LamarStatesports

Lamar State College-Port Arthur remains unbeaten this season after the Seahawks opened Region XIV play Tuesday night in the Carl Parker Center with a 94-83 victory over the previously unbeaten Lon Morris College Bearcats. Going into the game, Lamar State head coach Matt Cross expected a tough game, and he was right The Seahawks moved their record to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in conference action after a long game that saw the officials call 67 personal fouls – 31 on the Lamar State and 36 on Lon Morris. Both teams also were whistled for two technical fouls. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman led the Seahawks with 20 points. Four other Seahawks hit for double figures. Markens Charles, Vonn Jones and Dame Ka each scored 14 points, while Dame Ka had 11. This was Lon Morris’ first loss of the season. The Bearcats drop to 7-1 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. Lamar State will be back in action next Monday night in the Carl Parker Center for a non-conference tilt with the Texas Riders. The Seahawks return to Region XIV action next Wednesday at San Jacinto College in Pasadena.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur remains unbeaten this season after the Seahawks opened Region XIV play Tuesday night in the Carl Parker Center with a 94-83 victory over the previously unbeaten Lon Morris College Bearcats. Going into the game, Lamar State head coach Matt Cross expected a tough game, and he was right The Seahawks moved their record to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in conference action after a long game that saw the officials call 67 personal fouls – 31 on the Lamar State and 36 on Lon Morris. Both teams also were whistled for two technical fouls. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman led the Seahawks with 20 points. Four other Seahawks hit for double figures. Markens Charles, Vonn Jones and Dame Ka each scored 14 points, while Dame Ka had 11. This was Lon Morris’ first loss of the season. The Bearcats drop to 7-1 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. Lamar State will be back in action next Monday night in the Carl Parker Center for a non-conference tilt with the Texas Riders. The Seahawks return to Region XIV action next Wednesday at San Jacinto College in Pasadena.

Nick is still attending Lamar State College-Port Arthur, but he decided last spring that he wasn't going to play basketball this year. He has been working at the scorers' table at Lamar State games and told me he might come back next year to play.

Only one team will emerge unbeaten for the season after Tuesday night’s Region XIV opening matchup in Port Arthur between the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks and the Lon Morris College Bearcats. The Seahawks moved their 2010-11 season record to 6-0 Saturday with an impressive 121-107 home outing against Delgado Community College. The Bearcats have been off since this past Wednesday, when they beat Weatherford College, 76-66, for their seventh straight win of the season. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said non-conference wins don’t mean much to either team. “The only result that will mean anything this year is the one win or one loss one of us will have in the region standings after Tuesday’s game,” Cross said. “Lon Morris has a much stronger team than they did a year ago, particularly the post players. Coach Dotson is a Hall of Fame coach, and I know he will have his team ready to go.” After nearly a month of non-conference games, Cross knows the strengths and weaknesses of his team, which includes five sophomores from last year’s team that took Lamar State to the Region XIV post-season tournament for the first time in school history. “Our returning players are fired up,” he said. “Immediately after their season-ending loss to Trinity Valley, they started working hard to become better players. They want to get back to Tyler for redemption, and they know that journey starts Tuesday.” Cross hopes the rest of his team understands the importance of each conference game. “We have been telling our freshman and transfers to get ready because they are about to get thrown right into the fire of Region XIV competition,” he said. “It won’t take them long to see why it is considered the best junior college conference in the nation.” Cross expects a tough game and would like to see a big crowd of supporters in the Carl Parker Center. “I really encourage all of our Seahawk family to come out support us and to experience the outstanding talent of the players and teams in the conference,” he said. “Region XIV games are exciting and extremely intense. They usually are decided by 10 points or less. Ultimately, I know one game is not going to make or break you in the conference race. But this is a South Zone game and a home game for us. It would be great to win our conference opener.”

