The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 34, Milford, Kosciusko County, 5 September 1984 — Page 10

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed., September 5,1984 ;

Sports

Warriors trip Zebras for NLC win

By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Writer Wawasee’s football team reached two milestones last Friday evening when it defeated Rochester 14-6 in a Northern Lakes Conference game. Besides the initial victory of the season, Wawasee scored a pair of touchdowns in the contest, something that hasn't been dope since last year’s September 2 meeting at Rochester. In that Contest, Wawasee defeated the Zebras 14-13 in overtime. Prior to that date, Wawasee opened the season by putting 14 points on the board against North Wood, and 25 against John Glenn the following week. But since that game, Wawasee struggled offensively as it scored just 28 points in the final seven games of the season. As Wawasee celebrated four wins last year, much of the credit went to the defense. Friday night’s contest was a different story. This time, it was the defense that struggled throughout the entire game with Rochester. Although Wawasee managed just 14 points, it moved the ball consistently in the second half. Rochester, on the other hand, failed to move the ball throughout the contest, but according to Wawasee head coach Myron Dickerson, it wasn't because of the Wawasee defense. "It was by far the worst defensive game we have played this year,” expressed the fifth-year

IMPRESSIVE GROUND GAME — Jeff Roberts sprints around left end during first half action against Rochester. Roberts went on to rush for 64 yards on the evening as Wawasee notched it first win of the season, downing Rochester 14-6. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)

Warrior netters fall to Concord

By TOM CHARLES Sports Editor It didn't take long for the Wawasee Warriors to discover that Concord has one of the area s top tennis teams this fall. In fact, the Warriors managed to win only four games in singles play as the Minutemen rolled to a 5-0 victory at the Wawasee courts on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The loss dropped Wawasee to 1-7 overall and 0-2 in the Northern Lakes Conference. Concord has yet to lose a match. “We changed some things around and tried to catch them in the doubles,” noted coach Scott Siler. “But Concord has a tough team. There aren’t too many schools in this area that will be able to catch them.” “Overall, we have been playing

— Sports shorts

Clouse running on Purdue team Carla Clouse, a 1984 graduate of Wawasee High School, is competing as a member of the Purdue University women’s crosscountry team this fall. Clouse, the leading runner on the WHS girls’ crosscountry team last fall, has secured a spot on the Boilermakers’ traveling team. This week, the team will run in a meet at Illinois State University. She is the daughter of Tony and Connie Clouse, r 4 Syracuse. Special events slated at Goshen Tennis Chib Diana Perry, the assistant tennis pro at Goshen Tennis Club, has announced that the dub will hold an open house on the weekend of September 8 and 9. Special free court time will be available to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on those days. Reservations must be made in advance for use of the

coach. “We didn’t penetrate the line, and for the most part, we were out of position all evening. We can’t play defense like this and expect to win many more football games this year.” Still, Dickerson was pleased with the victory. "A win is a win and we are glad to get it," said Dickerson. “I’m, disappointed with our defense but I knew we could move the ball against them.” Good Start The game seemed to belong to the Warriors from the outset as they returned the opening kick near midfield. From there, Wawasee proceeded to march deep into Rochester territory, but a fumbled pitchout stopped the Warriors’ momentum and possession of the pigskin. During the first half neither team put the ball In the end zone, although Wawasee had plenty of chances to do so. On two other occasions, after the opening drive, Wawasee was deep in Rochester territory only to come up empty. With the ball resting near the Zebra 30-yard line, Wawasee’s Brad Traviola was sacked for a loss on a fourth down play. That type of frustration continued later in the half. Facing another fourth down situation, this time at the Rochester five-yard line, Wawasee surrendured the ball to it’s visitors when a mixup between Traviola and the center resulted in a two-yard loss. That was the last chance

well against some good teams,” Siler added. “We just haven’t been very consistent and we’ve been making the kinds of mistakes that inexperienced teams make.” Os the Warriors seven losses, three have been by a 3-2 margin. “We have dropped some close matches which could have made a big difference in our record,” Siler said. , . Singles No. 1— Allan Katz (C) def Troy Watson 6-2. 6-0 No. 2 — Pete Enfield <C> def Jeff Dunithan 6-2, 6-0 No. 3 Brian Wagner (C) def Bob Bartlett 64), 6-0 Doubles No. 1— Tim Croxall Don Deßone (C)def Mark McLean-Erik Sharp 6-3, 6-3 No. 2 — Mark Vear-Todd Katz (C) def Lachlan McLean-Bill Hutchinson 6-1. 6-4

free court time. In addition, a special exhibition match has been scheduled at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8. The doubles match pits club tennis pro Dave Filer and his brother. Ed, against Niles Racquet Club pro Mark Johnson and his partner, Jim Mansfield. More information on club memberships, the open house or the exhibition match may be obtained by calling the dub. Skiles caught. in drug probe Scott Skiles, former Plymouth High School basketball star now playing at Michigan State University, may face charges stemming from the discovery of a suspicious substance in his car last week. Skiles was stopped by police officers last Wednesday on the suspicion of a parking violation. At that time, officers found two containers of what they believed to be a controlled substance However, Fred Jones, Marshall County prosecutor, noted that the substance has been

