The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 382

C9A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1992 SD LOS ANGELES TIMES San Diego County Crunch Halts the Sockers' Winning Streak at 1 1 Games scoring streak to 10 games, a team high this season and a career high for Wright. The goal came from a set play off a re-start from the top of the arc, the same set play the Sockers have been successful on in five of the past seven games. Woodberry and Wright line up on opposite sides of the ball. One of them takes a dummy run to upset the defensive wall, the other shoots through it, around it or over it. This time Wright shot through it after Crunch defenders George Fernandez and Michael King had flinched at Woodberry's fake shot.

Woodberry scored his second of the half with just over two minutes remaining, this time using his left foot to power a pass from Kevin Crow by Orf. But 15 seconds later the Crunch the net. That gave the Crunch a 6-4 lead. The Crunch scored the quickest goal the Sockers have given up this season when Dave Hoggan connected on a pass from Hector Marinaro on a re-start only 48 seconds into the game. Hoggan was back challenging goalie Victor Nogueira again nine minutes later.

This time he let a pass from Chris Szanto come to him off the end boards. Hoggan, just inside the penalty area, dribbled once before hitting it by Nogueira for a 2-0 lead. It was 3-0 not even two minutes later as George Fernandez collected the rebound of Andy Schmetz-er's shot and let loose with a rocket from just inside the red line that homed in on the right side of the net. But like St. Louis' 3-0 lead Sunday, this one would not last.

Thompson Usiyan finally broke the ice for the Sockers with 2 minutes 35 seconds remaining in the quarter. The initial shot was taken by Tim Wittman from behind his red line. Although it was well high, goalie Otto Orf jumped for it anyway. He missed it, allowing it to carrom off the glass and toward Usiyan, who had to leap high to head it past Orf. That was the first of three Sockers goals within a span of 3:40.

Terry Woodberry made it 3-1 two minutes after Usiyan scored by surprising the Cleveland defense with a right -footed shot from some 35 feet out. Woodberry is known for a powerful left foot. A minute into the second quarter Paul Wright extended his goal- began a string of four consecutive goals and rebuilt its three-goal advantage. Hector Marinaro started things with a goal from right in front of the net. The Crunch's string continued into the third quarter.

Like Mari-naro's, the next three goals came from right in front of the net, indicating a defensive breakdown. Rudy Pikuzinski broke free 1:27 into the quarter and got to a pass from Schmetzer that he tucked in to give the Crunch a 5-4 lead. After Hoggan got one by Crow to make it a two-goal lead, Kai Haas-kivi stretched it to three after taking a pass from Pikuzinski that crossed the goal mouth at the left post and hitting it home. The Sockers' final goal came with 2:29 left in the third quarter. Sockers Coach Ron Newman has been saying all along that his team isn't that much better than the rest of the league, and Wednesday the Sockers proved him right.

They allowed Cleveland to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. After coming back to forge a 4-3 advantage, the Sockers allowed a string of four consecutive goals from which they couldn't come back. From the Sockers' perspective, the game was summed up on one play in their defensive end late in the third quarter. Kevin Crow had settled a rebound in the penalty area, but, with his back to the rest of the field, did not turn and do anything with it. The result was Hoggan scoring the last of his goal after racing, not sneaking, in from the midfield and poking it away from Crow and into ByJOHNGEIS TIMES STAFF WRITER SAN DIEGO-The Sockers had yon 11 in a row and were going for No.

12 against a team that not only was missing its leading scorer, but the MSL's leading scorer. Not much of a challenge there, and maybe that was the problem. The Sockers were lethargic at the start and finish. In between, the Cleveland Crunch spiked the longest streak in the Major Soccer League since 1985-86, 7-5, in front of 9,246 at the Sports Arena. "They've won 11 in a row so they expect to win every time out," said Cleveland's Dave Hoggan, who, in the absence of Zoran Karic, came through with three goals.

"Maybe that has something to do with it." COLLEGE BASKETBALL TODAY'S GAMES WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BRUCE K. HUFF Los Angelas Times Tom Weiskopf went months during his layoff without playing. Air Force (8-15, 2-9) at San Diego State (2-21, 0-11) Time 7:30 p.m. TV None. Radio XTRA (690).

Like many other teams, San Diego State is under pressure as the season creeps to a close. However, the Aztecs aren't facing the pressure of a conference championship race. What they face is embarrassment. With a loss tonight they could tie the school record with 17 losses in a row. You can bet SDSU will have the first debacle with Air Force this season in mind as they take the court.

