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Show Sporfstacular Thursday. November 1 5, 1 979 Page 5 Fosmark commg home to pffay Weber By Keith Duncan Utah States Mike Fosmark says look out Weber State! Fosmark, who was once a prep grid star at Roy High School, says the Aggies want revenge for last years stunning defeat at the hands of the Wildcats. Weber State and Utah State square off this Saturday in Wildcat Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Its been a sore spot with most of the players all year long, said Fosmark who returned to Roy last weekend with the Aggies' not scheduled to play. My offensive line coach came up the other day and said hed watched every inch of film available. He told me wed be ready. It may be a bit difficult for local fans, especially Roy Royal fans to pick a winner this weekend. With the Aggies loaded with local talent, including three former Roy players, the picking may be tough. Not only has Fosmark developed into a big asset for the PCAA team, but Clint Farmer and Fred Fernandes are following the upper classmans example. Fosmark doesnt see his team having a letdown against Weber State or Fresno State the week after. I believe things are a lot different this season over last. Were known as a team that practices hard and usually plays hard. With the conference championship on the line, well be motivated to play these two games. Weber State ruined our chances for a bowl game last season, so a lot of guys want to set things straight. Presently Fosmark and his Aggies are tied with San Jose State for the lead in the PCAA. Center for Aggies Before going to Utah State and playing the center position for the Aggies, Mike claims hed never snapped a ball in his life. I was a setback at first because I was so used to the guard position. But I have to admit with hard work and consistency the center spot became easier, he said. Fosmark felt strongly that any quality offensive lineman needs at least two years of solid learning and some playing time before hes capable of stepping in and doing a top notch jobr Thats especially, true for the center position. Being such a vital spot in which a player must be able to react mentally and physically, and quickly, the early learning as freshman and sophomore is valuable," said Fosmark. Probably because of the reasoning, JMike asked to be redshirted his sophomore season. He claims that year was the toughest of any hes experienced. I had to suck up a lot of pride, he said. The USU communications major who is now a junior has earned himself the starting role this season and has played against several top teams in the nation, including BYU, Nebraska and Arizona State. BYU really impressed me. Take for instance Doug Stromberg, who was a defensive standout last season. They must have some kind of depth to keep Doug on the , sidelines this year. As an overall team they really impressed me, said the former Royal star. Decision Wasnt Easy Making a decision to play at Utah State wasnt junior. In fact, as anything easy for the he reflected back on the experience, he doesnt know exactly who was responsible for getting him in an 6-- 3, Aggie uniform but he couldn't he happier about the choice. Mike had decided upon either Utah or Utah State before the signing deadline but chose Utah State because of the polite manner recruiters took in his recruiting process. Other reasons stemmed from the pride Aggie athletic teams had shown in the past and their strong winning tradition. Fosmark admitted hed never felt pressure like he had before the signing date. It was probably the hardest time of my life. Its my personal opinion that recruiters should apply less pressure than they do. I know thats easier said than done, but the situation isnt getting any better in a highly competitive program," said Mike. Fosmark feels obligated to assist Roy athletes that make it to Utah State. He stated that when two or more athletes come from the same high school, others on the team judge one players actions for both. When Mike went to Utah State as a freshman, he was with Mike McCoy and Kevin Thompson, two other top freshman recruits from Roy. Mike was later injured and Thompson opted to serve a mission for the LDS Church. g Fosmarks progress in the fall sport is the until ninth never he considering grade. played At first football wasnt any fun for me. I dont think it was until high school that it finally became fun and I started to enjoy it, said Foz. He credits Coach Ernie Jacklin for helping him to realize his potential. In junior high I felt compelled to play because of my size, but towards the end of high school, it was my greatest desire to play. Is pro ball a possibility someday? Big Foz thinks so, but he said he wouldnt lose any sleep if he didnt make a pro team roster. Already hes been contacted by a few pro teams. mind-bogglin- regular with the Utah State Aggies, says his team is quite ready for the Weber State Wildcats this Saturday. The two teams square off at :30 1 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium in Ogden. ostom Athletic Confcronco- - 245-pou- Snyder isn't about to let his Aggies relax at this point LOGAN-W- ith a record, and two games remaining in wliich they will likely be the favorites, Bruce Snyder need only hearken back almost a year to the day before he allows his team to relax. November 11, 1978. USU (7-). Final vs. Weber State Score: Weber State 44, Utah (3-6- State 25. It was Weber States first win in the series after six Aggie victories. And, it is a game the Aggies havent forgotten. Theyll play it again, as they say, Saturday at 1:30 in Wildcat Stadium in Ogden and Bruce Snyder maintains his club will be ,i)i: qof ready. The thing youve got to like about Weber State is that they have improved each week of the season, said Snyder. We know theyll fight us. Even before, when the Aggies won the first six, they were usually in the game all the way. And, you know what happened last year. Petes team plays very good defense. The games theyve won have been because they shut down the opponent. They have a quarterback (Bill Kelly) who can throw it; lies probably as good a passer as Bledsoe was a year ago. If he has time, like Bledsoe did in last year's game, he can I would call their sure-hande- but really hurt you. receivers maybe not as fast as Jordan was a year ago. Ironically, Weber State comes into the game with the Aggies lollowing two straight wins (over Idaho Slate and Idaho). Such as the case a year ago prior to the game in Logan with the Aggies, and the Wildcat win last season marked the first three-gam- e winning streak for a Weber State team since 1971. Of course the Aggies, now and rested after a bye week, want nothing to do with a duplication of last year's outcome. .lohso ornfimw ant tfQitO 'j ialliW bnn 31009 dIoit lioiood Big Sky Conference Conference All Games |