The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 32

THE PALM BEACH POST SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2002 7B High schools Colleges Inspired Suncoast No rape charge for Elam Ex-Cardinal Newman star faces other counts in incident at Notre Dame 1 Li I sweeps jjamboree fir' By Charles Elmore Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Prosecutors in Indiana charged former Cardinal Newman High School star Abram Elam on Friday with conspiracy, deviant conduct and sexual battery, charges Elam's attorney said are "disappointing" and politically motivated. Elam was the only one of four former Notre Dame football players not to be charged with rape in a March incident involving a 20-year-old female student on campus. Still, being convicted of conspiracy to commit rape or deviant conduct could carry six- to 20-year sentences each, the same as felony rape under Indiana law. The sexual-battery charge carries up to three years. "The charges filed today speak for themselves," St.

Jo seph County Prosecutor Chris Toth said. "Out of respect for the victim and the nature of this case the Prosecutor's Office will have no further comment regarding this situation." Wide receiver Lorenzo Crawford's bond was set at $50,000, the highest among the group. Bond was set at $10,000 for safeties Donald Dykes, Justin Smith and Elam. None of the charges is appropriate, said Elam attorney Mark Lenyo. "It is an election year in St.

Joseph County," Lenyo said. "The prosecutor is very mindful that it's an election year and doesn't want to be perceived as weak on crime." Variations in the alleged victim's account raise questions of how strong the case is, Lenyo said. The woman waited five days to seek medical attention and nine days to go to police. But she was apparently persuasive in lengthy meetings with a university disciplinary committee in April. Notre Dame expelled the players.

She also' met with the prosecutor's office Thursday. She said she talked to the players in a South Bend bar and they invited her to a player's house for a party, but there, was no party. Instead, she said, took turns raping her. Elam, who was a sophomore when he was expelled, may be allowed to report voluntarily to deal with bail questions next week, a prosecution spokesman said. An all-state player while at Cardinal Newman, Elam lives in Riviera Beach.X charleselmorepbpost.com The Chargers post shutouts in beating Dwyer, Lake Worth, By Steve Dorsey Palm Beach Post Staff Writer RIVIERA BEACH The phrase "no one respects us" rang out along the Suncoast sideline Friday night.

Well, the Chargers took a step toward gaining the respect they crave' by winning both of their scrimmages at the Suncoast spring football jamboree at Al Sutton Stadium. CHRIS MATULAStaff Photographer Centennial's Kyle Langford (left) and Fendrick Gabaud (5) race to a loose ball over Palm Beach Gardens' Frantz Simeon. Atlantic dominates spnng footban against Pahokee FAU, Florida remain alive The Chargers outscored their two opponents 42-0 to close out their spnng practice session, and Baseball softball SEC BASEBALL Florida 5, Georgia 0: Keith Ramsey pitched a six-hitter to keep the Gators alive in the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a victory against the Bulldogs in Hoover, Ala. I The Gators (42-16) must beat Alabama twice today to make the championship game. The Crimson Tide have won the past 12 meetings dating back to 1997, including Thursday's 74 victory.

ACC BASEBALL The Gators must beat Alabama twice; FSU's softball team loses. By Dan Ryan Special to The Palm Beach Post DeLAND Florida Atlantic went from being one strike away from elimination to the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday. The Owls, rediscovering their offense after scoring four runs in their first two games, eliminated Jacksonville 6-4 and then pounded host Stetson 10-3. FAU (43-17) will face top-seeded Central Florida at 1 p.m. today.

Another game would follow if FAU wins. "There's the old cliche that momentum is the next day's pitcher," FAU coach Kevin Cooney said. Gabe Somarriba went 4-for-4, Robert Orton went 4-for-5 and Rusty Brown drove in four runs to pace a 19-hit FAU attack against Stetson. Starting pitcher Nelson Lopez kept the Hatters hitless the first four innings. Earlier, the Owls rallied from a 4-1 deficit to eliminate Jacksonville (27-31).

After closing to 4-3 in the eighth with a Mike Cox homer, Bobby Spano kept the season alive with a two-out single on an 0-2 that scored Jeremiah Creech to tie the score. Somarriba put the Owls ahead with a single up the middle to score and Derek Hutton and Spano. Miami 16, N.Y, Tech 1: Javy Rodriguez had three hits, four RBI and two runs scored to lead the Hurricanes (28-26) past the Bears (27-23) in Coral Gables. fense," Foster said. American Heritage 62, St.

Petersburg-Keswick Christian 0: Halfback Lucius Pusey had three carries for 64 yards and a touchdown and also had two interceptions, including one returned 47 yards for a score, to help the Stallions rout the Crusaders in Delray Beach. Quarterback Jerome Bryant rushed three times for 40 yards and a TD and added a 32-yard interception return for another touchdown. Fullback Terrance Diaz added 13 carries for 73 yards andtwoTDs. Royal Palm Beach 27, John I. Leonard 25: The Tigers overcame a six-point halftime deficit to defeat the Lancers at Joe Davis Lancer Stadium in Greenacres.

Tyrell Copper put the Tigers ahead 6-0 with a 52-yard touchdown reception from starting quarterback Thadius Williams. The Lancers answered with 72-yard touchdown pass to wide-receiver Toney Collins from Ahmad Miley. Collins, who is the state high jump champion, caught five passes for 119 yards and two scores. The teams traded touchdowns before a 28-yard touchdown pass from Miley to running back Kenny McNealy put the Florida State 5, Wake Forest 2: Blair Varnes pitched his first complete game of the season and Stephen Drew hit a two-run homer as the Semi-noles beat the Demon Deacons in an ACC Tour-nament winners' bracket game. SUN BELT BASEBALL Florida International 8, New Orleans 6: Daniel Bustamante hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Golden Panthers (41-17) the win against the Privateers (31-28) in the' Sun Belt Tournament in Mobile, Ala.

SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES The Eagles are expecting a trip to the post-season in the fall. By Ted Cotton Special to The Palm Beach Post PAHOKEE Atlantic used a strong second-half performance to score a 26-6 victory over Pahokee on Friday night, ending the two schools' spring practices. The score was befitting the teams' goals for the 2002 season. Atlantic, under second-year coach Keith Tillman, is looking forward to another trip to the playoffs. Pahokee and first-year coach Leroy Foster face rebuilding.

"We are taking our goals one at a time and our first goal is to make the playoffs," Tillman said. The Eagles were without starting quarterback Adrian Graham, who is out with a broken collarbone but will be back in the fall. In his place was McKinson Souverian, who threw touchdown passes of 29 and 39 yards to David Cloney. "It is a tall order to ask McKinson to take over, but he did a good job," Tillman said. The Eagles used eight running backs, with Cody Hobbs being the most effective, with a 40-yard touchdown run.

The Atlantic coach singled out Brandon Owens for an outstanding defensive game. Foster, a former William T. Dwyer assistant, is looking forward to the challenge at Pahokee. "Tonight we were out-manned," he said. "But we gave them all they could handle in the first half.

We have two strong-armed quarterbacks in Antavious Williams and Alfonso Smith, but they have to work on their accuracy." Pahokee's lone score came on a 64-yard pass from Williams to Anthony Frost. "We are counting on (linebacker) Keyonuis Bouie on de now head into the summer break -with a renewed enthusiasm for I the 2002 season. "I think this gives them the jumpstart they need," Suncoast coach Jimmie Bell said after the if Chargers defeated William T. Dwyer 14-0 in the last of four j' scrimmages that were played in 24-minute halves with a running clock. might be the prelude to something big." Suncoast running back Leroy j.

Ndson and identical twin broth-, ers Akil and Akim Lannaman were the offensive stars in the i Chargers' 28-0 win against Lake Worth. Nelson, the featured back I -In" Bell's new double-wing of- 'fense, scored touchdowns on a 3-yard pass from quarterback Dajuan Morgan. Nelson, who will beja senior in the fall, also had a 6yard touchdown run nullified i'. by a penalty. ''X- Akil Lannaman scored on the play of the game when he raced 80 yards for a touchdown, brother Akim, who had a yard touchdown run nullified by a penalty, later scored on a 75-yard Mike Losciavo kicked all four PAT.

Suncoast's defense accounted jXfoj; the Chargers' first score It', against Dwyer, which is expected to be one of the area's top teams season, when senior sive back Keith Johnson scooped up a fumbled lateral pass and ran 40; yards for a touchdown. Full-Jt' back Aaron Feuer, who will be a jX sophomore, scored the Chargers' rt; final touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run that was set up by a 45-yard run by Nelson. Dwyer defeated Sunrise-Piper 7-0 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Gpmez Cambridge, and Piper I bat Lake Worth 14-0 in the other two matchups. f' Also, Plantation defeated Palm Beach Lakes 34-6 on Thursday night. stevedorseypbpost.com SPANISH RIVER JAMBOREE California 1, Florida St 0: Chelsea Spencer homered in the fifth inning and the Bears (54-19) beat the Seminoles (54-19) to remain undefeated in the NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Florida State (54-19) dropped into the losers' bracket and will play today. Lancers up 18-12 at half. The Tigers' forced two turnovers in the second half and controlled the clock with their running game. Running backs Sean Nugent and Alex Diaz each broke free for ll VJV jr touchdown runs puting the Tigers up 25-15 with eleven minutes to play. When kicker Beth Locklair's ensuing kickoff was mishandled, the Tigers scored what turned out to be a game-winning safety.

The Lancers scored on a Collins 5-yard touchdown reception with under two minutes to play. BPalm Beach Gardens 34, Centennial 28: The Gators took a commanding early lead and were able to beat the mistake-prone Eagles in Port St. Lucie. i Bins 1 X. XI I I II Mi, i 4 I 1 With Coupon.

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it mini. r- ourcnase. nus ucww- 1 any other Eckerd coupon. Coupon must Pope John Paul splits: Pope John Paul's Wesner Pierre and Santaluces' Austin Capi have some pretty big shoes to fill. But they proved Friday', at the Span-', ish River football jamboree, that each might become a worthy successor to his former star teammate.

Pierre, taking over at tailback for Jamaal Hunte who will at-'tend Fordham gained 208 yards on 30 carries in leading the Eagles to a split of their scrimmages against Santaluces and Spanish River. Last fall, Pierre was Hunte's lead blocker but tore a quadriceps muscle in the second game and missed the rest of the season. "Every night, I almost went home crying," Pierre said of last season. "But that's not happening this year, man. I'm toughing it out.

I'm working hard over the summer and pumping iron. I'm gonna make a name for myself." Capi, the Chiefs' new starting quarterback taking over for Rickey Bethel who will play at Buffalo, didn't fare as well as Pierre. But in the Eagles-Chiefs opener, Pierre's fumble led to Capi's quarterback sneak for the only score in Santaluces' 7-0 victory. Later against Boca Raton, Capi completed five passes to Irving Campbell, including a 10-yard touchdown that spoiled a shutout in the Bobcats' 16-7 victory. Boca Raton later defeated Olympic Heights 14-13 to become the lone 2-0 team among the five jamboree participants.

In the other games, Spanish River lost to Pope 12-7 and to Olympic Heights 20-14. Heights' Nick Martone scored all three touchdowns against River. Robert Francis Beer prices not valid in GA. Available at most stores. The Palm Beach Post Budweiser or Bud Light fa id.