It's finally here.
It's game week for three of UCO's fall teams -- football, soccer and volleyball.
Football gets it started Thursday night when the Bronchos take on long-time Division II power North Alabama, which is ranked sixth in the pre-season poll. Game-time is 7 p.m. and check out the advance on bronchosports.com for links to follow the game via TV broadcast, radio broadcast or live stats.
It will be quite the challenge for UCO, with the Lions featuring a team loaded with dozens of Division I transfers. UNA went 9-4 last year in making the second round of the playoffs and is expected to be a prime national championship contender this fall.
But it will also be quite an opportunity for the Bronchos. Taking on a well-established power on the field that has hosted the Division II national championship game the last 20 years should have Coach Tracy Holland and his team ready to play at a fever pitch.
Soccer takes the field Friday afternoon in Omaha, Neb., going against a Nebraska-Omaha team that won the Division II national title just a couple of years ago and is now in the process of moving to Division I. UCO follows that with another game Sunday in Omaha, this one against Truman State.
The Bronchos have plenty of returning talent -- 10 starters are back from 2010 -- and a host of newcomers who are chomping at the bit to get on the field and contribute as well. This has the makings of a very good fall for Coach Mike Cook and his crew.
And speaking of Coach Cook . . . the veteran skipper will be going after his 200th win at UCO in Friday's opener against UNO. Mike is 199-68-16 since he debuted as the program's only coach in 1998, which is some kind of good.
Volleyball also opens up on Friday, with the Bronchos in Joplin, Mo. for two days of play in the Missouri Southern Invitational. UCO will play twice each day, going against Harding and the host Lions on Friday before taking on Quincy and Newman on Saturday.
The Bronchos will have a bunch of new faces this year with a large group of newcomers, but look for Coach Jeff Boyland to once again put an exciting -- and winning -- product on the court.
The volleyball team, by the way, will be the first one to play at home this year when they host Southeastern Oklahoma on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Soccer follows the next day with an afternoon contest against Abilene Christian to start a three-game homestand and then cross country will kick off its season at home on Saturday, Sept. 10 with the UCO Land Run.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
School Is Here
It's Monday, Aug. 22, the first day of the fall semester for UCO and its 17,000-plus students. Which means that finding a parking place has become even more of a challenge than the past two weeks, when students first starting moving in.
More importantly, it also means we're just over a week away from the fall sports season starting.
Football gets things started first, opening the season next week with a Thursday night game at North Alabama, an NCAA Division II playoff team last year. The Lions have a roster full of Division I transfers and were ranked sixth in the pre-season national poll.
Volleyball and soccer both open next weekend, both hitting the road for classics. Soccer goes to Omaha, Neb. to take on Nebraska-Omaha (Sept. 2) and Truman State (Sept. 4), while volleyball travels to Joplin, Mo. to play four matches in the Missouri Southern Classic Sept. 2-3.
The cross country squad doesn't start up until the next weekend, hosting the UCO Land Run Sept. 10 at Mitch Park.
All four teams have been busy getting ready, with two-a-day practices the norm instead of the exception. From all reports, much progress has been made as coaches try to mesh together returners from last year with newcomers, be they freshmen or transfers.
Football has had a pair of intrasquad scrimmages and it's readily apparent the Bronchos have more team speed than in recent years. There is some special talent at several positions, but depth in certain areas is thin and a brutal schedule will provide an extra challenge.
Volleyball scrimmaged an outside opponent last Friday and a young squad that must grow up in a hurry had some impressive moments. There will be several new players who will play key roles this fall, so look for the Bronchos to make impressive progress throughout the year.
Soccer also had a scrimmage last week and this team appears ready to make a big splash. Ten starters returned and a host of talented newcomers have shown their ability to contribute, with the Bronchos ready to reclaim their status as a perennial national tournament team.
Cross country also has a good mix of returners and newcomers, with this group putting in lots of miles during morning and afternoon workouts to get ready for the fast-approaching season.
