The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 17

THE SALINA JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1999 PRO FOOTBALL Moon ready for backup role Veteran quarterback expects Grbac to play well next season By DOUG TUCKER The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. Is Warren Moon ready to caddy for Elvis Grbac? Or have the Kansas City Chiefs guaranteed a quarterback controversy by signing one of the most prolific passers in NFL history to back up a guy who's been benched by both injury and ineffectiveness the past two years? "Quarterback controversies only come when one guy doesn't do well and the other guy does well," the 42-year-old Moon said Tuesday after signing a two-year contract with Kansas City. "If that doesn't happen, that's where I step in. But we really shouldn't even talk about controversy until it gets to some point like that. Right now, he's the guy.

I think he's going to grasp the position and take control and go. I'm very confident (Grbac) is going to play well." In 15 seasons with Houston, Minnesota and Seattle, Moon has passed for 49,097 yards and 290 touchdowns. Before that, he passed for 21,228 yards and 144 touchdowns in six years with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. On Dec. 16,1990, in Kansas City, he passed for 527 yards 37 yards short of the NFL's single-game record in leading Houston past the Chiefs.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL The Associated Press Kansas City Chiefs' newly acquired quarterback Warren Moon (middle) sits with general manager Carl Peterson (left) and head coach Gunther Cunningham at a press conference Tuesday. Moon spent the past two years at Seattle as the designated backup and admits it's not easy being No. 2. "It's tough. There's no question it's tough.

I've been a starter all my life and I've been very successful all my life. But I'm at a point in my career where you have to take advantage of whatever there is for you," he said. "And this is the best opportunity for me all around. There's going to be some point in the season where I'm going to get on the field. I just hope it's not because of an injury or something like that." Grbac, who will be 29 when the next season starts, missed 16 games the past two seasons.

He was benched last year during a six-game losing streak that led to a 7-9 record and kept the Chiefs out of the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Rich Gannon, who played well when he came in for Grbac, became the favorite of most Chiefs fans and many players. But he signed a free-agent contract with Oakland when the Raiders offered to make him their starter. "Hopefully, I can help (Grbac) get a little bit better, hopefully I can push him and take him to new heights," said Moon, who started 10 games for Seattle last year. "If not, I'll be there to take over the slack.

That's basically my job." But he was careful Tuesday to say all the right things. "Elvis is the guy playing from the outset here," he said. "In order for this football team to do well, I've got to support him just like everybody else does. Believe me, I'll be behind him and answer any question he might have. "But if something happens where he's injured or doesn't play very well, then I'm there and ready to play.

That's just the role I have and I think it will be an easy role for me to do because I've done it once before and I think the guys will respond to that;" Meanwhile, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they signed veteran linebacker Marvcus Patton, 31, to a three-year contract as an unrestricted free agent. Patton spent the past four seasons with Washington including three as the Redskins' leading tackier and the preceding five with the Buffalo Bills, playing in 144 straight games. An eighth-round draft pick by the Bills out of UCLA in 1990, Patton has 972 career tackles (659 solo), 14 sacks and 10 interceptions. Pitching helps Central earn split Mustang bats come alive in second game in win over McPherson By ARNE GREEN The Salina Journal Solid pitching and a one-inning defensive lapse were the two constants Tuesday for Salina Central. The lone variable hitting was what put the over the top in the sec- McPherson 5-3 ond game.

central The Mustangs broke loose offensively for 10 hits in the nightcap to back a strong pitching performance by Ryan Norris to beat McPherson 6-3 and salvage a split of their baseball doubleheader at Matson Field. McPherson claimed the opener, 51. "We had two bad defensive innings. Other than that, we played as well as we have all year," said Central coach Bill Bartow, whose Mustangs improved to 2-6 with the second-game victory. "We got two great pitched ballgames, but we KANSAS CAGERZ didn't swing the bats very well in the first game.

"In the second ballgame, everybody hit, up and down the order. We needed that. The top of our order had been solid all year." Bobby Bartow and Jason Anderson at the top of the order and first baseman Lee Post in the No. 7 slot each had two hits to lead the Mustang attack in the second game. Bartow scored twice while Anderson scored one run and drove in another.

