Show Page 1 8 —The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday December 2 1990 Girls in a real race By Mike Henneke sports writer After some rebuilding years Mountain Crest and Logan say they’re ready to challenge for die Region 5 girls’ hadfthall crown After Sky View’s noteworthy state tournament performance and remarkable turnaround last year die Bobcats expect to be in high gear when region play begins THE MUSTANGS You won’t need a program for this year’s Mustangs Most are 3A state volleyball Even transplants from the second-plac- e though MC Coach April Hatch had to delay practice because of the state tournament she says die basketball Mustangs will be better off in die end These girls have played together and function well as a team This is Hatch’s first year as a varsity coach — she’s known around here as the premier player on the late Utah State teama and as a freshman coach This year’s powerhouse volleyball team displayed raw athleticism But can this same corps of girls play hoops? Hatch thinks so Basketball preview Already die Mustangs are notching W’s handing Morgan a loss Sky View struggled against this same Mcvgan team losing by cme point While die Mustangs look to seniors for leadership and guidance Hatch notes that there are some stars at MC The junior varsity squad walloped 60-4- 9 Morgan54-1- 7 Trina Roper and 8 Nechele Bradshaw This season will share point guard responsibilities Hatch says Bradshaw has a nice outside shot But her biggest strength could be her overall court sense The Mustangs will give up a couple of inches at center to sane Cami Hart’s scrappy attitude other teams but Hatch says could make up for that “She gets down and fights for die ball” says die coach But fight now Hart is still a little tentative after a volleyball injury Hatch says MC’s best shooter presently is 8 small foward Tami Taibet As a volleyball setter Wendy Fryer knew where to play die balL That conies in handy during rebounding Mustang agressiveness from volleyball could return basketball fortunes to the south 5-- 5-- 11 5-- thh exam rag For the past two years die Lady Grizzlies have been reloading Now Head Coach Bryant McKay says its time for something good to happen to Logan It’s already happening — the Grizzlies are 0 and moving in die right direction With four seniors providing experience and guidance and two sophomores and a junior on McKay’s starting five Logan is stocked from top to bottom “This could be a good year for us” said McKay Last season Logan posted only four wins in die region One problem was that the Grizzlies couldn’t make die big plays “We were just so young” says McKay 2-- I t iff See GIRLS on page 19 Richard Luna UPI sports writer AUSTIN Texas (UPI) — Txas Peter quarterback 4th-rank- Auburn's Herbert Casey (L) fumbles as Gardere doesn’t pay heed to what his critics say All year die sophomore from Houston has been bashed by opposing players and die media for ms seemingly unimpressive performances But Gardere has been good enough for die Longhorns and he’ll take the Longhorns to die Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day to play die Miami Hurricanes Alabama's George Thornton approves Gardere had a typical game Saturday He completed just 9 of 16 passes for 82 yards and one touchdown and rushed nine times for 54 yards and two scores guiding Texas to a 7 victory over Texas A&M 20 and we turned it over near the 20 going in “I really try not to listen to all “We had a lot of opportunities You have to give of that stuff” Gardere said “I Alabama a tot of credit Defensively they’re an can only do what I can do” All Gardere did was lead the outstanding football team” Auburn’s tone score came on an pass from Longhorns to their first SWC tide Stan White to Fred Baxter with five seconds left in and Cotton Bowl berth since thefinthalf 1983 and their first win over the Alabama which stinted the season with three Aggies in six years overall and 2 in Earlier this week injured Agstraight tosses improved to die Southeastern Conference After die win die gie linebacker Anthony Williams Tide accepted an invitation to play Louisville in the called Gardere “mediocre” and Fiesta BowL predicted die Texas A&M deAuburn which could have won a share of a fense would dominate the Longfourth straight SEC tide with a victory fell to horns overall and in die league The Tigers accepted If Garden had forgotten an invitation to play Indiana in die Peach BowL Williams' comments before die Turnovers keyed all three scores in die first half game he certainly was reminded which ended with Alabama holding a 10-- 7 on foe Longhorns’- first drive advantage Efrum Thomas came up with die first Facing a third-- and--4 at midfield takeaway intercepting a screen pass by White on Gardere slipped back to pass die third play of the game and returning it to die Mn1’t find an open reciever Tiger five Three plays later Jones powered in from and headed upfield before dedwltomakeit7-Ofenders Quentin Coryatt and John Brian Stutson picked off a White pass midway Miller decked him and pulled his through die second quarter and returned it 19 yams helmet off to die Auburn 23 to set up die next score After “Those guys were trying to Alabama failed to pick up the first down Doyle poke my eyes out” Gardere said came in and booted a 31 --yard field goal to put die “They pulled and pulled til HdeupbylO they got die helmet off and then Alabama which had halted one Auburn threat by went to work on my eyes I went recovering a fumble at its own 25 seemed poised to back