Overseas growth and price hikes boost PepsiCo bottom line



companies, recently have faced a balancing act during this period of global economic uncertainty. Many consumer brands from McDonald's to Nike have raised prices as they try to offset their higher costs for ingredients, packaging and fuel. have cut back on spending.



PepsiCo, maker of such products as Mt. Dew soda, Gatorade drink and Lay's potato chips, showed Wednesday that the emphasis on higher prices and growing its overseas business paid off in the third quarter. The company reported that its profit rose 4 per cent for the period, beating analyst expectations. 3. That's up from $1.92 billion, or $1.19 per share, in the same quarter last year. Excluding charges related to its acquisition of Russian juice and dairy company Wimm Bill D Air Max Rea ann and other one time items, earnings were $1.31 per share. PepsiCo's revenue climbed 13 per cent to $17.58 billion.



The results beat analyst expectations of $1.30 per share on revenue of $17.11 billion, according to FactSet.



The company increased its sales volume in both snacks and beverages during the period. Its biggest revenue gains came from overseas, with Europe reporting a 37 per cent revenue increase because of higher prices and the addition of Wimm Bill Dann. Revenue for Asia, the Middle East and Africa rose 25 per cent on increased prices and volume growth, particularly in emerging markets. The Latin America Foods unit posted a 19 per cent increase in revenue, led by Mexico and Brazil.



In North America, the company's Frito Lay business reported a 4 per cent increase in revenue on strong sales of its Lay's Doritos, Cheetos and Ruffles brands. Revenue for Quaker Foods North America edged up 2 per cent on higher prices and cost controls.



PepsiCo Americas Beverages has been its softest segment as consumers have cut back on spending and shown a preference for other drinks. The business posted a 3 per cent revenue increase, largely on higher prices. Gatorade led volume growth for non carbonated beverages such as juices and sports drinks in North America. Company leaders said the North American beverage business remains a terrific business and a tough business, as it competes fiercely with companies such as Coca Cola and Dr. Pepper Snapple.



PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said Wednesday that PepsiCo may have pushed volume too much in years past rather than develop the identity and popularity of its brands more. The company has worked to improve the popularity of some of its brands such as Pepsi Max, which has no calories and has greatly increased its sales.



PepsiCo will now turn to doing the same for its other brands. consumers who may still want to buy PepsiCo's drinks but have cut back on their spending. The company also said it will take further pricing increases in the fourth quarter on select products and certain markets



"It's not going to take an awful lot to get this thing going again," said E dward Jones analyst Jack Russo. "This quarter it was good to get some stabilization and hit the number."



PepsiCo reaffirmed its guidance for the year, but company leaders said they would wait until December to provide 2012 guidance to see how commodity prices, the economy and consumer response to higher prices play out.



PepsiCo leaders also dispelled any potential concern that it might go the way of Kraft Foods Inc. or Sara Lee Corp., which have recently announced plans to split up their businesses.



"I firmly believe that PepsiCo's value is maximized as one company," Nooyi told investors Wednesday. "It was created as an integrated snack and beverage business and its success is tied to this combination. This has been true in the past and will remain in the future."

Outlet shopping in Kildare Village



I love it when you feel as if you discovered something new, even though it not new at all, especially to you. Kildare Village is (now) one such gem. I been a few times (20 minutes from Rathcoole on the N7; Avoca for breakfast, Kildare Village for shopping) with my mother and sister; my sister lives in New York, so whenever she home she has several things on her hit list, including but not limited to a trip to Penneys and a trip to Kildare Village, usually not in the same day, thank God.



Anyway, my trips have always (sorry, ladies) been just that little bit stressy. Sister wants to see everything; mother wants to see nothing. Sister wants to buy things; mother wants to buy nothing (but will break for a coffee in S Air Max Rea tarbucks so that she can complain about the quality of their croissants). It kind of like a tug of war where nobody wins, and where I get entirely turned off shopping, which is no mean feat, I tell you.



But on Tuesday afternoon, when I took a trip out west, all was different. First off, I was on my own, so under no pressure to do anything at all. Secondly, it was a weekday, and it wasn coming up to Christmas, so the shopping area itself was delightfully chilled. Plus, and yes I dead inside, there were no children. Deep, deep breath of satisfaction.



