The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 34

Sports on the air Sports SECTION Sunday, November 13, 1977 Akron Beacon Journal PRO FOOTBALL I em. Cfevtund Pimburgh. Ch. 1. 11, WAKR (ISfO), WKNT-FM 100 I).

I nm. Detroit ium, Ch. 17. 4 PA CncmruK HamnM, Ch. 2.

II. WHLO (MO). HOCKEY pjn. OvfUntf lM, WKNT-FM (100.11. WJW (ISO).

Bucks rip Indiana, await Wolves And then there was 1 III added, "that they're still not the best" Ohio State went into Saturday's game ranked No. 4 in the wire service polls. It had to be a jarring setback for Corso Saturday. Indiana came into town with a 4-4-1 record and was determined to prove it could play with the Big Ten's top echelon. And for a half, the Hoosiers did just that with a gambling, gutsy offense and defense which held Ohio State to a 7-7 halftime stalemate before 87,786.

BUT Ohio State erupted for three third-period touchdowns and completely dominated the second half. In the end, the Buckeyes amassed 409 yards to Indiana's 255 with 368 of Ohio State's total coming on the ground as it remained the No. 1 rushing team in the nation. games. Michigan also is 9-1 but is 6-1 in Big Ten play.

Ohio State can win the Rose Bowl trip with a victory or tie Saturday at Ann Arbor. Michigan must win to claim the trip to Pasadena and a Big Ten co-championship. HAYES SAID he did not hear Corso's endorsement in the post-game gaggle on the field. "That was nice of him to say," smiled Woody when Informed of Corso's remark. Corso paid the Bucks another big compliment, too.

"You gotta remember," said the Indiana coach, "that Ohio State is just an onside kick away from being No. 1 in the nation." That was in reference to Ohio's 29-28 loss to Oklahoma. "And I'm not too sure," Corso By JACK PATTERSON Beacon Journal Staff Writer COLUMBUS The words were lost on Woody Hayes, but as Indiana coach Lee Corso congratulated the Ohio State mentor Saturday, his parting words were "Good luck in the Rose Bowl." Ohio State had just whipped Indiana 35-7 to clinch a share of an unprecedented sixth straight Big Ten championship and set up Saturday's Rose Bowl match with Michigan, and Corso obviously was impressed. Afterward, Corso refused to make a prediction on the outcome of the Buckeye-Wolverine battle, but his on-field remark revealed his sentiments. Ohio State heads into the Michigan showdown with a 9-1 record and unbeaten in seven conference "They just had too many and too i.

powerful people for us," Corso said. "It's like fighting a champion. You might stay withf-him for awhile but he beats you to death in the last four or five; rounds." For a half though, the irrepressi- ble Corso made a real battle of it. His Hoosiers took the opening kickoff and jammed the ball the throats of Ohio State's proud 5 defense which hoped to score school record fifth shutout for theI season. Indiana went 80 yards, all I but 18 of them on the ground, to rj score on a two-yard pass from; quarterback Scott Arnett to end -i Keith Calvin.

Ohio State came right back to tie at 7-all with a 53-yard drive See BUCKS, page D- Bucks' Campbell eludes tackier for 20-yard gain A football game a way of life Tom 2pN Melody Mf rVf CANTON The clumps of soggy straw along the sidelines The ever-growing puddles that eventually caused the field to become a land of interlocking lakes And the snow that brought dusk at 2 in the afternoon It could not be 1977. It had to be another year, another time. Maybe it was 1894, the year that Canton and Massillon began the most gripping scholastic football rivalry in all creation. For once a year the clock is stilled in these proud, neighboring cities and life and death is a football game. Nobody chooses sides.