In that game, nationally televised on ESPN, the Falcons manhandled the Aztecs, 65-47. The game was basically over before it was five minutes old. The Aztecs have been wearing T-shirts this week with the lettering, "We're on a Journey to the but even the WAC tournament looks nearly impossible to reach since Air Force defeated Texas El Paso on Saturday, 75-72. The only way the Aztecs can qualify is to win three of their final five games and have Air Force go winless. SDSU will be without starting forward Courtie Miller, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday morning and is done for the season.

-SCOTT MILLER WEST COAST CONFERENCE USD (11-12, 3-7 at GONZAGA (17-6, 7-3) Time 7:30 p.m. TV None. Radio KSDO (1130) It can't get much lower for USD than last Saturday, which began with guard Michael Brown involved in a rainy weather fender-bender on the way to the game (he was unhurt but missed warmups) and ended with a 106-104 double overtime loss to Loyola Marymount, the Toreros' sixth consecutive loss. And things may not get easier tonight when the Toreros begin their final road trip in Spokane against the surprise second-place team. Gonzaga started USD's skid with a 71-69 overtime win in San Diego.

The Zags lead the WCC in shooting (51.7) and have the conference's best newcomer in 6-9 sophomore transfer Jeff Brown, who is averaging 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and shooting 64 in WCC games. He had 20 points in the teams' first meeting. Gonzaga ranks sixth nationally in three-point percentage (43.3), led by big guard Jarrod Davis, who averages 16.9 points. USD center Brooks Barnhard, who was weakened by flu last week, had a career-high 22 points in the first game against Gonzaga. Senior guard Wayman Strickland needs 19 points to become the 12th player in school history with 1,000.

Junior forward Gylan Dottin remains the Toreros' most consistent player in conference games, ranking third in the WCC in rebounding (eight per game) and averaging 13.2 points. Kelvin Woods leads in overall scoring at 14.1 per game. Sophomore Chris Grant, who started in Barnhard's place against Loyola, had a season-high 18 points and raised his WCC shooting percentage to a team-best .531. -ALAN DROOZ chance to win because the course is playing longer and harder." Defending champion Jay Don Blake, who posted a 20-under 268 to claim his first Tour victory in last year's Shearson Lehman Brothers Open, placed fourth last week in the Northern Telecom Open in Tuscon. A frustrated Blake had thrown his putter into a pond while playing golf shortly before his visit to Torrey, and he credited a newfound putter with his success.

He shot back-to-back 67s for a two-stroke victory over runner-up Bill Sander and earned $180,000. Phil Mickelson, a San Diego standout junior golf who is now a senior at Arizona State, won the 1991 event in Tucson, and has chosen this hometown event as one of his five designated professional tournament appearances this year. Kevin Riley, a sophomore at San Diego State who attended Madison High School, earned admission to the tournament with a 68 in the amateur qualifying tournament. Floyd, who like Weiskopf becomes eligible for the Seniors Tour this year, was scheduled to play here, but was forced to withdraw when he learned his home in Florida suffered extensive fire damage. Tom Purtzer also withdrew because of a back injury.

John Cook, who has already claimed victories in the Bob Hope Classic and the Hawaiian Open this season, joins big-hitting John Daly and popular Ben Crenshaw as top draws in the tournament. "I think because of the equipment that the guys have available to them," Weiskopf said, "I really doubt whether there is ever going to be a dominant player. It has equalized the game too much. "It's a different game now. I enjoy watching these guys play.

What amazes me is the hardest thing to do is hit the ball straight, and that's all they do. They don't move it around like we did. They are better players, although you really can't compare. I just know these guys shoot some scores that I can't believe." Imperial Beach girl who lost four limbs because of a bacterial infection. Jessica now has prostheses and walks remarkably well.

Dravecky told Jessica he had written a children's book, "Welcome Back, Dave," and said, "If I can get your address, I'll send you a copy." Jessica's eyes lit up, and her mother quickly provided her address. The book Dravecky mentioned is one of four, two for children, that he has turned out since his retirement. "Comeback" was his first, and "When You Can't Come Back" is to be published next fall. "Welcome Back Dave" is for ages 6 through 8, "Comeback for Kids" for ages 9 through 12. For Dravecky's reaction to his pro-am experience, one had only to see the smile on his face.

"I had a ball," he said. "Having so much fun on this beautiful golf course in beautiful San Diego. It was awesome." GOLF Continued from CI 1 "I needed to pursue something else because I was going nowhere in my. happiness. I just felt like I going nowhere in the game.

