SPORTS
- Inside the Huddle
- Team breaks down on Georgia roadtrip Ryan Clarke
- Ospreys lose 69-54 to Owls John Weidner
- Softball coach announces retirement Lori Bero and Brett Morgan
- Ospreys flock to sports clubs
Inside the Huddle
 Matt Coleman Editor in Chief |
 Josh Salman Assistant News Editor |
 Ross Brooks Discourse Editor |
 Sarah Diener Assistant News Editor |
 Pigskin Potanken Extreme Jahuar Fan |
| Question 1: How would you have consoled Jack Del Rio after his team's playoff exit? | ||||
| A manly handshake. I'll leave the weird stuff to Pigskin. | I would tell him overall, job well done. He made the best decision of the year letting Leftwich go. Del Rio, you made Jacksonville proud. | I would have gotten him a week's worth of the sub that bears his name sake so he could eat away his tears. | Play Bob Marley's "Don't Worry 'bout a Thing" and have Rashean Mathis pretend he's Bob. I bet that'd make him chuckle. | Draw him a nice bubble bath, light some candles and ... nevermind. |
| Question 2: What was the defining moment of the 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season? | ||||
| When Del Rio realized Byron Leftwich was as mobile as Barbara Bush in leg braces. | Garrard's big run on fourth and two in the Steelers game, setting up the first playoff victory since 1999. | The day they drafted Reggie Nelson. | Matt Jones actually catching a ball for a touchdown. | The moment Fred Taylor slapped that restraining order on me. I was only there to protect you Freddy T! |
| Question 3: What does this team need to get to the next level? | ||||
| A quicker secondary. Watching Tom Brady systematically destroy the Jags defensive backs was painful. | The Jags need another possession receiver and a big-time pass rusher. It's time to spend some money in free agency. | Tom Brady needs to get in a serious scrap with a pair of hedge clippers, and a few extra Gators couldn't hurt. | More moral support from the community. The same ten middle-aged moms wearing cat ears just isn't cutting it. | There needs to be some sort of "accident" with the Colts and Patriots. Maybe their Gatorade could be tainted or something. |
| Question 4: How should Jaguar fans now spend their Sunday afternoons until next season? | ||||
| Rooting against every other New England sports team. | Join an amateur bowling league, drink pitcher after pitcher and construct a dartboard with Tom Brady's head as the bull's-eye. | Staring at maps and focusing all their anger and negative emotions on the general New England area. | I think they should just keep up with their usual routine of drinking Colt 45's, breeding pitbulls and mowing around the cars on their lawn. | Collect every Jaguar bobble-head and action figure I can find and finally hang out with the fellas in my apartment over my mom's garage. |
| Question 5: How does this season affect the long term stability of the franchise in Jacksonville? | ||||
| This season's record probably doesn't mean much to the management. All They're looking for is butts in the stands. | This season will be beneficial for keeping the Jags around in the long run. They should actually sell some tickets next season. Well, maybe I shouldn't go that far. | It might have turned the tide for a little, but if they don't sell out the majority of games next year it will probably be bye-bye Jacksonville football. | Hopefully it will keep us around for a little longer. Long enough for us to lose them to another city. | No worries, the Jags are here to stay. Wayne Weaver is only getting out of Jacksonville over my dead body. |
| Question 6: What would be your marketing slogan for the 2008 Jaguars season? | ||||
| How does the Los Angeles Jaguars sound? Buy your season tickets now. | Proud but not satisfied. | "Maybe you should all try giving a s_--- at the beginning of the season!" Possibly a "Go Jags" somewhere in there. | The Jacksonville Jagaurs: At least we're better than the Dolphins. | Fourteenth time's the charm. |
Compiled by Brett Morgan PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Team breaks down on Georgia roadtrip
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Guard Tom Hammonds scored nine points in the first half of the Mercer game. |
Before the Jan. 10 tip-off with the Macon, Ga. Mercer Bears, coach Matt Kilcullen laid out a game plan to upset the third best team in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
"We've got to control their guards," Killcullen said. "Then we've got to rebound."
The Ospreys (1-15) followed that plan until the Bears pulled away during the final 15 minutes, using a 21-8 scoring run to turn
what was a 45-point tie into an 89-68 victory.
This extended UNF's road losing streak to 41 games and dropping them to 1-14 in the season.
In the end, the Bears used the quality, not the quantity of their shots to knock out the Ospreys as they attempted 55 shots to UNF's 81, but made 29 to the Osprey's 25.
"We gave it a good effort for about 30 minutes and then the wheels fell off ... They adjusted a little bit ...We needed to make another adjustment and we didn't," Kilcullen said.
In the second half, the Bear's defense blocked seven Osprey field goals and out-hit the Ospreys on the boards 28-18.
"It all started on the defensive end," Killcullen said. "They just kicked our butts on the boards. The last 10 [minutes] we stunk."
Chris Timberlake and fellow point guard Cortez Riley combined to go 6-18 from the floor and score 14 points through the first 20 minutes of action.
Using their group of All-Conference guards - Shaddean Aaron, scoring 29 points and James Florence, scoring 20 points- Mercer outscored the Ospreys 52-33 in the last half
of play.
"They have two players who believe they can take any shot at any time and make it. And they did," Killcullen said. "That's what All-Conference players do."
Tom Hammonds led the Ospreys on the scoreboard with nine first-half points, while the team's post-players DeVon Jones, Justin Cecil and James Grimball combined for 10.
On Jan. 12 the Ospreys lost to Kennesaw State 80-59.
UNF held a 16-14 lead mid-way through the first half, but the Owls went on a 12-0 run to go up by 26-16.
