The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 13

ay, Dec. 9, 1973 The Shreveport Times Texas Playoff Slate ger Reach End of the Line, 28-20 By Nico Van Thyn Times Sports Writer p.m. Friday, Brownwood- Friendswood vs San Antonio Randolph, site and date Class A Semifinals; Vega vs. Frisco, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Vernon.

Troup vs. Falls City. 2 p.m. Saturday, College Station. Class Finals.

Rule vs. Big Sandy, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Weatherford. Class 4A Semifinals Arlington Houston vs. Tyler John Tyler, site and date undetermined.

Angleton vs. Austin Reagan, site and date undetermined. Class 3A Finals Mount Pleasant vs. Cuero, 8 p.m. Friday, Waco.

Class 2A Semifinals Alpine vs. Hooks, 7:30 on the verge of making it a 'runaway. The Hilltoppers were leading 21-7, had had one touchdown pass nullified by penalty and were threatening to score again when Pennywell made his second pass interception of WKU quarterback Dennis Tomek at the Grambling 13. As time ran out in the third quarter, he came back upfield, breaking out of a pack on the left side and suddenly rumbling it wasn't exactly a sprint free toward the Hilltopper end zone. One tackier had a shot at him, but Pennywell stiffarmed him away and swan dived into the end zone to end an 87-yard touchdown run.

most important thing and theywere more prepared. We knew they were quick, and we tried to prepare We don't want to get into excuses, they just beat us. "You just don't go out there and furr.bie," he added. "They hiUus and they pursued us." i Asked about Tomek's passing and his own revised secondary, Robinson politely refused comment. And he wasn't using Johnson's' absence as an excuse, either.

"Without Gary we're a different club," the Glum One offered. "But I couldn't say that if Gary was in there, we'd have won." So Western Kentucky Mined the script. As far as the Hilltoppers are concerned, next week is their own Dream Game. On a WKU punt, the ball bounced up and hit Hunter and (he Hilltoppers recovered atthe GC 37. Comeaux passes to Dixon up the middle and Dixon fumbled when hit.

WKU recovers the fumble etc. Comeaux, the juniorQB, ran his interception total to 30 for the season and managed only 6-of-17 for 27 yards. THE YARDSTICK Gramblin WKY 10 First Downs Net Yards Rushing Net Yards Passing Passes (A C) Had Intercepted Punts-Avo. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards 44-223 27 17- 4 39 1 6 5 8-68 42-127 235 42-20 1-0 the first play and WKU recovered. On this afternoon, that was more like it.

It took only three plays and Tomek hit David Maley on a 22-yard touchdown pass that wrapped up the scoring. It also wrapped up the Hilltoppers' 12th win without a loss and put the Tigers to sleep with a 10-3 record. For Tomek, it was the second touchdown pass of the game. The first went to Clarence Jackson for 16 yards in the second quarter and put WKU ahead to stay. Tomek also completed 18 other passes (24, if you're counting the ones he threw to Grambling, too) for 235 yards to rip up Grambling's makeshift secondary, altered by the loss of three regular season-starters ineligible for the playoffs.

"I was impressed with him (Tomek)," 'Grambling Head Coach Eddie Robinson said. "And we just didn't get to him 1 think maybe once." Indeed, the Grambling pass rush was hurt when AU-American tackle Gary "Big Hands" Johnson limped out with a reinjured ankle in the first quarter. And the Hilltoppers' offensive line did a super job giving Tomek time to throw. "That was the key," said Western Head Coach Jimmy Fcix. "We kept that big line off our quarterback." Tomek had some great receiving help, primarily by Potter Williams, who dove everywhere for seven catches worth 91 yards.

The Hilltoppers, noted Feix, "threw more (42 times) than normal because we knew we couldn't run much on them." But one play they did run was a draw by John Embreo which went for 46 yards and the tying touchdown in the first quarter. He busted several tackles and weaved home. Embree also made a big play on WKU's second touchdown drive, catching a first down pass of 12 yards on a fake field goal try. His backfield mate, Jackson, got the other Hilltopper TD on a two-yard run just before the half that made it 21-7. Feix was perfectly willing to overlook Tomek's six interceptions, two of which Grambling turned into touchdowns.

