Newspaper Page Text
Page 6
— Griffin Daily News Monday, February 9,1976
Vols’ SEC
lead on line
By DAVID MOFFIT
UPI Sports Writer
The depth-shy Tennessee Vols
put their Southeastern Confer
ence lead on the line tonight
when they host the Vanderbilt
Commodores in an attempt to
avenge their only league loss.
The eighth-ranked Vols, down
to just eight players since four
of their original 12 have quit
this season, lost by 11 points at
Vanderbilt four weeks ago but
have won seven in a row since
and hold a one-game edge over
the Commodores and 15th
ranked Alabama, which hosts
Florida tonight.
Tennessee had to strip its
bench Saturday in a 92-85
victory over Kentucky when
freshman guard Johnny Darden
was thrown out for fighting,
SEC scoring leader Bernard
King fouled out and center
Doug Ashworth injured a
shoulder.
But the Vols got 82 points
from juniors Ernie Grunfeld
(32) and Mike Jackson (28) and
sophomore King (22) to pick up
their ninth victory in 10 SEC
games and raise their overall
record to 16-2.
Alabama, a six-point loser at
Tennessee nine days ago, is 8-2
in the SEC and 15-3 overall
while Vanderbilt, although only
12-7 overall, has won eight of
its last nine league games (the
lone loss by a single point at
Kentucky).
Alabama beat Auburn Satur
day, 86-75, while Vanderbilt had
to go into double overtime to
nip Georgia, 71-69.
In other Saturday action,
Florida beat Mississippi State,
78-71, in overtime; Louisiana
State beat Ole Miss, 67-57;
Georgia Tech upset lOth-ranked
North Carolina State, 78-67;
Jacksonville lost to 19th-ranked
Cincinnati, 87-62; Florida State
beat South Florida, 88-62;
Memphis State beat Oklahoma
City, 87-70; South Carolina beat
Temple, 65-58, and Tulane beat
Dillard, 86-80.
The Vols lost sophomores
Tim Joyce and David Smith,
who said they wanted to
transfer to other schools where
they’d have a better chance to
play, before the season began.
Seven-foot Bob Brykalski quit
in late December after not
playing in the Sugar Bowl
tournament which the Vols
won.
The latest Vol deserter was
6’9” freshman Irv Chatman of
New York, who walked out last
Wednesday, apparently upset
because he had failed to win a
starting berth.
The loss of Brykalski and
Chatman leaves the Vols, the
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pre-season SEC picks, with the
6-7 King as their tallest man
and 6-6 Ashworth playing
center.
“We work as a team,” said
Tennessee Coach Ray Mears.
“Even with all the adversity,
you never hear a complaint
from our boys. They are just
determined to do the job.”
King, despite being held to a
career-low seven points last
Monday, leads the SEC in
scoring at 25.4 ppg. The 6’6”,
225-pound Grunfeld is second at
24.6 and Jackson, who hit his
career high this past Saturday,
is 11th at 17.2.
Ashworth did a remarkable
job against Kentucky’s 6’10”
Mike Phillips Saturday, limiting
him to one field goal in the
second half.
Vanderbilt, winning its fourth
overtime game this season,
held Georgia to just 16 second
half points Saturday.
“The big thing was when we
went to the zone defense at the
start of the second half,” said
Vanderbilt Coach Roy Skinner.
“We had to keep Georgia from
getting inside shots and the
zone helped us rebound better.”
The Commodores are expect
ed to stick to that zone tonight
because Tennessee also likes to
get inside, to King and
Grunfeld.
“Tennessee is the leader and,
in a title race, you can’t sit
around waiting for someone
else to beat the leader,” said
Vanderbilt’s Butch Feher. “You
need a little luck to win in this
conference. I remember how
lucky we were to beat Alabama
GRIFFIN
9 port 9
Daytona
Ramo Stott has won the pole position for next Sunday’s
Daytona 500 after the qualifying speeds of three other
drivers were disallowed for rules infractions.
Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have lost their third straight game.
A 97-89 decision which went to the Los Angeles Lakers
yesterday in Atlanta.
Karate
Jeff Smith has successfully defended his world light
heavyweight karate championship in a bout in Atlanta.