Norris was sharp most of the game, wavering only in the sixth inning on the way to a complete- game shutout. "I hadn't thrown for a while and that was my first start," said Norris, a senior right-hander, who struck out one, walked three and hit one batter. "I just came out, settled down and tried to throw strikes. The defense really did a good job. I just threw strikes and got ground balls and fly balls.

"We hit a lot better (in the second game), which gave me confidence. We could afford to give up three runs in that one inning." A walk, a hit batter and a wild pitch in the sixth inning set up David Stucky's two-run single for McPherson, which added a third run on an error. But Norris retired the Bullpups in order in the seventh to even his record at 1-1. Central took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, when Bartow led off with a single, stole second and took third on a bad throw. After Anderson walked, Bartow scored on a delayed double steal as Anderson got caught in a rundown between first and second.

Bartow and Anderson both reached safely to lead off the third inning as well, scoring on Frankie Hutchinson's sacrifice fly to center and Norris' bad-hop single that skipped past McPherson third baseman Jeremy Jonas. Anderson's base hit in the fourth inning brought home two more runs. Post led off the inning with a single and took second when Joe Reinert's bunt was mishandled for an error. With two out, Anderson laced a single to right, scoring Post. An errant throw to the plate allowed Reinert to come home, making it 5-0.

Reinert also drove home Anthony Hartman with a single in the fifth. In the first game, Central led 1-0 through five innings. Anderson singled home Bartow in the first, but Dustin Stos held the Mustangs in check the rest of the way, striking out eight and walking one on the way to a six-hitter. McPherson took advantage of two Mustang throwing errors one on a sacrifice bunt to score four runs in the sixth. Andy Krehbiel and Cody Rierson had RBI singles.

Levi Overman added a run in the seventh with a double off Bartow, who relieved Tharp after the sixth inning. Tharp allowed just three hits and no earned runs. "When we start hitting the ball, maybe we'll have some success," said McPherson coach Gordon Peck, whose Bullpups (2-6) had just nine hits in the two games. "(Stos) pitched a great game (in the opener) and finally our short game forced them to make some mistakes." Central is back in action today for a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader at Junction City.

If Junction City's field is too soggy, the games will be played in Salina. Cagerz to name road roster tonight Announcement will come tonight at public tipoff luncheon By HAROLD BECHARD The Salina Journal The Kansas Cagerz will officially announce their 10-player road roster during tonight's 7:00 public tipoff luncheon at the Best Western Mid-America Inn. Two players 6-foot-5 guard Ryan Robertson of Kansas and 611 center Danny Moore of Southwest Missouri State are currently on the inactive list and will not join the team until May 11. Mark Ediger of Bethel CoUege is considered a "home" player for the Cagerz, which means one player will be released from the team after this morning's practice. "We're going to have to release one player outright and one of the remaining players will be on the home roster," head coach Tom Hughes said.

"But of course, they must be willing to be put there." Hughes said Tuesday he is pleased with the progress of his basketball team. The Cagerz went through their final day of two-a-day practices Tuesday at the KSU-Salina Recreation Center in preparation for Friday night's season opener on the road against the Gulf Coast SunDogs. "I feel like we executed a lot better today," Hughes said. "We're starting to learn about each other and looking out for each other as well." Cagerz forward Todd Jadlow suffered a possible cracked rib during Tuesday morning's practice after getting hit in the same area for the third time in a week. "The bad thing about this one was I had my arms extended when I got hit and I just heard a pop," Jadlow said.

"It's the third time I've been hit there. It would start feeling better, and then I'd get hit again." Jadlow, who participated in the Tuesday afternoon practice, said he would probably get the rib X- rayed today. "If it's bruised, he'll go (on the road trip)," Hughes said. "But if it's cracked, we're not going to take any chances." The Tampa Bay Windjammers, who will play the Cagerz six times during the season, have changed their team name to the Florida Windjammers. The Cagerz will leave Salina at 8 a.m.