In addition to Pennywell's return, defensive back James Hunter intercepted two yards deep in the Grambling end zone and took off the other way 102 yards of green between him and a score. He got 87 of them, being tackled by the fleet Jackson at the WKU 15. The Tigers turned that into the game's first score, a 15-yard pass from Comeaux to White. Hunter also intercepted another pass and so did Pennywell. Raymond Green got one, too, as did linebacker Richard Mayfield.

But Mayfield's play was typical of Grambling's afternoon. He got it at the GC 48, returned 21 yards to the 'Topper 31 and fumbled when he was hit. The officials gave the ball to WKU, although it appeared Mayfield had recovered it. On one play, Comeaux passed to tight end Ron Singleton, who hobbled the ball and then had WKU's Rick Green take it out'of his liands. Interception.

"They forced us into a lot of mistakes," said Robinson. "They blitzed us Preparation is the BATON ROUGE The Dreain pame is not reality. Louisiana Tech yes: Grambling College no. That's the story of Saturday's NCAA Division II pgtball semifinals. Oh, Grambling was the best team in the Turnover Bowl at Memorial Stadium here Saturday afternoon.

Or the Mistake Bowl, if you will. Unfortunately, the Tigers didn't win the Grantland Rice Bowl. Western Kentucky University did that by a 28-20 count over GC and so it'll be the red towel-waving Hjlltoppers against Louisiana Tech net Saturday at Sacramento, for the national college division championship. won despite having six passes intercepted by Grambling. Of course, the Tigers topped that.

They lost five fumbles and had four passes intercepted to win the battle of turnovers, 9-6. And that cost them the war. And it cost them a chance at the national championship, and that first-ever meeting with Tech, the Lincoln Parish rival. The Bulldogs made it there with a thrilling 38-34 win over Boise (Idaho) State Saturday. yYeah, we wanted to play them very much," Grambling linebacker Robert Pennywell admitted Saturday afternoon after it was over.

"It hurts to lose, and especially to a team that wasn't as good as we are." It was Pennywell, a sophomore from Shreveport, who made the play that put life back into this long ballgame at a time when WKU was Score jv Quarters: Grambling 7 0 0 6- 70 Western Kentucky 7 14 0 72 GC Sammv White, 15pasMrom Joe Comeaux (Rodney Zenokick) WK John Embree, 46 nun (Charlie Johnson kick) WK Clarence Jackson 16 pass from Dennis Tomek (Johnsonkick) WKY Jackson, 2 run (Johnson kick) GC Robert Pennywell 87 pass Interception (Zenokick) GC Comeaui. lOrun (kick failed) WKY Oavid Malcv, 22 pass from Tomek (Johnson kick) "I was tired," Pennywell grinned, "I couldn't do nothing but fall." That aroused the sleeping giants who had been quiet from the first quarter when they look a 7-0 lead, only to quickly squander it away. Now trailing 21-14, the Tiger offense had its only successful march of the game on its next possession. When the 75-yard march -including 66 yards on five straight carries by fullback David Dixon ended with a 10-yard TD run by quarterback Joe Comeaux, it looked like a new game with 10:55 to play. But, alas, Rodney Zeno's PAT kick was flubbed and the Hilltoppers held on to a 21-20 lead.

Next time Grambling got the ball (at its own 20), Dixon fumbled on Elon's Joe West 14), an outstanding passer in defeat, is nailed for a loss by Abilene Christian tackle Dub Stocker ((JO) during first half action Saturday, in the NAIA Champion Bowl at State Fair Stadium. West was used as a deep passer out of a "shotgun formation" after the North Carolina club fell behind by Photo by Ken Aclin) INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING: GC David Dixon, 16-122. Sammie White. 6-45; John Moorei, 5-37. WKY John Embree.

it-43; Clarence Jackson, 19-39 PASSI NG: GC Joe Comeaux, 6-of-1 7. 4 int 27 yards. 1 TD. WKY Dennis Tomek, 20-of-42, 6 int TD. RECEIVING: GC Wtiite, 2 lor 13; Ky.

Porter Williams. 7 tor 91; David Malev, 5 tor 65; Bob Powell, 4 for 54. ACC Overwhelm Elon, 42-14 bowl venture in town 'and that's what the two teams delivered. ACC rolled up 29 first downs and gained 264 yards rushing and 341 passing a total offense of 605 yards. Elon came up with 346 yards and the combined total of 951 yards broke the NAIA Champion Bowl record of 845 set by Troy Stale and Texas A I back in 1968.

mi iit breaking five or six tackles in the process. Abilene sports writers covering the game called it his most exciting play of the season. Despite all his heroics 1 Shreveporters weren't seeing Wilbert at his best. He was suffering from an attack of asthma and had an upset stomach. Coach Wally Bullington held him out of several of ACC's offensive possessions.

