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MEN’S GOLF
Sanchez, Lions lead after 36 holes at The Classic at Firewheel.
GARLAND – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team and senior Wilfredo Sanchez hold the 36-hole lead after the first day of action at The Classic at Firewheel, the Lions’ home event on the Lakes course at the Firewheel Golf Park. All five Lions are in the top 10 of the tournament.
The Lions shot even par (289-287, 576) on opening day and hold a commanding 30-stroke lead over Arkansas-Monticello. Sanchez shot the lowest round of the day in the second round and is tied with UT Permian Basin individual Cortland Curgus for the lead at 3-under par 141 (73-68).
Sanchez had 12 birdies scattered through his two rounds, four more than the nearest competitor in the field. He was 5-under par on par five holes to take the overnight lead.
Blake Hartford is in third place at 1-over par 145 (74-71) and was one of two Lions with an eagle on the day. He was 1-over par on all par three holes and 2-under par on par five holes.
Lucas McCubbin is in sixth place at 4-over par 148. He started the day with a 3-under par 69 to hold the first round lead but then carded a 79 in the second round.
Joe Wolcik is in eighth place at 5-over par 149. He had two eagles on the day and rebounded from a 78 in the first round with a second round 71. His 7-under par on par five holes was the best in the field.
Nick Louy is in ninth place at 6-over par 150 (73-77). He was even par on all par four holes for the second-best rate in the field in that category. He had 21 pars in the 36 holes played Monday.
The Lions will push for the tournament championship on Tuesday with an 8:45 a.m. shotgun start. A&M-Commerce will be with Arkansas-Monticello and UT-Dallas.
| Rank | Team | Scores | Total | Par | |
| 1. | A&M-Commerce | 289 | 287 | 576 | E |
| 2. | Arkansas-Monticello | 305 | 301 | 606 | +30 |
| 3. | UT Dallas | 308 | 304 | 612 | +36 |
| 4. | UT Dallas B | 313 | 301 | 614 | +38 |
| UT Permian Basin | 323 | 291 | 614 | +38 | |
| 6. | Jacksonville College | 312 | 308 | 620 | +44 |
| Newman | 307 | 313 | 620 | +44 | |
| 8. | Centenary | 333 | 330 | 663 | +87 |
| A&M-Commerce | 289 | 287 | 576 | E | 1st |
| Wilfredo Sanchez | 73 | 68 | 141 | -3 | t-1st |
| Blake Hartford | 74 | 71 | 145 | +1 | t-3rd |
| Lucas McCubbin | 69 | 79 | 148 | +4 | t-6th |
| Joe Wolcik | 78 | 71 | 149 | +5 | 8th |
| Nick Louy | 73 | 77 | 150 | +6 | t-9th |
FOOTBALL
Lions move up one spot to seventh in Super Region Four rankings.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team is ranked seventh in NCAA Division II Super Region Four in the second release of the regional rankings, announced Monday.
The Lions are 7-1 overall with a 5-1 in-region record. Super Region Four consists of the Lone Star, Great Northwest Athletic, Northern Sun Intercollegiate, and Rocky Mountain Athletic conferences. The top seven teams in the region at the completion of the season advance to the NCAA Division II Football Championship, with the field, announced on Sunday, November 12.
There are three undefeated teams in Super Region Four – top-ranked Central Washington (9-0), second-ranked Minnesota State (9-0), and third-ranked Midwestern State (7-0). Winona State (8-1) is ranked fourth, Sioux Falls (8-1) is ranked fifth, and Colorado Mesa (8-1) is ranked sixth.
Behind the Lions in seventh are Humboldt State (7-1) in the eighth, Minnesota-Duluth (7-2) in ninth, and Eastern New Mexico (7-1) in 10th.
The Lions host UT Permian Basin in the final regular season home game of the year. Kickoff against the Falcons is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Ceremonies for Senior Day and the dedication of Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium will take place before kickoff of the game. Fans are encouraged to enter the stadium and take their seats well in advance of the contest.