Wawasee had to score in the first half. Second Half But the final 24 minutes was a different story. After the halftime break, it appeared that a new team had put on Wawasee uniforms and started playing football. Wawasee continued to stop Rochester, although Dickerson felt the defense played poorly. But what caught the eye of the fans in the stands was the way the offense moved the ball. Jeff Roberts and Ron Gerber gave signs of what was to come when they ripped off runs of 18 and 11 yards on the first two plays of the second half. The duo continued to roll throughout the half thanks to some big holes which were created by the offensive line. In the third period, it didn’t take long for the Warriors to reach paydirt. Just over halfway through the quarter, Gerber bolted four yards for the score. Brad Mitchell tacked on the extra point and Wawasee led for the first time this year, 7-0. Key Series But Wawasee’s defense, despite the emotional boost provided by the offense, let the team down. On Rochester’s following possession, the visitors methodically marched downfield and scored. Coach Mark Miller’s squad benefited from an unsportsmanlike penalty, taking the ball to the two-yard line. Still, the Zebras had to convert

Wawasee Invitational The Warriors wound up with a 1-2 record in their annual invitational match, defeating Tippe Valley 4-1 and losing to Columbia City and Fairfield on Saturday, Sept. 1. Troy Watson and Erik Sharp won singles matches in the victory over Tippe Valley. The remaining two wins were provided by the doubles teams of Lachlan McLean-Bill Hutehinson and Jeff Dunithan-Shannon Angle. Watson and Sharp provided the wins in the 3-2 loss to Fairfield. Watson disposed of Eric Hoffman 6-2, 6-2 while Sharp stopped Bobby Young 6-3, 6-4. Lachlan McLean-Bill Hutchinson dropped a tough 4-6, 6-3, 5-7 match in number one doubles. Columbia City rolled to a 5-0

set to a lab for analysis and results will not be available for one or two weeks. Jones added that he will decide whether or not to press charges once he has seen the test results. Lakeland harriers open wilh win The Lakeland Junior High School cross-country team opened its season with a 17-42 win over West Noble at Wawasee on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Jeff Carey was the top finisher in a time of 10:59 for the 3,000-meter course. Following Carey were Brian Jones (11:05) and Jason Douglas (11:13). West Noble grabbed the fourth spot, but Lakeland runners finished in fifth, sixth and seventh positions. Rod Coy was fifth in 12:03 and was followed by Cuong Reed (12:10) and Chad Jones (12:26). Stuart Ough was 12th. Jennifer Titus was 13th overall and the first girl across the finish line. She had a time of 13:35. The team returns to action tomorrow with a 4;30 p.m. meet at Warsaw.

a fourth-and-one situation, which they did. Chris Smith dashed in front the two, but a two-point conversion pass failed and Wawasee led 7-6, early in the fourth period. "I thought the key to the game was when we failed to convert the two-point conversion,” said a dejected Miller. "If we get it, then we have the momentum. But we didn’t and that was that.” With both offenses sputtering, it looked at that point as if the two teams might be headed for their second overtime contest in two

Goshen Redskins / The Redskins scored the more points (28) on the Warriors than any other team in 1983. Last week, the Goshen offense was impressive in a 27-20 win over Culver Military. Quarterback Trent Lambright and halfback Matt Jerlicki had fine performances in the win over Culver. Lambright completed five of nine passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Jerlicki, a 5-7, 145-pound junior, scored three touchdowns on a punt return and two receptions. However, the Redskin backfield suffered a blow when last year’s leading rusher, Tracey Fry, injured his knee in the fourth quarter of the Culver game. Fry, who will be in a cast for up to four weeks, had already rushed for 131 yards this season. His spot is likely to be filled by senior Todd Chupp or sophomore Jeff Loucks. This is one of the largest overall teams in Goshen football history. The majority of that bulk is carried by 6-2, 270-pound Tony Gonzales, 6-7, 226-pound Jeff Bontrager, 6-5, 245-pound Keith Wilfong and 6-1, 250-pound Rod Miller. Defensively, Goshen has proven veterans in linebackers Joe Bailey and Tom Wogoman. Bailey was the team’s leading tackler in 1983 and recorded 11 solo tackles and five assists last Friday. Wogoman had 29 solo tackles and 32 assists in 1983. “We will have to intent on getting off the ball and staying with our blocks,” said Wawasee coach Myron Dickerson. “We re going to need to move on defense and I think we can continue to move the ball on offense. We can beat Goshen." Running back Steve Yoder is back in the lineup following an ankle injury and is playing at about 85 percent of his capacity. Injured Warriors who will not see action on Friday are Brent Atwood, Todd Yeager, Drew Rosenberry and Ray Skelton. This will be the first Cluster AAA-20 battle for Wawasee and the second for Goshen. Last year, the Redskins were 2-2 in the cluster and Wawasee was 0-4. TIME/LOCATION: 7:30 p.m., Goshen SERIES RECORD: 11-4, Goshen LAST YEAR: 28-10, Goshen . *WAWASfcE LAST WEEK: Beafßochester, 14-6 GOSHEN LAST WEEK: Beat Culver Military, 27-20 SEASON RECORDS: Wawasee (1-1), Goshen (1-1)