Thursday for the three- game road trip to Florida and Georgia. They play the Gulf Coast. SunDogs in Sarasota, on Friday, the Florida Windjammers in Tampa Bay on Saturday and the Atlanta Trojans on Monday. Bicentennial Center officials said Tuesday afternoon that 805 season tickets have been sold, with 90 coming in the last three working days. "Their goal is one thousand tickets," said Karen Fallis, assistant manager of the Bicentennial Center.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they make it." South rallies twice to sweep Panthers Cougars now 8-2 after victories over '98 state champion By The Sallna Journal GREAT BEND The Salina South baseball squad came away with a pair of one-run victories against the defending Class 5A state champions on Tuesday. The Cougars came from behind against Great Bend in IwlSwBw. both contests Sallna South 12-8 for their 12-11 Great Bend 11-7 and 8-7 victories. The non-league wins improved South to 8-2 this season. "They are the defending state champions and we have two nail-biters against them," South coach Tim Puvogel said.

"We feel good about sweeping them at their home diamond. Both games were character- builders. We kept fighting back and did what we had to do to get ahead." South trailed 10-7 in the opener before scoring four) runs in the sixth, then the winning run in the top the eighth when the game went 1 extra innings. Wes Blake and Ryan Tomlins had two hits each for Cougars, while Matt Moody 1) came on in relief in the third inning and earned the win. South faced a 6-2 deficit three innings of the second test, but score two in the fourth, three in the fifth and a single run in the sixth to take the lead for good.

Senior Troy St. Clair (2-0) worked out of a huge jam in the seventh. Great Bend had potential tying run on third with no outs, but a ground to Shaun Puvogel at shortstop accounted for the first out, before St. Clair struck out the nal two batters to end the game. Tomlins, Jason Meysenburg, Chris Pembleton and Nathan Miles had two hits each South in the second game.

The Cougars will return to I- 70 League action Friday with doubleheader at Topeka High. BRIEFLY Southeast sweeps Beloit in Softball GYPSUM Southeast of Saline overcame a three-week layoff because of rain to sweep Beloit on Tuesday in a softball doubleheader, 10-0, 24-3. "Our team is pretty experienced and the layoff probably bothered me more than it did them," Southeast coach Mike Garretson said. Amy Scanlan hurled a four-hit shutout in the opener, striking out three and not walking any Beloit hitters. Chelsie Schwarz led Southeast hitters with three hits and Anne Johnson had five RBI.

Southeast scored 11 runs in the first inning of the nightcap on the way to a five-inning victory. Schwarz gave up three hits and struck out eight. "We went through the order in the first inning before we made an out," Garretson remarked on his team's opening inning. Southeast (5-1) returns to action this afternoon, playing host to Abilene in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Wichita State captures MVC golf crown ANDOVER Wichita State won the Missouri Valley Conference men's golf championship Tuesday, the first league men's golf title for the Shockers since 1986.

The tournament was at Terra- dyne Hotel Resort and Golf Club. Three Shockers, including runner-up Blake Graham, earned all- conference honors by finishing in the top six at the tournament. Wichita State (857) had finished second at the league meet in each of the past two seasons, won the tournament by 14 strokes over Illinois State (871). Southwest Missouri State's Rohan Allwood shot a three-round score of 212 to take first place. Coffeyville nips South for swim meet title EL DORADO Coffeyville's victory in the final event of the day allowed the Golden Tornado to edge Salina South for the team title Tuesday at the El Dorado Invitational swimming and diving meet.

Coffeyville won the 400-yard freestyle relay and slipped past South in the final team standings. Coffeyville finished with 299 points, followed by South with 292 and McPherson at 277. Salina Central was fourth with 234. Central freshman Jenni Cook qualified for state in the diving, placing second. Diving scores were unavailable.

The lone first-place finish by a Salina swimmer came from Central's Amber Klug in the 100 backstroke. Klug won the event by more than a second with her of 1:08.05. South's Amanda Lampe had second-place finishes in both 50 freestyle (25.88) and 100 fly Central's Mandy Fairbanks was second in the 500 freestyle (6:28.06) and South's Jennifer Durst was second in the 1QO' breaststroke The Cougars also placed second in thja, 200 medley relay. BMC softball team splits with Seward Brown Mackie split a doubleheader with Seward ty on Tuesday at Bill Burke Park: The Lions won the opener but dropped the nightcap 1-0. In the opener, Jodi Dale pitched a four-hitter for the Lions Melanie Swan delivered the gamg- winning hit, a two-run single iiiV the second inning.

