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Show Sportstocular Pag 12 Thursday December 20. 1 979 More of those memorable sports experiences with the Chicago White Sox for two days. He went on the trip with Grant Cullimore, another local personality. While in Chicago he was also priveleged to watch the football team play the Detroit Lions, College All-Stwhich was then an annual affair in Chicago but which no longer exists today. Hicks was later awarded the distinction as the schools outstanding athlete that year. that the ball was going in to tie the game. The other team took the ball out and failed to create a foul or make a basket. Hie game went into overtime. - That was the longest three minutes I can ever recall. The overtime period was give and take with neither team being able to pull away from the other. The game was so close that when the buzzer rang, we were required to go into another overtime setting. Sheffers team made a basket right after the tip off. We got the ball out and scored in our turn. With 40 seconds left we found ourselves down by two points. They took the ball out and attempted to stall. Robert and Kenny pressed the two ballhandlers and caused them to turn over the ball, right into the hands of my son who sped down the floor to make another layup and as before, he was fouled. The crowd was in an uproar as Robert looked to me for confidence. I was totally beside myself but managed to give an expression of confidence. Robert again put in the foul shot to help us win the game. I learned a lot from that game. Each member of the team had a goal and we all wanted to win for team with the same degree of confidence. I learned from my own son the art of confidence and keeping my cool . . . The boys responsible for all this were Reid Wiberg, Jerry Nelson, Jeff Smith, Kevin Mark, Bart Bennington, John Parkinson, Marty Ewell, Kenny Tulane and Robert Kirkwood. ar Julian R.Green Roy City Wildcats noticed in publication Information Director Wmimm'i Sport After years of being a vicarious member of Amies Army," I finally had a chance to be a real member as a follower of the Athlete of the Decade Arnold Palmar during the Great Jacksonville Open in the early 1970s. It was the final day of the GJO. Palmer was not in contention for the championship and had teed off early in the day. I caught up to him on the seventh green and followed him around the course until I pulled a muscle 13th green to watch all and settled down on the the pros go by. Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and the eventual winner of the GJO Don January. I kept an eye on the 18th green which was situated just behind where I was seated on the 13th green to make sure I could catch. Palmer when he finished at the 18th. Finally, I could tell he was approaching by the crowd that came surging up to the 18th green. I limped over to watch him sink a putt for a birdie and score a for the day the lowest score of the day in what was a miserable and windy March day chilly for that time of year in Florida. I managed to station myself between the green and the clubhouse in hopes of catching Palmer 'for an autograph as be walked by. Imagine my delight as I saw him walking directly toward where I was standing he wasnt alone, of course, as there were about 20 people surrounding him. He actually passed by me within an arms distance an opportune situation to ask far an autograph but I found myself tongue-tieand completely speechless. I just stood there in complete awe of the worlds greatest golfer and could not get the words out. Tm not normally found at a loss for words and to this day dont know why I couldnt ask for an autograph. Ill probably never have such an opportunity again but Basketball fame and fortune at Weber State has found its way into Sports Illustrated, a leading sports publication in America. life. ICon Hicks Hsd boMfcdi Mch el CleoHiaM Mfh I my most memorable sports experience has to be in high school while winning the Most Valuable Player Award in the Utah Boys Game at John Affleck Park in Ogden. That was back in list. Jack Dempsey was on hand to present the award to me. In that game I played left field and at the plate I went ' 4 fort, hitting a triple, two singles and a double as we beat the South team, Hicks also stated that Brent Hancock, who now conches at Clearfield, was also in tbe winning line-uhitting fourth in order while Ken hit third. Hicks, who represented Weber High School, was also given an all expense paid trip to Chicago to 12-- 1. p -- try-po- recent College For example, . 4-- 3. Final football stats 700-yard- Colorado, a 9-- 21-2- rankings. , Rather they are talented teams that for one reason or another youthfulness, injuries, previous failures to live up to their potential, etc. could go bang or go bust. With that in mind. (The following was printed about Weber State). Take Weber State, and this season few teams will. Since joining the NCAAs Division I in . 1962, the Wildcats have played in eight NCAA tournaments. Last season Weber went 25-- 9 and won its second straight Big Sky title. Back now, and presumably ' sawier, are four starters and two top reserves who in 1978-7- 9 accounted for 80 per cent of the Wildcats points and most of the - rebounds, a category in which Weber placed among the national leaders.