Only one team will emerge unbeaten for the season after Tuesday night’s Region XIV opening matchup in Port Arthur between the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks and the Lon Morris College Bearcats. The Seahawks moved their 2010-11 season record to 6-0 Saturday with an impressive 121-107 home outing against Delgado Community College. The Bearcats have been off since this past Wednesday, when they beat Weatherford College, 76-66, for their seventh straight win of the season. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said non-conference wins don’t mean much to either team. “The only result that will mean anything this year is the one win or one loss one of us will have in the region standings after Tuesday’s game,” Cross said. “Lon Morris has a much stronger team than they did a year ago, particularly the post players. Coach Dotson is a Hall of Fame coach, and I know he will have his team ready to go.” After nearly a month of non-conference games, Cross knows the strengths and weaknesses of his team, which includes five sophomores from last year’s team that took Lamar State to the Region XIV post-season tournament for the first time in school history. “Our returning players are fired up,” he said. “Immediately after their season-ending loss to Trinity Valley, they started working hard to become better players. They want to get back to Tyler for redemption, and they know that journey starts Tuesday.” Cross hopes the rest of his team understands the importance of each conference game. “We have been telling our freshman and transfers to get ready because they are about to get thrown right into the fire of Region XIV competition,” he said. “It won’t take them long to see why it is considered the best junior college conference in the nation.” Cross expects a tough game and would like to see a big crowd of supporters in the Carl Parker Center. “I really encourage all of our Seahawk family to come out support us and to experience the outstanding talent of the players and teams in the conference,” he said. “Region XIV games are exciting and extremely intense. They usually are decided by 10 points or less. Ultimately, I know one game is not going to make or break you in the conference race. But this is a South Zone game and a home game for us. It would be great to win our conference opener.”

The unbeaten Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will prepare for next week’s start of Region XIV competition with a 1 p.m. home non-conference game Saturday against Delgado Community College. The Seahawks moved to 5-0 Monday night in the Parker Center with a 108-70 victory over the Houston Blaze. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said he was pleased with his team’s defensive work. “Defense is our biggest concern right now. We have been working on improving it each game,” Cross said. “Our goal is to reach the point where we are as good defensively as we have been offensively so far this year.” Five Seahawks are averaging over 10 points-per-game – sophomore guard Keenen Coleman (24 ppg), freshman forward David Laury (19), sophomore forward Roman Vaughn (12.8), freshman guard Markens Charles (12.4) and sophomore guard Vonn Jones (10.4). Laury also is the leading rebounder with 13.33 per game and has three double-doubles. Sophomore center Gordon Ball is averaging 9.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and has two double-doubles. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters, who led Region XIV in steals in 2010 while playing only three months of the season, currently is No. 3 in the nation in steals. Cross expects a tough game Saturday against Delgado, which is a member of the Division I Mississippi-Louisiana Conference. “We are excited about our Homecoming match-up with Delgado,” Cross said. “They are a solid team and will provide a good test for us as we prepare to start conference action next week.” Cross also hopes to have all of his team healthy by next week. “Two of our freshmen are playing hurt,” Cross said. “David Laury is one of our leading scorers, despite recurring foot problems. Dane Ka has a sprained wrist that isn’t fully healed, which affects his ability to score.” Delgado currently is 3-2 after losing 102-95 Monday night at Hinds Community College in Utica, MS. The Dolphins won the 2010 Miss-Lou championship and have another potent offense team this fall. Five players hit for double figures against Hinds. Sophomore guard Darrell Williams, the 2010 Louisiana Junior College Player of the Year, averaged 17.2 points and 4.3 assists last season. Lamar State begins its Region XIV schedule at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College, which was ranked just outside the Top 25 this week in the NJCAA’s first regular season poll.