I had two teen-agers I wanted to i spend some time with, and I always wanted to pursue golf course architecture, which I have done. I just didn't want to be a golfer all life." Weiskopf walked off the fairways and became a TV commentator and a successful golf architect. He didn't touch a golf club for 18 months at one stretch. V'l have a boy who is a freshman in college," Weiskopf said. "Actually he got me started back in golf about three years ago.

I'd go months without playing. "He said, 'you know, dad, I've read and heard so much about you. I 'want to see you play. I want to p)ay with That's all it was. I wanted to show him how to play the game.

I wanted to get him started. In doing so, it became fun again." Eric Weiskopf has gone on now to play golf to a two handicap at Ohio State his father's alma materand Tom Weiskopf is preparing his game for the Seniors Tour. On Nov. 9, that young kid who won the Andy Williams San Diego Open, turns 50, and how old does that make you? "It was very easy for me to play this game; I had a lot of ability," Weiskopf said. "But when it con-tcerns your happiness and maybe your well-being, leaving was the best thing I did.

"Now I have another opportunity and I'm going to try and make ithe best of it as patiently as I can. I guess I wish before '82 I would 'have practiced harder or done a Ffew more things differently, but that's the way I was. i 1 "All I know is I have two wonderful kids; there have been no "problems. I've been married for 25 years. Great friends.

Successful 'business and I had a successful career. And I can still play, still play that game that has done so 'much for me." DRAVECKY Continued from CI iyour bootstraps, to be tough and never show your emotions. But I couldn't handle it. For the first 'time, I was frustrated. The thing was my livelihood my left arm was gone." Dravecky noted that his wife, Jan, had initiated the idea of seeing a counselor.

1 "She was really struggling," Dravecky said. "She had lost her father in '89, and everything added She wanted us to go to a and I appeased her. "We're still in counseling, and benefited very much from i What was the turning point? "It occurred over a period of sessions," Dravecky said. "Basically, the lesson I learned was that it was OK to admit fear. I'm not boasting, but I found that to be a strength, instead of putting on a fjcade." t.

Dravecky recalled that his wife tiad helped him over the same tfarrier of fear at the start of his rflajor league career, which ran fjom 1982 to 1989 and which he completed with a 64-57 record. "When I came up with the Padres, I was terrible," he said. wife asked what was wrong, and for the first time I admitted i at I was scared. After that, I was able to go out and not see every m)dy I faced as Babe Ruth, which I was doing. i "The rest is history.

I wound up i sticking around." Although he still gives speeches, ravecky has reduced his sched-iifle. "I was speaking eight or 10 times month," he said. "I had had no Saining whatsoever, and to this BUICK INVITATIONAL Site Torrey Pines Time Tee times beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday; Tee times beginning at 8:15 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

TV Channel 39 (1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) Purse $1 million, with winner receiving $180,000 Defending champion Jay Don Blake (20-under-par 268) Top players Ben Crenshaw, John Daley, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Nick Price, Phil Mick-elson Admission Daily tickets $15; juniors 17 and younger) $2 General parking Torrey Pines Glider Port, $3 day would be pretty good. "I just don't see anyone shooting under 65 on the South Course. On the last day in the past you've had to shoot 65 or 66 to win because there are so many guys in contention. I can see this year shooting 68 on the last day to win because there won't be so many guys with a ball career.

"It's tough getting back into a school groove after 17 years." Asked if he had a golf handicap, Kennedy said, "Yeah, my wedge." A big crowd gathered at the first tee when Dravecky began his round at 11:07 a.m. Before he teed off, he said, "You folks out there in front, heads up." He then hit a 30-yard popup that left the fans silent, but followed with a 170-yar-der that drew a big cheer, then hit a personal-best 185-yard drive on No. 2. Once, when he flubbed a shot out of the rough, Dravecky said, "I could have used my foot wedge and hit it farther than that." Another time, when he whiffed in an attempt to escape a bunker, he quipped, "That was a practice swing." Along the way, Dravecky signed autograph after autograph, many in the middle of the fairway. When he finished, he signed one for Jessica Esquivel, the 7-year-old Thursday's Tee Times Weiskopf had a reputation for allowing his temper to get the best of him during his heyday, and while always opinionated, he was not always the most approachable after a poor round of golf.

