Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 13

i CCMINS UP Mattoon, Charleston girls clash in basketball season opener INSIDE LONG ROAD Casey-Westfield's hopes come to an early end in a 35-0 loss to Westville in Class 2A quarterfinals PAGEC3 TUES LEE PUBLICATIONS, INC. WWW.JGTC.COM- SECTION Lake Land coach Jim Dudley hospitalized DAY I "The guys did pretty well. We handled it the best we could. "You have to deal with all mai kinds of different Game stats for situations. He Lake Land versus fares a lot about which McKendree's JV team shot .529 from the field and made 21 of 27 free throws to offset Lake Land's 16-for-35 3-point shooting.

"We need to guard people a whole lot better," the assistant coach said. "We finally got a lead with six minutes to go. Then we had a couple of possessions where we didn't take very good care of the ball." Keith Radcliff scored 21 points to lead the Lakers while Dustin Neighbors added eight. Matt Schumacher had a team-high six rebounds. Lake Land's next scheduled game is Saturday at Lindenwood.

beth's hospital. "As far as we know it is a reaction to an antibiotic he was taking," Lake Land Athletics Director Denny Throneburg said. "Our biggest concern right now will be coach's health obviously, trying to get him home to his own doctor. I've been in contact with the hospital, the doctors and (Dudley's wife) Carol Jean." Mark Tovey, a new assistant for Lake Land this season, took over coaching the team. "I don't think in 29 years I've been in a situation where a team was missing the head coach," Tovey said.

Lake Land falls in final minutes to McKendree LEBANON Lake Land men's basketball coach Jim Dudley was hospitalized in Belleville missing Saturday's 101-98 men's basketball loss to McKendree's junior varsity team. Dudley did not feel well enough to sit on the bench to start the game at Lebanon and then at halftime was taken by ambulance to St. Eliza United team's title gets to Spoo his one had Bob Spoo choked up, struggling for words. UUOOtSWSUlgO OIL Eastern Illinois' football coach had no trouble calling a September home-opening loss to Illinois State an embarrassment. He spoke with glee after the Panthers' resounding win over Eastern Kentucky in mid-October.

He fumed words of disgust a couple of weeks ago after a not-so-impressive win over Tennessee-Martin. In the same O'Brien Stadium postgame interview room on Saturday, he had to look down at the table and compose himself while saying: "We've got a share of the OVC championship. We found a way to win. That's all that counts. It was a great effort by our guys.

Saturday's 31-20 win over Tennessee Tech does not mark the first conference title in these 19 EIU seasons for Spoo, whose Panthers shared the 1995 Gateway Conference championship, won the 2001 OVC title outright and shared the 2002 title. It does not even assure Spoo of his seventh NCAA Division I-AA berth with the Ohio Valley Conference's automatic spot to be decided by Saturday's game at Jacksonville State. Regardless what happens Saturday in the showdown at Jacksonville State, a coin flip in case of a three-way tie for the OVC championship or an NCAA selection committee's at-large choices in case EIU does not win the automatic berth on the football field or via coin-flip, these Panthers have already won a special place in their coach's heart. Spoo will not always need this year's team bracelet to remember his 2005 squad. "It says 'EIU unity come Spoo said of the simple but important wrist decor.

"It was all about bonding, never finger point and -team cohesiveness. It's the greatest thing to have, battling to the end." You might call all that a little corny until you remember that part of the corny slogans and bracelet wearing is done by guys like linebacker Clint Sellers, who I Photos by Kevin KilhofferStaff Photographer Eastern's Alicua Nozlnor makes a catch while closely covered by Tennessee Tech's Michael Burton. Nozlnor, who had four catches In Just four games of an Injury-Interrupted season before Saturday, caught three passes for 57 yards In the Panthers' 31-20 win. DetaHsC. a good job.

(Former LLC assis tant) Dave Earp was there to help. We were glad about that." Tovey could quickly point to his Lakers' deficiencies in the game in li clinching no worse than a tie for the Ohio Valley Conference football championship. "Let's face it," EIU coach Bob Spoo said. "The defense has done a remarkable job. Even when -things are bleak, somebody makes a play." While Lothe came up with this big play on a day when he also was credited with three quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss and linebacker Clint Sellers thwarted a Tech drive with an interception in the end zone after earlier tipping a pass so teammate Lucius Seymour could make the interception, the NCAA Division I-AA turnover ratio leader entering the game actually lost this turnover battle 4-3.