The unbeaten Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will prepare for next week’s start of Region XIV competition with a 1 p.m. home non-conference game Saturday against Delgado Community College. The Seahawks moved to 5-0 Monday night in the Parker Center with a 108-70 victory over the Houston Blaze. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said he was pleased with his team’s defensive work. “Defense is our biggest concern right now. We have been working on improving it each game,” Cross said. “Our goal is to reach the point where we are as good defensively as we have been offensively so far this year.” Five Seahawks are averaging over 10 points-per-game – sophomore guard Keenen Coleman (24 ppg), freshman forward David Laury (19), sophomore forward Roman Vaughn (12.8), freshman guard Markens Charles (12.4) and sophomore guard Vonn Jones (10.4). Laury also is the leading rebounder with 13.33 per game and has three double-doubles. Sophomore center Gordon Ball is averaging 9.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and has two double-doubles. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters, who led Region XIV in steals in 2010 while playing only three months of the season, currently is No. 3 in the nation in steals. Cross expects a tough game Saturday against Delgado, which is a member of the Division I Mississippi-Louisiana Conference. “We are excited about our Homecoming match-up with Delgado,” Cross said. “They are a solid team and will provide a good test for us as we prepare to start conference action next week.” Cross also hopes to have all of his team healthy by next week. “Two of our freshmen are playing hurt,” Cross said. “David Laury is one of our leading scorers, despite recurring foot problems. Dane Ka has a sprained wrist that isn’t fully healed, which affects his ability to score.” Delgado currently is 3-2 after losing 102-95 Monday night at Hinds Community College in Utica, MS. The Dolphins won the 2010 Miss-Lou championship and have another potent offense team this fall. Five players hit for double figures against Hinds. Sophomore guard Darrell Williams, the 2010 Louisiana Junior College Player of the Year, averaged 17.2 points and 4.3 assists last season. Lamar State begins its Region XIV schedule at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College, which was ranked just outside the Top 25 this week in the NJCAA’s first regular season poll.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team moved their season record to a perfect 5-0 Monday night at home in the Carl Parker Center with a 108-70 victory over the Houston Blaze. The Blaze was drafted as a last-minute opponent after the Stephen F. Austin State University Basketball Club called Lamar State head coach Matt Cross at noon today to announce they weren’t going to come to Port Arthur. Lamar State trailed in the early going and finally took the lead at the 12-minute mark of the first half. The Seahawks pulled ahead by as many as 10 points, but let the Blaze close to three points with three minutes left in the half. Lamar State led by 11 points at half-time and closed the game up 38. Three sophomore guards did most of the damage for Seahawks. Keenen Coleman led the team with 28 points, including six three-pointers. David Laury had 19 points and Vonn Jones added 11. Lamar State will be home Saturday Nov. 20, for a final non-conference tune-up against Delgado Community College from New Orleans. The Seahawks begin their Region XIV conference schedule Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team moved their season record to a perfect 5-0 Monday night at home in the Carl Parker Center with a 108-70 victory over the Houston Blaze. The Blaze was drafted as a last-minute opponent after the Stephen F. Austin State University Basketball Club called Lamar State head coach Matt Cross at noon today to announce they weren’t going to come to Port Arthur. Lamar State trailed in the early going and finally took the lead at the 12-minute mark of the first half. The Seahawks pulled ahead by as many as 10 points, but let the Blaze close to three points with three minutes left in the half. Lamar State led by 11 points at half-time and closed the game up 38. Three sophomore guards did most of the damage for Seahawks. Keenen Coleman led the team with 28 points, including six three-pointers. David Laury had 19 points and Vonn Jones added 11. Lamar State will be home Saturday Nov. 20, for a final non-conference tune-up against Delgado Community College from New Orleans. The Seahawks begin their Region XIV conference schedule Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will play a non-conference home game at 1 p.m. Saturday against Lone Star College-Kingwood. Lamar State is 3-0 after last weekend’s Chipola College Classic Tournament in Mariana, Fl., where the Seahawks defeated pre-season No. 21 Shelton State College, 76-69, on Friday night, and topped Enterprise State Community College, 82-69, on Saturday. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross was pleased with his team’s performance, but is looking for improvement as they head toward conference play. “We are coming off a big weekend, when our sophomore class upset their fourth nationally-ranked team since they’ve been here,” Cross said. “The Shelton State game was the biggest non-conference win in Lamar State history. We hope it will become the type of signature win that puts this program on the national map.” Cross said the team gained a lot of confidence. But they still are not clicking on all cylinders or at full strength. “Winning tends to take on an attitude of its own. The more you win, the better that winning attitude becomes,” Cross said. “There needs to be a since of urgency on this team, knowing we have only five weeks and 12 games left this semester. We have short-term goals in place over the next two weeks solely to prepare us for a four-game conference stretch.” Cross likes some of what he sees from his team’s offense. Lamar State had four players in double figures in two of the first three games. Five Seahawks scored in double figures in the Nov. 6 victory over Enterprise State. Freshman guard Markens Charles is the Seahawks’ leading scorer with 14.66 points-per-game. Sophomore center Gordon Ball is the top rebounder with 9.33 per game. Ball also is averaging 12.66 points has two double-doubles. Lone Star-Kingwood, a member of the Lone Star College System, competes in the Lone Star Sports Conference, which includes club sports teams from the five LSC schools and other two-year and four-year schools in the Greater Houston area. The Coyotes are 5-4 this fall, including recent losses to Lamar State’s conference rivals Lee College (88-84) and San Jacinto College (94-59). Lamar State will be home again Monday night at 7 p.m. versus the Stephen F. Austin State University basketball club. The Seahawks then will be home Saturday Nov. 20, for a final non-conference tune-up against Delgado Community College from New Orleans. Lamar State begins its Region XIV conference schedule Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will play a non-conference home game at 1 p.m. Saturday against Lone Star College-Kingwood. Lamar State is 3-0 after last weekend’s Chipola College Classic Tournament in Mariana, Fl., where the Seahawks defeated pre-season No. 21 Shelton State College, 76-69, on Friday night, and topped Enterprise State Community College, 82-69, on Saturday. