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Show Sporfstocular October Double cole foe - by Keith Doncsn It may seem a bit fanciful, but put Clearfield's Tim Gooch in cowboy clothes, strap on a six shooter, start the cameras whirring, and hell play two starring roles at the same time. t On offense, Gooch runs and shoots like a desperado who has Just cleaned out a bank or stuck up a stagecoach. On defense, hes the sheriff handcuffing the bad guys in the black hats and keeping law and order. Being realistic though, Gooch is proving week in and week out that his worth to the Falcons football team is like gas to the auto. .With his head literally up high, Tim has begun to come into his own. Sky View and Roy would certainly agree to that the way he racked up offensive yards against those two clubs the past few weeks. The Clearfield senior is certainly one of Coach Brent Hancocks high hopes of helping to lead the Falcons into the state playoffs this season. From either his tailback position on offense or defensive halfback slot on defense,; Gooch has proved to be a powerful threat. Im keeping my head up when I run now, said Gooch, Consequently Im starting to click. And so is the team. We proved against Roy that we could score first in the game. For too long we were getting off to a slow start, but not that time. s Goochs yard running effort has to be considered a difference in the game but he prefers to credit his teammates, (Brook) Hicks, (Dean) Vernon and (Scott) Bybee are super to play with. Not only these guys, but the rest of the team never gives in. I still feel we can make it to the state playoffs, stated Tim. The week before against Sky View, Gooch intercepted a Brad Pond pass mid returned it 56 yards before being brought down. Hicks handed off to the bull-lik- e tailback toe next three times with the third carry resulting in Clearfields only touchdown. Hicks and Gooch grew up together as next door neighbors. This is their eighth year competing on the grid iron together and as Tim says, I guess I trust Brook like my own mother; Father Sees Potential Phillip Gooch can be credited with giving his son the start in athletics, way back in those littleleague daysI guess my story is like everyone else's, but Id never be what I am today if it hadnt been for my dad. Dad was coaching with Nellie Hamblin when I first began little league sports. They gave me a chance and 100-plu- AFTER HAULING IN SCREEN PASS from Brook Hicks, Tim Gooch (40) hoods toward goal lino for Falcon ' touchdown against Roy. Roy pounds Falcon sophomores tor win The Roy sophomore team led all the way in defeating Gear-fiel- d 0 in a game Thursday at toe Royal field, but lost the services of fullback Albert Garcia for the season. Albert was a starter on offense, and played a lot of defense at toe linebacker position. He tackled a Gearfield man head on, after a Falcon interception, and suffered a compression fracture. Bie game was delayed 45 minutes, because of the injury. Garcia was taken to the hospital, but released with a handful of pain pills. His injury, though serious, did not require hospitalization, or even a body cast, but he is through with 21-1- football for the season. According to his doctor, he must take it easy and get a lot of rest for six weeks, and then he can do his own thing. He will be able to play football next year, and even this year. Albert plans to participate in wrestling, if his doctor will allow it. Meanwhile the game went on. The Royals scored eight points in toe first quarter, on a 60 yard sustained drive. Wade Jacklin passed to Mike Reske for the T.D. and to Lance Jorgenson for the two point conversion. Gearfield got' on the boards with a field goal, and trailed 3 at halftime. Ben Tafoya took the second half kickoff 80 yards for Roys second score, and Keith Crockett went off tackle for 20 yards in the last quarter to put the game out of reach. Jorgenson kicked for the P.A.T. The young Falcons got their final score on the last play of the ball game a 80 yard pass with four seconds to be played. 8-- ALBERT GARCIA Tlmra 11, 1979 Pago 9 Gooch Ive played ever since, said Gooch. Gooch claims that Friday afternoons have instilled a pride in the family. Its just something that my family looks forward to. Its a regular thing for the family to get together after my games and talk about what really took place, stated Gooch. Gooch remembers having heard his father say that it. wasnt fair for fathers who worked at Hill Air Force Base with sons playing in high school to have to work on Fridays. Of course he was just joking, but he and mom wouldnt miss a game and it means a lot. My mother doesnt baby me when I get injured either, she just tells me to suck it up, said Tim. Tim says hell never forget a particular week during the varsity season last year when he didnt follow his fathers advice about getting in early the night before a game. I didnt listen to anything he said. When Friday came, and even though I enjoyed one of the best games of my career, my dad didnt show up for the game. I was really hurt that he didnt see that game and Ive never forgotten the experience, commented Tim. Gooch participated in all sports at Sunset Junior High but football and track emerged as his big loves in high school. Behind the motivation of Coach John Flint, Gooch excelled in the Region One Track and Field Meet at Weber State and ended up placing third in the 100 yard-das- h. On the grid iron, Gooch replaced the injured Doug Hamblin last season and started in every contest from that point on. He charmed the crowds last season with his outbursts of speed and ended the season unto many Falcon enthusiasts looking forward to the next year. I admit I was a little nervous when this season began, said Tim, I felt possibly that I had something to prove. But with each game I forgot those feelings and presently Im playing better than Ive ever f played, he said. The time will come when Tim will no longer come home to parents that will ask how practice was. The time will come when they will spend Friday afternoons watching other Falcon running backs team up big chunks of yardage. But one thing will stand forever in the Gooch family and thats the closeness that this tough and grueling Friday afternoon sport brought to that family. . |