You are born on one side or the other and you die there. You are a Bulldog or a Tiger and you wear the red and black of Canton McKinley or the black and orange of Massillon as if it were your coat of arms. And if you are one of the chosen few who are gifted enough to participate in this game your name becomes an unforgettable etching on the minds of the 20,000 who snuggle shoulder to shoulder for this sacred undertaking. Canton, and Massillon is the birthplace of the grandest of all coaching careers, Paul Brown's. The game is a meeting place for yesterday, a time for Leo Strang and others who have coached in it to come back and dream of the days that were so trying yet so special.

Strang laughed during the halftime intermission and said, "This might be remembered as the game we (Massillon) won with our tarp." Of course, even 10 years later, It is still "we" as far as Strang, who went from Massillon to Kent State University and then retired from coaching, is concerned. The Massillon Booster Club sent its tarp over to Fawcett Stadium so that the field could be protected. But McKinley, feeling it had the more powerful team, indignantly returned it. Thus was born a mighty piece of ammunition for the Massillon coaches. "They (McKinley) figure you're nothing but a bunch of Fancy Dans who can't take it when the See A FOOTBALL, page D-ll INDEED, it seems that some are born to play.

There is, for instance, a McKinley defensive back named Doak Walker. And there is the old story that all male babies born in Massillon are given a football shortly after they receive the traditional crack on the backside from the doctor. Excessive? No, not in these towns. For football gets them through their bad times and makes the good times better. Football has made Canton and Massillon stars, rather than dots, on the map.

There is the Pro Football Hall of Fame here in 1 Hiniini Epitome for a Massillon couple I yllv vi 13AV- Massillon upsets McKinley despite snowy conditions ri -I fit is: AdT SET SM stay with them. All I needed was a dry ball," he added, smiling. A crowd in excess of 21,000 braved snow squalls which grew so intense during the first half that the players were barely visible on the field. In fact, Offenbecher, who scored the game's first touchdown on a 10-yard sprint by rolling out and somersaulting the last four yards over the head of defensive tackle Floyd McNeal, admitted he never saw the end zone stripe because of the snow on the field. OFFENBECHER, who led Massillon to an 8-2 record, finished with seven completions in nine attempts for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

He is well over the mark in yardage this season. Massillon's offense didn't do it all. The Tigers' defense limited McKinley's strong ground game built around speedy Rick Asberry and bullish Ben Lee to just 81 yards. And the Bulldogs never got a first down until picking By MILAN ZBAN Btacon Journal Staff Writtr CANTON You'll never convince Massillon football coach Mike Currence or his quarterback Brent Offenbecher that foul weather is a passer's worst enemy. Offenbecher warmed up by throwing bullets through a snowstorm before unloading two "bombs" of 48 and 51 yards as Massillon upset the state's No.

2-ranked and previously unbeaten Canton McKinley Bulldogs at Fawcett Stadium Saturday. "A lot of people thought when the field got muddy that McKinley could run in it and we couldn't pass and that's a fallacy," said Currence, who now has two straight victories over McKinley in two seasons at Massillon. "We've played in the rain before and did well throwing the ball," said Offenbecher, a junior. "I feel a team that throws the ball has the edge when the weather is sloppy because our receivers can cut and the defense can't keep their feet to up four in a row in the final five minutes. McKinley never got beyond its own 35 yard line in the first half; and only crossed midfield once in the contest.

With 5:06 remaining, the Bull-' dogs drove from their own 33 to the Massillon 10, but as the clock wound down to 1:41, Mike Brown's pass was intercepted by defensive back Kevin Gowans at the Tigers! five yard line. Massillon ran out the clock and increased its edge in the series to 45-32-5. Although denied a perfect season, McKinley still has an excellent op, portunity for admittance into the. state Class AAA playoffs. Barberton, McKinley's closest pursuer in the state computer rank ings in Region Three, assured the; Bulldogs their spot when they were -upset Friday night 17-8 by Cuyahoga Falls.