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross was pleased with his team’s performance, but is looking for improvement as they head toward conference play. “We are coming off a big weekend, when our sophomore class upset their fourth nationally-ranked team since they’ve been here,” Cross said. “The Shelton State game was the biggest non-conference win in Lamar State history. We hope it will become the type of signature win that puts this program on the national map.” Cross said the team gained a lot of confidence. But they still are not clicking on all cylinders or at full strength. “Winning tends to take on an attitude of its own. The more you win, the better that winning attitude becomes,” Cross said. “There needs to be a since of urgency on this team, knowing we have only five weeks and 12 games left this semester. We have short-term goals in place over the next two weeks solely to prepare us for a four-game conference stretch.” Cross likes some of what he sees from his team’s offense. Lamar State had four players in double figures in two of the first three games. Five Seahawks scored in double figures in the Nov. 6 victory over Enterprise State. Freshman guard Markens Charles is the Seahawks’ leading scorer with 14.66 points-per-game. Sophomore center Gordon Ball is the top rebounder with 9.33 per game. Ball also is averaging 12.66 points has two double-doubles. Lone Star-Kingwood, a member of the Lone Star College System, competes in the Lone Star Sports Conference, which includes club sports teams from the five LSC schools and other two-year and four-year schools in the Greater Houston area. The Coyotes are 5-4 this fall, including recent losses to Lamar State’s conference rivals Lee College (88-84) and San Jacinto College (94-59). Lamar State will be home again Monday night at 7 p.m. versus the Stephen F. Austin State University basketball club. The Seahawks then will be home Saturday Nov. 20, for a final non-conference tune-up against Delgado Community College from New Orleans. Lamar State begins its Region XIV conference schedule Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will take their 1-0 record on the road this weekend to play two games at the Chipola College Classic Tournament in Mariana, Florida. The Seahawks opened the season Monday night with an impressive 106-58 victory at home over the junior varsity team from Wiley College. Even though LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross saw his team post a win, he said the Seahawks will have to be even more impressive Friday night, when they face Shelton State Community College, the No. 21 pick in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll. “Shelton State will provide a good early season test for us. They are nationally ranked and coming off an appearance in the junior college national championship tournament,” Cross said. “We didn’t get the ball inside enough against Wiley, and we didn’t take advantage of our size. So, we want to try and do a better job of playing inside out this weekend.” Friday’s game will be Shelton State’s first action of the 2010-11 season. The Buccaneers recorded 20 wins in each of the past six years and closed the 2010 season with a 28-game win streak. “Shelton State plays a four guard offense. So, we want to keep the floor spread to penetrate and kick,” Cross said. “Defensively, they press full-court, and they want to keep the game fast paced. They will have match-ups that will favor them, and we certainly will have match-ups that will favor us. But this early in the season, we have to be more concerned about executing what we do and be less concerned about preparing for what our opponents do.” Lamar State plays Enterprise State Community College on Saturday. “We don’t know much about Enterprise, but we will get a chance to watch them play Friday night against Chipola College,” Cross said. After they return home on Sunday, the Seahawks will have five days to prepare for their next action, a Nov. 13 non-conference home game against Lone Star College-Kingwood. Lamar State begins their Region XIV schedule Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will take their 1-0 record on the road this weekend to play two games at the Chipola College Classic Tournament in Mariana, Florida. The Seahawks opened the season Monday night with an impressive 106-58 victory at home over the junior varsity team from Wiley College. Even though LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross saw his team post a win, he said the Seahawks will have to be even more impressive Friday night, when they face Shelton State Community College, the No. 21 pick in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll. “Shelton State will provide a good early season test for us. They are nationally ranked and coming off an appearance in the junior college national championship tournament,” Cross said. “We didn’t get the ball inside enough against Wiley, and we didn’t take advantage of our size. So, we want to try and do a better job of playing inside out this weekend.” Friday’s game will be Shelton State’s first action of the 2010-11 season. The Buccaneers recorded 20 wins in each of the past six years and closed the 2010 season with a 28-game win streak. “Shelton State plays a four guard offense. So, we want to keep the floor spread to penetrate and kick,” Cross said. “Defensively, they press full-court, and they want to keep the game fast paced. They will have match-ups that will favor them, and we certainly will have match-ups that will favor us. But this early in the season, we have to be more concerned about executing what we do and be less concerned about preparing for what our opponents do.” Lamar State plays Enterprise State Community College on Saturday. “We don’t know much about Enterprise, but we will get a chance to watch them play Friday night against Chipola College,” Cross said. After they return home on Sunday, the Seahawks will have five days to prepare for their next action, a Nov. 13 non-conference home game against Lone Star College-Kingwood. Lamar State begins their Region XIV schedule Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s second-year head coach Matt Cross watched his team start the 2010-11 regular season Monday night in the Carl Parker Center with the second-highest victory margin in the program’s history. The Seahawks took the lead early and never looked back against the Wiley College junior varsity, leading by 22 points at halftime, 50-28, and closing the game up by 48 points, 106-58. Lamar State’s highest winning margin was a 50-point win last year against Victoria College Three veterans paced the Seahawks, led by sophomore guard Keenen Coleman with 29 points. Sophomore center Gordon Ball and sophomore forward Roman Vaughn each scored 14 points, while freshman forward David Laury added 13. Seth Shannon and Marcus Jordan led the Wildcats with 14 and 13 points, respectively. “I’m pleased to start the season with a win. But we have a lot of work to do before we get into our Region XIV schedule later this month,” Cross said. “We still have some players who have nagging injuries. I’m looking forward to seeing how we play when everyone is healthy.” Cross said his team will be tested this weekend, when they play at the Chipola College Tournament in Mariana, Florida. The Seahawks open the tournament Friday night against the pre-season No. 21 pick, Shelton State Community College. Lamar State plays Enterprise State Community College on Saturday. Lamar State then will be home for three more home non-conference tilts before starting their Region XIV schedule Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s second-year head coach Matt Cross watched his team start the 2010-11 regular season Monday night in the Carl Parker Center with the second-highest victory margin in the program’s history. The Seahawks took the lead early and never looked back against the Wiley College junior varsity, leading by 22 points at halftime, 50-28, and closing the game up by 48 points, 106-58. Lamar State’s highest winning margin was a 50-point win last year against Victoria College Three veterans paced the Seahawks, led by sophomore guard Keenen Coleman with 29 points. Sophomore center Gordon Ball and sophomore forward Roman Vaughn each scored 14 points, while freshman forward David Laury added 13. Seth Shannon and Marcus Jordan led the Wildcats with 14 and 13 points, respectively. “I’m pleased to start the season with a win. But we have a lot of work to do before we get into our Region XIV schedule later this month,” Cross said. “We still have some players who have nagging injuries. I’m looking forward to seeing how we play when everyone is healthy.” Cross said his team will be tested this weekend, when they play at the Chipola College Tournament in Mariana, Florida. The Seahawks open the tournament Friday night against the pre-season No. 21 pick, Shelton State Community College. Lamar State plays Enterprise State Community College on Saturday. Lamar State then will be home for three more home non-conference tilts before starting their Region XIV schedule Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks women’s softball team will hold open tryouts from 9 a.m. – noon Saturday, Dec. 4, for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, and students now enrolled at Lamar State or planning to attend the college. The tryouts will take place at Martin Field, 1000 Lakeshore Drive on the college campus. Lamar State competes in Region XIV, one of the toughest Division I conferences in the National Junior College Athletic Association. Interested players are asked to download a Tryout Registration form from the Softball page of the college website (www.lamarpa.edu), fill out the form and then follow the instructions for returning it to the college. Players also are asked to fill out and submit the on-line Prospective Student/Athlete form on the Athletics page of the college website.  For information, call Coach Edwards at 984-6293, or send e-mail to: [email protected].