win in the day’s other match. The Warriors failed to win a set in that contest. Rochester The young and talented Rochester Zebras used an impressive display of depth to down the Warrior netters 5-0 on Thursday, Aug. 30. Troy Watson played a good match at number ope singles, but dropped a 4-6, 5-7 decision to Joe Loughman. Singles No. 1— Joe Loughman (R) def. Troy Watson 6-4, 7-5. No. 2 — Craig Smith <R) def. Mark McLean 6-4, 6-2 No. 3 — Greg Smith "(R) def. Erik Sharp 6-2, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 — Alfie Bozzo-John Marrs (R) def. Lachlan McLean-Bill Hutchinson 6-2. 6-3 No. 2 — Ben Pautsch-Chris Peterson (R> def. Jeff Dunithan-Bob Bartlett 6-1, 7-5

I ’ l fl fl FOREHAND PUNCH - Wawasee junior Jeff Duntthan scads a forehand across the net during one of the Warriors’ recent matches. Dunithan plays on the number two doubles team. (Photo by Tom Charles)

years. But that wasn’t the case. Wawasee’s outstanding junior quarterback, Brad Traviolia, connected with Kevin Tracey on a 47-yard touchdown pass with 8:17 remaining to secure the win. Mitchell added the PAT kick for a 14-6 advantage. “We thought Traviolia’s knee had touched the ground before he threw the ball,” said Miller about the controversial play. “Our players thought so too, and they seemed to give up then. Still, it

Central Noble The Warriors dropped their second consecutive 3-2 decision on Wednesday, Aug. 29. This time, the Central Noble Cougars were the winners. Mark McLean and Shannon Angle claimed the Wawasee wins. McLean won his number two singles match in two sets. Angle, playing number three singles for the first time this year, won a 7-5, 6-3 decision over Kim Feltis. Singles No. I — Stan Frymier (CN) def. Troy Watson 6-1, 6-4 No. 2 — Mark McLean (Waw) def. Brian Kreider 6-2, 6-3 No. 3 — Shannon Angle (Waw) def. Kim Feltis 7-5, 6-3 Doubles No. I — Tyler Hutson-Craig Frymier (CN) def. Bill HutchinsonBob Bartlett 6-2, 6-4 No. 2 — Joel Shrock-Mike McCoy (CN) def. Jeff Dunithan-Erik Sharp 6-4, 6-1

went for a touchdown, and we lost because of it.” The winning touchdown toss affected both teams, in contrasting styles. Wawasee received an emotional boost from the play, while Rochester fell apart. Not only could the visitors not move the ball offensively, but they had troubles stopping the Warriors’ offense. The Warriors had another opportunity to score, but as was the case throughout much of the game, but they stopped themselves with untimely mistakes. Still, Wawasee had all the points it needed to claim the victory. "It was frustrating getting close to scoring, and then coming up empty,” said Dickerson. “We need to score everytime we get in that situation, espcially against better teams.” Goshen Next Wawasee will open its Cluster AAA-20 season with a game at Goshen on Friday night. The Redskins are 1-0 in the cluster, having defeated Culver Military 27-20 last week. The contest with Goshen will be a big test for the smaller Warriors, perhaps even bigger than the opening season contest at North Wood. “This will be a big game for us, but I think we can beat Goshen,” said Dickerson. “We just' need eliminate our mistakes and go after them. We have proved to ourselves that we can move the ball and score, now we just have to do it again.”