to die huddle and told my cany that lead into die locker room But Kevin lineman that they (Aggie defendTurner fumbled with 49 seconds left in die half and ers) were going to do whatever Lamar Rogers recovered for Auburn at the Tide 38 vy theycould to gef at me nod I needed all die help I could get” Alabama now leads die series ed Besting even Bear BIRMINGHAM (UPI) — Hired to bring back memories of die late Paul Bryant Alabama Coach Gene Stallings did die legendary Bear one better Saturday His Crimson Tide used a thieving defease and the foot of senior kicker Philip Doyle to beat No 20 Auburn 16-- 7 mating Stallings die first Alabama coach to beat die Tide’s arch rival on his first try since JWJL Pollard did it in 1906 Not even Bryant who was 19-- 6 against Auburn beat die Tigers his first time out “I had a lot of help” said Stallings who was an assistant under Bryant during the 1960s “I was just sort of directing traffic a little bit and I’m as pleased as I can be for the players” run early in die Robert Jones scored on a game and Doyle kicked field goals of 31 40 and 40 yards in each of die final three quarters to give die Tide its first win over Auburn since 1985 The victory earned Alabama a spot in the Fiesta BowL Stallings said Doyle and his defense which forced five Auburn turnovers qnd held die Tigers to only three first downs in die second half deserved most of the credit “They were awfully tough for us to run against and they had a hard time running against us” he said ’’Theyhuqg in there but the fidd goals made die difference” Jones scored on die sixth play of die game after an Alabama interception at me Auburn 5 yard line Doyle’s first field goal also followed a turnover deep in Auburn territory “It’s hard to maintain any type of momentum if you turn die ball over” Tiger Coach Pat Dye said ' “We gave it to them once at die five another at die 28-2- 5-- 7-- 4 7-3--1 4-2- -1 - I L -- 31-23- -1 Mustangs come around Bobcats still sound By Kevin White sports writer OGDEN — Mountain Crest basketball coach John Nielsen is still concerned about his team’s ability to score But Friday night he didn’t need die offense as die Mustangs shut down Region 5 foe Bax Elder 50-4- 4 earning them third Memorial Weber Larsen Dar in die place Shootout at Weber High SchooL Thursday in die first round they dropped to Timpview Friday’s win evened MC’s record at 2 The Mustangs now have a week off before facing Marsh Valley next Friday 2-- night Behind a three-poibond) from point guard Ryan Fond and a breakaway layup by Jeff Howell off a Bee turnover went on a 0 run in die second quarter and lead which they never built a nt 9-- 12-poi- nt relinquished Brandt Wilcox led die Mustangs with 13 points while sophomore Cory Anderson pitched in with nine Ryan Pond and Howell each added eight for Mountain Crest “I thought we played good defense especially on their first shot op’ portunities’ Nielsen said “After we got in foul trouble we went to die zone and played it very aggressively” But as good as die defense was die Mustang offense couldn’t quite put the pesky Bees away 0 at die half die I eadmg Mustangs appeared to be in controL But Box Elder sophomore Ryan Shaw and a er court press soon had stingy MCreeling 5 Shaw scored 10 of his The 16 points in die third quarter game-hig- h and helped pull die Bees to within four 30-2- three-quart- ot 3 with just over two minutes left in ugliness and suspense After Shaw hit a in die lane die quarter “Their press gave us some pro- the Mustang lead was cut to 4 with blems” Nielsen said “It was Hnd of a 1:49 to play Then the Mountain Crc$t hectic game In basketball there is not set zone took over allowing only two offense or defense you hist have to react desperation attempts in the final to what they’re doing Tonight die kids “It’s funny we really haven’t even just got it done “Defense always d"ifaato in die put in die zone” Nielsen said “We early stages of die season” he said “I need to run it much better with two big thought die key was our defense guys in but we just got in foul trouble tonight especially in die fourth quarter” “Our bench picked us up” he The defense was spearheaded by die Larsen and Jeff Howell played “Ray senior Howell who dominated die well tonight” boards and intimidated the Bees SKY VIEW 73 WASATCH 60 “We were working really hard in die second half” Howell said “Before die Sky View won its fourth game in a game I just thought about going after and row 0 Friday night against Wasatch Shane Mecham pumped in 18 points getting every rebound Sometimes we’re lackadaisical in our pity but tonight we and John Roe added 17 to lead die Bobcats Scott Jackson and John Roe were more aggressive” The game had it’s share of both also finished in double figures 37-3- 10-foot- er 48-4- int 73-6- Although Sky View grabbed die lead early in the first quarter die advantage was slim for most of the game until the fourth Leading by six Mecham connected on trey for Sky View On the next trip down Greg Robertson scored a to extend the Bobcats’ lead to 11 The Wasps pressed all night tong testified SV Coach Alan Wamsley But die Bobcats emerged unscathed with few turnovers and a balanced scoring attack Against Wasatch Wamsley used a different starting lineup and played 10 to inside-outsi- de llplayere Scott Billings who has seen limited playing time performed “very well” said Wamsley He was also pleased with die performance of Casey Owen The Bobcats will pity Weber High School at home Friday night In Big West Aggie supporters stood small By