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Show T-birds tangle with Cal State at Los Angelas to open grid season Southern Utah State will open its 1977 football season against Cal State-Los Angeles with an offense, according to Coach Tom Kingsford, that can move the ball and a defense that is stronger than last year at this time. SUSC travels to Los Angeles Saturday with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. PDT (8:30 p.m. MDT). "After two and a half weeks of practice we're very anxious to hit somebody besides our own players," states Kingsford. The T-Birds went 5-5 last year, winning their last 1 ' 1 led the 'Birds with 136 tackles, second best in the RMAC and NAIA District Seven. " Other "members of SUSC's defense include ends Lane Martino, sophomore, Price, Utah, and Rich Wittwer, senior, Salt Lake City, both starters last year; transfers Bruce Milburn (Dixie J.C.), junior, Layton, and Dave Castro (Rio Hondo J.C.), junior, LaMirada, Calif., at tackle and linebacker; noseguard Bob Klee, senior from Tucson, Ariz.; cor-nerbacks cor-nerbacks Jerry Tillman, senior from Tempe, Ariz., and Randy Johnson, senior, Bountiful, and at safeties John Borla, junior college transfer (Snow) from Helper, or Bob Coash, senior, Santa Ana, Calif., and Tony Hinojosa, sophomore from Los Angeles, Calif. Next week the T-Birds remain on the road as they travel to Grand Junction, Colo., to face Mesa College in the Rocky Mountain Conference opener. three games including the season finale against CSLA, 14-7. "We don't know that much about LA, but we do know they have excellent speed," Kingsford adds. CSLA opened its season last week with a 24-6 romp over United States In ternational University. Offensively, CSLA will be led by Rick Lovern, a 6-1, 190 pound senior, who threw for 624 yards and six touchdowns touch-downs in 1976. Speedsters Manuel Wilson, 6-1, 19( pound junior running back, and Dudley Stewart, 5-9, 160 pound senior split receiver, could pose threats to the SU defense. Wilson was second on the team in rushing last year, while Stewart was the Diablos' leading receiver in 1976. On defense, CSLA is led by all-star candidates Butch Bryant, a 5-11, 230 pound senior noseguard, and Mike Currie, a 6-1, 185 pound senior cornerback. Currie, according to the Diablc press guide, is a top pro prospect. Seventeen lettermen along with five newcomers will start Saturday for Kingsford, who begins his 11th season at the helm of the Thunderbirds. Senior Tom Kingsford, Jr., will get the call at quarterback quar-terback for SU. Kingsford threw for 758 yards and ten touchdowns last season. In the backfield with Kingsford will be senior Mike Powell, Fountain Valley, Calif., the T-Birds' second leading rusher last season with 468 yards, and newcomer Amos James, - senior from Henderson, Nev. Four lettermen, who were starters last season, head the offensive line. They include center Paul Tate, sophomore from Tooele, Utah; tackles Ted Crego, ) senior, Irvine, Calif., and Bob Martin, sophomore, Bullhead City, Ariz.; and guards Jerry Haslem, junior, Magna, Utah, and Bland Burchett, transfer from Florida State. Rich Hernandez, senior letterman from Placentia, Calif., and the T-Birds' leading receiver in 1977 (23 , catches, 279 yards and four touchdowns), will play flanker, with Ben DoHson, junior, Huntington Beach, Calif., at split end, and Kit Janes, junior, Kanab, Utah, at tight end. Janes started at center last season. SU's defense will be anchored an-chored by three-year let- ' terman tackle Gil Rodriguez of Los Angeles, Calif., and sophomore linebacker John Lundstrom of Sandy. Rodriguez was second on the squad in tackles last year with 101 while Lundstrom 1 I liir 1 ir ' 1 4 , " I , 1 Hi If ft WIN CROSS COUNTRY. The Parowan High School cross country team walked off with first place honors and this handsome trophy in a meet held this past week and hosted by the Rams. Blair Bentley led the way with first place honors. |
