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Show Miners to Open Season against Union Friday at Home ' ' . '.:" . -V i , , V .:...,'." ' ; i ' i ' t ': i - The Park High Miners will open their 1981 football season this Friday with a predictably tough match against 2-A ranked Union High School. The game will be played at Miner Field at 4 p.m. and, according to Coach Bob Burns, will kick-off the most difficult schedule the Miners have had to face in his four years as head coach. Last year the Miners enjoyed one of their best seasons on record. The tough Park City squad advanced to the state 1-A championship game in Salt Lake to lose the state title to Beaver after a 7 to 19 contest. The Miner squad spearheaded by powerful pow-erful defensive and offensive lines produced two all state backs, Steve Toly and Troy Packard last season. Both Toly and Packard are back this year although Packard may be out for the Union game recovering from surgery. Also returning this season is capable quarterback quarter-back Tom Flinders and talented kicker Darrin Lawless. Law-less. Roger Burns- will be back as will Doug Vincent, John Ott, Tom Tebbs) Chris Sloan will play but not against Union as --he ttft' is recovering from surgery. ' Not returning this season, are eight members of the last year's powerful offensive line and three of the front ; four defensive linemen. Skepticism about this season's sea-son's front lines makes Coach Burns cautiously optimistic op-timistic about this year's prospects. "Last year our defense pretty much controlled the ball at scrimmage and kept our opponent's points to minimum," Burns said. "Our offensivfc line was effective in opening holes so our backs .oufclkeep our offensive drive goingV. "If you can control and advance the balf on the ground," Burns continued, " then you don't hae to risk turnovers by continually going to the air." "There's a big difference in making your first contact ten yards down field than at the line of scrimmage." Assistant Assis-tant Coach Bruce Reid added. ; Burns feels he can replace the linemen but with players who are pound for pound lighter. Faced with smaller front , lines, Burns predicts the Miners will have to pass more this year which will mean relying heavily on Flinders. He adds the Miners will have to develop "finesse" plays which should excite fans but require precise execution on the part of players. Burns also predicts a strong emphasis em-phasis on draw and screen ' j plays to advance, the Miner bail down field. j Another valuable asset this season will be Darrin Law- less whose kicking game is i one of the finest in the state. I Lawless gives Park City the advantage of scoring, three- I point field goals consistently j "from 30 yards out. It also J allows the Miners to kick point after conversions with a good deal of accuracy. "In a tight game Lawless gives us a definite advantage particularly when there is little time remaining," Burns said. Park City will play nine games this season; four at home and five on the road. They will play two schools Sranked in 2-A competition; Union this Friday and Wasatch at Heber City October 7. Burns expects both matches to be tough battles because each school outweighs Park City man for man. On September 4 the Miners will travel to Altamont for a non-league game and the following week will face Beaver at home in a re-match of last year's state championship champ-ionship battle. The Miners will open league play September 18 with a difficult match against arch rival South Summit. That match as well as the North Summit bout will be played away. Park City will play four league games this season against South Summit, South Rich, North Summit and Dugway. The starting lineup for this Friday's game is as follows: |