HOUSTON — Sam Houston State was lucky enough to get the pass rusher the team was desperately missing last season when defensive end Chris Brown transferred in from the University of Texas.

After the Bearkats recorded only eight sacks as a team in 2006, Brown exploded onto the scene by almost single-handedly topping that mark last season with five quarterback takedowns on his way to earning first-team All-Southland Conference honors.

Thanks to his solid sophomore season, the junior from Texas High School in Texarkana was the lone Bearkat on the first-team All-SLC preseason squad, which was announced at the league’s media day Tuesday.

“It makes me feel good that I’m regarded as one of the best defensive linemen in the conference,” said Brown, who also led SHSU with seven tackles for a loss.

“But my focus is about my team. Hopefully my team can make me a better defensive player.”

The Bearkats landed two more defenders on the preseason second team. Linebacker Nolen Bucek and linemen Eric Mikolajchak are both coming off solid junior seasons in which they were named All-SLC.

Bucek, a second-team selection in 2007, led the Southland in tackles with 88, including a career-high 13 stops in the Kats’ 48-10 victory over Arkansas-Monticello on Sept. 8.

Mikolajchak is a two-time All-SLC selection and has been a force on the defensive line the past two seasons. Last year, he recorded 28 tackles, five of which came behind the line of scrimmage.

Sam Houston kicker Taylor Wilkins, who was 14-of-18 on field goal attempts and a perfect 33-of-33 on extra points, and offensive lineman John Dirk were named to the preseason second-team offense.

“I think by the end of it, we will have a few more on the (postseason) teams,” Bearkats head coach Todd Whitten said. “But we are getting some recognition, which is good for our players, and hopefully we will have some other guys step up and have a good season for us.”



Media day notes and quotes

Kats in need of a coach — Sam Houston State is currently searching for a replacement to fill the vacancy left when wide receivers coach Tommy Mainord recently accepted the offensive coordinator position at Lamar.

Mainord has been on the SHSU staff for the past four seasons, serving as the Bearkats’ running back coach before switching to receivers in 2007. Before coming to Huntsville, Mainord also worked as an assistant under Whitten at Tarleton State for six years.

“We are excited for Tommy. He has been with me for about nine years, and he deserves this opportunity,” Whitten said. “I think Lamar is getting a great coach, and it was just one of those opportunities he couldn’t pass up.

“The only problem for me is the timing, so I have to get a coach hired in the next few days. I’m working on it, and hopefully we will have somebody in the next week.”



SLC to launch television network — A new venture in college sports television begins in 2008 as the Southland Conference Television Network debuts with over 35 broadcasts on television stations and cable systems in the league’s three-state geographic region.

The broadcast package, which was announced Tuesday during the Southland’s Football Media Day Luncheon, will debut with nine football game broadcasts beginning in September. The football broadcast package will be followed by a planned 16-game basketball broadcast schedule, including five games from the 2009 Southland Basketball Tournament in Katy, Texas.

In addition to football and basketball, the Southland Network will also feature the championship games of the 2008 volleyball tournament and the 2009 baseball tournament.

Also planned are nine episodes of a new 30-minute magazine show, “Inside the Southland Conference,” which will feature stories and interviews with league coaches, administrators and student-athletes.  “Inside the Southland Conference” debuts on network affiliate stations in September and will continue with new episodes through May 2009.

“We’re thrilled to announce plans for the new Southland Conference Television Network,” league commissioner Tom Burnett said in a press release. “Our campus administrators have discussed enhancements in our television options in recent years, and the league’s television committee developed a great plan in the last year to promote the Southland and its successful athletic programs.

“The enthusiasm and unanimous support from the member institutions for this new package has been met with a great deal of interest from broadcast stations in the Southland’s three-state region,” Burnett added, noting that broadcast license negotiations are ongoing with numerous stations and regional cable networks. “We expect an announcement of network affiliates prior to the start of football season.”

Sam Houston State will have three football games televised on the network this fall beginning with a matchup at Central Arkansas on Oct. 11 and a pair of home contests against McNeese State (Oct. 18) and Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 1).



2008 All-Southland Conference Preseason Football Teams



FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Class Hometown

QB Nathan Brown Central Arkansas 6-2 209 Sr. Russellville, Ark.

RB Jay Lucas Southeastern La. 5-11 220 Sr. Baton Rouge

RB Byron Lawrence Northwestern State 5-8 197 Sr. N. Little Rock, Ark.