The brands I previously focused my attentions on a few choice stores in Kildare Village: the Nike outlet yes, it seems unlikely, but sometimes I exercise, and I like to look as good as one can possibly look while exercising, while spending as little money as possible Reiss and Monsoon. But this time, I got to have a good look around, and saw a whole lot more than at first glance.



Firstly, there a Wolford outlet. For any of you who wear opaques, you realise how amazing this is. Then there Jack Wills (do you know Jack Wills? You should it like the cuter, kookier, better kitted out Abercrombie, and has gorgeous picnic rugs, in fact rugs not unlike the one I now sitting on, picked up there for around 59);Molton Brown (yes, I a snob and now have Molton Brown handwash in my bathroom, so be warned, if you come to my house I will make you wash your hands); Anya Hindmarch, where I saw thesweetest business card holders take note, Santa, but I need some business cards first; Aquascutum, which had a huge range of gorgeous macs; a beautiful Bally store where I saw a breathtaking lambskin shearling lined jacket (swooooon!); not to mention Coast, which, as you know, has some really gorgeous items that aren just for weddings.



The place Kildare Village is really, really lovely, in that Edward Scissorhands kind of way. It all very picture perfect buildings, paths and benches, and is a lovely chilled out place (except at Christmas). Bring a coat if it chilly, because it is all outdoors, but it is really, unbelievably pretty.



Supporting Irish designers The Style Gallery is a store dedicated to Irish designers and at the moment they have an amazing range of designs by Joanne Hynes (hello, directional shouldered cropped jackets) as well as some gorgeous wedding (or debs!) appropriate dresses by Helen McAlinden. The Joanne Hynes stuff, though, honestly, blew me away and I generally really f ussy about smaller designers, as, while I support fledgling designers, I often think that the production quality of their garments isn quite up to scratch.



Dunne and Crescenzi Hello, pasta. Hello, pizza. Hello, salads. Well, not really salads, who am I kidding? But anyway. DELISH. Plus Starbucks, obvs.



Homewares I just moved into a new place, on my own, for the first time ever, and I felt a little like nesting. Kildare Village was so perfect for it, because it has various homewares stores at huge discounts. I picked up a gorgeous Le Creuset casserole dish (Google has just shown me that they do a HEART SHAPED CASSEROLE DISH!) and some mugs all at a cut of the original price, plus some knives and a corkscrew in Oneida. A corkscrew! I so grown up . . . Oh AND, to prove that I really childish at heart, I bought some adorable tea towels and napkins in Cath Kidston, where they do a huge selection of items, and from which I will be purchasing 99% of my Christmas presents this year. So sweet!

other Hokies football coaches get a pay bump



Wednesday links: A story about the 1947 Sun Bowl, Stinespring interviews at JMU and moreSome thoughts about the Hokies' quarterback outlook post Logan ThomasOhio quarterback Chris Durkin flips '14 commitment from Michigan State to Virginia Tech



Join the Hokie football conversation on Andy's blog



BLACKSBURG What's the price tag for assembling a high end ACC caliber coaching staff? For Virginia Tech in 2012, it'll be $4.93 million, according to figures released by the school.



Head coach Frank Beamer's total compensation before bonuses will be $2,288,204, a figure that includes his base salary, a retention incentive, courtesy car/country club p Air Max 90 rivileges, and additional income from sports marketing rights and Nike.



The nine full time assistant coaches will make a combined $2,341,796 after an 8 percent pay bump based on the team's appearance in a Bowl Championship Series game last season. That's an $182,851 increase from last year.



Former assistants Billy Hite and Jim Cavanaugh, who were reassigned to administrative roles last season, had their salaries trimmed from $280,044 and $245,213, respectively, in 2011 to $150,000 apiece in 2012.



Because of that, the pre bonus pay of Beamer, his nine on field assistants, and Hite and Cavanaugh will be only slightly higher in 2012 than the $4.87 million the school paid for those 12 in 2011.