But while slipping to second behind I-AA's top-ranked New Hampshire in the turnover margin list, the nation's 23rd-ranked Panthers still raised their record to 8-2 overall and 7-0 in the OVC heading into Saturday's regular season PANTHERSC4 Vasher sets sail CHICAGO (AP) What the heck? Nathan Vasher caught the missed field goal deep in the end zone on the final play of the first half and decided to bring it out. Seconds later, he was in the NFL record books with the longest play in league history an almost unimaginable rambling 108-yard TD return that stunned the San Francisco 49ers and propelled the Chicago Bears to a blustery 17-9 win Sunday. "I've never really seen it work, but we always feel like we can get big plays like that," Vasher said. "I'm still speechless." When Joe Nedney'g 52-yard attempt was short and wide, Vasher Mallll 1 I NJi EASTERN TENNESSEE TECH ft if 7.1 II Qulnten Pontius returned two klckoffs for 40 yards for Eastern In Saturday's win over Tennessee Tech. happened." What happened was Britton lost the football on Lottie's sack, EIU linebacker Donald Thomas recovered the fumble, Tony Donato quickly responded with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Voss and EIU was well on its way to Saturday's 31-20 win at O'Brien Stadium 1 Associated Press suspended for season's last two races AVONDALE, Ariz.

(AP) The reaction by Roush Racing was swift and final: Kurt Busch, the reigning Nextel Cup champion, was suspended Sunday for the remainder of the IASCAR season after his run-in with police "It's the4ast straw for Roush Racing," team president Geoff Smith said Sunday. "We're officially retiring as Kurt Busch's apologists, effective today." Kenny Wallace replaced Busch for Sunday's race at Phoenix, where Busch won in April. He also will miss next week's Ford 400 in Homestead, Fla. Busch was cited for reckless driving Friday night near Phoenix International Raceway. Officers said he smelled of alcohol and was belligerent after he was stopped for trying to avoid another car and running a stop sign.

Busch, who has a history of run-ins on and off the track with Kurt Busch fctsida Busch's brother drives home victory at Phoenix International DeyisCS. drivers and NASCAR officials, was staying in a motorhome outside the track. He appeared to be holding back tears as he told NBC Sports that alcohol was not involved in the incident. "Obviously, I'm upset. It's tough.

I'm a race car driver, there's a race today and I'd love to be in the race," he said. "My crew, (crew chief) Jimmy Fennig, I have to thank them for what they gave ma Man, it's just unfortunate. I'd love to be there for them today "That's the decision they made, and I will live with it," Busch added. Busch made the Chase for the championship but was running in eighth place, virtually eliminated from a shot at winning another titla "He's a young man with great potential that has been realized to an extent, but he's got some challenges building relationships in the public and the sponsors community BUSCHC4 caught the ball over his shoulder, then after his brief hesitation sprinted to the 15, reversed his field with a spin move and picked up a convoy of blockers. "All the guys start out left.

If there's nothing to the left, we always have a lot of field to the right. 1 just felt like I could outrun a lot of guys at that angle," Vasher said. Getting blocks down the sideline from Lance Briggs, Chris Harris and Brian Urlacher, Vasher weaved past and through the huffing and puffing 49ers for a 7-3 halftime lead. "With the field goal team out there, there were no defensive backs KUZSU hi in Windy City Fumbling Panthers grab Ohio Valley Conference title share BY BRIAN NIELSEI Sports Editor CHARLESTON Unlike some previous games of defensive touchdowns and devastating hits, Eastern Illinois' defense faced danger. The EIU offense's uncharacteristic fourth turnover gave Tennessee Tech the football at its own 22-yard with just a four-point deficit with 10:19 remaining, and the Golden Eagles had already shown the ability to run past the Panthers.

Tech started this drive with a 17-yard first down pass, and EIU had only a bit more reason for confidence when defensive end Kory Lothe was chasing Tech quarterback Stephen Britton on third down and 9. "I was just going for the tackle," Lothe said. "I don't know what T) ir MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 Preseason NIT, first round, Boston U. at Duke 7 FSM Sam Houston at Missouri NBA BASKETBALL 9:30 p.m.

CSNCH-Chicago Bulls at Golden State Warriors NFL 8 p.m. WICD Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles TENNIS 5 a.m. ESPN2 ATP, Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, round robin, at Shanghai, China 9 p.m. ESPN2 ATP, Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, round robin, at Shanghai, China (same-day tape) ft A Chicago Bears' Nathan Vasher (31) returns a missed field goal an NFL-record 108 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers hi Chicago..