Class of 2019
Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame 2019 inductees
Golden Knights, Las Vegas’ first major league franchise Steve Carp, sports writer Hunkie Cooper, UNLV, arena football star
Manny Guerra, baseball scout Mike Martin, baseball player, instructor
Steve Stallworth, arena director Cooper was one of the first African-american buck sergeants and fought in three wars.
Hunkie was named for his father’s best pal in the service.
James Cooper and this guy, Hernandez, had made a pact: If one should be killed in Vietnam, the other would name a son for the one who did not come home. James Cooper died of heart disease before sharing that story — or his buddy’s first name — with his son.
Mom’s advice
Cooper’s mother, Mae Ester, held the family together by working as a hotel maid for 25 years. She died this week after being in hospice for 11 months.
“Our home was built on love and respect and trust,” said her son with the quick feet and excellent hands. “She would say some people may have more than you, but that doesn’t make them better than you. Some people may be more talented than you, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to outwork you.”
Nobody outworked Hunkie Cooper.
Perhaps only Gordie Lockbaum came close.
Lockbaum played on both sides of the ball at Holy Cross just before Cooper started doing it at UNLV. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1986 and third in 1987 despite playing only five positions to Cooper’s six.
When I mentioned that, Hunkie Cooper began to laugh.
“Gordie probably had better publicity,” he said.
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter. Engen had fouled Marion Torrent in the area.
Valerie Gauvin, benched in France’s opening 4-0 victory over South Korea, broke the deadlock after halftime, but Norway tied when French defender Wendie Renard turned a cross into her own net.
Renard, considered one of the world’s finest defenders, appeared to be in tears as she raised her face to the sky in anguish.
France moved three points ahead of Norway in Group A. Nigeria was also three points behind France, which is vying to become the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time.
Nigeria 2, South Korea 0 —
At Grenoble, France, Asisat Oshoala became the second Nigerian player to score in two different women’s World Cup tournaments with a late goal in the Group A match. Nigeria went ahead 1-0 lead in the 29th minute when South Korea’s Kim Do-yeon volleyed the ball into her own net.
Germany 1, Spain 0 —
At Valenciennes, France, Sara Dabritz scored in the 42nd minute as Germany won its second straight 1-0 game in Group B.
Dabritz pounced on a loose ball after Spanish keeper Sandra Panos saved Alexandra Popp’s header. But Panos couldn’t keep secure the ball, and Dabritz put it into the goal.