Beamer was paid $2,188,204 last year and earned another $157,500 in bonuses, although he asked that the $75,000 for making a BCS bowl game be put back into football operations.



Beamer's total pay from the 2011 season was $2.345 million. Using figures from USA Today's salary database for last year, that would put him third among ACC coaches, behind Florida State's Jimbo Fisher ($2.75 million) and Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson ($2.369million). Miami, as a private institution, did not report a figure for Al Golden.



The contract extension for Beamer that the school announced in August begins Jan. 1, 2013, and runs through the end of 2016. His guaranteed income in the first year of the contract is $2,305,672, not including postseason bonuses or additional money tied to marketing rights and Nike.



With the recent pay increase, all nine of the Hokies assistant coaches will make more than $200,000 next season.



Defensive coordinator Bud Foster leads the group at $471,762, followed by offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring at $349,980.



The nine assistants earned $322,000 in bonuses last season for the team making both the ACC championship game and a BCS bowl game, payouts that were negotiated into Beamer's contract.



The $2,341,796 Virginia Tech will pay its on field assistants in 2012 puts it near the top of in the conference. Of ACC schools that reported assistant salaries to USA Today last year, only the staffs at Florida State and Clemson made more.



The Seminoles staff was paid about $ 2.894 million, while Clemson's staff made $2.874 million.



The figure for the Tigers reportedly will shoot up to $4.185 million in 2012 after the school renegotiated a contract with offensive coordinator Chad Morris ($1.3 million) and brought in defensive coordinator Brent Venables ($800,000).

Oscar Pistorius charged with murdering girlfriend



JOHANNESBURG South African "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who became one of the biggest names in world athletics, was charged on Thursday with shooting dead his girlfriend at his upscale home in Pretoria.



Police said they opened a murder case after a 30 year old woman was found dead at the Paralympic and Olympic star's house in the Silverlakes gated complex on the capital's outskirts.



Pistorius, 26, and his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, had been the only people in the house at the time of the shooting, police brigadier Denise Beukes, told reporters, adding witnesses had been interviewed about the early morning incident.



"We are talking about neighbors and people that heard things earlier in the evening and when the shooting took place," Beukes said outside the heavily guarded residential complex. Earlier, police said a 9mm pistol had been found at the scene.



Beukes said police were aware of previous i Air Max Sverige ncidents at the Pistorius house. "I can confirm that there has previously been incidents at the home of Mr Oscar Pistorious, of allegations of domestic nature," she said.



Pistorius, who uses carbon fiber prosthetic blades to run, is due to appear in a Pretoria court on Friday.



"He is doing well but very emotional," his lawyer Kenny Oldwage told SABC TV, but gave no further comment.



A sports icon for triumphing over disabilities to compete with able bodied athletes at the Olympics, his sponsorship deals, including one with sports apparel group Nike, are thought to be worth $2 million a year.



South Africa's M Net cable TV channel said it was pulling adverts featuring Pistorius off air immediately.



Steenkamp's colleagues in the modeling world were distraught. "We are all devastated. Her family is in shock," her agent, Sarita Tomlinson, tearfully told Reuters. "They did have a good relationship. Nobody actually knows what happened."



Pistorius, who was born without a fibula in both legs, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics and reached the 400 meter semi finals in London 2012.



In last year's Paralympics he suffered his first loss over 200 meters in nine years. After the race he questioned the legitimacy of Brazilian winner Alan Oliveira's prosthetic blades, though he was quick to express regret for the comments. (AP)



In 2004, Springbok rugby player Rudi Visagie shot dead his 19 year old daughter after he mistakenly thought she was a robber trying to steal his car in the middle of the night.



Before the murder charge was announced, Johannesburg's Talk Radio 702 said the athlete may have mistaken Steenkamp for a burglar.



Recent media interviews with Pistorius revealed he kept an assortment of weapons in his home.



"Cricket and baseball bats lay behind the door, a pistol by his bed and a machine gun by a window," Britain's Daily Mail wrote in a profile published last year.



Pistorius was arrested in 2009 for assault after slamming a door on a woman and spent a night in police custody. Family and friends said it was just an accident and charges were dropped.