Smith won a unanimous decision yesterday over Canadian
challenger Wally Slocki.
Georgia
Georgia entertains Kentucky tonight at Athens in
Southeastern Conference basketball action.
Swim
Tennessee swim coach Ray Bussard figures Alabama
will be favored March 4 through 6 when the Crimson Tide
hosts the Southeastern Conference swim meet at
Tuscaloosa.
Tech shocks
N.C. State
both times two years ago when
we won the championship.”
King (16), Grunfeld (20) and
Jackson (18) combined for 54
points in that loss at Vander
bilt. Feher, averaging over 16
ppg, was held to just four
points in that contest, but the
other two members of Vandy’s
“F Troop,” Jeff Fosnes and Joe
Ford had 23 and 25 respec
tively.
Georgia Tech, only 9-11, has
won four of its last six games
with the losses by 11 points to
second-ranked Marquette and
by five to third-ranked North
Carolina.
“We are short and slow,”
said Tech Coach Dwane Mor
rison. “But, we’re playing right
now with brains and tremen
dous spirit.”
This week’s schedule:
Monday — Vanderbilt at
Tennessee, Florida at Alabama,
Kentucky at Georgia, Auburn
at Mississippi State, North
Texas State at Memphis State
and Tulane at Samford.
Tuesday— Stetson at Jack
sonville.
Wednesday — Georgia Tech
at Auburn.
Thursday — Illinois State at
Florida State and South Caroli
na at Fordham.
Friday — No games.
Saturday — Alabama at
Louisiana State, Georgia at
Auburn (television), Tennessee
at Florida, Kentucky at Van
derbilt, Mississippi State at Ole
Miss, Florida State at Madison,
Jacksonville at Furman, South
Carolina at Pittsburgh and Nrth
Carolina at Tulane.
ATLANTA (UPI) - The
“patsy” of the new Metro Six
Conference may have been
miscast.
Georgia Tech is showing
signs of unforeseen strength,
which bodes ill for other Metro
Six members in the league's
inaugural tournament at Louis
ville, Ky., March 4-6.
“Give my kids a decent
scouting report and five days to
get ready and they’ll give
anybody in the country a
battle," says Tech coach
Dwane Morrison.
Nobody is doubting that now,
least of all lOth-ranked North
Carolina State, and even third
ranked North Carolina.
Tech upset North Carolina
State 78-67 in the North-South
doubleheader at Charlotte,
N.C., Saturday night after
extending North Carolina all
the way in a 74-79 loss Friday
night.
H w** ■ I
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IF
! y” -TV
Brooks Woodruff (44) of the Griffin Bears gets off a shot
against Rockdale Saturday at the Omni. Rockdale
defeated Griffin, 89-60.
Rockdale
tops Bears
The Griffin Bears enjoyed the
experience of playing in the
Omni Saturday but didn’t like
the outcome of the game.
Rockdale shot down Griffin
89-60.
The prep teams played the
Tom Thumb
Blue Jays,
Bullets win
The Blue Jays shutout the
Warriors 20-0, the Bullets
defeated the Falcons 13-8, the
Braves beat the Eagles 104, the
Bulls nipped the Blue Birds 11-9,
the Bucks outlasted the Hawks
12-10 and the Cardinals stopped
the Royals 6-4 Saturday in the
boys’ division of the Tom
Thumb Basketball League.
The Eaglettes beat the Kit
tens 16-4, the Topcats beat the
Georgettes 12-7 and the Saints
defeated the Rockettes 17-4 in
the girls’ division.
Greg Marsh scored 11 points
for the Blue Jays. Bill Shepard
made four.
Kelvin Allen had seven points
for the Bullets and Bug Dukes
made three. Keith Beeland
scored six points for the Falcons
and Lloyd Farr made two.
Jimmy Hickman was top
scorer for the Braves with four
Pike MS
finishes
season
Pike County Middle School
ended its regular basketball
season Saturday by defeating
Manschester 34-31. The Pike
team finished with an 8-3
record.
Deborah Blackmon scored 13
points • and made seven
rebounds. Starr Avery scored
seven points and had five
rebounds. Susie Perkins scored
six points, Mona Thomas made
four and Lynn Jones and Gail
Thompson scored two.
