Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 3

Ubt Arizona DaUn S1ar FIRST EDIT10RI Scorecard 4C Outdoors 8C Money IOC Friday, December 7, 1990 Ampfoi and Sabino eye state IftampioinisSiiiips Panthers must face i todaysgames No. 1 Peoria has special motivation in today's game against Sabercats 4A Championship tough Mesa defense SABINO (13-0) vs.PEORIA (13-0) 4:30 p.m., Sun Devil Stadium 5A Championship AMPHI (12-1) vs. MESA (11-1-1) 7:30 p.m., Sun Devil Stadium Phoenix Cardinal Vai Sikahema recalls the 1979 Amphi-Mesa title game. Page 9C. "That makes me sick.

Good grief. I guess it's time to throw like BYU." He was kidding. Amphi, with record-breaking running back Mario Bates, will test Mesa's defense and its highly regarded linebacking corps with the run, Friedli said. Mesa linebackers Steve Parker, 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and Andy Minor, 5-11, 190, have started the last two seasons. "Fans are going to get their money's worth," said Mesa coach Jim Rattay, who is 129-33-4 in his 15th year at the school.

"What we have is Amphi's gifted running back going See AMPHI, Page 9C By Javier Morales The Arizona Dally Star During the last seconds of Amphitheater's victory over Phoenix St. Mary's last week in the state semifinals, coach Vera Friedli pulled aside a few Panthers and enlightened them on their next challenge. "OK, we're playing Mesa," he said, with a half grin. "They are called the Jackrabbits. Jack-rabbits.

Jack-rabbits. "And we're playing at ASU. A-S-U." The Panthers' preparation for tonight's Class 5A state championship game against Mesa undoubtedly became more sophisticated this week. The game is at 7:30 at Sun Devil Stadium. The last time the teams met, Amphi, under Friedli, defeated Mesa 27-0 for the Class AAA state championship in 1979.

Amphi's players spent this week learning about the capabilities of Mesa quarterback Grady Benton. They know Mesa utilizes the tight end as much as any team in the state. They know the Jackrabbits allow only 78 yards rushing a game. "Oh my, I wish you didn't tell me that," Friedli said with a laugh, referring to Mesa's rushing defense. By Mike Tucker The Arizona Daily Star The Sabino Sabercats are prominent in the memories of 30 Peoria Panthers.

That's because Sabino is the last team to have defeated the 13-0 Panthers. The Sabercats beat Peoria 13-0 last year in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs. The Panthers can erase those memories today in the 4A state championship game. The game is at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium at 4:30 p.m. Channel 18 will begin its telecast at 4 p.m.

Peoria, the state's top-ranked 4A team, defeated Douglas, Sunnyside and Phoenix Thunderbird to advance to the final. Sabino, also 13-0 and ranked No. 2, beat Pueblo, Phoenix Washington and Glendale Cactus en route to this afternoon's game. Peoria coach Doug Clapp said the loss to Sabino is a motivational factor for the Panthers. "Most times you'd say it isn't a factor, but we have 30 kids back from last year's team," Clapp said.

"That's the last loss See SABERCATS, Page 9C Sabino-Peoria on TV Staff report Today's Class 4A state championship football game between Sabino and Peoria will be televised live on KTTU Channel 18. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. Kickoff is at 4:30. It is the first game of a championship doubleheader at Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium. The station had planned to carry the Amphitheater-Mesa 5A championship game at 7:30 p.m.

but changed its plans earlier this week. The Arizona Interscho-lastic Association, citing the potential loss of a substantial portion of the live gate, said KTTU could broadcast the game, but only if it paid the same licensing fee that originating station KTSP of Phoenix paid. Brown is a champion for the oppressed BATON ROUGE, There are 219 miles of North Dakota desolation between Minot and Grand Forks, and almost 40 years to further obscure the memory of the last time Lute Olson met i i fj i II 7 I 1 Greg Hansen So consider tomorrow's LSU-Arizona game something like Hoosiers Revisited or Roots II. Brown is nothing if not true to his past, and his rise from poverty to headlines closely aligns with Olson's story. Two North Dakota farm kids who grew up without a father.