"He's very quiet and very modest but he's a big party animal," one of South Africa's top runners, who knows Pistorius, told Reuters. "I've been with him when we've been smashed and he never seemed violent," said the runner, who declined to be named.



OLYMPIAN UNDERGOES POLICE TESTS



Steenkamp, a regular on the South African social scene, was reported to have been dating Pistorius for several months.



In the social pages of last weekend's Sunday Independent she described him as having "impeccable" taste. "His gifts are always thoughtful," she was quoted as saying.



Some of her last Twitter postings indicated she was looking forward to Valentine's Day on Thursday. "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???" she posted.



Pistorius was on Thursday being processed through the police system. "At this stage he i s on his way to a district surgeon for medical examination," the police brigadier said.



"When a person has been accused of a crime like murder they look at things like testing under the finger nails, taking a blood alcohol sample and all kinds of other test that are done. They are standard medical tests," Beukes said.



Pistorius is also sponsored by British telecoms firm BT, sunglasses maker Oakley and French designer Thierry Mugler.



"We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We await the outcome of the South African police investigation," a BT spokeswoman said before Pistorius was charged.



A Nike spokesman in London said before hearing of the murder charge that the company was "saddened by the news, but we have no further comment to make at this stage".

OSA deserves a hooray



Smooth production, big names and some nice touchesUniversity of Oregon heptathlete Brianne Theisen, in accepting the coveted Hayward Award, called it an 'amazing evening.'



But that's what we've come to expect from the Oregon Sports Awards, which fired up its latest edition of the ESPYs like production Sunday night at the Tiger Woods Center on Nike's World Campus.



Jim Etzel and his SportsOne, Inc., production crew one and the same that staged the Bud Light Fiesta in Phoenix during BCS National Championship week have the OSA event down to a 'T.' SportsOne's full time staff o Air Max Rea f 12 put in 250 to 300 staff hours beginning in mid October, and it showed.



Michael Doherty's Nike Global Presentations staff is unparalleled, too, in providing the technical direction and polishing the finished product for the show telecast on Comcast SportsNet Northwest.



It's the people who made the whole deal special, though, for the overflow crowd of 800. There was plenty of star gazing to be had, with broadcasting legends Ahmad Rashad and Bill Schonely, award recipients such as Theisen, Chip Kelly and Mariel Zagunis and presenters such as Terry Porter, Darwin Barney, Shalane Flanagan, Patty Mills, Rudy Fernandez, Merritt Paulson, Brett Ponich and Craig Cunningham.



Dozens of past award winners and notables on the Northwest sporting scene were in attendance, including Larry Miller, Mike Golub, Mac Wilkins, Michael Harper, Dale Schlueter, Ad Rutschman, Mouse Davis, Dean Crouser, Pat Casey, Jay Locey, Rob Mullens, Lance Deal, Charlie Sitton, Steve Johnson, Eric Reveno, Joe Etzel, Torre Chisholm, Nigel Burton, Tyler Geving, Jack Dunn, Pete Ward and Jack and Mary Cain.



The great Dick Fosbury, who lives in Ketchum, Idaho, thinks enough of the event that he flew in from El Salvador, where as president of the World Olympians Association, he met with leaders of that country's Olympic movement. Thanks for coming, Foz.



Then there was ESPN's Neil Everett, a first time presenter and very much a Northwest guy. Everett, 48, was born in Portland, raised in Spokane and a 1984 UO grad whose first job was as news director of KGGU radio in Florence. State of Oregon knowledgable and irreverently witty, Everett ought to be brought back as an emcee some day.



It was a Duck lovefest, with Kelly and his football team, Theisen and Ashton Eaton hauling away major hardware and deservedly so. What a year it was for football and track and field at the Eugene school.



Fun, though, that Barney the dynamo in the middle of Oregon State's back to back national baseball championships was moved to remark, 'Go Beavs!' It drew one of the biggest cheers of the night.



Before the event, I asked Kelly if after four years in Eugene, he considers himself an Oregonian.



'I don't know,' said the New Hampshire native. feels like. If that means I'm an Oregonian, then I am one.'



So he hasn't experienced the state?



'I go to work every day,' he said. 'I can't tell you the last day I went fishing or hunting.'



