The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 15

The Salina Journal Saturday, December 28,1985 Page 15- Tyler Sherrod activated byK.C. Sizzlers KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Aubrey Sherrod, a rookie guard from Wichita State, was activated by the Kansas City Sizzlers of the Continental Basketball Association Friday. The 6-foot-4 Sherrod was the No. 2 draft choice of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association but was waived during the Bulls training camp.

He injured an ankle in the preseason with the Sizzlers and was placed on the suspended list. Sherrod joins the CBA team in time for the start of a 10-gamehomestand Saturday. Sherrod Fort Hays duo named All-America Fort Hays State's record-setting senior tandem of quarterback Robert Long and wide receiver Eric Busenbark received first-team NAIA All-America recognition. Also earning first-team status on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' grid squad was Pittsburg State offensive lineman Tom Beebe. Tyler may be able to play Sunday REDWOOD CITY, Calif.

(AP) Halfback Wendell Tyler, who underwent knee surgery on Dec. 10, has returned to practice and may be ready when the San Francisco 49ers meet the New York Giants in the first round of the National Football League playoffs. "Like I said earlier this week, the chances of my playing are 6040 and you figure out which way," said Tyler after practice on Thursday. The speedy Tyler, who set a 49ers record last year by rushing for 1,263 yards, was so impressive in his return to action that running back coach Sherm Lewis predicted he could be ready to play on Sunday when the 49ers begin defense of their Super Bowl crown. "He moved well out there today," Lewis said.

"In fact, he looked better than any of the other backs we had out there. I think there is a good chance he will be able to play against the Giants." This season, Tyler carried 171 times for 867 yards, but loose cartilage bothered him all year. OSU women's tennis coach dies OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma State University's women's tennis coach died of an apparent heart attack Friday while waiting for a flight to Jacksonville, for the Gator Bowl, Oklahoma State sports information spokesman Steve Buzzard said. Ike Groce, 44, was entering his seventh year as the women's tennis coach. He had led the Cowgirls to five straight Big Eight Conference championships and four straight appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association post-season tournament.

Buzzard said Groce was at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City when the heart attack occurred. McHale fined for missing plane BOSTON (AP) Boston Celtics forward Kevin McHale has been fined an undisclosed amount of money by Coach K.C. Jones for failing to get to New York City on Christmas Eve, The Boston Globe reported today. "He had permission to take a later flight Tuesday, but apparently missed it," General Manager Jan Volksaid. "He missed the flight and that's a fine," Jones' said.

"It's no big deal," McHale said. "I missed the I deserved the fine. No, I still don't know I how much the fine will be." McHale was the only Celtics player who did not make it to New York Tuesday night. He new in i McHale several hours before Wednesday afternoon's 113-104 double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks. He led Boston with 29 points.

Celtic players were informed earlier this month that they'd have to be in New York Tuesday night for the nationally televised Christmas Day game. The Celtics were subject to a $15,000 fine by the National Basketball Association if they waited until Wednesday to make the trip. AFC contest highlights trenches EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The pits. The trenches.

The tight battleground where so many football games are won. Several of the New York Jets and New England Patriots including the linemen who scratch and claw each other for every inch believe their AFC wild-card game at Giants Stadium Saturday will come down to who does the better job blocking or avoiding being blocked. "Pete Brock on Joe Klecko is the key matchup in this game," said Patriots running back Craig James, a rusher this season. James was referring to the war between New England's center and the Jets' Pro Bowl nose tackle. "In all the films we've seen of the Jets on defense, Klecko is in the backfield.

We can't let him get that kind of penetration." Klecko punctuated one of his best seasons in a nine-year National Football League career'with a superb performance against Cleveland last Sunday as the Jets clinched the homefield advantage for this game against their AFC East rival, which also finished 11-5. Klecko, the only player ever voted to the Pro Bowl at three different positions (defensive end and tackle and nose tackle) had 62 tackles and sacks this season. Gastineau Klecko Nelson Tippett Against the Browns, he spent almost as much time in their backfield as Cleveland runners Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner. "Against Cleveland," said Patriots guard Ron Wooten, "Klecko made a couple of hits in the backfield before anyone had a chance to stop him. That does a lot to destroy a line's confidence." Klecko's fellow Pro Bowl lineman Mark Gastineau also was sensational in that game 1 and the Patriots are leery of what that pair can do to stop an offense dead in its tracks.

