Newspaper Page Text
t
Page 19
The Panther
August 25, 1980
Panthers Start Fresh Season
BY HAL LAMAR
Special to The Panther
You might say last year, coach
Jesse McClardy of Clark College
wascaughtwith his bench down.
In 1978, his Panthers finished
with a record of 7-3, and a SIAC
Division 3 title, his second since
taking over head coaching duties
eight years ago.
But in 1979, McClardy did no
recruiting, saying he had been
told to do so because of newly
revised NCAA rules on recruit
ing authorizations for NCAA
schools.
The new rules prohibit
Division 3schoolsfrom awarding
athletic scholarships.
So, the results were a team
dominated mostly by walkons
with little experience.
Add a sea of injuries to his
starters and returning letterman
early on in the 1979 season, and
it's fairly easy to understand the
school’s disappointing 2-1-5
record.
“I was lucky to get out with
what I did,” lamented McClardy,
who peered over last year’s in
jury report for last October.
Some 11 of his starters on
defense had been sidelined with
injuries.
“We losta lotofkey people on
defense. We just didn’t have the
replacements. I was caught with
people that were still learning.
We also had some internal
problems and when you get
those, you are gonna have
problems and losses."
But this year, with a step up to
Division 2 for Clark which
authorizes the school to recruit
and offer athletic scholarships,
McClardy apparently is making
up for what he missed in 1979.
He went out and seemingly
drained the city and state of
every available defensive back,
an area that he admits to being
weak at last season.
His cadre of freshman corners
includes Artlis "Red” Roman,
who played for last year’s
Douglass Astro football and
basketball squads, William
Griggs of Augusta and Atlantan
Billy Brewer.
In all, McClardy found himself
4 defensive backs that he is high
on.
Of particular interest, he says,
is secondary man William Blake,
who McClardy says has been ap
proached by other schools.
The youngster reportedly
played a couple of years at
Harper High School in Atlanta,
before coming to Clark College.
The Clark coach is also pretty
optimistic about a freshman
center he picked up from
Lakeshore High,Michael Brown.
“I looked at him play when he
was at Lakeshore. He can block.
At 6-1, and weighing in at 225,
he’s gonna be an asset to my
line.”
Clark’s offensive and defen
sive line will average about 210
pounds a man, a fairly small size
you might think for lineman, but
McClardy says he wants a "lean
but fast” line.
With the loss of first string
quarterback Kenneth Standifer,
McClardy looks to returnees Jeff
Merritts and Philip Shaw of
Atlanta’s Douglass High and
Turner High Schools respec
tively, and a freshman from
LaGrange, Rodney Brewer, to
carry the mail.
Clark’s offensive backfield
looks fairly strong, with several
returning lettermen, including
Washington High's Marcus
Clark, 2nd year man Henry
Men-Women
Banks, and a freshman, Simeon
Kelly.
Last year, Clark gained 642
yards rushing, despite missing 4
games with injuries, an in
dication that he could go over
the 1000 yard mark if he stays
healthy and McClardy's young
line bbcks.
Clark College, which opens
practice the 23rd of this month,
will not have long to test the
waters of the 1980 grid season.
They open with the ultimate
test perhaps, traveling to
Richmond Virginia, to take on
Virginia Union, last year’s cham
pions of the Central
Intercollegiate Athletic As
sociation.
"It’s a tough team to open up
with,” said McClardy.
“I think we’ll learn something.
It should be a challenging ball
game.”
But despite his noticeable ef
fort to hide his optimism,
McClardy thinks this could be a
good year for his Panther 11.
“Our opponents we expect to
be stronger, but so will we. We
got a good group of high
schoolers recruited. If (coaches)
COj?.
\
work with them, then the players
will be eager to learn. I think
we'll win our share of the
ballgames."
Hal Lamar is currently at the
Atlanta World and WETV
Channel 30.
(mO * GO * GO * - * P
f\
A * v .o“ // *
i
^ £<jpporr
. VC-Uhi
k \ FOOTBALL
\ T£A M—■—
Hawks -frem page 18
The League has also set the East
- West separation geographically
this season using the Mississippi
River. Therefore, San Antonio
and Houston, the Hawks
toughest opposition in the Cen
tral Division the past two
seasons, join the Midwest
Division while Milwaukee, last
year’s Midwest Champions, and
Chicago Shift to the Central
Division.
Could you use $225
a month for college?
TV*
If you could, start now. Enlist in the Army, save
between $50 and $75 a month from your pay, and it
will be matched $2 for $l under the Veterans' Educ
ational Assistance Program. After your first enlistment
that could mean up to $225 a month for education.
Call Army Opportunities
881-8364
Join the people who've joined the Army.
An Equal Opportunity Employer