It appears now that McKinley. will face the Region One champion (either Cleveland St. Joseph Mentor Lake Catholic) In the state semifinals at the Rubber Bowl Friv See MASSILLON, page D-lfl Beacon Journal photo by Paul Toptt Mike Ilickey upends McKinley's Chuck Taylor as pass floats through snow A night for Zip seniors By JIM DERENDAL Beacon Journal Staff Writer It was Steve Cockerham Night at the Rubber Bowl. However, as far as University of Akron football coach Jim Dennison was concerned, it was not only a night for the Zips' All-American linebacker, but for all the team's seniors as well. "We had 18 seniors dress for the game and they all played, and played well," said Dennison.

I rrfrx lvj (The top 2(jf VCP Press' top 20 major college Here's how the Associated football teams fared Saturday: 1. Texas (9-0-0) beat Texas Christian 44-14. "We're going to miss this group. We had special honors for the seniors after our pre-game meal and it really got the kids up." Indeed, the Zips were 'up' enough to completely dominate Western Illinois and capture a 42-7 decision before 2,006 in the season-ending game for both teams. IN A GAME that was played in an almost constant snowfall, the Zips gained their sixth victory against four defeats and a tie.

Western finishes 3-7. "A couple of months ago we wouldn't have been very happy with a 6-4-1 record," Dennison added, "but looking back it could have been a lot different and a lot worse. "For the second straight week we just blew the opposition off the field on offense (last week Akron beat Marshall 28-7) and shut them down on defense. "Mark Hovanec ran very well again and Marty Bezbatchenko directed the offense exceptionally well." Hovanec led both teams with 94 yards in 27 carries and scored two touchdowns. The senior fullback ended as the Zips' leading rusher on the season with 535 yards.

Bezbatchenko, who regained the Beacon Journal photo by Ted Waits Kent's Neil Ferree (34) rubs Mark Hunter's nose in the mud and snow Kent falls; only foes give 'toot' 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

17. 18. 19. 20. Alabama (9-1-0) beat Miami (Fla.) 36-0.

Oklahoma (9-1-0) beat Colorado 52-11. Ohio State (9-1-0) beat Indiana 35-7. Notre Dame (8-1-0) beat Clemson 21-17. Michigan (9-1-0) beat Purdue 40-7. Kentucky (9-1-0) beat Florida 14-7.

Arkansas (8-1-0) beat Texas 26-20. Perm State (9-1-0) beat Temple 44-7. Pittsburgh (8-1-1) beat Army 52-26. Texas (6-2-0) lost to Arkansas 26-20. Nebraska (8-2-0) beat Kansas 52-7.

Brtgham Young (7-1-0) played night game. Southern Cal (6-4-0) lost to Washington 28-10. Clemson (7-2-1) lost to Notre Dame 21-17. Florida State (8-1-0) beat Memphis State 30-9. Arizona State (7-1-0) played night game.

Texas Tech (7-2-0) beat Southern Methodist 45-7. North Carolina (7-2-1) beat Virginia 35-14. Colgate (10-0-0) beat Northeastern 48-39. By JOHN SEABURN Beacon Journal Staff Writer KENT Dennis Fitzgerald and his Kent State Golden Flashes have found there is a variety of ways to lose since hard times struck several weeks ago. There have been injuries, to be sure.

This week alone, an unheard of total of 27 position changes had to be made in Kent's two-deep offensive and defensive lineups. And fumbles! The Flashes have coughed up the football 37 times and opponents have taken possession on 15 occasions. NOW, OF all things, comes a girl seated in the visitors' bleachers and blowing inspirational music on a trumpet to add to Kent's woes. Sue Ellen Pongracz of Lorain, a Miami University student and the girlfriend of Redskin "quarterback Larry Fortner, had only to toot her musical message once or twice as the Miamians scored a 25-0 victory over Kent State before 5,421 snow- covered fans at Dix Stadium Satur- day. Miss Pongracz hit on the idea of -igniting Redskin scoring marches by playing composer Gioacchino" Rossini's William Tell Overture' A See KENT, page D-6 See ZIPS, page D-8.