- - Among them are all- eight-of-nin- . conference .. 1965-196- 872-75- seniors Richard Smith, David Johnson and Bruce Collins, a swingman whose 1,488 points leave him just 75 shy of passing Willie Sojourners school career scoring record. One good omen for Wildcat fans is that Guard Mark Mattos, a three-yea-r starter, is being challenged by junior college transfer Eric Watson. Another is that the first round of the NCAA regionals is scheduled for Dee Event Center right there on the Weber campus. Doerfler; and UNRs John Vicari were all well over rushing ... In all purpose rushing UNRs John Vicari were all well s over rushing. In all purpose rushing Montana State Mark was ihe only league, leader to have yardage in every category. The MSU senior had 24 yards rushing; 315 in pass receptions; 317 in punt returns and 274 in kickoff returns for 984. Three kickers were among the top eight league scorers in the Big Sky in 1979. UNRs Fernando Serrano was No. 4 with 67 points followed by BSUs Kendrick Camerud (No. 6 with 65 points) and Montanas Raul Allegre ( No. 78) at 51 points. Three Big Sky kickers averaged one field goal a game in 1979. Serrano of UNR (1.18) along with Allegre of Montana (1.00) and Ruzek of Weber State ( 1.00) all had solid seasons. Idahos place kicker Pete OBrien had the e liighesl field goal percentage in the league as he hit 6 on kicks for a .888 percentage. Five Big Sky punters averaged over 40 yards a kick in 1979. Stu Dodds of MSU (45.6) ; ISUs Case DeBruijn (44.6) ; Whit Poindexter (41.6) ; Chris Brockman of Idaho (41.1); and Bill Kelly of Weber State (40.3) all achieved that. RENOS HAWKINS SETS TWO BIG SKY MARKS In addition to establishing a single season rushing record of 1683 Frank Hawkins has also established a new yards, Nevada-Reno- s per game average record in the rushing department. The junior from Las Vegas, Nevada broke the old record of 149.9 yards a game set back in the 1966 football season by Don Hass of Montana State. Hawkins per game average this fall was 153.0 yards a game. Both Hawkins and Cedric Minter of Boise State have an excellent shot next season at surpassing the career average of 109.4 yards a game set by Lee White of Weber State from RIG SKY TEAMS DRAW 480,366 AT HOME IN 1979 The Big Sky Conference established a total home attendance record for all the leagues teams by drawing 480,366 in 47 home dates in 1979. Tbe previous high was 406,719 in 39 home dates during the 1977 football season. The league averaged 10,220 fans a game at home in 1979. The league record is 11,196 set last season. In 86 games this fall, home and away, in the Big Sky, the league played 8 before fans for an average of 10,148 a game. STREAKS WILL CONTINUE INTO 1989 FOOTBALL SEASON Two team streaks will continue into the 1980 football season next September. The Boise State Broncos will taring a' Division leading 10 game winning streak into Salt Lake City, Utah when they play the University of Utah. On the other hand the Idaho State Bengals will take a 17 game losing string (the longest of into their I960 season opener. ISUS SMITH ENDS CAREER WITH RECEPTIONS IN 27 STRAIGHT GAMES Idaho States fine wide receiver Greg Smith ended his career at ISU with two receptions in the Bengals 484) loss to The catches gave Smith a consecutive reception streak of 27 straight games, a new Idaho State record. The last time Smith was shut out was back on Oct. 1 of the 1977 season against the University of Idaho. 700-yar- choice in 1973, went on to a season. Duke, one of the picks in 1977, won 27 games and met Kentucky for the NCAA title. The point is that Five to Watch selections are not intended to be 5 Nos. in Sports Ulustrateds 30-fo- thats their In Basketball Edition, the Wildcats were mentioned in the Five To Watch category. Since Sports Illustrated instituted its Five to Watch category in 1972, the selectees have done nothing if not make fans do double takes. ar d Polico Chiof in sports came in My most memorable experience the summer of 1950 during a hotly contested Farm Bureau A league baseball game. Everyone from both towns had surrounded the town square to watch. It was the last of the ninth, no outs and we were leading three to nothing when our pitcher walked the bases full and had a count of three balls and no strikes on the next batter. At this point the coach took him out and motioned for me to come in relief. I approached this assignment with much confidence, (I had an average of about twenty strikeouts a game that year). I disposed of the first batter I faced with three pitches, the second one the same way. At this point the other coach seeing that they had no chance against this class of pitching, decided to put in a pinch hitter for the third and final out of the game. The pinch hitter was an old man wearing blue bib overalls, a light blue work shirt and claude hopper shoes. He was probably the coaches grandfather. Anyway I threw two strikes past him- so fast that I had the ball back from the catcher by- the time he had swung at it. Then shaking off the catchers sign for another fast ball, I served up my unhittable slow The ball was still gaining alltitude as it change-up-. passed over the centerfield fence. The game was over, they won continued from page i i . Nan Holyoalc tw' Wekw CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 A . Texas-Arlingto- n. |