Left the sticks. Beat the odds. Became rich and famous. Brown's boyhood friends make the trip to Baton Rouge every winter, always for a weekend when the Tigers are playing a notable opponent After LSU's practice yesterday, and before Brown's weekly radio program, he squeezed in two hours to schmooze with the old gang. "When you forget where you came from, you aren't ever going to get to where you want to go," said Brown, who is a bit of a basketball evangelist and never lacking for dramatics.

Brown and Purdy grew up on welfare. Burke's mother died when he was 5. His father left home when he was 10. So he lived alone, in a one-room apartment above a tavern. The Browns, Dale and his mother, occupied the room next door.

Basketball was one way out one way to success. In other words, none of them had to worry about picking up the check last night. What are the odds? "What it proves," said Brown, "is that you don't have to lie. You don't have to cheat. You don't have to prostitute yourself.

You don't have to have a connection to get to the top. "The Ail-American story lives, and the three of us here tonight and a man like Lute Olson are proof." Brown's reunion doesn't begin and end with the Arizona game tomorrow. Much of it is connected to tonight's game against Chapman (Calif.) College at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Brown is here, in large part, See HANSEN, Page 2C Bell signs contract with Cubs Outfielder has bitter words for former club By Jim Donaghy The Associated Press CHICAGO A bitter George Bell said good riddance to the Blue Jays yesterday when he signed a $9.8 million, three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. J.

Bell, a free agent wore a Cubs cap at a news conference to announce his signing and smiled for the TV cameras. But when the Toronto Blue Jays were brought up, he couldn't hide his feelings, particularly about general manager Pat Gillick. "That deal was just personal," Bell said. "Pat Gillick didn't want certain players. He probably wanted me to play in Japan or Mexico." The Blue Jays had steadily lost interest in signing the left fielder since the end of the season, and lost all desire Wednesday when they traded first baseman Fred McGriff and shortstop Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Joe Carter and second baseman Roberto Alomar.

Bell spent nine seasons in Toronto and won the MVP award in 1987 when he hit .308 with 47 home runs and 134 RBIs. He has averaged 21 home runs the last three years, and last year he hit .265 with 21 homers and 86 RBIs. Those numbers could increase playing in Wrigley Field. Bell, 31, joins former Montreal Expo Andre Dawson in the Cubs outfield. Dawson won the National League MVP in his first season with Chicago, 1987.

The Cubs are so convinced Bell can still do the job that they gave him an option year. Bell, who earned $2 million in 1990, gets a $1.5 million signing bonus, $1.6 million in 1991 and $3.1 million in 1992 and 1993. Chicago has the option for 1994 at $3.3 million but must pay a $500,000 buyout if it is not exercised. The average annual value of $3,266,667 is the 10th highest is baseball. "We've been looking to add an offensive-type player to our club for a couple of years," Cubs general manager Jim Frey said.

"Players like George Bell aren't available very often. He gives us more power In our lineup, especially from the left-field position." For some time, Bell has claimed to be unappreciated by the Toronto organization. He was particularly critical of Gillick's statement after the San Diego trade that he was looking to change the chemistry of the Blue Jays. "Chemistry?" Bell said. "Pat Gillick ruined the chemistry when he brought Jlmy Williams to manage.

We were building a good team with Bobby Cox as manager." Dale Brown. Olson's Grand Forks Central team beat Brown's Minot St Leo's club 52-44 to win the North Dakota Class A state championship in 1952, and Brown and his cronies resurrected the game in detail last night. "He wasn't 'Lute' then, he was And I still remember his uniform number, 24," said Dr. Paul Purdy, a dentist from Minot, N.D., who sat across the table from LSU coach Dale Brown at a trendy Baton Rouge saloon. "Dale scored 21 points but Luke still beat us I'm still not happy about it." This is old home week at LSU.

Brown's schoolboy teammates are here and they plan to get together with Olson before tomorrow's nationally televised game with the Tigers to stir some dust. Tom Burke, a rancher who now lives in Kansas City, brought some yellowed copies of St. Leo's 1952 school newspaper, the Purple and White, and most valued among the clippings is a sports column written by the 1952 sports editor. That'd be Dale Brown. "Dale wrote a story wrapping up our basketball season, and in it he lists all of the bests and worsts of the season," said Burke.