Nick didn't return to the team this fall. I saw him in the hall in September, but haven't seen him since. There was some talk about him going to UT-Tyler.

After a month of watching his team in scrimmage games, Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s second-year head coach Matt Cross is ready to see them play in games that count. He will get that opportunity Monday night, when the Seahawks start their 2010-11 regular season at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center against the Wiley College junior varsity. Lamar State completed its first-ever 20-win season this past spring in Cross’ first year at the helm. There are 15 players on the roster this fall, including five veterans from last year’s squad that reached the quarterfinals of the Region XIV post-season tournament. But the Seahawks won’t be at full strength Monday. Cross said sophomore forward Roman Vaughan and sophomore guard Dion Waiters are injured and will play limited minutes. “We got hit by the injury bug in the last couple of weeks. So, we are nowhere near where we need to be to start the season,” Cross said. “However, those injuries will allow some of the new players to get more playing time. We hope to improve from day-to-day until everyone is healthy.” Cross anticipates a tough game against Wiley College. “The opening game always is exciting. After last year’s performance, we have great expectations and so should our fans,” Cross said. “Wiley College always has excellent players. So, we need to come out ready to play, execute our offense and play tough defense so we can be ready for Friday night’s game against No. 21 Shelton State Community College.” Lamar State will play in the Oct. 5-6 Chipola College Tournament in Mariana, Florida, facing Lawson State Community College on Thursday and Shelton State on Friday. The Seahawks then will be home for three more home non-conference tilts before starting their Region XIV schedule Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