"I have worn many hats," Weiskopf said with a grin. "I was very tough on myself. I was what you would classify a heavy. I was just very intense, very demanding, and I didn't look around very much and see what was happening around me. I wasn't aware of what this arena is like that you're in.

"After you've been out of it awhile it's pretty to easy to see, yeah, I could look back and see a lot of mistakes and better ways to do things. But that's all part of growing up." A grown-up Weiskopf joins a field of 156 for the four-round Buick Invitational, which will be played over the North and South courses the first two days. Saturday and Sunday the tournament will confine itself to the longer South Course. "The course is playing long," said Fred Couples, the PGA player of the year in 1991. "Sunday there won't be 15 guys with a chance to win as there have been in the past.

I would think four -under a day I'm amazed that I've been able to do it. I wouldn't have thought it possible in a million years." Asked if he had a few standard speeches, he said, "No, I don't prepare anything. I basically share what's in my heart. I'm aware of what kind of audience I have, and I allow my talk to take its own course. "It's a source of encouragement to other people, and that in essence helps me.

It also keeps me from thinking about the things I have to handle personally." Golf is the first sport Dravecky has undertaken since his arm was amputated, and he doesn't have much experience to fall back on. "I played very little golf during my baseball career," he said. "My wife was already a baseball widow, and I didn't want to make her a golf widow as well." Add to this the fact that Dravecky has had to adjust to being right-handed, and it is surprising that he does as well on the links as he does. Amateurs' scores are not kept in pro-ams, but he had one par in his round on the North course, sinking a long chip shot on the 12th hole. "This is only the fourth time I've played," he said.

"The first two times, I couldn't finish 18 holes. I was tired. I got tired today, but I think it was because of jet lag. I got in late last night." Appropriately, Dravecky engaged an old Padre and Giant teammate, ex-catcher Terry Kennedy, to serve as his caddie. Kennedy, who lives in Escondido, retired after last season and has gone back to school, working toward his business degree at Cal State San Marcos.

He called Dravecky to offer his services. "I need four or five semesters," said Kennedy, who attended Florida State before starting his base years with the Chargers, 11 as a player and five as a coach. "Playing under Don Coryell," he said, "was the highlight of my career he said. Playing with Fouts and Winslow and Jefferson and Wes) Chandler and all those guys. That was really fun.

I enjoyed those years." There were even highs and lows within those years. The one-game highlight, to Joiner, was winning the 1979 AFC West championship. He did not mention that the game was against Denver on a Monday night. He did not mention that San Diego was in an absolute frenzy over the Chargers. He did not mention that Charlie Joiner went to the locker room twice that night to have injuries repaired and came back to catch the decisive 32-yard touchdown pass from Fouts.

Charlie Joiner wouldn't mention his heroics. The low light, he said, was that game in Cincinnati for the AFC championship in January, 1982. "It was 57 degrees below zero," he said. "I didn't enjoy that." Those years were jammed with big games, exciting games. San Diego enjoyed football like it has not enjoyed football since.

Unfortunately, as an assistant coach, Joiner has also suffered through the lean years of late. "I wish we could have won more games as coaches," he said, "but we didn't. The result is that they make changes. I hate not coaching in San Diego any more, but life goes on." For Joiner, life will go on in Buffalo. "My wife kept telling me I wouldn't be happy out of football," he said.

"I thought I had a good chance in San Francisco, but it didn't work out. I went to Buffalo and they treated me so nice and head coach Marv Levy was such a nice guy." Niceties, you see, are meaningful to such a man. The woman who thought maybe he might be an entertainer and then didn't think he could possibly be a football player was right on the mark with her very first perception. Charlie Joiner is a gentleman. DISTEL Continued from CI receiver" drew a blank look.

She smiled, however. She was apparently satisfied knowing she was following someone famous. Given an opportunity to make myself more clearly understood, I could have and would have told her how Charlie Joiner is so much bigger in status than he is in stature. You would not know it by talking to him or maybe even looking at him, but that is part of his charm. Charlie Joiner has always been a quiet man.

As a player, he did not have the dramatic flair of a Kellen Winslow or the dash and splash of a John Jefferson or the controversial arrogance of a Dan Fouts. And yet he blended with those guys in what was a perfect offensive recipe concocted by Don Coryell. When he retired after the 1986 season, he did it as quietly as he could. He was not one to court fan fare. This was not a klieg lights and red carpet guy.

He went to work as an assistant coach, an ideal position for a man with his temperament. He disappeared, as assistant coaches tend to disappear. Doing his job was all he wanted to do. Just as quietly, Charlie Joiner is disappearing from San Diego. When Dan Henning went out the door, the assistant coaches went with him.