NCAA Division II Super Region Four Rankings – October 30, 2017
| Rk | School | In-Region | Division II |
| 1 | Central Washington | 8-0 | 9-0 |
| 2 | Minnesota State | 9-0 | 9-0 |
| 3 | Midwestern State | 6-0 | 7-0 |
| 4 | Winona State | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 5 | Sioux Falls | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 6 | Colorado Mesa | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 7 | A&M-COMMERCE | 5-1 | 7-1 |
| 8 | Humboldt State | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Minnesota-Duluth | 7-2 | 7-2 |
| 10 | Eastern New Mexico | 6-1 | 7-1 |
Games in the Regional Rankings This Week
No. 1 Central Washington at Simon Fraser – 3:00 p.m. Saturday
Wayne State (Neb.) at No. 2 Minnesota State – Noon Saturday
Tarleton State at No. 3 Midwestern State – 2:00 p.m. Saturday
No. 4 Winona State at Southwest Minnesota State – 1:00 p.m. Saturday
No. 5 Sioux Falls at Upper Iowa – 11:00 a.m. Saturday
No. 6 Colorado Mesa at South Dakota Mines – 2:00 p.m. Saturday
UT Permian Basin at No. 7 A&M-Commerce – 4:00 p.m. Saturday
No. 8 Humboldt State at Western State Colorado – 2:00 p.m. Saturday
Minnesota-Crookston at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth – 1:00 p.m. Saturday
No. 10 Eastern New Mexico at West Liberty (W. Va.) – 5:00 p.m. Thursday
FOOTBALL
Saathoff, Wilson named LSC Players of the Week.
RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce football standouts Brucks Saathoff and Buck Wilson have been named Players of the Week by the Lone Star Conference, as announced Monday. Saathoff earned Defensive Player of the Week, and Wilson was named Special Teams Player of the Week for their efforts in the No. 9 Lions’ 35-16 win over West Texas A&M.
Saathoff – a junior linebacker from San Antonio – led the Lions’ defensive efforts as they held the Buffs to 244 yards of offense. Saathoff had 12 tackles, forced a fumble, and contributed on a sack. Saathoff leads the Lions and ranks in the top 15 in the LSC in tackles this season.
Wilson – a senior wide receiver and return man from Commerce – had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in first quarter of the win. It was the Lions’ first recorded full-field kickoff return touchdown since 1958. He is the 25th player in LSC history with a 100-yard kickoff return. He is the seventh player in Division II this season with a 100-yard kickoff return. He averaged 37.5 yards per return in the game on the Buffs, who previously had the top kickoff return defense in the LSC. Wilson also had three receptions for 36 yards, as quarterback Luis Perez became the school’s all-time passing yardage leader.
The Lions host UT Permian Basin in the final regular season home game of the year. Kickoff against the Falcons is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Ceremonies for Senior Day and the dedication of Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium will take place before kickoff of the game. Fans are encouraged to enter the stadium and take their seats well in advance of the contest.
WEEKLY AWARDS
| Offensive | |
| S-4 | D’Angelo Bowie, Western New Mexico |
| S-11 | Jordan Thomas, Texas A&M-Kingsville |
| S-18 | Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce |
| S-25 | Xavier Turner, Tarleton State |
| O-2 | Layton Rabb, Midwestern State |
| O-9 | Layton Rabb, Midwestern State (2) |
| O-16 | Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce (2) |
| O-23 | Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce (3) |
| O-30 | Kamal Cass, Eastern New Mexico |
| Defensive | |
| S-4 | Chris Smith, A&M-Commerce |
| S-11 | Daelin Young, West Texas A&M |
| S-18 | EJ Speed, Tarleton State |
| S-25 | Yusef Sterling-Lowe, A&M-Commerce |
| O-2 | Brad Hardin, Eastern New Mexico |
| O-9 | Dominic Barry, Western New Mexico |
| O-16 | Kevin Hayes, Midwestern State |
| O-23 | Drew Bolin, Midwestern State |
| O-30 | Brucks Saathoff, A&M-Commerce |
| Special Teams | |
| S-4 | Bailey Hale, Eastern New Mexico |
| S-11 | Alex Schrag, West Texas A&M |
| S-18 | Sergio Sroka, Tarleton State |
| S-25 | Kristov Martinez, A&M-Commerce |
| O-2 | Ron Reid, Tarleton State |
| O-9 | Collin Grady, Western New Mexico |
| O-16 | Connor Flanigan, Angelo State |
| O-23 | Collin Grady, Western New Mexico (2) |
| O-30 | Buck Wilson, A&M-Commerce |
SOCCER
Lions defeat No. 9 Angelo State 1-0 in the season finale, are the second seed in LSC Tournament.
SAN ANGELO– The Texas A&M University-Commerce defeated No. 9 Angelo State 1-0 Sunday afternoon. The Lions scored their goal in the 26th minute on a penalty kick and shut down the Rambelle offense to get the win.
With the win, the Lions finish the regular season with a record of 12-3-3 and 8-3-1 in the Lone Star Conference. They are the second seed, behind ASU, and will receive a first-round bye in the LSC Tournament. The Rambelles fall to 12-3-1 and 9-2-1 in conference play. Both of their conference losses came at the hands of the Lions. The Rambelles are the No. 1 seed in the LSC and will host the conference tournament.