Pike was ahead 19-18 at
halftime.
preliminary to a clash between
the Atlanta Hawks and
Washington Bullets.
Craig Nelms and Curtis
Holmes scored 19 points for
Griffin.
points. Ricky Hatchett made
two. Murry Beck and Rusty
Jones scored four for the
Eagles.
Landy Ponder sparked the
Bulls to their victory with six
points. Trent Bailey made two.
John Wynne scored four for the
Blue Birds and Mark Eskins
made three.
Donnie Gresham and James
Reid had four points for the
Bucks. Chris Hodges scored
three for the Hawks and Robert
Eubanks made two.
Allen Scott and Chris
Scharnhorst scored two for the
Cardinals and Chris Casey
made the Royals’ four points.
Missy Putman pumped in 10
points for the Eaglettes. Lindy
Moore made four. Ann Wallace
made four for the Kittens.
Tracy Harper made six points
and Flynn Carlisle scored four
for the Topcats. Krista Cardell
made four for the Georgettes
and Stephanie Morris made
three.
Sharon Savage sparked the
Saints to their win over the
Rockettes with 12 points. Karen
Turner made four. Amanda
Whitaker scored four for the
Rockettes.
Schenk wins
play-day
Sandy Schenk won the Willow
Wind Women’s Golf Association
play-day tournament last week.
Betty Ziesenhene and Dot
Mays tied for second.
The next play-day is
scheduled for Feb. 26.
Miller wins
Hope Classic
By JOE SARGIS
UPI Sports Writer
PALM SPRINGS, Calif.
(UPI) — Until someone more
animated comes along, Johnny
Miller will have to do as the
most outspoken and forthright
player on the PGA tour.
When Miller misses a shot—
which isn’t often—he says, “I
hacked it,” or “I played it
badly,” or “it was as dumb a
thing as anyone could do.”
But when he makes a good
shot, especially if he sinks a
long putt, the good-looking
blond Californian says, “that
was ridiculous.”
Ridiculous or not, Miller
made a string of nine birdies
Sunday in about as spectacular
and powerful a closing round as
one could hope for, for a nine
under 63 and a three shot
victory in the SIBO,OOO Bob Hope
Desert Classic.
The 63 gave Miller a 90-hole
score of 16-under-par 344, won a
prize of $36,000, boosted his 1976
earnings to $84,370, his career
earnings to $1,031,522 and
accounted for his 17th career
victory.
Miller called it his best
tournament victory, and it well
Beechwood wins
two championships
Beechwood walked away with
both championships Saturday in
the “B” team Tournament at
Griffin Academy.
Beechwood’s girls defeated
Eagles
name
Vermeil
PHILADELPHIA (UPI) —
The Philadelphia Eagles’ ex
haustive and sometimes embar
rassing search for a new head
coach ended this weekend when
Dick Vermeil did what Joe
Patemo and Frank Kush
wouldn’t do.
Vermeil, who coached UCLA
to an upset win over Ohio State
in the Rose Bowl last New
Year’s day, signed a five-year
contract to coach the Eagles,
replacing Mike McCormack,
who was fired at the end of last
season.
Eagle Owner Leonard Tose
would not disclose terms of the
contract but called it “a fair
and generous agreement.”
The Eagles’ announcement
Sunday came as a surprise
because Vermeil’s name was
not among those who had been
mentioned as leading can
didates. And the Eagles’
willingness to make lucrative
offers had failed to lure
Patemo, head coach at Penn
State, and Kush, Arizona State
coach, away from campus life.
“It would appear that the
Philadelphia Eagles has made
Dick Vermeil an offer he can’t
refuse,” UCLA Athletic Direc
tor J.D. Morgan said.
“I would not have thought of
applying for the job,” Vermeil
said from his Woodland Hills,
Calif, home. “UCLA is one of
the finest schools in the
country, both in sports and
academically.”
But Vermeil said Tose was
convincing. “I’m thrilled with
receiving the opportunity of
working for Leonard Tose, who
appears to be sincere in getting
a winner in Philadelphia.”
“We got the man we
wanted," Tose said. He called
Vermeil, 39, “a brilliant young
coach.”