Kelly looked at Davis now an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii and smiled.



'I was in Hawaii (recruiting) for six hours on Monday,' he said. 'I'm thinking, 'Shouldn't I be here a little longer? Maybe sitting on the beach for awhile?'



'I want to get a high school job there. Maybe D line coach at Punahou.'



In the 54 years of the Slats Gill Award, Kelly became the eighth multiple winner, joining Rutschman (five times), Casey and Rich Brooks (three apiece) and two time winners Clive Charles, Rick Adelman, Ralph Miller and Pokey Allen.



It was good to see the other four finalists for the 2010 Gill award in the audience Scott Brosius, Vin Lananna, Chris Casey and Mike Johnston.



I loved the special awards that went t o Brian Parrott, Mauro Potestio and Harry Merlo. And that Merlo dedicated his Les Schwab Award to two late, great gentlemen Jack LaLanne and Charles. Merlo, 85, served as corporate sponsor for many of LaLanne's birthday rendezvous excursions.



There were more awards this year than ever, but the show moved quickly, thanks in part to some great music provided by Louis Pain and his All Star Band.



I'd have enjoyed some sort of recognition to those we lost on the state's sports scene in 2010. And to see the in house camera hone in on some of the past greats, such as Fosbury, Wilkins and Casey, during commercial breaks.

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Nike suspends Vick contract



FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. suspended its lucrative contract with Michael Vick on Friday, while Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey.



In another dose of bad news for the indicted quarterback, a top trading card company announced it was pulling Vick likeness from any new packs.



Facing protests from animal rights groups, Nike announced it was suspending Vick endorsement deal without pay, as well as halting sales of Vick related shoes and other products at its retail stores.



is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick, and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent, Nike spokesperson Dean Stoyer said in a statement.



Reebok, the official uniform supplier of the NFL, said it would stop selling Vick replica jersey at retail stores a Nike LunarGlide 4 nd through its website.



Donruss, one of four major trading card companies, has decided to pull Vick card from any future 2007 releases, according to Beckett Media, which covers the collectibles industry.



All three hits came one day after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded not guilty to federal dogfighting charges in Richmond, Va. In the indictment, he was accused of sponsoring a gruesome operation that often shot, hanged, drowned or electrocuted losing dogs.



Since Vick has not been convicted of any crime, Nike left open the door to resume its business relationship with the star player if he acquitted. The company already had decided to suspend release of his fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V.



do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen in the United States, the Nike statement said. we have not terminated our relationship. Vick signed with Nike in 2001, the same year Atlanta chose him as the NFL No. 1 overall draft pick. He led the Falcons to the NFC championship game during the 2004 season and last year became the first quarterback in league history to rush for 1,000 yards.



Vick is barred from the Falcons training camp, while the league investigates his actions for possible violations of its new personal conduct policy. He is set for trial Nov. 26 and faces up to five years in prison.



The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at a massive home Vick built in rural Virginia found 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment typically used in dogfighting. They included a stand that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a used to pry open a dog mouth. next week.



of Vick guilt or innocence in a court of law, the facts in this case clearly support this decision, PETA said. company wants a spokesperson with a massive illegal dogfighting ring operating on his property, regardless of his level of involvement. The Humane Society of the United States said the companies couldn ignore the overwhelming opposition to having any association with Vick. He said some 165,000 emails were sent to Nike through the group website.



think there a direct relationship, said Wayne Pacelle, president of the HSUS. asked them to do this and the pressure continued to build, especially as the facts of the indictment came out. It simply became an untenable position. There was immediate response from the Vick camp. An after hours phone message was left with his agent, Joel Segal, while unsuccessful attempts were made to reach his new attorney, Billy Martin, by phone and email.



Although Reebok does not have a business relationship with Vick, the Massachusetts based company serves as the official supplier of apparel and equipment to all 32 NFL teams. Through that deal, it holds the coveted rights to sell jerseys at the retail level.



just find the allegations very upsetting and very disturbing, Reebok spokesperson Denise Kaigler said. this is just the beginning of the legal process and we know that it has to have time to run its course, we felt that making this d nike ecision now was important and the right things to do. Reebok said it also was willing to take back any unsold Vick jerseys that are returned by retail outlets.