It should be a fun fall, even if I can't find a parking place.
More importantly, it also means we're just over a week away from the fall sports season starting.
Football gets things started first, opening the season next week with a Thursday night game at North Alabama, an NCAA Division II playoff team last year. The Lions have a roster full of Division I transfers and were ranked sixth in the pre-season national poll.
Volleyball and soccer both open next weekend, both hitting the road for classics. Soccer goes to Omaha, Neb. to take on Nebraska-Omaha (Sept. 2) and Truman State (Sept. 4), while volleyball travels to Joplin, Mo. to play four matches in the Missouri Southern Classic Sept. 2-3.
The cross country squad doesn't start up until the next weekend, hosting the UCO Land Run Sept. 10 at Mitch Park.
All four teams have been busy getting ready, with two-a-day practices the norm instead of the exception. From all reports, much progress has been made as coaches try to mesh together returners from last year with newcomers, be they freshmen or transfers.
Football has had a pair of intrasquad scrimmages and it's readily apparent the Bronchos have more team speed than in recent years. There is some special talent at several positions, but depth in certain areas is thin and a brutal schedule will provide an extra challenge.
Volleyball scrimmaged an outside opponent last Friday and a young squad that must grow up in a hurry had some impressive moments. There will be several new players who will play key roles this fall, so look for the Bronchos to make impressive progress throughout the year.
Soccer also had a scrimmage last week and this team appears ready to make a big splash. Ten starters returned and a host of talented newcomers have shown their ability to contribute, with the Bronchos ready to reclaim their status as a perennial national tournament team.
Cross country also has a good mix of returners and newcomers, with this group putting in lots of miles during morning and afternoon workouts to get ready for the fast-approaching season.
It should be a fun fall, even if I can't find a parking place.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Are You Ready For Some Football?
It's here.
The season doesn't open for another three weeks, but football officially arrived at UCO Thursday, Aug. 11, with the start of practice. More than 100 players reported to campus Tuesday, with Wednesday spent on physicals, equipment check-out and meetings before Thursday morning's first workout.
The Bronchos have plenty of returning players eager to make amends for last year's 2-9 record that included a number of heart-breaking losses -- including two by one point in overtime -- and voluntary summer workouts were well attended. Also in the mix is a huge group of newcomers, which includes a freshman class the coaching staff raves about and several transfers who are expected to have an impact.
Three weeks isn't a lot of time to get ready for the first game, especially when that opener is at long-time Division II powerhouse North Alabama. A brutally long bus trip to take on a returning national playoff team with a large volume of Division I transfers in the lineup will certainly test the Bronchos right off the bat, but that's just one of many challenges UCO will face this fall.
Four straight road games to open the season also won't be much fun, with the Bronchos not making their home debut until the Oct. 1 Homecoming contest against East Central. And that home opener is followed by a long trip to California to face a tough Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) team in Cal Poly.
But all those obstacles are still a ways away. Right now, coaches and players are just excited to be back on the football field.
The season doesn't open for another three weeks, but football officially arrived at UCO Thursday, Aug. 11, with the start of practice. More than 100 players reported to campus Tuesday, with Wednesday spent on physicals, equipment check-out and meetings before Thursday morning's first workout.
The Bronchos have plenty of returning players eager to make amends for last year's 2-9 record that included a number of heart-breaking losses -- including two by one point in overtime -- and voluntary summer workouts were well attended. Also in the mix is a huge group of newcomers, which includes a freshman class the coaching staff raves about and several transfers who are expected to have an impact.
Three weeks isn't a lot of time to get ready for the first game, especially when that opener is at long-time Division II powerhouse North Alabama. A brutally long bus trip to take on a returning national playoff team with a large volume of Division I transfers in the lineup will certainly test the Bronchos right off the bat, but that's just one of many challenges UCO will face this fall.