After a month of watching his team in scrimmage games, Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s second-year head coach Matt Cross is ready to see them play in games that count. He will get that opportunity Monday night, when the Seahawks start their 2010-11 regular season at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center against the Wiley College junior varsity. Lamar State completed its first-ever 20-win season this past spring in Cross’ first year at the helm. There are 15 players on the roster this fall, including five veterans from last year’s squad that reached the quarterfinals of the Region XIV post-season tournament. But the Seahawks won’t be at full strength Monday. Cross said sophomore forward Roman Vaughan and sophomore guard Dion Waiters are injured and will play limited minutes. “We got hit by the injury bug in the last couple of weeks. So, we are nowhere near where we need to be to start the season,” Cross said. “However, those injuries will allow some of the new players to get more playing time. We hope to improve from day-to-day until everyone is healthy.” Cross anticipates a tough game against Wiley College. “The opening game always is exciting. After last year’s performance, we have great expectations and so should our fans,” Cross said. “Wiley College always has excellent players. So, we need to come out ready to play, execute our offense and play tough defense so we can be ready for Friday night’s game against No. 21 Shelton State Community College.” Lamar State will play in the Oct. 5-6 Chipola College Tournament in Mariana, Florida, facing Lawson State Community College on Thursday and Shelton State on Friday. The Seahawks then will be home for three more home non-conference tilts before starting their Region XIV schedule Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

The 20-win season posted by the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team last season apparently made an impression on their opponents. This year’s Region XIV Coaches Poll predicts the Seahawks will finish third in the South Zone behind San Jacinto College and Angelina College. Lamar State received two of the 14 first-place votes. The Seahawks were sixth in last year’s poll in their second season in the conference. The coaches picked Navarro College as the North Zone champion for the second straight year. The Bulldogs ended up second to Paris Junior College in 2010, but won the conference tournament and finished fourth in the NJCAA Division I championship tournament. Navarro is No. 6 in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll. San Jacinto is ranked No. 11 LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said this year’s poll reflected the final standings last spring. “I can understand why the coaches voted in the order of San Jac, Angelina and us because all three teams have several players returning,” Cross said. “But pre-season polls don’t mean much, especially in junior college basketball, because most teams change dramatically from year to year. You really don’t know what to expect. In fact, one coach pointed out there has been a few times that the pre-season No. 1 did not qualify for the post-season tournament.” Cross said the Seahawks have earned some respect that previously was missing. “Everyone acknowledged that we came out of nowhere and surprised the conference last year. So, we garnered some respect to be voted third in the South while receiving two first place votes,” Cross said. “If that prediction comes true, then we would have had a really good regular season. However; our team expectation is to come out on top. People are waiting to see if last year was just a fluke or if we can establish ourselves as program that will be a contender for years to come. That certainly is a legitimate question for a program entering its third year in America's best juco conference.” Cross said Region XIV’s South Zone has been the weaker of the two divisions since the conference split. “But this year, the South is much stronger. Several South teams are capable of winning the tournament and representing the region at the NJCAA championship tournament,” Cross said. “There is no doubt this year’s team will be presented with a major challenge in having to follow last year’s success. It is one thing to win as underdog. It is another to win as a possible favorite. That will be the major challenge for us.” Lamar State opens this season at home Monday, Nov. 1, against the Wiley College junior varsity team. The Seahawks will play five more non-conference games – two on the road and three at home -- before starting their Region XIV schedule on Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College. Region XIV 2010 Coaches Poll (1st place votes in parenthesis) South Zone 1. San Jacinto College (9)                            81 2. Angelina College                                    68 3. Lamar State College-PA (2)                      66 4. Lon Morris College (1)                            62 5. Lee College                                            53 6. Blinn College                                          40 7. Jacksonville College                                22 North Zone 1. Navarro College (12)                              96 2. Tyler (1)                                                77 3. Trinity Valley Com. College (1)                63 4. Paris Junior College                                59 5. Kilgore College                                      48 6. Panola College                                      27 7. Bossier Parish Com. College                    18

