
DeMarcus Gatlin lead the Bearkats with 15 points, five rebounds and one steal.
Adam Folker led UC-Irvine with 13 points while Davis II had 12.
With thanksgiving weekend, the players and coaches will use this time to rest before they get back to work in preparation for Tuesday’s matchup against the University of Texas at Austin.
“It’s another game for us,” Hooten said.
“I know they’re really good. They won two out of three in Maui and I know they will be ready.”
“We will be ready too.”
The Longhorn’s only loss in Maui came against Charminade, a D-II school, but coach Hooten doesn’t see this game as a David vs. Goliath match.
“I wouldn’t look at it like that,” Hooten said.
“This may sound crazy to everybody, but we expect to go play well and have a chance to win no matter who we play.”
No.5 Bearkats Ate Up Cardinals 56-7
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Beaumont – Walter Payton Award candidate Timothy Flanders rushed 16 times for 131 yards and four touchdowns to lead Sam Houston to a 56-7 Southland Conference football victory over Lamar Saturday.
The junior’s touchdown runs of seven, one, 59 and 10 yards upped his career totals to 47 rushing TDs and 50 total six-pointers.
Both marks rank Flanders third in Southland Conference annals.
The victory, Sam Houston’s fifth consecutive win, upped the No. 5-ranked Bearkats to 6-2 for the year and 4-1 in Southland Conference action.
Lamar dropped to 3-6 for the year and 0-4 in league play.
The Bearkats out-gained the Cardinals 508 total yards to 181.
Sam Houston’s 378 yards rushing ranks as the program’s third highest total in a Southland Conference game.
The 100-plus yard performance marked Flanders 20th career 100-yard game.
He now ranks sixth in Southland all-time rushing with 3,379 career yards.
The four TDs give Flanders his fourth career game with three or more scores.
Flanders set the Sam Houston school record for touchdowns in a game with five in an overtime victory over New Mexico last year during the Bearkats’ 14-0 run to the NCAA Division I national championship game.
Kat kicker Miguel Antonio joined in the record-setting spree with eight extra points to become Sam Houston’s all-time kick-scoring leader with 264 points.
He passed Billy Hayes who produced 258 points as a kicker from 1985-88.
Flanders is the only Bearkat to score more points with 300 in his career.
Flanders opened the scoring with a seven-yard touchdown to complete a nine-play, 45 yard set up when the Bearkat defense stopped Lamar for a loss of one on a fourth-and-two attempt at the Cardinal 46.
On the next series, Darnell Taylor knocked the ball out the Cardinal running back hands at the 15-yard line and J. T. Cleveland ran the fumble recovery to the one.
Flanders took one play to score and up SHSU up 14-0.
Another fumble recovery set up the Kats’ third tally.
Jeremy Jackson forced the miscue and Kenneth Jenkins recovered at the Lamar 48.
On the first play after the turnover, Bell founder Diller alone in the Lamar secondary for a 48-yard score with 1:16 left before intermission.
SHSU took only a minute and six seconds to tally its first touchdown of the second period.
On the third play of an 80-yard drive, Flanders broke for a 59-yard score, the junior’s longest run this season and the third longest of his career.
The touchdown marked Flanders seventh run of more than 50 yards during his career.
With 9:56 left in the third, Flanders picked up his fourth touchdown running from the Wild Bearkat formation from 10 yards out.
Keyshawn Hill added a six-yard touchdown after a nine-play, 67-yard drive to put SHSU up 42-0 with 4:38 to play in the third.
Kevin Johnson put Lamar on the scoreboard with an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 4:36 remaining in the period.
Cody Morgan tallied the final touchdown for Sam Houston on a three-yard run to complete an 80-yard fourth quarter drive.
Sam Houston returns home to play host to Southeastern Louisiana next Saturday at 2 p.m. in the final Bearkat game at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium this season.