FB Blake Burton Texas State 6-0 235 Sr. Hungerford

WR Cameron Luke Texas State 6-2 211 Sr. Klein

WR Quinten Lawrence McNeese State 6-1 180 Sr. Carencro, La.

TE Marquez Branson Central Arkansas 6-3 242 Sr. Starkville, Miss.

OL Eman Naghavi McNeese State 6-2 300 Sr. Katy

OL Brad Gordon Central Arkansas 6-1 295 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.

OL Kyle Link McNeese State 6-6 295 Sr. Lake Charles

OL Lane Freiwald Central Arkansas 6-7 317 Jr. Little Rock, Ark.

OL Lance Fremin McNeese State 6-1 300 Sr. Starkville, Miss.

PK Jeff Turner Southeastern La. 5-9 170 Jr. Houston



FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

DL Taylor Scott Central Arkansas 6-3 206 Jr. Little Rock, Ark. 

DL Vaalyn Jackson McNeese State 6-0 280 Sr. Sulphur, La.

DL Chris Brown Sam Houston St. 6-3 218 Sr. Texarkana, Texas

DL Albert Smith Northwestern St. 6-0 300 Jr. Matthews, La.

LB Allen Nelson McNeese State 6-1 210 Sr. Beaumont

LB Garrick Spain Nicholls State 6-0 205 Jr. Franklin, La.

DB Lardarius Webb Nicholls State 5-11 180 Sr. Opelika, Ala.

DB Gary Riggs Northwestern St. 6-1 215 Jr. Jennings, La.

DB Tommy Connors Southeastern La. 6-0 195 Jr. Marrero, La.

DB Brandt Linde McNeese State 6-1 190 Sr. Mandeville, La.

DB Ladarius Key McNeese State 5-10 185 Sr. Monroe, La.

P Cody Samples Southeastern La. 5-9 180 Sr. Ripley, Miss.

RS Lardarius Webb Nicholls State 5-11 180 Sr. Opelika, Ala.



SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

QB — Derrick Fourroux, McNeese State, 6-1, 187, Jr., Erath, La.

RB — Karrington Bush, Texas State, 5-10, 182, So., Whitewright

RB — Toddrick Pendland, McNeese State, 5-10, 167, Jr., Newton

FB — Dante Austin, Northwestern St., 5-10, 250, Jr., Galveston

WR — Preston Echols, Central Arkansas, 6-0, 202, Jr., Forrest City, Ark.

WR — Steven Whitehead, McNeese State, 5-8, 175, Sr., Slidell, La.

TE — Wes Mangan, McNeese State, 6-4, 245, Jr., Brenham,

OL — John Dirk, Sam Houston St., 6-3, 285, Sr., Stephenville

OL — Jeremy Ford, Central Arkansas, 6-1, 284, Sr., Bastrop, La.

OL — David Ballard, McNeese State, 6-4, 300, Sr., Lake Charles, La.

OL — Jeff Bowen, Texas State, 6-1, 280, Sr., Richland Hills

OL — Nigel Cormier, Nicholls State, 6-1, 260, Sr., Lafayette, La.

K — Taylor Wilkins, Sam Houston St., 5-7, 151, Jr., La Marque



SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

DL — Kenneth Lundy, McNeese State, 6-1, 260, Sr., Bogalusa, La.

DL — Jairius Jarvis, Nicholls State, 6-5, 220, Jr., Donaldsonville, La.

DL — Tim Knicky, Stephen F. Austin, 6-4, 235, Jr., Cedar Park

DL — Eric Mikolajchak, Sam Houston State, 6-4, 315, Sr. Houston

LB — Nolan Bucek, Sam Houston State, 5-10, 194, Sr., Houston

LB — Jabara Williams, Stephen F. Austin, 6-3, 250, So., Garrison

DB — Lance Moore, Nicholls State, 6-1, 190, Sr., Leakesville, Miss.

DB — Wesley Eckles, Northwestern State, 6-0, 185, Jr., Mansfield, La.

DB — John Vigers, McNeese State, 6-1, 200, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.

DB — Marquis Powell, Southeastern La., 5-9, 207, Sr., Madison, Fla.

DB — Will Thompson, Texas State, 5-10, 174, Jr., Katy

P — Blake Bercegeay, McNeese State, 6-2, 178, Sr., Gonzales, La.

Return specialist — Steven Whitehead, McNeese State, 5-8, 175, Sr., Slidell, La.