Hammonds and Stan Januska led UNF on the scoreboard, scoring 13 and 16 points, respectively. Januska was ejected from the game with 13 minutes and 50 seconds to go after drawing his second technical foul in less than two minutes.
"I'm never one to talk about officials," Kilcullen said. "You've got to be consistent on both ends. Our kids got pushed around and there were no calls."
The ejection of Januska mandates an automatic one-game-suspension from the team's next game, meaning that the sophomore will miss the River City Rumble contest with Jacksonville University unless his suspension is overturned before then.
Kilcullen phoned the Atlantic Sun's supervisor of officials to request that the fouls be investigated.
While the Ospreys lost their leading scorer, another player stepped up.
Freshman Kyle Groothuis, who came into the night averaging nine minutes and 1 point per game, put up a career-best 11 points in 15 minutes on the floor.
With the Ospreys losing streak now at 13, and the team 0-42 on the road against Division I opponents, the Ospreys are averaging 58 points per game, 322nd in
the country.
Still, Kilcullen refuses to be discouraged.
"We've had a bunch of close games in this building process. The foundation is there; it's just going to take that one shot to get us over the hump,"
Killcullen said.
The Ospreys take on JU Jan.19 with tip-off set for 4 p.m.
The Athletic Department is requesting that fans wear white to the game to create a "white-out" effect during the game.
Contact Ryan Clarke at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Ospreys lose 69-54 to Owls
The UNF women's basketball team (7-8) continued to have problems on the road by falling in a 69-54 loss to the Kennesaw State University Owls.
The loss snapped the Osprey's three-game winning streak, a season high, after their Atlantic Sun top-ranked defense was unable to stop the 45.8 shooting percentage of the Owls.
The Ospreys had not allowed a team to achieve the 50 point mark since the last loss, while the Owls were able to reach with more than 10 minutes left in the game.
Shandrea Moore's 11-point-showing led the Ospreys while Jennifer Guldager and Shennette Sheffield followed with nine and eight points, respectively.
All of Guldager's points came in the opening half, while Sheffield hit four of four shots in the second half, scoring all of her points in that frame. Britteny Henderson led the Owls with 16 points to go along with six rebounds. She was one of four KSU players in double figures.
The Ospreys turned the ball over 10 times in the first eight minutes of play and 21 times in the opening half. Starters Moore, Sheffield and Antoinette Reames all went to the bench with two fouls in the opening half.
The Owls went into the half leading 36-24 and maintained that double-digit advantage throughout the second half, capturing their third straight win against UNF dating back to last season. UNF was able to pull within 10 points in the final two minutes of play, but didn't have enough clock left to complete a comeback effort.
The Ospreys will play cross-town rival, Jacksonville Univeristy Jan. 19.
Contact John Weidner at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Softball coach announces retirement
UNF head softball coach Sonya Wilmoth announced her retirement from collegiate coaching Jan. 15.
Wilmoth will continue through the 2008 softball season at UNF and then become director of softball operations for Diamond Baseball and Softball in Jacksonville.
Athletic Director Dr. Richard Gropper said a replacement will not be immediately named and that he will wait until after the 2008 season.
"I will miss the atmosphere at UNF," Wilmoth said. "But I will always be an Osprey."
Wilmoth has a record of 411-181 at UNF and has led the Ospreys to seven straight NCAA Regional appearances, three Peach Belt Conference regular-season titles and a PBC Tournament title.
Wilmoth, though, is looking forward to her new challenge.
"I'm excited to be a part of a young growing business that allows me to continue to work with athletes and teach them about our game," Wilmoth said.
Diamond is a company started by former Bolles School and Major League catcher Rick Wilkins. Wilmoth has been placed in charge of handling all softball aspects of Diamond, including team and individual instruction.
Wilmoth will also be overseeing seminars and player evaluations, along with advising Diamond clients on the work necessary to earn a collegiate softball scholarship.
The Ospreys begin their last season with Wilmoth at the helm on Feb. 8 in Boca Raton for the FAU Invitational. Wilmoth will close her UNF career April 21 at Stetson.
As Wilmoth leaves UNF behind, Gropper acknowledges the shoes the university must now fill.
"She has built a highly respected softball program and recruited gifted student-athletes who have represented themselves and the institution well," Gropper said. "Coach Wilmoth will be missed."
Contact Lori Bero and Brett Morgan at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Ospreys flock to sports clubs
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Intramural sports not your thing? Too intimidated to try out for a team? Maybe you're just looking for something to do on the weekends or after class.
There are many sports clubs on campus that keep students active in a new way that can help you explore new sports. The UNF Lacrosse Club and Mixed Martial Arts are just a few to pique your interest. Check out future issues of the Spinnaker for a spotlight on different sports clubs on campus.
LACROSSE
The Lacrosse Club was founded in the fall of 2006 and currently has 35 active members according to club founder sophomore Josh Williamson.
The club sets up games with different universities around Florida including UNF's rival, Jacksonville University. Club President, Matt "Blue" Williams said that to join the Lacrosse Club you should contact the group via Facebook or just show up to practice which is held on the field next to the Crossings from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Williams said the group usually has enough equipment to share but recommends bringing a helmet, a stick and gloves. The first practice was Jan. 14.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
The Mixed Martial Arts Club practices a variety of disciplines including kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. Club treasurer Mike Kane said that the club has grown since it's start last year from a few to nearly 20 members.
Kane said that during each practice members spar for at least 30 minutes and that the activity is a great workout. The club meets in room 1062 of the Arena Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursdays from 9-10 p.m. and Fridays from 3-5 p.m. Kane said that showing up to practices is the best way to join the club and that the group can also be contacted on Facebook.
For now, the club is purely enjoying practicing martial arts for fun but is trying to schedule tournaments and scrimmages with other schools.