Kaigler said she already had received numerous emails in support of the decision. Even though numerous NFL players have run afoul of the law, this is the first time Reebok has stopped sales of an individual jersey.



number of emails and statements we getting from consumers was pretty telling about how disturbing people find these allegations to be, Kaigler said.



Beckett Media reported on its website that Donruss dropped Vick card at the behest of owner Ann Powell, whose five dogs accompany her to work every day and have virtually free reign inside the company headquarters.



anybody who knows about the current Vick situation knows Donruss, they know that this is a decision we had to make because of Ann and her love of dogs, company spokesman Scott Prusha told the website. decision came straight from Ann. Donruss had an autograph agreement with Vick, and much of the company plans for the remainder of the year included the insertion of both autograph and memorabilia cards bearing the quarterback picture.

Nike Stock Price Falls on News of Phil Knight



Building on the fitness and distance running craze of the decade, Bowerman molded shoe soles with his wife's waffle iron and Knight hawked the footwear from the trunk of his car to build a company that would challenge early market rival Adidas and eventually overtake it.



On Thursday, in a surprise announcement, Knight said he would resign as president and CEO, in effect giving up the reins of daily management while retaining h Nike Free 3.0 V2 is chairman's title.



Knight, however, suggested he would still play a major role as "an active chairman," adding in a humorous note that he would work on his status as the "world's No. 1 sports fan."



Effective Dec. 28, Knight will be replaced as Nike president and CEO by William D. Johnson Son Inc. Johnson, heading its operations in Spain and Latin America before rising to the top management posts in 1996.



Knight, in his resignation announcement, said he felt Perez not only had experience building international brand names, but also "knows how to operate a highly socially responsible global business."



Nike shares dropped $2.69 to $82.31 in on the New York Stock Exchange (



Knight has been defensive about repeated criticism over conditions at the contract factories in Asia and Latin America where most of Nike's production is based, including withholding major donations to the University of Oregon (



But Knight emerged as one of the leading corporate figures to organize efforts to improve factory conditions when he urged other companies to join the Fair Labor Association (



Some of Nike's leading critics have said they targeted the company because it was the largest in the industry and got the most media attention, providing the best way to apply pressure for reforms and overall corporate responsibility.



Nike has become the dominant force in the athletic equipment market with $12.3 billion in sales for its 2004 fiscal year.



It has acquired many other companies, including basketball shoe maker Converse, and signed a long list of celebrity athletes to endorse its products, including Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, which led Nike to create entire new divisions around the basketball and golf stars.



Nike has also built a fortune for Knight, ranked No. 22 among the wealthiest Americans by Forbes magazine in September with an estimated net worth of $7.4 billion.



Knight still owns 72 million about 28 percent of the voting shares of Nike Class B stock, worth about $6.12 billion, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (



"It can be likened to when an Andy Grove steps aside at Intel or Bill Gates hands the reins to Steve Ballmer at Microsoft. It's somewhat the passing of the torch. I think it's a natural transition though a rather significant one in the history of this c nike ompany," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.



Perez, however, was considered a top choice.



"He's regarded very highly. He's considered to be smart, tough, disciplined and a global player," said Gary Stibel, a former Procter Gamble Co. executive who now runs the New England Consulting Group in Westport, Conn.

New Pal defense rules



New Palestine High School's defense has answered every challenge so far this football season. But it might be up for its biggest challenge yet.



The Class 4A No. 2 Dragons (13 0) will get a semistate road test from No. 1 Columbus East (13 0) on Friday night. The Olympians are averaging 52.3 points per game.



"Pretty much all season, but especially the last two weeks against two good offenses, our defense has come to play in a major way," New Palestine first year football coach Kyle Ralph said.



Ralph pointed out the final score was even a bit deceptive in New Pal's 27 14 victory over No. 4 Bishop Chatard because a fumbled punt inside the Dragons 30 yard line led to one of the touchdowns.



"The guys up front have been doing a nice job of being physical," Ralph said. "Our linebackers have c Nike Air Lunar Presto ontinued to do a tremendous job."