The Lions will next play on Friday in the second round of the LSC Tournament. They will play the winner of Wednesday’s match between No. 3 West Texas A&M and No. 6 Texas Women’s. Friday’s game begins at 5:00 p.m. at the ASU Soccer Field in San Angelo. The championship match will be at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Sophie Haywood scored her 10th goal of the season and her fifth game-winning goal of the year in the 26th minute. She scored on a penalty kick, giving her two PK goals this season.
– Caitlin Duty had her eighth shutout of the season, saving all five ASU shots on goal.
– Haywood had three shots on goal in the match. Sabrina Munguia had two shots on goal. Kara Blasingame also had a shot on goal.
– The Lion defense played high all game, particularly in the second half. The Rambelles were held without a shot on goal in the second half until the final seconds of the match.
– The Lions swept the season series against the Rambelles, having also defeated them 3-0 in Commerce.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Haywood had a shot saved in the second minute of the match as the Lions looked to get on the board early. The Lions had the first three shots of the game. The Rambelles had a shot on goal saved by Duty in the 11th minute. Munguia then had a shot saved in the 12th minute.
Blasingame had a shot saved in the 18th minute as the Lions continued to be aggressive on the offensive end. ASU countered with a shot on goal in the 22nd minute. However, Duty was there to make another save to keep the match scoreless. Duty saved another shot in the 26th minute.
Later in the same minute, Haywood had the ball and was fouled in the penalty box and was awarded a penalty kick. She took a breath and then ran up and fired the shot past the ASU goalkeeper to give the Lions a 1-0 lead at the 25:55 mark. It was Haywood’s 10th goal of the season.
Duty saved an ASU shot in the 34th minute as both teams made substitutions to score before the half. However, the score stayed the same and A&M-Commerce took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Lions had a chance to add to their lead early in the second half. In the 57th minute, Leslie Campuzano found some space but her shot went off of the post, and the match remained a 1-0 affair.
The Lions continued their attack as Munguia had a shot on goal saved in the 71st minute. The Lion defense was active in the second half, holding ASU without a shot on goal until the final seconds. The Rambelles gave the Lions a scare late in the match, with a shot going off of the crossbar in the 87th minute. ASU had one final chance in the last seconds, but Duty saved a shot to give the Lions the 1-0.
FOOTBALL
Big first quarter pushes No. 9 Lions to 35-16 win over West Texas A&M as Perez becomes program’s all-time leading passer.
CANYON – The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team scored three touchdowns in the first quarter on the way to a 35-16 win over West Texas A&M University at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening.
With the win, the Lions move to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the Lone Star Conference, while West Texas A&M falls to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the LSC.
The Lions return home for the final home game of the regular season on Saturday, November 4, hosting UT Permian Basin for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day. Senior Day celebrations will take place pre-game. Dedication ceremonies for Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium will occur just before kickoff, which is 4:00 p.m.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Quarterback Luis Perez became the Lions’ all-time leading passer regarding terms of yardage after completing 30-of-46 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns. He has now passed for 5,974 yards on 461-of-690 passing with 61 TDs and 11 interceptions in his two years in a Lion uniform.
– Receiver Darrion Landry led 11 Lions who caught passes with six receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. D’Arthur Cowan had six catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns.
– Carandal Hale had 112 all-purpose yards with 44 rushing yards and 68 receiving yards.
– Buck Wilson returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter.
– Tristan Perry averaged 41.8 yards on four punts with a long of 48 yards and two landing inside the WT 20-yard line.
– Brucks Saathoff led the Lions with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. The Lions had six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Kieston Carter had three tackles for loss. Reggie Kincade had an interception and forced a fumble.
– A&M-Commerce outgained West Texas by a 514-244 margin, averaging 6.9 yards per play and limiting the Buffaloes to 4.1 yards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Lions needed only four plays to open the scoring. On the second play of the game, Perez found Landry for a 70-yard completion to get the Lions in the red zone. Two plays later, Perez completed his first touchdown pass of the night to Cowan from 10 yards out, putting the Lions up 7-0 with less than two minutes off of the game clock.
The Lions held the Buffs to a three-and-out, but the hosts forced a fumble deep in the A&M-Commerce territory on the opening play of the ensuing drive. With a short field, the Buffaloes constructed a three-play, 15-yard drive and tied the game at 7-7 with 9:37 left in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown reception by Junior Pome’e.
