The injuries keep piling up, but the Bearkats’ latest could be the biggest.
Sam Houston State senior running back James Aston is likely done for the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury in the first half of last week’s win over Northwestern State.
Aston is third in the Southland Conference in rushing yards (566) and touchdowns (eight) and he leads the league in kickoff return average (25.1 yards). He also has 235 receiving yards and a touchdown reception to go along with an 89-yard score on a kick return.
“It’s tough. James hasn’t worked all week and it appears he won’t play this week and maybe not for the rest of the year,” SHSU head coach Todd Whitten said Thursday. “He is such a great guy and has been an inspiration to our team. He plays so hard and has made a lot of great plays. He is an exceptional young man.”
With Aston out for Saturday’s clash at McNeese State, the bulk of the carries will go to junior running back Chris Poullard, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2007.
Poullard has carried the ball 86 times this season for 326 yards and three scores. He has also caught six passes for 47 yards.
Sophomore Torian Wilkins will see time in the backfield as well Saturday. He has 10 carries for 32 yards this season.
“We will probably be more of a one-back situation this week,” Whitten said. “Poullard is a great running back and we are lucky to have him able to fill in. Torian is also going to get some touches Saturday, but we won’t have as much two-back stuff.”
The Bearkats will also be without safety Victor Carmichael this week. Carmichael injured his hand against Northwestern State and had to have surgery.
Sam Houston has been hit hard with the injury bug this season. The Kats lost starting offensive tackles Travis Watson and Chris Crockett and safety Randy Stewart for the year before the season began.
Starting quarterback Blake Joseph suffered a sprained ankle in a win over Nicholls that forced him to sit out a loss at Stephen F. Austin.
Backup quarterback Jeff Welch returned for an ACL injury he sustained in spring practice in time to play against the Lumberjacks, but was lost for the season when he re-injured his knee in the first half in Nacogdoches.
Fullback Matthew Powledge and guard Travis Best both were injured in a loss at Tulsa and missed some time, but have since returned.
“Victor had surgery on his hand, so we are a little thin there,” Whitten added. “We are to the point where we are running out of bodies late in the season. We have had tough trouble with injuries, so hopefully that will go away.”
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SHSU running back likely out for season
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Big week ahead for Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs
To say that this is an important week for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball team would be a big understatement. With the regular season winding down, much is at stake for the New Waverly boys and girls.
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Bulldog lifters gain experience at Shepherd meet
Looking back on his lifters’ performance at last Saturday’s meet in Shepherd, New Waverly powerlifting coach Mike Carolan lauded his team’s efforts. Senior Tucker Saxton won the 220-pound classification and freshman Dillon Silvis took fifth in the 114-pound division.
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Hornet powerlifters fare well at Shepherd meet
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Huntsville’s Thompson cruises at Willis tennis tourney, wins singles title
Hard rain, blustery wind and a change of venue could not stop Huntsville senior Kyle Thompson last Friday. The Hornets’ top tennis player cruised to three consecutive victories and earned the championship trophy in boys singles at a dual match in Willis.
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Bearkats back on top
The Bearkats got caught playing down to Southeastern Louisiana’s level in the first half, but a lights-out second half led to a 67-46 victory over the Lions on Saturday.
Sam Houston State turned the ball over 10 times, which resulted in nine Southeastern points at the break. That’s why the Lions trailed by only three at halftime, though they only shot 26.5 percent (9-of-34) from the floor.
Southeastern played even worse in the final 20 minutes, but most of that had to do with Sam Houston’s raised intensity level, thanks to a firm halftime message that stuck. -
Hornet wrestlers make marked improvements at district meet
Exhausted but still exhilarated, the young wrestlers on the Huntsville High School team are already talking about what they can accomplish next year.
Last-place finishers at the District 20-5A meet last winter, the Hornets made a major move in 2012, finishing fifth in the 13-team varsity boys field at the district meet Friday.
Huntsville’s girls finished sixth in the team standings and Lady Hornets freshman Marissa Dixon won a district championship in the girls 128-pound division. -
Hornets fall in OT, must win three in row now
The Hornets had their chances in regulation and in overtime, but they couldn’t quite get a much-needed win at Kingwood Park on Friday night.
In a basketball game that was slowed to a crawl, Huntsville dropped a 51-46 decision to the Panthers in overtime.
The pressure’s now on Huntsville in the final week and a half in order to get into the postseason. -
Whispering Pines golf pro Rowe recognized as one of country’s top 50 kids’ teachers
Whispering Pines golf professional Chris Rowe is among the class of the Top 50 Kids Teachers for 2011, as selected by U.S. Kids Golf.
Rowe has been a junior golf instructor for 22 years and is currently the head professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club near Trinity. This is the first time Rowe has been named a Top 50 Kids Teacher by U.S. Kids Golf. - More Sports Headlines
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