The 20-win season posted by the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team last season apparently made an impression on their opponents. This year’s Region XIV Coaches Poll predicts the Seahawks will finish third in the South Zone behind San Jacinto College and Angelina College. Lamar State received two of the 14 first-place votes. The Seahawks were sixth in last year’s poll in their second season in the conference. The coaches picked Navarro College as the North Zone champion for the second straight year. The Bulldogs ended up second to Paris Junior College in 2010, but won the conference tournament and finished fourth in the NJCAA Division I championship tournament. Navarro is No. 6 in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll. San Jacinto is ranked No. 11 LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said this year’s poll reflected the final standings last spring. “I can understand why the coaches voted in the order of San Jac, Angelina and us because all three teams have several players returning,” Cross said. “But pre-season polls don’t mean much, especially in junior college basketball, because most teams change dramatically from year to year. You really don’t know what to expect. In fact, one coach pointed out there has been a few times that the pre-season No. 1 did not qualify for the post-season tournament.” Cross said the Seahawks have earned some respect that previously was missing. “Everyone acknowledged that we came out of nowhere and surprised the conference last year. So, we garnered some respect to be voted third in the South while receiving two first place votes,” Cross said. “If that prediction comes true, then we would have had a really good regular season. However; our team expectation is to come out on top. People are waiting to see if last year was just a fluke or if we can establish ourselves as program that will be a contender for years to come. That certainly is a legitimate question for a program entering its third year in America's best juco conference.” Cross said Region XIV’s South Zone has been the weaker of the two divisions since the conference split. “But this year, the South is much stronger. Several South teams are capable of winning the tournament and representing the region at the NJCAA championship tournament,” Cross said. “There is no doubt this year’s team will be presented with a major challenge in having to follow last year’s success. It is one thing to win as underdog. It is another to win as a possible favorite. That will be the major challenge for us.” Lamar State opens this season at home Monday, Nov. 1, against the Wiley College junior varsity team. The Seahawks will play five more non-conference games – two on the road and three at home -- before starting their Region XIV schedule on Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College. Region XIV 2010 Coaches Poll (1st place votes in parenthesis) South Zone 1. San Jacinto College (9)                            81 2. Angelina College                                    68 3. Lamar State College-PA (2)                      66 4. Lon Morris College (1)                            62 5. Lee College                                            53 6. Blinn College                                          40 7. Jacksonville College                                22 North Zone 1. Navarro College (12)                              96 2. Tyler (1)                                                77 3. Trinity Valley Com. College (1)                63 4. Paris Junior College                                59 5. Kilgore College                                      48 6. Panola College                                      27 7. Bossier Parish Com. College                    18

Season tickets are on sale now for the 18 home games on the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team’s 2010-11 schedule. Lamar State athletic director Scott Street said this will be the first time season tickets have been available since the college added intercollegiate sports in 2004. “A lot people have asked me about season tickets, so we put together this package,” Street said. “The interest has been growing since the Seahawks won 20 games and reached the quarterfinals of the Region XIV tournament this past spring. This year’s team is poised to challenge for the conference title and, hopefully, to get into the NJCAA national championship tournament.” The home games include nine Region XIV conference matchups. The Seahawks begin the season Nov. 1, at home in the Carl Parker Center, against the junior varsity team from Wiley College. A season ticket package costs $70. Packages of 25 tickets that can be used for any game are on sale for $100. Single-game tickets, available at the Parker Center box office, are $5 for adults and $3 for students. For information or to buy season tickets, call Scott Street at 984-6292, or send e-mail to: [email protected]. The 2010-11 schedule is available on-line at: www.lamarpa.edu/?url=/athletics/basketball/schedule.pdf.