Sophomore linebacker Joe Izbicki came in for injured Sterling Curran during the game. Curran, a junior, is expected to play Friday.



"We have pretty good defensive depth and the kids are doing a tremendous job of playing good assignment football and being physical," Ralph said.



Columbus East has reached the semistate for the third consecutive year, losing to eventual 4A state champion Cathedral the past two seasons. The Irish have moved up to 5A.



"(The Olympians) are very well coached and they won't beat themselves," Ralph said.



New Palestine senior quarterback Blake Luker has completed 71 percent of his passes for 2,546 yards with 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Luker has rushed for 1,154 yards.



Junior running back James Young has a team high 1,204 yards. Young separated his shoulder in the fourth game of the season and was sidelined for two full games, then brought back slowly.



"He's been healthy for about a month and a half now," Ralph said. "You can see once he got back and healthy, his numbers have skyrocketed. He's done a great job being our featured back and taking a lot of pressure off Blake and the rest of our offense."



Brebeuf Banks leadsAaron Banks continues to grow in his role as Brebeuf Jesuit quarterback.



"At the very beginning of the season, I felt he was being overwhelmed at what we're trying to do," Braves coach Mic Roessler said. "With time, I feel he's gotten a lot better with it and been able to run it effectively."



Banks, a 6 4 junior, has completed 129 of 224 passes for 1,772 yards for the Class 3A No. 7 Braves (10 3), who host No. Saturday. Banks, who has 14 touchdown passes with seven interceptions, has run for 354 yards and nine touchdowns.



"He's done a phenomenal job taking the offense under his wing," Roessler said. "He's doing a nice job leading, changing (plays) at the line, checking and making sure we're in the right place."



Mr. Football fan fav: MirelesElwood running back Sammy Mireles, who set the state career rushing record this season, emerged with the most votes in the IndyStar Mr. Football fan poll. Mireles, who rushed for 2,719 yards this season, received in excess of 50,000 votes (38.4 percent) of the more than 131,000 cast. Speedway running back Justin Brent, a Notre Dame commit, placed second with 29.8 percent of the vote.



This vote was just for fun. The Indy Star Mr. Football award, which is decided by a panel of Indiana Football Coaches Association members, will be announced next month.



Carmel runners advanceThe Carmel boys and girls cross country teams were both victorious in the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Midwest Regional at Terre Haute on Sunday. The Greyhounds captured state titles on the same course on Nov. 2. They will now compete Dec. 7 in the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore.



In the boys race, Ben Veatch was the top finisher for the Greyhounds in ninth, followed by Robert Browning (22nd) and Ben Anderson (23rd). Top finisher for the Carmel girls was Kelcy Welch in fourth. S nike tacy Morozov placed 12th and Gina Genco 21st. Avon's Malyka Abramson qualified for the national race by placing third.



Mt. Vernon Moore sidelinedMt. Vernon senior basketball player Erica Moore had surgery on her right knee earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until mid January.



Moore, a Purdue recruit, had surgery on the same knee last December to repair meniscus damage. She returned to lead the Marauders to the 3A state title.



"We have three of our top six players out right now, so we have a lot of new faces trying to step up and help," Mt. Vernon coach Julie Shelton said in an email response to The Indianapolis Star.



In addition to Moore, Shelton said senior forward Maddie Walrod (back) and sophomoreforward Sadie Baugh (stress fracture) are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks.



Shelton said her niece, Sydney Shelton, is helping to pick up the load. Shelton, the team's leading scorer last season as a freshman, has scored 28 and 37 points in Mt. Vernon's two victories. Fitzgerald went on to star for Butler and Williams for Indiana State. .

