The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 204

26 JCTKe CwnpUlf Nnvs greenville piedmont. Sunday, August 18, 1985 PSouth Atlantic Conferences Both Newberry and Presbyterian will take dead aim at SAC-8 kingpin Carson-Newman. Indians quarterback Jimmy Skipper (11) and Blue Hose defensive tackle Lawrence Jackson are among the conference's top players at their positions this season years ago, returns after being red-shirted last year. The offensive line, the Bulldog's weak link last year, features two transfers Chris Medford from Lees-McRae and Charlie Poole from Chowan. Defensively, the Bulldogs return all 11 starters.

The front line is held together by guard Tim Hardie and tackle Wayne Hall while Darryl Perry leads at line I pi mmmmmf 4 mf Cf By Ernie Kastner The Greenville News Carson-Newman should know better by now. No matter how many times Coach Ken Sparks talks about all the people he lost to graduation, his Eagles are still going to get too much respect. The Eagles, despite losing 15 of 22 starters from last year's NAIA national championship team, are picked to repeat in the South Atlantic Coast Conference. "I guess we're getting all this respect because of what we've done in the past," Sparks said at the SAC-8 football meeting. "It can't be because of the experience this year's team is going to have." Newberry, by far the most experienced team in the league is picked to finish second followed by Elon, Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mars Hill and Catawba.

Carson-Newman The Eagles shared the national title last year and won it outright in 1983, but with a young team, Sparks said he's going to have to see a lot of improvement in a lot of people in a hurry to repeat. Offensively, the Eagles have an all-new offensive line blocking for running back Larry Smith. All-SAC-8 quarterback Jeff Joslin is gone so Carson-Newman will be looking for his replacement. Defensively, Sparks said he's not pleased with the play of his defensive backfield or at linebacker. Newberry The Indians enter the 1985 season optimistically, but they do have some reservations.

Newberry returns almost its entire staring lineup on offense and most of the defense. The offense will be led by quarterback Jimmy Skipper and running backs John Nesbitt and Pete Bember. Defensively, the Tribe will be led by All-America free safety Kenneth Press-ley and linebacker John Newkirk. Elon The Fighting Christians are considered to be darkhorses in this year's race. Once again, Elon figures to be strong defensively, but the Christians do have some question marks on offense.

Expected to bolster that offense is quarterback Perry Cuda, who began his collegiate career at Alabama before transferring to South Carolina. The Sum-menrille native never played at USC. Defensively, Elon's fortunes will center around linebackers Russell Evans, Jack Arnold and John Mickens. ft JfcNt'T 5 I nth Caursoira-Newman staimds fall agaim backer. Lenoir-Rhyne The Bears are coming off a 1-10 year, but Coach John Perry thinks 27 returning letterman, 15 of whom were starters, will mean improvement in 1985.

Terence Steward, who led the NAIA with 1,040 receiving yards, returns as does SAC-8 freshman of the year Brian Bryson at quarterback. Defensively, Perry said his team has some question marks and will count on veterans Richard Frye and David Henderson on the line and Ricky Camp and Edd Hickman in the secondary. Newcomers expected to make an impact are tailback Rex Tonkins, a transfer from Western Carolina; and fullback Hosea Wonsley, a transfer from Mississippi State. Mars Hill The Lions were 6-5 in 1984, the first time they've had a winning record wince 1980, when Mars Hill made it to the NAIA playoffs. The Lions also have their fourth coach in as many years.

Steve Patton, for two years the defensive coordinator at Mars Hill, took over when Rick Gilstrap moved to Wofford. PaUon's team will be experienced on defense, but will still have to replace five players lost to graudation. Offensively, Mars Hill will be led by quarterback Joe Pizzo, a transfer from Nevada-Reno. Catawba Coach Pete Stout enters his third year at the Salisbury, N.C., school expecting his team to make a move out of the SAC-8 cellar. The Indians will be ground oriented to take advantage of its big offensive line led by UNC transfer Bill Viggers.

East Carolina transfer Brian Watts is at quarterback. Defensively, Catawba will also count on transfers. Randy Watts, a 6-foot-6 276-pound end, and Greg Quick, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle, both joined Catawba from East Carolina. Linebacker Tim Sheff, a transfer from Wake Forest, is the fastest player Catawba has. tion All-America; quarterback Ted Stephens and running backs Jimmy Lindsey and Evander Gerald.

Gardner-Webb Coach Woody Fish, in his second year at Gardner-Webb, is changing offenses. "We'll be using the veer instead of the fear attack that we used last season," he joked. Senior quarterback Al Bianco will be running that offense along with tailbacks Johnnie Williams and Curtis Pressley. Walter Hardnett, a top running back two Presbyterian First-year coach Elliott Poss is hoping an experience offensive team will carry things until his young defense comes around. Only two starters return for a defensive unit that led the Blue Hose to a 7-4 record last year and the 8th spot in the final NAIA poll.

Tackle Lawrence Jackson and nose guard Marty Mackie are the standouts on defense. Offensively, the Blue Hose feature center Charlie Patterson, an honorable men Carton-Newman 7 Central State Sep. Sep. 14 at Georgetown Sep. 21 Elon Sep.

28 Oct. 5 Catawba (at Newberry Catawba Elon Gardner-Webb Lenoir-Rhyne Mart Hill Newberry Presbyterian at Middle Tenn. St Guilford at Citadel Johnson C. Smith at Davidson at Guilford at Liberty Baptist atFurman at Georgia SW MarsHIl at Guilford Newberry Wofford at Catawba at Gardner-Webb Newport News at Carson-Newman at Georgia SW Presbyterian Davidson at Lenoir-Rhyne at Carson-Newman Lenoir-Rhyne at Livingstone at Elon Newberry at Mars Hill Wofford Presbyterian atFerrum Lenoir-Rhyne at Gardner-Webb Wofford Carson Newman at Catawba Gardner-Webb at Presbyterian at Catawba at Carson-Newman at Wofford Elon Catawba Carson-Newman Liberty Baptist at Presbyterian at Ga. Southern Mars Hill at Newberry Gardner-Webb at Elon at Carson Newman atFurman Catawba at Liberty U.

Guilford at Newberry Presbyterian at Mars Hill Lenoir-Rhyne Elon at Gardner-Webb at Davidson Wofford at Mars Hill Newberry Gardner-Webb at Lenoir-Rhyne Carson-Newman at Lenoir-Rhyne Mars HID Wofford Catawba at Elon Presbyterian at Newberry Oct. 12 Oct. 19, Oct. 26 Mars Hill at Gardner-Webb Nov. Nov.

2 Lenoir-Rhyne 9 Liberty Baptist Nov. 16 tat Presbyterian Nov. 23 Nov. 28.