Webster rallies to down 'Case

The North Webster Junior High football team used baseball’s home run play to defeat Syracuse Junior High 8-6 Tuesday, Sept. 4, at Wawasee High School. Both teams struggled early as neither team could mount a successful drive. But in the second period, the Yellow Jackets put the first points on the board with a two-yard run by Chuck Losee. Syracuse held a 6-9 as the point after touchdown attempt failed. The score remained the same entering the final period, but it was at that point that lightning

'ja#* XL xv THE KICK’S AWAY — North Webster’s Todd McGuire kicks off to start the second half in junior high football action at Wawasee High School on Tuesday, Sept. 4. McGuire and his teammates rallied to nip Syracuse 8-6 in the season opener for both teams. (Photo by Tom Charles)

Sports comment — Calling the shots

THEY’RE FINALLY HOME. Annabel Marsh, 61, and Caroline Merrill, 42, became the first women to run across the United States as they completed their 3,621-mile journey by running the final two miles across the Golden Gate Bridge into their home town of San Francisco on August 21. Marsh, Merrill and June Wydler set out on their run in Boston on April 14. Wydler, however, was forced to drop out of the run when she suffered a leg injury at the 2,230-mile mark. Part of their route was run along US 6 through northern Kosciusko County near the end of May. I had the opportunity to talk with the women during a rest stop in Kendallville and was impressed with their enthusiasm. Apparently, the flat, hot plains of lowa and Nebraska and the thin air of the Rockies failed to dampen their spirits. “We were thrilled every step of the way,” said Marsh upon completion of the run. The women had originally planned to arrive in San Francisco on August 18, and a steady diet of 30 mile* each day, six days per week enabled them to arrive dose to their target date. Both of the women wore out 12 pairs of running shoes on the trip. Two of those pairs of shoes were bronzed and presented to the women by John Teets, chairman of the Greyhound Corporation, which sponsored the trip. “Some people take all their lives to run a marathon, and these women have just finished running a marathon six days a week for 18 weeks. I run three to four miles a day and I think that’s a challenge,” said Teets. Marsh, who recently retired from her job as a planning analyst with U.S. Steel, says that her next goal is* to run a marathon in under four hours. Merrill plans to resume her career in finance. PIGSKIN PREDICTIONS There were several notable performances in area high school football action over the weekend. But none stands out like the performance of Elkhart Central quarterback David Schnell. ,

i* - - ’4'* iMKfc K? fa ' S MBF Ml k Mi JUBILIATION — Wawasee’s Rick Peterson, left, hugs coach Kim Lobsiger seconds after the Warriors scored their first touchdown of the year. Wawasee defeated Rochester Friday night by scoring a pair of touchdowns and limiting the Zebras to a single TD. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)

struck for North Webster. The Trojans’ Todd McGuire connected with Chris Jordan on a 65-yard scoring pass to tie the contest early in the period McGuire then provided Webster with the margin of victory as be dashed around left end for the two-point conversion. Syracuse had one more chance to win, but the Yellow Jackets fumbled the pigskin at .North Webster’s 20 yard line late in the game. For North Webster, McGuire was the leading offensive threat

SgtaoUra-senioh and a 1983 All-State selection, had the kind oK night that most quarterbacks experience onlAin their dreams. He connected on scoring strikes of 16,23,37 and 43 yards as the Blazers trounceckSouth Bend Washington 49-0. Overall, Schnell completed 15 of 18 attempts for 401 yards. I Last week’s results were Penn 21, Warsaw 0; Wawasee 14, Rochester 6;\Winamac 41, Triton 8; ’ Goshen 27, Culver Military’ 20; and Concord 16, Plymouth 0. The headline contest this week pits a pair of unbeatens against each other in Cluster AA-34 action. The defending cluster champions Tippe Valley will play host to the Whitko Wildcats, who finished 1983 with a 1-2 cluster record. Other games are Wawasee at Goshen, Elkhart Memorial at Warsaw, Concord at Culver Military and North Wood at Rochester. Our guest picker for the week is Jo Sturgis, M-J reporter and photographer. Although not a regular member of the M-J sports staff, Sturgis is no foreigner to the gridiron, court or lockerroom. Her sporting experience includes a stint as a football statistician at Manchester College and a three-year career on the volleyball team at Lakeland High School, LaGrange. Despite her limited playing experience, Sturgis left little doubt that she can turn out sports cliches with as much ease as the seasoned veteran by commenting that “I gave it my best shot.” t GUEST — (.968) Winners: Goshen, Memorial, Concord, North Wood and Whitko CHARLES — (.898) Winners: Goshen, Memorial, Concord, North Wood and Tippe Valley KUHN — (.808) Winners: Goshen, Memorial, Concord, North Wood and Whitko , ■ s RHODES — (.888) Winners: Wawasee, Memorial, Culver Military, North Wood and Tippe Valley WEINSTEIN — (-888) Winners: Goshen, Warsaw, Concord, North Wood and Tippe Valley

as he rushed for 80 yards. Jordan also aided in the offensive effort with two pass receptions for 75 yards. Scott Rozow totaled seven tackles from his defensive position. On the other side, Losee was the main weapon for Syracuse as he rushed for 70 yards. Dan McCullough finished the contest with six tackles while Garrett Ponciroli chipped in with five. North Webster, 1-0, will now prepare for the Milford Trojans Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Wawasee. On the same date, Syracuse. 0-1, will travel to play Pierceton.

By TOM CHARLES