Seward County won the second after scoring an unearned run in the sixth inning. Brown made three errors in the The Lions play host to Butler County on Thursday. KU volleyball clinic for coaches starts Friday LAWRENCE The University of Kansas volleyball staff will hold a coaches clinic Friday arid Saturday at the Horejsi Family 6 Athletics Center. Approximately 150 coaches have signed up for the clinic, which begins at 6 p.m. on Friday-, and ends around 3 p.m.

Saturday. The registration fees are $75 in' advance and $85 at the door. ticipants will receive a notebook, T-shirt and complimentary breakfast and lunch. For more information, call Jill Jones at 785-864-7959. Rams may sign Missouri's Devin West ST.

LOUIS Devin West may- get a crack at pro football in his own home state. The St. Louis Rams are consid- ering signing the former Missouri star, who went unchosen in the recent NFL draft and in the subsequent rash of undrafted free-agent signings. Rams vice president of personnel Charley Armey said that if West can pass a physical Friday or if it is determined he can pass a physical in the near he may be signed as a fullback: From Staff and Wire Reports COLLEGE BASEBALL Evansville player files charges against WSU player after being hit Molina suffered three fractures around eye when hit by Christensen By The Associated Press EVANSVILLE, Ind. A University of Evansville baseball player struck in the face as he stood at least 15 feet from home plate has filed assault charges against a Wichita State pitcher he claims beaned him on purpose.

Anthony Molina suffered fractures to three bones around his left eye when he was hit by the pitch thrown by Ben Christensen during warmups before Friday's game against the seventh-ranked Shockers in Wichita. Molina filed assault charges against Christensen with Wichita police. The Missouri Valley Conference has begun an investigation, and MVC commissioner Doug Elgin is expected to make a ruling on Wednesday. Christensen was suspended at least until Elgin rules. When conference officials called Molina on Monday, "I told them he should never be allowed to play baseball again." "My main concern right now is about seeing again," Molina said.

"They told me today that my vision is in my left eye, and that there's a chance I might never get my vision all the way back. "I always thought that when I quit playing it would be my deci- sion. Now, I may not have a choice." Molina returned to his hometown of Moline, 111., where a plastic surgeon said Monday he will need reconstructive surgery. A retina specialist told him he has blood on the front and back of his eye and may have a torn retina. "I was looking down at my bat when he threw it," the junior said.

"When I looked up, it was about 5 inches from my face and I couldn't do anything about it." Molina fell to one knee, but never lost consciousness. "I remember hearing the umpire throw him out of the game before I hit the ground," he said. "I'm glad I was able to walk out on my own." Estimates on how far Molina was standing from home plate when Christensen hit him vary from 15 feet to 35 feet. He was standing on the artificial surface outside the dirt cut-out at Eck Stadium, between the Wichita State dugout and home plate. Christensen was quoted in a Wichita Eagle story that his reason for throwing toward Molina was to keep him from timing pitches while on deck, but that he never intended to hit him.

Molina said he has never timed pitches. "I wasn't close enough to time pitches, and if I had been, the ball would've hit me in the right eye, because I'm left-handed. Wichita State coaches said the pitch was accidental. Shockers head coach Gene Stephenson visited Molina in the hospital on Friday night. "He seemed more concerned with telling me that it wasn't intentional," Molina said.

"I would have thought that the first words out of his mouth would be, 'How are you doing? I'm But he came up and said that he just wanted me to know that he didn't order the pitch." In the police report, Molina noted that he had homered twice off of Christensen in his career, the last of which came one year ago Monday. In the April 24, 1998, game in Terre Haute, Wichita State players were involved in a brawl after leaving the field to confront Indiana State fans they said were taunting them. Some of the Sycamores fans reportedly had been drinking and threw a liquid through openings in the rear pf the Wichita State dugout. Both schools were reprimanded by the conference, and Stephenson suspended one player for three games. Wichita State lost last Fridays game 3-1, then beat Evansville and 10-0 in a doubleheader on Saturday.

Evenfs of the Day the Salina Journal.