Season tickets are on sale now for the 18 home games on the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team’s 2010-11 schedule. Lamar State athletic director Scott Street said this will be the first time season tickets have been available since the college added intercollegiate sports in 2004. “A lot people have asked me about season tickets, so we put together this package,” Street said. “The interest has been growing since the Seahawks won 20 games and reached the quarterfinals of the Region XIV tournament this past spring. This year’s team is poised to challenge for the conference title and, hopefully, to get into the NJCAA national championship tournament.” The home games include nine Region XIV conference matchups. The Seahawks begin the season Nov. 1, at home in the Carl Parker Center, against the junior varsity team from Wiley College. A season ticket package costs $70. Packages of 25 tickets that can be used for any game are on sale for $100. Single-game tickets, available at the Parker Center box office, are $5 for adults and $3 for students. For information or to buy season tickets, call Scott Street at 984-6292, or send e-mail to: [email protected]. The 2010-11 schedule is available on-line at: www.lamarpa.edu/?url=/athletics/basketball/schedule.pdf.

Martin Field is adjacent to the Lamar State campus at 1000 Lakeshore Drive, next to the old National Guard Armory. From Orange: take Hwy 87/73 toward Port Arthur, turn left at the the Memorial Boulevard exit (Hwy 96) and keep going as far as you can go. The last traffic liight will be at Procter Street. One block further, you have to turn right onto Lakeshore Drive. Continue down this street through the college campus. Martin Field will be on the left just past the old PAISD Middle School, which is being refurbished.

After conducting a comprehensive nationwide search, Lamar State College-Port Arthur filled its open athletic director slot with the hiring of Scott Street, who has more than 25 years experience in intercollegiate athletics, including stints as AD at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the University of Texas-Pan American. He also will serve as manger of Lamar State’s Carl Parker Multi-Purpose Center and as the chair of the Department of Health, Fitness and Sport. Street was the interim athletic director at TAMU-Corpus Christi from August 2008 to September 2009, and held the AD post at UT-PA from 2005-08. Prior to working at UT’s Pan American campus, Street spent seven years at UT-San Antonio, where he served in various positions, including senior associate AD for Administration (2002-05) and senior associate AD for Business Services (1999-02). Street also was the NCAA tournament manager for the 2004 Men’s Basketball Final Four, 2003 Men’s Basketball South Regional, 2002 Women’s Basketball Final Four and 2001 Midwest Men’s Regional. He previously was athletic business manager and NCAA compliance coordinator at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Street was a member of the athletic training staff at Wake Forest University for nine years, including serving as associate head trainer from 1994-97. He also was the administrative assistant for the men’s basketball team during that time. Street was an assistant trainer at Marshall University (1986-88) and at Mankato State University (1985-86). Lamar State’s new AD looks forward to the challenges of his job. “I enjoy working with freshman and sophomore students. So, I’m really excited to be here,” Street said. “Lamar State College-Port Arthur has an impressive reputation as an excellent place for students to start their higher education experience. And Region XIV, where the Seahawks compete, is one of the top junior college conferences in the nation.” The new AD’s job covers all aspects of Lamar State’s sports programs, including fiscal, academic, promotions, marketing and fund-raising. “Of course, we want to win conference titles and go on to play in the national tournaments,” Street said, “But our primary job is to make sure our student/athletes not only are good performers on the basketball court and the softball field, but that they also are successful in the classroom. We want to help them graduate and go on to successful careers.” One of Street’s challenges will be fund-raising as Lamar State College-PA joins all state-supported colleges and universities in taking a five-percent budget cut this year. Street will be able to draw on his experience at UT-SA, where he oversaw revenue producing areas, including the ticket office, concessions, marketing and development. He also assisted in fund-raising, capitol development projects and securing corporate sponsorships. “We want to get the community involved in Lamar State athletics,” Street said. “I hope to meet as many people as possible in the coming months, from people involved in the media to business and community leaders to people who just love to support the Seahawks.” Street graduated from the University of Iowa in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in general studies. He received his MS degree from Mankato State University in 1986. In 1995, Street earned a MBA from Wake Forest University. Street has served on the Board of Directors for the National Athletic Trainer's Association. He is also a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, College Athletic Business Managers Association and National Athletic Trainer's Association. Street has written two books dealing with intercollegiate athletics – Life Skills for College Student-Athletes and Athletic Protective Equipment Care, Selection and Fitting.