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Show ports enter Page December 2, 1998 johnstoninfowest.com gressmeninfowest.com Editor: Loni Johnston & Courtney Gressmen Rebels Win Randy Johnson Signs With Diamondbacks By Phil Rogers Knight-Ridde- r Newspapers CHICAGO - Randy Johnson opted for convenience over comn petitiveness, signing a contract to spend the next four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who were 7 in their first season. Johnson has been baseball's most dominating pitcher over the last six seasons, going 1 with Seattle and Houston. He was considering four-yeoffers from Anaheim, Texas and Los Angeles before electing to sign with the Diamondbacks. He recently moved into a new home he built in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley. "I think there was always an indication on his part and a tug in his heart relative to playing at home," Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo said. $52.2-mil-lio- 65-9- 94-3- ar "The big question was how soon we could become competitive as compared to all of those teams because of his fierce competitiveness and desire to win." Johnson's decision could land former Cub Mark Clark in Te,xas. According to major league the sources, tarhave Rangers geted Clark as the alternaleading tive after failing to sign Johnson. While pitching in the playoffs three of the last four years, the Johnson failed to lead the Mariners and Astros to the World Series. He is 5 in the postseason, 10-in- 2-- losing five times in six starts since beating the New York . The rumor that has left everyone in a bind as come to a final say. The Western States Football League will still have a football league, at least for one more year. Considering that all of the Arizona schools were wanting to drop out, this left Dixie, Snow, and Ricks in a bind. Because they would no longer have a football league, meaning they would have to drop football from their athletic programs. Ail of tire athletic directors from each school traveled to Mesa, Ariz. were the decision became final. The argument was between, roster sizes, coaching staffs, travel costs, and grayshirting allowing a player to attend part-tim- e before leaving for a Mormon mission, to save his eligibility until they return. Even though the WSFL will be alive tor one more year, there is still a chance that it could be banished in the future, no one knows for sure. On the brighter side of the story. This ) ear the WSFL has five of its nine football teams playing in post season bowls this year; Ricks, Dixie, Snow, Mesa and in Kansas ing pitchers Johnson, Todd Stottlemyre (four years, $32 million) and Armando Reynoso (two years, $5 5 million). d reliever Greg Swindell and first baseman Greg Colbrunn also signed The Diamondbacks should feature one of the best rotations in the major leagues next year. Veteran Andy Penes and Brian Anderson joins and Johnson, Stottlemyre Reynoso, allowing manager Buck Showalter to move lefty Omar Daal to the bullpen. A lack of hitting could cause d Arizona to waste many games, however. The Diamondbacks averaged 4.1 runs per game last year, outscor-in- g and only Pittsburgh Montreal in all the National Even though went Johnson 10-- 1 in 11 starts after being traded from Seattle on 31, July Houston lost the gamble it made in acquiring him. The Astros sent infielder Carlos and Guillen pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama to Seattle for Johnson. They hoped to sign him to a long-tercontract but dropped out after the bidding went beyond three years. Arizona has committed By Loni K. Johnston joluistonirifowest.coni Left-hande- It was close but no cigar for the Dixie men's basketball team this last weekend They won two out of thiee games in the All American Tournament in Salma, Kan The team's fust victim was from Meridian, Miss on Friday Nov. 27 "Both teams played real good defense and neither team played very good offense," Head Conch Jeff Kidder commented. Sophomore guard Khalid Coursey led Dixie with 16 points followed by Maurice Baker with 12. The Rebels well-pitche- m Arizona Western. In games Dixie beat Snow and Arizona Western, but came up short, losing to Mesa and Ricks. This year's Rotary Bowl picks are Dixie and Snow. This has to be one of the biggest rivalries on the junior college circuit and it happens only once a year. Well this year is different. After Dixie traveled to Ephraim to play tire Snow College Badgers on a regular trip, they found out after the homecoming game that they were to play Snow College in the bowl. Last year the Rebels went up against the Lackawanna Falcons and won the game, this year may be a different story, as the Rebels and the Badgers go head to head. With Snow's impressive throwing game, which has helped them thus far, it will be hard for both teams. Because Dixie uses both the air and the ground to attack their opponents. After the intensive overtime win in Ephraim, the Rebels have their work cut out for them in the Rotary Bowl. The game is set for Dec 5 at noon in Hansen Stadium. There will be pre game activities starting at 11.30 a m Two of Three $97.4 million to sign five free agents this fall, including start- Yankees twice in the 1995 Division Series. Dixie to Challenge Snow in the Dixie Rotary Bowl By Courtney Gressmen gressmen infowest com 11 See REBELS Page League. w pre-seas- miVi ,lV. v, A, S' trf. irVrrrT''-n- , .Iff A . - a i ' itjiy " fji jjsvjfiir.,', . 4? - - . 'Z V .tv? - G'MiA-iV.- at a 1 1 i 1 i " y . I iVAp'-'.-,- rJfZz W ay Fa) i i T 17 ..4 I . i i, 'I 12 |