Four straight road games to open the season also won't be much fun, with the Bronchos not making their home debut until the Oct. 1 Homecoming contest against East Central. And that home opener is followed by a long trip to California to face a tough Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) team in Cal Poly.
But all those obstacles are still a ways away. Right now, coaches and players are just excited to be back on the football field.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Winter Schedules . . . Odds and Ends
Since the water in Oklahoma's ever-shrinking ponds and lakes must be near the boiling point with the repeated 100-degree days we're having it seems only appropriate to talk about winter. As in UCO's winter sports schedules.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, it will be a light home schedule for men's/women's basketball and wrestling this coming season. The Bronchos are competing as NCAA Division II independents in 2011-12 as we transition from the Lone Star Conference to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, which UCO will join for the 2012-13 school year.
Not being part of a conference has played a huge role in the scheduling difficulties experienced by many of our teams, particuarly football and basketball. Wrestling hasn't been a conference sport for decades and has always had its own difficulties.
The final result is that UCO will have just 15 home basketball games -- combined -- this coming season and four home wrestling duals, though the Bronchos will host the all-important Super Regional II Tournament in late February.
There will be only five basketball doubleheaders at Hamilton Field House -- two in November, one in January and two in February. And two of those will be against state rival Northeastern State, a team UCO's men and women will face four times apiece this winter.
The best thing for three three teams involved is that they should all be good. Very good. Maybe even very, very good. The men and women's hoops teams both return four starters from Sweet 16 teams. The wrestling squad has back all 10 starters from a 15-4 team.
...
UCO's fall sports teams will be reporting soon to begin preparing for their fast-approaching seasons. Football is first, with the Bronchos coming in Aug. 9 before practice starts Aug. 11.
Soccer, volleyball and cross country will all report the week of Aug. 15.
...
About the only thing left to finish off the installation of new turf at Wantland Stadium is the clean-up and with not much time to spare since practice starts next week. It looks really good, though the color in both end zones and the big UCO sign in the middle is not quite the modern version. That will be fixed before UCO's first home game, though, so no worries.
...
And finally, we've a KD sighting. As in Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the best basketball players in this whole wide world. KD used Hamilton Field House for a practice session Sunday afternoon, going at it for 2 1/2 hours. Now we know yet another reason he's as good as he is.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, it will be a light home schedule for men's/women's basketball and wrestling this coming season. The Bronchos are competing as NCAA Division II independents in 2011-12 as we transition from the Lone Star Conference to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, which UCO will join for the 2012-13 school year.
Not being part of a conference has played a huge role in the scheduling difficulties experienced by many of our teams, particuarly football and basketball. Wrestling hasn't been a conference sport for decades and has always had its own difficulties.
The final result is that UCO will have just 15 home basketball games -- combined -- this coming season and four home wrestling duals, though the Bronchos will host the all-important Super Regional II Tournament in late February.
There will be only five basketball doubleheaders at Hamilton Field House -- two in November, one in January and two in February. And two of those will be against state rival Northeastern State, a team UCO's men and women will face four times apiece this winter.
The best thing for three three teams involved is that they should all be good. Very good. Maybe even very, very good. The men and women's hoops teams both return four starters from Sweet 16 teams. The wrestling squad has back all 10 starters from a 15-4 team.
...
UCO's fall sports teams will be reporting soon to begin preparing for their fast-approaching seasons. Football is first, with the Bronchos coming in Aug. 9 before practice starts Aug. 11.
Soccer, volleyball and cross country will all report the week of Aug. 15.
...
About the only thing left to finish off the installation of new turf at Wantland Stadium is the clean-up and with not much time to spare since practice starts next week. It looks really good, though the color in both end zones and the big UCO sign in the middle is not quite the modern version. That will be fixed before UCO's first home game, though, so no worries.
...
And finally, we've a KD sighting. As in Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the best basketball players in this whole wide world. KD used Hamilton Field House for a practice session Sunday afternoon, going at it for 2 1/2 hours. Now we know yet another reason he's as good as he is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
