After starting the season 1-5, any form of the post-season seemed rather unrealistic for the Buffaloes. But thanks to a five-game winning streak to end the regular season, West Texas A&M advanced to the inaugural Kanza Bowl in Topeka, Kansas, and continued its hot streak, beating Nebraska-Omaha.

   “We just got hot at the right time,” said Buffaloes head coach Don Carthel, who enters is sixth season at WT. “I think a lot of things just came together for us. We got healthy and we started playing better. It was a fun experience for us.”

   But it’s also an experience – especially the bowl game – that Carthel doesn’t really want to repeat. Instead, he’s hoping the Buffaloes can return to the Division II playoffs where the school had been the previous four years before last year’s absence.

   To return to the playoffs, senior quarterback Taylor Harris will be the key. Harris enters the season as the school’s sixth-leading passer. Last year, Harris passed for 3,738 yards with 22 touchdowns, including a 536-yard passing game against Tarleton State.

   Senior running back Kelvin Thompson takes over the departed Keithon Flemming, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Thompson rushed for 529 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

   Receiver should be an area of strength with the return of Stephen Burton and Brittan Golden. Burton had 62 catches for 888 yards last year and Golden caught 46 balls for 946 yards.

   Three starters return on the offensive line, including left tackle Shaun Wesley and left guard Isaiah Lewis.

   Defensively the Buffs should be strong again. Defensive end Bryan Braman earned All-LSC first-teams honors last year, recording a team-high 16 ½ tackles for loss. Linebackers Anthony Scott and Kyle Voss should handle the inside of the defense.

   The secondary will be helped by first-team All-LSC cornerback Tae Evans, who had 72 tackles and three interceptions in 2009. Safeties Jordan Smith and Curtis Slater should anchor the backside of the defense as well.

   On top of an already-difficult LSC schedule in the South Division, the Buffs open the season Sept. 2 at perennial power Grand Valley State in a nationally televised game on CBS College Sports.

   In a matter of three sets, the Lady Buffs saw the difference of reaching the ultimate goal and heading into the season with a disappointment.

   That’s what happens when a team loses in the national finals. Like West Texas A&M did last year, dropping the national championship to Concordia University with a 3-0 score.

   The season ended with a 39-4 record for first-year coach Jason Skoch. The 39 victories not only tied for a school record with the 1983 WT team, but matched the most wins by an LSC squad. 

   But despite the near-miss championship, it was certainly a glorious run for the Lady Buffs, who once again breezed through the conference with a fourth straight championship and post-season tournament title. Also, WT hasn’t lost an LSC game since the 2005 season.

   So to continue the league dominance and compete for a national title, Skoch will look to replace five starters. The Lady Buffs return four starters – senior outside hitter Lauren Thedford, junior Erika Dupree, sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Mangum and sophomore libero Lauren Beville, who ranked 10th in the conference last year with a 3.86 digs average last year.

   WT is once again picked to win the LSC title, which would be its 16th overall.

  

   Men’s Soccer

   Entering his 20th season as the West Texas A&M men’s soccer coach, Butch Lauffer has a talented group of returning players should be able to help the Buffaloes contend for a national championship.

   Last year, the Buffs (15-2-2) ranked 11th in the nation and lost in the playoffs to eventual national champion Fort Lewis.

   But with the return of players such as senior forward Ben Everson, the Buffaloes will once again be one of the nation’s top squads. 

   Everson is the two-time LSC Offensive Player of the Year and was picked by the league coaches to three-peat that award. Everson, also a Daktronics All-American and South Central Region selection, scored 15 goals last year.

   Junior defensemen Nicki Nielson was also an All-American and first-team All-LSC pick, spearheading the Buffaloes’ back line. But Nielson also added seven goals and made all three of penalty kicks.

   The Buffs also return one of the nation’s top goalkeepers in Sebastian Furness, who ranked second in the NCAA with a .462 goals-against average. An All-LSC second-team pick, Furness was 12-1-2 in the net last year with seven shutouts.

   Some of the top newcomers include junior-college transfer Joel McCormick (Burlington County College) who should provide some scoring punch after recording 24 goals in 14 games last year. Chandler Elder was a top recruit out of high school that should add a defensive boost.

   The Buffaloes are picked to finish second in the LSC standings behind rival Midwestern State, but have been picked 11th in the preseason NSCAA Division II Top 25 poll.

 

   First-year head coach Chad Webb takes over a Lady Buffs squad that not only returns several key players from last year’s national quarterfinal team, but a squad with even higher expectations for 2010.

   Following a 15-3-4 season a year ago, which saw the Lady Buffs finish as LSC runner-up, Webb will count on the return of four All-LSC performers, including first-teamers Nadia James and Lindsay McHorse.

   A junior midfielder, McHorse led the entire LSC last year with eight assists and tied for second in the conference with 13 goals, including seven game-winners. James is considered one of the league’s top defensive players.         

   Junior forward Becky Hewson scored nine goals last season while junior midfielder Melanie Shannon returns after recording five assists.

   Sophomore midfielder Melissa Carnero scored just three goals last year but all three were game-winners. Senior defender Taylor Cromeens had a goal and two assists last season.

   In the net, the Lady Buffs return sophomore Korey Schroeder, who was just 3-0 with two shutouts.

   Other expected contributors will be sophomore midfielder Becky Peth, senior midfielder Samantha Garland and junior midfielder Morgan Kviz.

 

   After two straight eighth-place finishes, the Buffaloes improved somewhat last year with a sixth-place result in the LSC Championships, which were held in Canyon.

   Head coach Paul Sweetgall returns several experienced runners, including senior Rolando Vasquez, who finished 47th in the regional meet, along with senior Thomas Harris (65th in regionals).

   Other returning runners are Andrew Stiley, Jarred Murray, Andrew Sanders and Michael Janousek.

  

   Coming off last year’s fifth-place finish, the Lady Buffs were again picked fifth in the LSC preseason polls.

   Head coach Kimberly Dudley enters her 15th season and returns a young, but experienced squad that finished 12th in last year’s South Central Regional.

   Junior Allie Reyna returns after a 42nd place regional finish. Sophomore Aries Bazaldua (46th place) also gained valuable experience.

   Sophomores Jessica Blakely and Briena Garcia also return to provide some depth.