“At no time was any one
other than Dick Vermeil offered
the job as Eagles’ head coach,”
Tose said.
General Manager Jim Mur
ray admitted that Kush and
Patemo had said they were not
interested in the job but
Murray said their rejections
came before any actual offers
were made.
Before becoming head coach at
UCLA, Vermeil had been an
assistant under Knox. He had
oeen ired by former Knox'
predecessor, Tommy Prothro,
under whom Vermeil had
worked at UCLA. When Prothro
got the Rams’ job in 1971, he
hired Vermeil as quarterback
coach.
might have been. He went into
the final round with a 72-hole
score of seven under 281 and
his putting stroke erratic at
best.
“I knew I had a chance when
after four mediocre rounds I
was only two shots back,” said
the 28-year-old Miller, who now
is the ninth player in the $1
million club and the youngest.
“I figured if I could drop a few
putts, I would win it I didn’t
expect to make as many birdies
as I did, but that will happen
once I get it started.”
Miller got off winging with a
three foot birdie putt on the
first hole and a five footer on
the second. Birdies at five and
eight enabled him to make th<
turn at Indian Wells, a tight
little desert layout, in 32. And
when he birdied the 10th with a
30-footer, that put John in front.
He never looked back, pick
ing up birdies as well on the
12th, 14th, 16th and 18th holes to
win it going away.
Rik Massengale and Brian
Allin gave Miller a run for his
money. But once Johnny turned
it on coming back, they never
had a chance. As it was, both
shot 67 with Massengale finish-
Twiggs 29-20 in the finals and
Beechwood’s boys defeated
Griffin Academy, 39-31.
Michelle Payne of Beechwood
A
> |j
Ricky Bell (20) of Griffin Academy fights for loose ball.
Beechwood beat the GA “B” team, 39-31. (Photo by
William Wilson)
Smith keeps
karate title
ATLANTA (UPI) - Jeff
Smith pummeled Canada’s
Wally Slocki with whiplash
kicks and battering punches
Wilborn
rolls 591
Jimmy Wilborn bowled a 214
game and a 591 series yesterday
in the Mr. and Mrs. League.
John English had a 215 and a 590
and Pat Gore rolled a 209 and a
566.
Other leading bowlers were:
Freddie Bethune 203, John
Adams 199, Homer Scott 191,
Curt Pressly 191, Leo Roth
bauer 188, George Zater 185,
Annette Rothbauer 182, Mary
Reed 185, Joe DiMatteo 179,
Jolene Taylor 178, Tonya
Pressly 178, Brenda English
175.
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228-7620 Mgr. L. T. Hines
ing closest to Miller with 347
and winning his biggest check
on Tour—s2o,s2o—and Allin
another shot back and winning
$12,780.
Miller, who says whatever is
on his mind, first suggested he
won the Hope because “a nice
little old lady told me she had a
dream Pwon the tournament,”
and later said he knew he was
going to win because he “felt
super and I knew I could beat
these guys.”
Then, it was time to talk
about Nicklaus, whom Miller
uses as a yardstick to measure
his own accomplishments.
“Nicklaus is the best and I’m
never going to catch him in the
majors (Jack has won 16 major
titles),” said Miller, “but I
could catch him on total wins
(Jack has 58) so he can’t rest
on his laurels.
“I’m not afraid of Jack
Nicklaus. I’ll play him any time
but he has accomplished more
than I have, and I don’t think
I’m going to catch him.
Actually, I’m flattered when
people compare me to him, but
I don’t hold him in awe.”
was named the girls’ Most
Valuable Player.
Danny Payne of Beechwood
won the boys’ MVP trophy.
Sunday to win a unanimous
decision and retain the world
light heavy weight karate
championship.
The 28-year-old Smith totally
dominated the nine-round full
contact karate bout, repeatedly
snapping Slocki’s head back
with front kicks between the
Canadian’s hands.
Smith had Slocki in trouble at
the end of five of the two
minute rounds with Slocki
dazed and wobbling.
Nastase
KEAUHOU-KONA, Hawaii
(UPI) — Tennis fans won’t
know until April how Hie
Nastase will stand up under the
new time fault rules for the
world championship tennis
Challenge Cup series.