Mike Ingraham sports editor Ready or not it’s looking a tot like Christmas downtown And it’s about time Up at the Spectrum although too few noticed it’s been Christmas for months Ore after another die nation’s gaudiest volleyball teams presented themselves for die grudging pleasure of fans and die pitiless destruchome forces tion of the gallant but Although curiously muter cover die whole display was really quite dazzling die athletic equivalent of die golden fall foliage outdoors After a decade of greyness it’s as though we all were suddenly in Oz and at last living in color We were of course in die Big West Conference home of heroes in die volleyball world The Aggies in their first Big West season attracted among others Hawaii Pacific and Long Beach State to die Spectrum Going into die NCAA Tournament these were all considered as contenders for die national championship The 49ers in fact are defending champions In the course of crushing Utah State they displayed talents that could not but be appreciated by a home crowd starved for even a glimpse of glory on any athletic from The presentation of such excellence stands as a contribution to the community not to mention die university Give die Aggie Athletic Department an A fuch a schedule serves represents a general and ' pefollv ccnuine athletic resurgence that gladdens not-as-gr- 1 iuRh Over such jurani as did die volleyball team Go get ’em Ags and good luck! But good wishes were about as far as home support went The spectator turnout in match after match was strictly out of die grey ’80’s It was as brought on WWL “pro concerning from God” Without any unmoored gress wisecracks about die lords of USU athletics such seemed to be die state of die volleyball program advanced yet adrift Surely die nonchalance had nothing to do with the athletes being female and surely it had nothing to do with no prospects of profits at die gates All that is certain s that when for once faced with a truly major schedule USU bureaucrats merit a scolding for responding in a merely minor manner m fact offered yet further proof that The can produce die pride that can lift a campus and a community For thousands Aggies athletics is a joy One of the real pleasures of this frill was to discover such quality away from die main theater Romney Stadium Of course it must be admitted that this volleyball enemies-we-keseason is in die pride-in-ttradition In football die Aggies insist upon playing schedule not only for a major also to show that USU dollars but despicable belongs with the bigs and that their players merit a shot at the best In basketball there was a great sigh °f relief from all grandees when that money machine Nevada-La- s Vegas wu given die green light to go ahead and make more money for everyone at least until its money-makegraduate It’s a big payday here when die Rebels visit of course But there's also something more a real feeling in this relationship There is pride in being foe How such a foremost even a course was Rebels care we of die about deeply shown last year by the patriot who provided them with die homy of a shower at halftime How was he to know that the dirt wouldn’t just wash away7 As scores suggest there has been more flourish than substance in Aggie conflicts with die high and mighty So far die pride has bees of die shallow ep he ce Herald JounwUto ptwto Trad Campbell (L) and USU were battlers though nothing had changed A reproving took has to be directed at die USU drumbeaten who so capable of making such a commotion in die cause of other athletic events were silent on behalf of USU’s most overwhelmed thW Give diem also an "A” for "anticlimax” Perhaps the glitter of die schedule made the But here nmrkiness of the reaction more were some of die best athletes in the United States right here on die Spectrum floor and USU turned off die support systems and commended Aggie souls to providence The hollowness called to mind die statement rs fist-throwi-ng I Commentary sort springing from association not from actual victaty Nobody expected die volleyball team for example to actually beat any of those giants and they didn’t After defeats on die football field in yens past we were asked to please behold die extreme youth of die majority of players They will get better we were told and sure enough they did Patience works! AH but one of this volleyball team should return next season and there is no reason not to expect diem to improve upon their overall record As die season progressed die selfishness that comes from immaturity receded into die background and to die fore came a togetherness that seemed almnet touching considering die hardships of die schedule That’s a spirit we can expect to be productive next year The migrate of this year — leaving positions too quickly slow recognition — can be expected to diminish next year thanks to experience How soon will die Aggies be prepared to compete with some hope against die top echelon in die Big West? To do this they need players Given the small pool of talent and given where nmeh of this is concentrated in competitive southern California surely coach Steve Carlat’s challenge is among die most daunting of all Aggie recruiters But players will come where they are appreciated and so a first order of business is to build fan support right here at home This season die Aggies Mew an opportunity to sell die sport The Big West is a fact of life a point of pride die Aggies should embrace not ignore In the Mg leagues golly gee one really should behave like a Mg leaguer 7-- 28 |