Sims Starts in Regular Season Finale

Today in Provo, Utah before 64,000 fans MATT SIMS played his last regular season football game as the Utah Utes’ starting tight end. He got no receptions and BYU came back for a 17-10 victory, but Sims’ appearance in the starting lineup in his final game was a milestone for Sims and his roundabout college career.

Sims was a big part of the Lompoc High 2002 CIF championship team, playing both ways at tackle and winning all-CIF honors. He spent a season at Division II Humboldt State, then came home and sat out a year. Then he impressed at tight end at Allan Hancock, enough to win all-conference recognition and a scholarship to Utah.

Last year he played in all 13 games, with six starts. His four receptions for 62 yards led the Ute tight ends. He averaged 15.5 yards per reception. He had a catch for 23 yards at Utah State.
This year when the Utes went increasingly to a 4-wideout offense, he played in 10 of 12 games, starting in three. He caught one pass, for 10 yards, against Louisville.

Utah finishes at 8-4 with a bowl invitation likely. Last year the Utes were 7-5 at this point and received a berth in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas where they downed Tulsa.

-0-

VAI

At San Jose the Nevada Wolfpack fell to San Jose State 27-24 but VAI TAUA did not play. Nevada (5-6) completes its season on Dec. 1 hosting Louisiana Tech.

-0-
BASKETBALL

JOEL
Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York Washington outrebounded Syracuse but could not best the Orange on the scoreboard as the Huskies fell 91-85 in the consolation final of the NIT Season Tip Off. JOEL SMITH entered the contest as UW's sixth man. He played 15 minutes and contributed three points on a three-point shot, three rebounds and an assist but was bedeviled by five turnovers. The game marked the first contest this season in which Smith has not appeared in the starting lineup at guard. In earlier games coach Lorenzo Romar started three guards and two forwards. Friday he went with a standard two-guard set. Now 3-2, Washington hosts Long Beach State Monday night.

-0-

NOMINATIONS

MATT SIMS, pictured above, has been nominated for the Lompoc Athlete of the Year contest. Also nominated are the the Los Padres League champion Lompoc High Braves basketball team and their coach JEFF JONES.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the year and Team of the Year.

Sims joins Ryan Church, Boo Jackson, and Miguel Ortiz in the male AOY sweepstakes while Jones joins Jim Allen, Roy Baca, Peter Anderson, and John Hernandez.
The LHS baseball team joins……. Oh, go look at the list in the right column below the sponsors.