THE YARDSTICK (W' trT" IT i 'y (3 Elon ACC 15 29 23-50 44-264 296 341 32 24 23-44-2 19 35-1 4 35 3-34 1-0 51 3-43 6-40 First Downs Rushes-Yard Passing Yards Return Yards Passes Punts Fumbtes-Lost Penalties-Yards but ACC jumped the score to 35-0 on Montgomery's second score on the first play of the final canto. going to the 'Shotgun Formation in the fourth quarter, got on the scoreboard with 9: 05 left in the game when quarterback Joe West drilled freshman running back Alex McMillan with- a 28-yard scoring strike. The North Carolina team scored again with 6:52 left on a one-yard run by McMillan. Davis kicked both extra points. The ACC defense, which matured late in the season, was superb.

Chip Martin, the 265-pound senior middle guard from Seymour, was chosen the game's outstanding defensive player. He had six tackles and one assist and put a lot of pressure on West. End Ken Laminack, linebacker Charles Hinson and graceful cornerback Jan Brown were other ACC standouts. Laminack had four tackles, assisted on two and broke up a pass. Hinson made five unassisted stops, helped out on four others, broke up a pass and sacked tiie quarterback.

Brown had seven tackles, one assist and broke up four passes. Third team Ail-American tackle Glenn Ellis of the Fighting Christians was his team's defensive leader with 11 individual stops and four assists. End John Rascoe had nine stops and two assists and safety Dwight Shoe made nine unassisted tackles and helped out on four more. A wide open offensive game was what the NAIA had promised Shreveporters for the group's first Abilene Christian College's version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Clint Longley and Wilbert Montgomery hit town Saturday and some guys from Elon College in North Carolina aren't likely to forget about it anytime soon. Longley, the bullet throwing Wildcat quarterback, fired four touchdown passes and Montgomery, named the game's most valuable player, scored twice and led both teams in rushing as the Texas school bombed Elon, 42-14, in the Champion Bowl.

ACC, with Montgomery gaining 159 yards rushing and catching four passes for 79 more stripes and Longley throwing for 341 yards, completely outclassed the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' No. 1-ranked team in taking the NAIA's 1973 national title. A slim State Fair Stadium crowd of 4,162 watched in awe as Montgomery, the national regular season scoring leader with 31 touchdowns, put on one of the most dazzling exhibitions of open field running ever seen in the Shreveport arena. Wilbert, a 185-pound freshman out of Greenville, opened the scoring in the first quarter with a one-yard run and tallied early in the fourth frame on a six-yard pass from Longley, but it was his other runs that really brought the crowd to its feet. He set up Abilene's second touchdown, a two-yard run by Hubert Pickett, by taking a screen pass 44 yards down to the Elon four, ine wesi i exas uucais aiso ueu the title game record of 28 points in a half.

Curtis Leary of Elon got a little personal satisfaction Out; -of the game, catching a record equalling eight passes. Top receiver for Ahitone was Williams with five for 119 yards. Leary got 67 yards out of his eight catches and McMillan totalled 84 on four catches. McMillan was also his team's rushing leader with 52 yards on 13 carries. The two teams threw a total of 79 passes with West completing 23 of the 43 he threw for 291 Montgomery's two touchdowns Saturday allowed him to close out the season with the staggering total of 37.

He had 109 yards just 10 carries by halftime. Elon, which bowed out with a 12-1 season record, had come into the title game with the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA's final national poll. ACC, ranked third, finished its season with a 11-1 record. Elon 0 'o 0 1 14 Texas Abilene 0 14- 42 ACC Montgomery 1 run (Lepard kick) ACC P.ckett 2 run (Lepard ACC Williams 68 pass from Longley (Lepard kick) ACC Montgomery 6 pass from' Longley (Leoard kick) Elon McMillan 28 pass from.