New food on menu for Washington



Garoppolo, West, Daly lead AP FCS All America teamWardens lock down Loyola, 47 38Prep boys' basketball roundup: Spartans beat CMR from linePrep girls' basketball roundup: Gragg comes up big for Big SkyPrep wrestling roundup: Sentinel pins loss on Helena HighIdaho group sponsors youth wolf, coyote derbyTooth Fairy is walk in park over Elf on the ShelfGREG PATENT: Yule log a fun way to celebrate sweetness of seasonHoliday roast to love on its merits, not looksBirths for Wednesday, December 18Getting that second quarter hot dog at a University of Montana football game may be more rewarding this season, if not more filling.But when you reach the concession stand, there's a chance you may forgo the hot dog altogether. You might instead opt for a "Mammoth," a "Titan Twist" or a "Delaney Drumstick," named, of course, after the Grizzlies' new head football coach.With the University of Montana football season set to kick off Saturday against South Dakota, fans packing Washington Grizzly Stadium will e Nike Free 3.0 V4 njoy more food options than ever before.Whether it's a one third pound spicy andouille sausage made by Redneck Meat Production in Kalispell or a 2 pound pretzel topped with Cold Smoke beer cheese, spicy mustard or cinnamon honey butter, the food options will run longer than a goal to goal kickoff return."Every concession stand has new menu items in it this year," said Ian Waetje, UM's new concessions manager. "Football is 75 percent of our business. It allows us a chance to sample the market and see what's moving and what's not moving."UM Dining Services has been around for ages, feeding hungry students on campus while offering a limited menu of food items at football games, from the standard hot dog to that buttery box of popcorn.But when Donna Bauck took over as UM's new associate director of retail operations and Waetje moved up as the concessions manager, the two began working to reinvent stadium dining and raise the expectations of Grizzlies fans."I'm looking at the retail side of the university and what we can do to expand it," Bauck said. "You can look at our stadium as a challenge or an opportunity. You can't sit back and look at what you can't do, but rather at what you can do."With that in mind, Waetje traveled to various national conferences, observing concessions at other stadiums. Notre Dame may be the envy of the nation, he said, followed closely by the University of Oregon.Both programs are flush with cash and backed by wealthy sponsors, like Phil Knight, an Oregon native who co founded and chairs Nike. While UM can't compete with such programs, the larger venues did offer good ideas on how UM could improve its own culinary fare, from the new Delaney Drumstick a giant smoked turkey leg to gourmet nachos and sauces, like those reserved for the Titan Twist pretzel."I went to a conference and talked to some guys from Wisconsin," said Waetje. "I came back and had our executive chef fiddle with some stuff and came up with a real great product. The pretzels are fantastically delicious on their own, but having some unique and quality sauces to go with it will really help sell it."While the menu grows, more food "hawkers" will wander stadium seating this season to increase customer convenience. Also this year, the old hot dog rollers will vanish, replaced by new steamers to reduce food waste.And with conservation in mind, concession stands soon will offer 32 ounce souvenir cups for $5 each refillable throughout the season for $3. Waetje expects it to reduce landfill waste by about 18,000 paper cups per game. The Big Dipper ice cream shop won a contract to open several food stands inside Washington Grizzly Stadium, along with the Adams Center.The ice cream vendor will be joined by two Pizza Hut stands and a Wing Street booth. Other food options will include Natural Creations with its burritos and gourmet nachos, Smokejumper BBQ with its sandwiches and plates, and Thai Spicy and Grizzly Bean Espresso.Running concessions for nearly 30,000 people comes down to a science. Time and again, Waetje has seen the crowds converge at the ground level gate and its concessions located close to the tailgating zone.Offering several new items only at select concessions like the second deck of the north end zone marks an effort to disperse the crowd and boost the production of other food stands."As you move to the east side on the 200 level, we'll also have the new 'Grizzly Grotto,' " Waetje said. "It'll have two 55 inch game monitors this year and high top tables. In the warmer games, it's shaded, and in the winter, it's as protected as you can get a nike nd still be outside."Also this year, seven nonprofit groups from Missoula and UM will join a workforce of roughly 60 students to help run stadium concessions. The nonprofits get a slice of the sales by volunteering their time.This year, Waetje said, the groups will include the Missoula Christian Sports League, Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre and Relay for Life. On campus groups include the Kappa Sigma fraternity, the Equestrian Club and the Kappa Psi pharmaceutical fraternity."This has been a two year push," said Bauck. "Planning started last January by making contacts. You work really hard so that the month before, it's all about finalizing, getting the staffing and training done."