But New England's defense can be just as intimidating, led by Pro Bowl linebackers Andre Tippett and Steve Nelson. And the Jets' offensive line has been porous, quarterback Ken O'Brien suffering 62 sacks. "We know there's a burden on us to keep the defense off of Kenny, to give him the time he needs," said Jets tackle Marvin Powell. "The Patriots come at you hard, with a lot of blitzes, and it's always a punishing afternoon against them." Jets center Joe Fields, who is bothered by a bruised chest and ribs, noted that in uncomfortable weather, the play of the lines takes on added importance. "Both teams like to run, both teams have good running games, and in the cold, it's easier to keep the ball on the ground," said Fields.

"That means you have to control the line of scrimmage and drive through your blocks to open holes for the backs." Conditions figure to be chilly for the 3 p.m., CST, start, with temperatures in the low 30s. All of which means that James and Freeman McNeil, the Jets' man, will carry the ball plenty. "That will be fine with me," said McNeil, who has a bruised left knee but is expected to be healthier for this game than any in the second half of the season. "It's a challenge I'd welcome." So would James, who along with Tony Collins gives the Patriots a backfield tandem at least equal to New York's McNeil-Johnny Hector combination. "If it takes my running the ball 30 times to win, that's OK," said James.

If it comes down to a passing game, the Jets' O'Brien is the top-rated passer in the league and hit for 25 scores. He threw only eight interceptions but fumbled 12 times and was nailed those 62 times. Tony Eason, who began the season as No. 1 quarterback and then was replaced in Game 6 by Steve Grogan, returned when Grogan suffered a broken leg in a 16-13 overtime loss here. Eason wound up only llth in the AFC but played well after a slow start.

"We're down to one game at a time and that, in itself, is a motivator," said Brock. "I don't think we have to look around for any other reasons." Giants hope to finally solve Montana EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) If Joe Montana has lost something as a quarterback, the New York Giants are at a loss to find it. "He is the complete quarterback," said Giants All Pro linebacker Harry Carson. "He can move.

He can run the ball. He is an excellent play-action passer. He can hurt you in so many ways, and he's intelligent." Montana has always hurt the Giants and he will get another chance Sunday when he and the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers seek their sixth straight victory over New York in their National Football Conference wildcard game at Giants Stadium. It will be the Giants' third postseason appearance in five years and both previous tries ended the same way, with second-round losses to the 49ers. Both times, San Francisco went on win the Super Bowl.

Montana was the key to both those seasons. He has had an off-year by his lofty standards. He hit 303 of 494 passes for 3,653 yards and 27 touchdowns in a season that was marred by never- substantiated rumors that he was using drugs. "He didn't start out real well, our entire team didn't start out real well, and he obviously personifies the team," said 49ers Coach Bill Walsh. "His statistics and performance at the halfway mark of the season were not outstanding, but they were certainly better than many other players." Montana improved in the second half of the season and the 49ers won six of eight games.

His best game may have been last week when he hit 24 of 34 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns as San Francisco downed Dallas 31-16 to make the 49ers quarterback Joe Montana has always riddled the New York Giants. playoffs. "I think he is staying in the pocket longer and concentrating on downfield receivers more," said Walsh. "Previously, he seemed to be a little reckless about some of his throwing. He felt everything would work out for us and our entire team played that way." The Giants wouldn't mind if Montana went back to that thinking this weekend, even though they do not expect it.

"It's imperative that we contain him," said defensive end Casey Merrill. "I look at him as the best scrambler in the game. He throws the ball better on the run than any other quarterback in the league, especially when he rolls out to his right." Containing the rollout is just one problem. The Giants have to get to him first. "The team that puts more pressure on the quarterback is probably going to win on Sunday," said Giants All-Pro defensive end Leonard Marshall.

"The thing I'll try to do is to get to him quick, make him throw early and make him throw interceptions. The key is not containing him, but making him do things he is not used to doing." Montana is not the only offensive weapon the Giants have to worry about. There is also fullback Roger Craig, who gained more than 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving this season. The emergence of rookie wide receiver Jerry Rice has also made the 49ers offense more threatening. "I think they are very capable," said Giants Coach Bill Parcells.