"One of the categories is 'Most Feared And he wrote down Luke Olson." LSU's Dale Brown has more In common with Lute Olson than tomorrow's game Umpire amuses vets With stories, magic tricks 1 tliVrfj' 1 Montague comes from a baseball family. His father, also named Edward, played for the Cleveland Indians in the 1930s and became a scout for the Giants. His dad was in Birmingham, one year, scouting a first base prospect in the old Negro Leagues, when he spotted a 17-year-old in center field. The kid had a rifle arm, could run like the wind and hit with power. The kid's name was Willie Mays.

"I think my dad signed him for $500, plus a $1,500 signing bonus," he said. This has been a tough time for umpires. Bob Engel of the National League was charged with shoplifting. Former umpire Dave Pallone revealed that he was a homosexual. Montague himself was involved in a controversial argument with the St Louis Cardinals' Vince Coleman.

Montague ended up with a cut on his forehead from Coleman's batting helmet Coleman was ejected and fined. "We were getting killed this year," Montague said. "I've got the names of a few reporters written down. They're not allowed in our locker room." Montague has a close relationship with one former member of the press, however. His wife, Marcia, used to be a reporter for the Casa Grande Dispatch.

They met when she interviewed Montague on the life of an' umpire. "She misspelled the name of Willie Mays," he said. "That's how much she knew about baseball." Montague said he visits VA hospitals for free because he remembers his own recovery from a shooting incident while he was in the U.S. Navy. "I hope people remember what you've done for this country." By Steve Melssner The Arizona Dally Star He strode into the room and announced in a booming voice: "Hi, I'm Ed Montague.

I'm a major-league umpire." One of the men looked up and grunted. "Oh yeah?" he said to a hospital official. "Think he can see us?" Montague laughed. "You sound like some of the ballplayers I know," he said. Montague was in Tucson yesterday to tour the Veterans Administration Medical Center in connection with the Disabled American Veterans.

He was fresh from visits to VA hospitals in Cheyenne and Sheridan, and Denver. He was heading to the airport yesterday to visit a hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. Montague made the vets smile with a few baseball stories, and he wowed them with some of the tricks he has learned during more than 20 years as an amateur magician. Montague, a 15-year National League veteran, visits about a dozen VA hospitals a year for the DAV, a non-profit organization that provides services to veterans all around the country. Montague, 42, was behind the plate for the 1990 All-Star Game.

He was working first base the day Pete Roa broke Ty Cobb's record with his base hit Witnessing that moment "was one of the greatest thrills of my life," Montague recalled. He was on the right field foul line during Game 6 of the 1 986 World Series, when Moo-kle Wilson of the New York Mets hit a ground ball between the legs of Boston Red Scoreboard NBA SuperSonics 105, Heat 103 Lakers 83, Timberwolves 73 Rockets 1 1 6, Hornets 110 Bullets at Kings, late Roundup, Page 3C NHL Canadiens 6, Bruins 4 Sabres 4, Penguins 3 Blackhawks 5, Islanders 3 Maple Leafs 2, North Stars 1 (OT) Rounduj), Page 3C AP Top 25 basketball (10) N. Carolina 79, (14) UConn 64 (11) Pitt 105, Marshall 75 Tenn. Tech 84, (15) S. Miss 78 Roundup, Page 2C BenJIe Sanders, The Arizona Daily Star National League umpire Ed Monta- Radford, a Veterans Administration gue performs a card trick with Brenda Medical Center employee.

Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. The play helped New York to a world championship. Montague picked up the ball and gave it to a Mets executive at the end of the Series. Montague said he quickly learned an umpire needs two things thick skin and a sense of humor. He started in the California League in 1972.

His salary was $300 a month. Money was tight So were his bargain-basement pants. He was behind the plate for his first game in Modesto, Calif. He leaned over, and the seat of his pants split open. He picked up a local newspaper the next day, and there was his picture on the sports page.

"It wasn't my best side," he recalled. "And the headline read, 'Opening I.