Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 33

Sunday, December 3, 2000 www. courierpostonline.com Today's section Inside Navy avoided a winless season by beating rival Army 30-28. Both teams finished 1-10 this season. Page 11 Section Too late Varsity Extra 2-3 The sports section is in two parts. The first part is pages 1-16.

The second part is pages 17-26. The 76ers-Cavaliers WW game and the Flyers-Senators game ended too late for this edition. Golf 8 College Football 11 NHL 1213 NBA 14-15 IS In Moo restom two men iffure BCS rankings games, anyway, but they admit to watching these games! with a more discerning eye. They know perhaps better, than anyone how each turn of events might play out in the rankings. "It makes it more exciting to watch the game," Russo said.

"You feel like you're involved in it a little bit." The BCS regularly comes in for criticism, and this year has been especially fierce. En- computer program "Nothing spectacular," Walls said and let the program spit out the rankings. "Then we check them," Russo said. "Then we double check them. Then we check them again.

"You've really got to be sure on this, you know?" Saturday was a huge day in college football, with games across the nation settling not just conference titles, but bowl match-ups as well. Walls and Russo would watch the mula. ACC commissioner John Swofford is the current coordinator. Originally, the SEC handled the number crunching. But amid grumblings that the conference might have a rooting interest in who comes out No.

1, Kramer asked the NFF to take over the task. "We accepted immediately," Walls said. It takes two or three hours for Walls and Russo to work all the math. They input each weeks' results into an Excel Taking charge No. 7 Florida pummeled No.

18 Auburn for the second time in seven weeks. Rex Grossman threw 4 TD passes in a 28-6 win in the SEC championship game. Florida won its sixth conference title in 10 years, but first since 1996. Complete college football coverage, Page 11 relations for the NFF, and Mike Russo, special projects coordinator, will be the first people in the country to know who gets ranked where for about 20 minutes. "It's fun; it's enjoyable," Walls said.

"We are college football fans, first and foremost. It's fun to actually come in and do it, and to be the first person to know where everybody ends up." The Bowl Championship Series was created in 1998 in an attempt to guarantee a true national champion by matching up the No. 1 and 2 teams in the country, while preserving the bowl system. The BCS, created by the six equity conferences and the University of Notre Dame, uses polls, computer rankings, strength of schedule and team records to determine the standings. SEC commissioner Roy Kramer served as BCS coordinator for the first two years, and is officially credited with authorship of the for By KEVIN ROBERTS Courier-Post Staff Today in Moorestown, two men will sit down in a meeting room and do the math to determine who plays for college football's national championship.

The National Football Foundation, based in Moorestown since 1998, does the number crunching in the complex and often controversial BCS ranking system. Rick Walls, director of public mm See BCS Page 11C Runyan knew Eagles could win i 7 Paulsboro always finds a way to win in football PAULSBORO Ahead 21-0 at halftime of the biggest game of the season, Paulsboro High School football coach Glenn Howard was so satisfied with his team that he designed a new defense. In the locker room. On the chalkboard. In the fleeting 15 minutes that his players spent out of the weather on a cold, clear December day.

"We had it up this week in practice but we never got a chance to get to it," Howard said after Paulsboro beat Glassboro PHIL Xnastasia 21-15 in a classic battle of unbeat-ens Saturday in the South Jersey Group 1 championship game. "They run so many defensive fronts that we had to figure out a way to get them blocked. So we never got to the defense." No matter. In Paulsboro, there's always a way because there's always a will. No football program in South Jersey demands more of its athletes which is probably why no program gets more, either.

Sectional Championship No. 12 overall since 1979 and No. 7 in an incredible run since 1992 al- Eagles right tackle Jon Runyan at April minicamp: "The talent is here. You just have to step in and realize the opportunity you have and all you have to do is put your mind to it and it will all fall into place. "A lot of it is a momentum thing, you get the right situation and you come out and you knock off a couple of games and you get going and momentum builds and you just fly.

In a season you are going to have ups and downs. You have to have enough ups to be in the race the last four weeks of the season and have the momentum to carry you into the playoffs. By KEVIN CALLAHAN Courier-Post Staff When Jon Runyan arrived in Philadelphia, most football followers thought he was just a huge right tackle. Hearing him speak after an April minicamp, many must have thought he was also a comedian. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound Runyan, who went to the Super Bowl last season with Tennessee, was talking about winning this year with the Eagles.

He spoke about the postseason almost casually. Runyan, who signed a $30.5 million free-agent contract in the offseason, knew what he was talking about eight months ago. That's how it looks as the 9-4 Eagles begin the December homestretch today against Runyan's old team, the Titans (9-3). Either that or he's a prophet. "Part of the reason I came here is because I knew what is happening here this year was possible," Runyan said.

The Eagles can clinch a playoff berth today at Veterans Stadium with their fifth straight win and with some help from around the NFC. That's what's happening. But, how is it happening? How could the Eagles go from 5-11 last year to first place in the division with three games to play? To find the answer, start with Runyan. The Eagles zeroed in on the sizable target and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. "It came down to a business decision for me," Runyan said about the six-year deal that included a $9 million signing bonus, which at the time made him the highest paid offensive lineman.