That was the way it was written. Assistant coaches tend to be a rather generic bunch, absorbing their demise en masse. And so it was reportedly not too long afterward that Joiner had been hired as wide receiver coach by the Buffalo Bills. This too was back of the section news. He would quietly take his quiet and professional manner to a new city and a new team in another corner of the continent.

Wrong. Charlie Joiner has been too important for too long hereabouts to just wander off and become an answer to one of those whatever-happened -to questions. Obviously, both good and bad have been spread among his 16 Biddi tnttattnH ol CiWinito TM Tknae and PiMngi fof Tnmday At Torrey Pines Mwildpel North Course FMTM 10 B.m. Sam Random, Loren Roberts, Dudley Hen; 1009 Doug TeweH. Raymond Floyd.

Mike Smith; 10:18 Tom WtUtool, Buddy GanM, Gary MtCocil; 10:36 Tim Simpson, Wayne LevLDomle Hammond; 1 0:45 Jim McGovem, OJn Browne, Robert Friend; 10:54 Ronnie Black, David Edwards, Bobby WadWns: 1 1:03 Gary HelBMrg, Bay Meyfair, Mike Springer; 11:12 MerkWiebe, Woody Blackburn, Bart Bryant: 11:21 DA Weibrinj. Bily Andrede, Steve Pate; 11:30 Craig Stadler, GH Morgan, Leonard Tbompson: 11:39 Michael StanoTy, Jerry Anderson. John Ross; 1 1 :48 Bruce Zabriskl, Paul Mdntlre, EJ. Prister. 10th Tee 10 am Robert Wrerm.

Ma lye, Dave Rummels; 1009 John mmen. Bob Gilder, Chris Perry; 10:18 Bred Faon, Bob Twey, Chip Beck; 10:27 Russ Cochran, Ndan Henke, Dan Foreman: 10:36 Michael Allen, Greg Lesher, Greg Frederick; 10:45 Ernlyn Aubrey. CMS Tucker, Randy Peterson; 10:54 lorry MUe, Lonce Ten Broeck, David Ogdn; 11:03 Sandy Lyle, HowardTwitty, Brad Bryant; 11:12 Bobby Clampett, Jim Halel Rky Hawasjshl; 11:21 Fred Couples, Ji Huston, JefTSkiMn; 11:30 Nick Price, Jodie Mudd, Peter Persons; 11:39 Marco Dawson, Jolm ElWt Trm McGkinis; 11:46 Sonny Skinner, Tray Tyner.JefT Duncan. Sooth Course Fir it Tee 10a.m. LonHlnMe.

Ed Hurrvsnlk, Richard Zokol; 1009-Hal Sutton, Bob Estes, Akl Ohmechl; John Cook, Tommy Armour III, Greg Twiggs; edcock, Fran Qulnn, David Toms; 10:45 Kim Young, Dicky Thompson, Kevin Rley: 10:54 Jay Haas, Ed Dougherty. Jay Dehmg; 11:03 Tom Sleckmann; 11:12 Keith Clearwater, FJrad Febel, BU Sander; 1 1:21 Corey Ravin, PhM Mickelson, Joey Smdelar; 1 1:30 David Peoples. Bruce FWshet, BUI GJssson; 1 1 :39 Carl Cooper. P.H. Horgan III, Chris Starkktfiarsi; 1 1 :48 Kely GJbson, MM Cunning.

Paul Wise. lOHiTee 10 a.m.-Dan HatJonon, Scott Gump, Larry Fanker; l(h09 Teen Fehr, Bob Wofcott, Kirk 10:18 Davis Love III. Jim Gatather Tom Watson: 10:27 Tom Punter, Kenny Knox, Ben Crenshaw; Martin, Jon Chaffee, Bit Barrett; lft45--GregWhlsman, Dave Peege, Mark Camevak); 10:54 George bums, Duffy WaWorf, Frank Conner; 11:03 PhB FJIackmar, David Canine, Lome Clemens: 1 1:12 Dan Pohl, Heal Lancaster, John Adams; 11:21 John Daly, Scon Simpson, Bob Lohr; 1 1:30 Jay Don Bake. Mark 0'Meara. MM Hubert 1 1:39 J.P.

Hayes, John megger, Brad Sherry; 1 1:48 Steve Hart. Brandel Qvjrnblee.SeanPacsttl..