A&M-Commerce put together a stout drive on its next possession, going 82 yards in eight plays to paydirt. A 31-yard completion from Perez to Hale got the Lions to midfield, and an excellent connection to Landry from six yards out pushed the Lion lead to 14-7 with 6:11 left in the first quarter.
West Texas A&M scored on its next drive, but only registered three points after the Lion defense stood firm in the red zone. Alex Schrag had to settle for a 45-yard field goal after D.D. Fletcher, and Saathoff teamed up for a sack on third down. The score was 14-10 to the Lions with 40 seconds left in the quarter.
That score was on the board for precisely 15 seconds. Wilson had his foot planted on the goal line when he received the ensuing kickoff, then burst through a hole on the left side of the field and scampered 100 yards for the touchdown, making it 21-10 with 25 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Wilson’s 100-yard touchdown return ties the school record and is the third recorded 100-yard kickoff return in the school record book. Bob Sloan did so against Midwestern State in 1950, and Marvin Brown had a full-field return against Midwestern State in 1951.
The offense slowed down for both sides in the early second quarter. The Buffs were the next team to change the score on Schrag’s 39-yard field goal with 5:30 left in the first half to cut the lead back to 21-13.
The Lions responded on the next drive with a nine-play, 75-yard effort. Perez kept the drive alive on third down with a 34-yard completion to Derique Ryan. A 14-yard completion to Cowan in the end zone made it a 28-13 lead for the Lions with 1:11 left in the first half. That score would remain until halftime.
A&M-Commerce extended the lead on its second drive of the third quarter, going 65 yards down the field in eight plays. Perez used his legs for a 21-yard rush on third down to keep the drive alive, then completed a 19-yard pass to E.J. Thompson to get the Lions inside the red zone. Vincent Hobbs carried the ball into the end zone from eight yards out to put the Lions ahead 35-13 with 7:40 to go in the third period.
The Buffs constructed a solid drive towards the end of the third quarter and were in a goal-to-go situation before the Lion defense put the clamps on the effort. A 14-yard sack by Travon Blanchard, followed by a big Saathoff hit to force a fumble kept the Buffs out of the end zone, as a 38-yard field goal with 14:02 to play cut the lead to 35-16.
WT threatened again on its next drive, with a 29-yard gain on a quarterback keeper and a pass interference penalty. However, Kincade snuffed out the threat, intercepting a pass at the 1-yard line on third-and-goal.
A chance for the Lions to extend their lead came up lacking as a 49-yard field goal attempt by Kristov Martinez fell short. The Buffs went over the top on the next play with a 60-yard completion, but a forced fumble by Kincade kept the hosts out of the end zone. Back-to-back tackles for loss on rushing plays by Michael Wallace and Neema Behbahani forced WT to throw the ball and passes on third and fourth down fell incomplete, handing the Lions the ball.
Senior quarterback Gabriel Rodriguez led the Lions downfield on their final drive. The Amarillo product put on a show for his local fans with a dazzling 15-yard run. A field goal attempt at the gun was missed, leaving the final score at 35-16 in the Lions’ favor.
VOLLEYBALL
Lions rebound after the first set to defeat A&M-Kingsville in four games.
COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Saturday afternoon. The Lions lost the first set but rebounded to take the final three games. The set scores were 23-25, 26-24, 25-18 and 25-17.
The win brings the Lions to 16-9 on the season and 11-4 in the Lone Star Conference. The Javelinas fall to 17-10 and 9-6 in conference play.
The Lions will finish their three-match home stand with a match against Cameron on Tuesday. The game will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Field House. Fans, especially children, and A&M-Commerce students are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and to participate in the Under Armour Costume Contest.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Layne Little had tied her season high with 17 kills in the match to lead all hitters. She also had two blocks and six digs.
– Neka Nelson had a season-high 13 kills in the match. She also had four blocks.
– Shelley Chapron had eight kills and a team-high eight blocks. Mariyah Oliver also had eight kills and added four blocks.
– Jaslyn Wacker had seven kills and five blocks and led the team with three aces.
– Preston Lienemann had four kills and seven digs. Jaryn Wacker added two kills.
– Savannah Rutledge led the team with 26 digs and added an ace and six assists.
– Rylie Fuentes led the team with 25 assists and had 13 digs. Gabriela Rosa had 22 assists and six digs.
– The Lion defense held the Javelinas to just a .071 hitting percentage with 28 attack errors and had 13 blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions scored the first three points of the first set before the Javelinas went on a run early. A&M-Kingsville scored eight points in a row. The Lions had several unforced errors in the rally. It was part of an 11-1 run that gave the Javelinas an 11-4 lead midway through the set.