"I got See EAGLES Page 5C PARIS L. GRAYCourier-Post Paulsboro's Isaac Redman runs past Glassboro's Raheem Gaines Inthe first quarter for a touchdown in the SJ. Group 1 title game. ways will be special to Howard, to matic late rally thanks in no "We brought it back home," se- this as seniors, there's no way to de-the Red Raiders, to the loud, proud small part to that new defense nior offensive tacklelinebacker scribe how much it means to us." legion of red-clad supporters who the Red Raiders not only snapped Ryan Kelly said. "I can't even de- Kelly was overcome by the mo-helped swell the crowd at Pauls- the Bulldogs' 22-game winning scribe how it feels.

I have to fight ment, as was senior two-way tack-boro's home field to between 3,000 streak and capped Paulsboro's off the tears. This town loves this le Tony Esposito, who spent the and 3,500 cold-braving souls. sixth 11-0 season since 1993. They team and we love them back. See ANASTASIA, Page 2C In holding off Glassboro's dra- also put the title back in Titletown.

"To win like this, to go out like Delsea captures S.J. Group 3 title Championship scoreboard SATURDAY V--' yw S.J. GROUP 4 Jackson 21 Shawnee 14(OT) S.J. GROUP 3 Delsea 35 Ocean City 22 S.J. GROUP 1 Paulsboro 21 Glassboro 15 PAROCHIAL GROUP 2 Paterson Catholic 1 1 Gloucester Catholic 8 due to construction at the Crusaders' Oberg Field.

"From the beginning of the season, we didn't want to make that an excuse," said eighth-year Delsea coach Sal Marchese Jr. "We didn't want to say 'We're or 'We're playing on the As a coaching staff we emphasized that's not an excuse. We have enough talent to get the job done and the kids believed that." They came out and proved it to. No. 8 Ocean City, which had won eight consecutive playoff games over the last three seasons.

Coupled with a Group 4 crown in 1996, Ocean City was looking for its fourth title in five years, but Delsea See DELSEA.Page 3C down with 7:05 remaining. The play came only 1:54 after Ocean City (9-3) had closed the gap to 20-14. "Coach has been telling me all week to have a big game, and I had it," said Stevenson, whose interception helped Delsea capture its sixth South Jersey title, but first since 1986. "The coaches had been telling me all game to get my hands up, because they were going to come out throwing. I saw the ball coming, tipped it up, it came back and I came down with the interception.

My heart was pounding hard. It's fantastic." The play helped Delsea, ranked No. 10 in the Courier-Post Top 20 Poll, finish its season 11-1. Every one of those games was played on the road By MIKE BALLARD Courier-Post Staff GLASSBORO James Stevenson heard what his Delsea High School football coaches had been preaching. The sophomore defensive end went out and turned those words into action.

Stevenson's 48-yard interception return in the fourth quarter sparked the Crusaders over two-time defending champion Ocean City 35-22 in the South Jersey Group 3 championship game Saturday at Rowan University. Stevenson tipped a pass by Ocean City quarterback Ricky Henshaw. He grabbed the ball and raced down the left sideline for a momentum-turning touch Complete coverage begins in Varsity Extra, Pages 2-3. CHRIS LaCHALLCourier-Post Delsea coach Sal Marchese Jr. gets the victory ride after his team beat Ocean City for the SJ.

Group 3 title. A L' is Associated Press Duke's Jason Williams shoots a pointer as Temple's Quincy Wadley trails on the play during -Saturday night's game. Williams scored 30 points as top-ranked Duke won easily. said. "He can penetrate a defense, probe a defense, as well as anybody in the country." The largest men's basketball crowd in the history of Pennsylvania 19.455 poured into the First Union Center and watched Duke shoot the lights out.

The Blue Devils hit a school-record 17 3-pointers and shot 62 percent in all. Duke made 11 3-point-ers in the first half. "I felt like Butch Cassidy dial the Sundance iviu, Uiia- ney said. "Every time I looked up, somebody was shooting at me." .0 had no real chance to win this game. Jason Williams the dazzling sophomore who went to St.

Joe Metuchen, hit eight 3-pointers, made his first nine field goal attempts and finished with 30 points. He topped his career high with 17 minutes left in the game. Shane Battier added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Nate James scored 14. Lynn Greer and David Hawkins led Temple with 15 "Jason Williams, in my opinion, is absolutely the best point in the country," Chaney were fortunate last time to play them close. In my opinion, this is the best team Mike's had." Duke coach Mike Krzy-zewski's eyes got big when he was told about Chaney's assessment, and he laughed softly and shook his head.

"No, this is not the best team I've ever had," said Kry-zewski, who in all fairness has coached some of the best teams in college history in-cludins two national champs "Obviously, we played really well, and we benefited from the fact that we had more preparation time than they did," Kryzewski said. "We're not that much better than them, of course. We proved that eight days ago, when they had us beaten. This is still a developing team." Temple's season, which began with four straight wins and then a two-point loss to Duke in the Preseason NIT, has now come unraveled. A 66-58 loss to Miami of Ohio Nnv was fnllnwoH hv nU.

solute pounding Saturday. Temple spent the evening hopeletsly outgunned, and By KEVIN ROBERTS Courier-Post Staff PHILADELPHIA Afterward, the opinions were split. Is Duke really that good? Or is Temple maybe not that good? "They're that good," Temple coach John Chaney said emphatically, after No. 1 Duke routed the Owls 93-68 Saturday at the First Union Center. "As a college team, I've never seen a team as good as this jjeam," Chaney said.

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