West (Davis kick) Elon McMillan 1 run (Davis kick) ACC Stirman 17 pass from Longley (Lepard kick) A 4.162 After Pickett's score, the Wildcats really got rolling. Longley drilled team leading receiver Richard Williams with a 68-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 left in the second period. Williams caught the ball at the 25 and stiff-armed Elon defender Don McLaughlin to get in the clear at the 15. Longley, a junior from Littleton, beat the clock with a 11-yard touchdown pass to David Henson, his other wide receiver, just six seconds before intermission. Elon had several scoring opportunities in the first half, but Dave Davis missed on field goal tries of 27, 42 and 44 yards in the opening quarter.

Richard Lepard, who boomed through all five ACC extra points, also missed on a 35-yaid tield goal attempt in the first period. The third quarter was scoreless, after, Montgomery recovered long enough to turn in a brilliant 44-yard hit-and-run scamper to the 4-yard line of Elon's Fighting Christians. ACC Won the NAIA Champion Bowl, 42-14. (Times Photo by Ken Aclin) Abilene Christian's Wilbert Montgomery (28), feeling chest pains from aaattack of asthma, is consoled on the sidelines by Wildcat middle guard Chip Martin (65) during second period action Saturday at State Fair Stadium. Shortly Bill Mclntyre Weighs the Evidence Incentive: That's What Did It for Abilene LSD Elon's Dave Davis missedthrfte first period field goal attempts from 27,42 and 44 yards distance.

"He was 8 for 10, or 9 for 11 during the season," submitted Wilson. "We're not happy to let anybody score 42 points on us. No. no. Wfrdidn't get embarrassed.

They just hit -the home runs. Once again, they've-go great talent." Wilson, isolated at game's end behind the south goalpost, then looked toward the purple-jerseyed Wildcats. "We've got 26 full scholarships divided among 58, 59 people," said Ked. "They have something like 38 full scholarships. Depth, thai hurt By Bill Mclntyre Times Sports Editor Attendance at the 18th annual NAIA Champion Bowl, produced Saturday at Stihe Fair Stadium, was nothing to write hpine to The Times about the announced figure of 4,162 fell far short of the turnouts of 6- and 7,000 for the semifinal playoffs staged last week in Abilene, and Burlington, C.

But let not the empty seats detract fcojn the caliber of football displayed by neivly crowned champion Abilene CJyistian and dethroned front -runner Elon College. Victory was a thing to be deeply savored and relished by the ACC Wildcats, who went forth and brought back a fourth Champion Bowl over the past five years for the Lone Star Conference. Particularly a 42-14 whiplashing of a No. 1 ranked Elon. had been a tough row to hoe for the Teans, who won nine games in a row in the regular season after losing their opener then bounced past No.

2 -rated Langston of Oklahoma, 34-7, and finally No. 1 ranked Elon by 42-14. were punched over by Mongiomery but also stopped Elon cold on the ground particularly Chip Martin, a 265-pound middle guard, 210-pound tackle Dub Stocker, linebackers Charles Hinson and Dan Cobb, and two interceptors, Reggie Hunter and Monty Tuttle. Martin had missed four games this season with a broken hand. "We felt they'd be coming on the rush, so we could trap them," offered Bullington as he analyzed the offense that slapped the first blemish on a spotless 12-0 record imported by Elon.

"We were able, on that last touchdown, to catch their strong side linebacker on a blitz." That final TD came on a 17-yard lob to tight end Greg Stirman, merely a fair punter on other occasions with a 34-yard average on three kicks. But punting was the only weakness shown by ACC. Clint in the Saddle Longley was superb in his throwing, with 19-for-33 for 341 yards and four TDs five of the catches being made by Williams for 119 yards, four others for 79 yards going to Montgomery. Longley sets up deep, some 10 to 15 yards back of scrimmage. And he fires bullets.

"But it's such a smooth pass," said Bullington, "if you take out the wobble. You can catch it, and he can hang it, too." "I felt we could move the ball on them," said Longley, who comes out of Littleton, Colo. "That 6-1 defense with a zone secondary. That's our favorite defense that can work against. And we had some great play selection." also done his thing on an aching ankle.

"I hurt it in gymnastics," nodded Wilbert. "Fell back on it. I still feel it a little bit, but when I get the ball I try not to think about it." Montgomery thought very little of aches and pains. "I feel I can run the' ball," comes an understatement. "1 look for the first down, where the marker is.