The Lions then fought back, taking five of the next six points to narrow the gap. Nelson had three kills in the rally as the lead cut to just three points. The Javelinas responded to take four points in a row to build their lead back up to seven. Facing set point at 24-18, the Lions scored five points in a row to trail by just one, including a kill by both Nelson and Chapron and a shared block. However, the Javelinas finally found the hardwood on an attack to take the first set 25-23.
It was a back and forth start to the second set as the teams split the first six points. The Javelinas then took a three-point lead. The Lions fought back to tie the game at eight. A&M-Kingsville then went on a run to build their lead to 16-11.
The Lions showed resiliency and scored five points in a row, including two kills and a block from Little to tie the set at 16-all. It was part of an 8-1 run that gave the Lions a 19-17 lead. The teams continued to battle. Trailing by two, the Javelinas scored three points in a row to force set point at 24-23. The Lions then scored the final three points of the set to win 26-24 on extra points.
The teams traded early rallies, with each side taking three points in a row early on. The Javelinas then scored five points in a row to build an 8-4 lead. The teams continued to trade dominance, and the Javelinas held a 14-10 lead.
The Lions then went on a tear in the third set. They scored seven points in a row as part of an 11-2 run to take command of the third game. Nelson, Chapron and Little each had two kills in the rally as the Lions held a 21-16 lead. The Lions scored the final three points of the set to take the third set 25-18.
The Lions started the fourth set strong, taking six of the first eight points. Jaslyn Wacker had two aces in the rally, and the Lions had four aces in the first, with 14 points to take a 10-4 lead. A&M-Kingsville scored four of the next five points to get back into the set and cut the Lion lead to 14-12 at the halfway mark.
The Lions then went on another rally, scoring six points in a row. The Lion defense forced multiple Javelina attack errors. The Javelinas cut the Lion lead down to five points before A&M-Commerce scored the final three points of the match, winning the fourth set 25-17.
SOCCER
Lions move into second place in LSC after 2-0 win over UT-Permian Basin.
ODESSA– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team scored a 2-0 win over UT Permian Basin on Friday. The Lions scored goals in the 10th and 68th minutes.
The win brings A&M-Commerce to 11-3-3 and 7-3-1 in the Lone Star Conference. With the win, the Lions move into sole possession of second place in the conference standings. UTPB falls to 1-14-1 and 1-10-0 in conference play.
The Lions will face conference leader Angelo State on Sunday in the final match of the regular season. The game will be at 1:00 p.m. at the ASU Soccer Field in San Angelo.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Jessika Coronado scored the game-winning goal in the 10th minute off of a corner kick. It was her third goal of the season.
– Sophie Haywood scored her ninth goal of the season in the 68th minute. She was passed the ball and fired the ball into the net.
– Leslie Campuzano assisted on both goals. She now has five assists this season.
– Caitlin Duty saved both UTPB shots on goal in the match. It was her seventh shutout of the season.
– Campuzano and Haywood each had three shots on goal. Coronado and Delaney Bunselmeyer both had two shots on goal. Michelle Kotlik and Sabrina Munguia also each had a shot on goal.
– 12 of the Lions’ 17 shots were on goal in the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions started their attack early, having a shot on goal in the first thirty seconds of the match. Campuzano had her shot saved.
The Lions got on the scoreboard in the 10th minute. Campuzano directed a corner kick toward the goal, and it went into the net by Coronado. The Lions led 1-0.
After both teams had shots go off the mark, Bunselmeyer put a shot on goal in the 23rd minute. But the kick was saved to keep the score at 1-0. UTPB had its first shot on goal in the 24th minute. Duty saved the shot.
Haywood had a shot on goal in the 25th minute that they saved. Bunselmeyer then had a shot saved in the 30th minute. The Lions had multiple offside penalties in the first half but could not get any more offense going. The defense held steady, and the Lions took their 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Lions continued their attack early in the second half. Haywood had a shot saved in the 47th minute. The Falcons countered with a shot on goal of their own, but Duty pushed it away to keep UTPB off of the board.
Munguia had a shot on goal in the 58th minute as the Lions continued to look for an insurance goal. Campuzano had another shot on goal in the 61st minute that they saved. She had another shot on goal saved in the 64th minute.
The Lions increased their lead in the 68th minute. Campuzano got the ball close to the net and found an open Haywood, who shot the ball into the net. The Lions led 2-0.
Kotlik and Coronado each had shots on goal late in the match, and the Lion defense clamped down to preserve the 2-0 shutout.