Then I go for as much as I can Elon Was Minus Klan Elon backs were also hurting. Leading rusher Alex McMillan, who scored both Christian touchdowns, one on a 28 yard pass from senior quarterback Joe West when he split ACC defenders Tutile and Dick -Lepard, was hobbled by a hip pointer; Gary Darnell went out early in the third period with a dislocated patella in his left knee. "The same thing I did three games ago," said Gary. "The same kind of play. Nobody hit me either time." He grimaced: "The doctor said it wasn't supposed to happen again." So Wilson at times had three freshmen in the backfield.

And, falling far behind, he went to a shotgun formation mast of the second half that 12-0 record was trembling for sure on the Fair Grounds. "They had the incentive to knock us off," said Wilson. "The pressure was on us, we've carried it a long time." So West kept throwing the football. He was to hit 23vof 43 attempts for 291 yards. Flanker Curtis Leary caught 8 for 67 yards, McMillan pulled in 4 for 84.

"You start running that late in the game," said Red, "and you waste a lot of time. Their defense? It's good, but I can't say it's better than some others we've faced." Longley took nothing away from Elon. "I knew they were tough on defense," he added. "Solid. But with Williams and Montgomery, and the others, we've got a pretty good corps of receivers.

We felt we could throw deep or short." Montgomery, who scored both touchdowns in a 14-7 win over Airline of Bossier City last year, comes out of Greenville, Miss. He played both offense and defense, and as a deepback was a scholastic all American. "Seems like some of the big schools goofed," said Shirley (Red) Wilson of Elon as he took note of the gamebuster for ACC. "We kept them out and got good field position early. We felt like we could move the ball against their defense all day." Coach Wally Bullington of Abilene Christian.

Montgomery was recommended to Bullington by one of Wally's nephews, and Wilbert's high school coach, Gary Dempsey, was seeing his former prodigy play college ball for the first time heie in Shreveport. But Wilbert was suffering. "Asthma," said Bullington. "His chest was burning." In the second period, Montgomery sat on the bench gasping for breath then on his first return to the attack be took an outlet pass "A 21 draw," said Wilbert and twisted, squirmed and bouiiced 44 yards to Elon's 4 yard line to set up the score that made it 14-0. "I've had asthma a long time," said Montgomery.

"All of a sudden it came back up three weeks ago." Wilbert has pulled in a 68 yard first half scoring pass from all American junior quarterback Clint Longley, came into the concrete cubicle under State Fair Stadium, and was embraced by Bullington. "We kept them out and got good field position early," said Bullington, a deacon in the Church of Christ. "We felt like we could move the ball on their defense all day." ACC was to pile up a 29-15 margin in first downs, a 264-50 advantage in rushing yardage primarily because of the 159 yards piled up on 21 carries by a laboring freshman tailback in Wilbert Montgomery and a 341-296 edge in passing the football. "They had the incentive to knock us off. The pressure was on us, and we've carried it a long time." Coach "Red" Wilson of Elon College.

Add it up, and it comes out 951 yards advanced by both the Wildcats and Fighting Christians. "I think we can score on anybody in the College Division," submitted Bullington. Reference was again made to the final ratings of the NAIA. "It's very hard for a group of pollsters," smiled Bullington. "Hard to get a true rating.

I hope they have a rating now." Added an official of the NAIA: "Anytime you rank the teams nationally, you just about have to have at least one team among the top two or three from the Lone Star Conference." ACC not only scored in bunches Longley threw for four scores, two others "No, no. We didn't get embarrassed. They just hit the home runs." Wilson. "I think we can score on anybody in the -college division." Bullington. "We're No.

1. We're No. 1." thousand anonymous visitors from Abilene, Tex. Red Wilson spread his hands' in a futile gesture. "You can buy skilled people with full scholarships," said thisvpleasant -faced small college coach from North Carolina.

But there was a bigger rpuson why Elon lost to ACC. Early in-the third period, came a cry from a rooier. among the Christians: "Get Wilbert. GelWilbert. Get Wilbert." Very few times could the catch Montgomery.

And he could easily be back in the same ball park for the 19th' annual Champion Bowl. It is contracted lor Stale Fair Stadium through 1975. 1. Proof of Positive Power "We feel very fortunate," said a dignified and restrained Wally Bullington, coach of ACC. He couldn't repress a smile as he wiped a bloody scratch from his left cheek, a memento from postgame well -wishers.

"Yes," he said of the No. 3 rung assigned to Abilene Christian, "it had an effect on our kids. They wanted to go out and prove something." ACC's No. 88, Richard Williams, who.