"They are one of the best teams in football without question and they have been for some time." The Giants also have a potent offensive led by running back Joe Morris, who rushed for a club- record 1,336 yards and 21 touchdowns, and quarterback Phil Simms, who passed for 3,829 yards and22TDs. "They have a great runner and have been taking full advantage of it this season," said Walsh. "Where they used to depend on the pass, now they can make much more happen." Baylor wins Liberty Bowl 21-7 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Baylor quarterback Cody Carlson tossed scoring passes of 5 and 15 yards to lead the Bears to a 21-7 upset of 12th- ranked Louisiana State University in the 27th Annual Liberty Bowl Friday night. Picked in the preseason to finish as low as seventh in the nine-team Southwest Conference, the Bears capped a 9-3 season with their crushing victory over the Tigers as Baylor rolled up a 26-9 advantage in first downs.

The loss was only the second of the year for LSU, a member of the Southeastern Conference, which completed the season with a 9-2-1 record. The Tigers' only score came on a Liberty Bowl-record 79-yard punt return by Norman Jefferson. Baylor overcame the 7-0 deficit to lead 10-7 at the half and then throttled the Tiger offense for most of the second half as they put the contest away. Clinging to a 13-7 edge, Carlson, who alternated with Tom Muecke at quarterback for the Bears, capped a 62-yard fourth-quarter march with a LSU VS. BAYLOR GAME IN STATS First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Time of Possession LSU Boy 9 26 31-91 61-215 101 79 13-27-1 8-40 2-1 5-41 22:46 274 0 18-30-0 6-31 0-0 6-40 37:14 Individual Statistics Milliard 20-66, James 7-23, Wickersham 4-2.

Baylor: Perry 7-45, Rutledge 10-36, Sargent 8-27, McAdoo 9-23, Subia 1-21, Ball 7-18, Stockemer 4-16, Williams 1-9, Muecke 6-9, Carlson 5-7, Lewis 1-2, Works 2-2. Wickersham 11-24-1-95, Guidry 2-3-0-6. Baylor: Carlson 9-12-0-161, Muecke 9-18-0-113. James 4-25, Jean Batiste 223, Magee 2-23, Jones 2-6, Davis 1-15, Andrews 1 -6, Milliard 1 -3. Baylor: Simpson 3-117, Clark 331, Douglas 2-54, Pruitt 2-27, McAdoo 2-15, Chase 1-10, Ates 1-9, Sargent 1-7, Kelly 1-5, Perry 1-2.

Scoring Summary LSU Baylor 733 puntreturn (Lewiskick) 5 pass from Carlson (Syler kick) Syler 35 15 pass from Carlson (Clark pass from Carlson) 15-yard scoring strike to split end John Simpson. Carlson then found Matt Clark alone in the end zone with a 2-point conversion pass as the Bears took command 21-7 with 10:42 remaining Carlson finished the contest hitting 9 of 12 pass attempts for 161 yards and the two TDs, while Muecke completed 9 of 18 passes for 113 yards. Jefferson hauled in the Baylor punt at his own 21-yard line and found an alley down the left sideline. The Tiger junior shook off a pair of potential tacklers at the Bears' 30 to give LSU a 7-0 lead with 5:17 remaining in the opening quarter. Jefferson's run broke the old punt return record of 63 yards set in 1963 by Maryland's Bob Smith against Tennesse.

But after that, the Tigers were unable to penetrate any further than the Baylor 30-yard line. Baylor charged back into the contest quickly behind Carlson, who led the Bears 80 yards to tie the game on their next possession, the quarterback connecting with flanker John Simpson for a 59-yard gain to the LSU 9, then later hitting a diving Clark in the end zone for the TD. Kansas (Continued from Page 13) recent games against Kentucky, Arkansas and George Washington. They shot just 47 percent from the field (KU was shooting 58 percent as a team going into the game) and committed three more turnovers than their opponents. Why then, Brown was asked, was the victory such an easy one? "We had more talent," said the third-year Jayhawk coach.

"We missed so many easy shots, it looked like we weren't concentrating. I feel bad for them (Louisiana Tech) because they were so much more active. They got the loose balls. They wanted it more." But Louisiana Tech's Achilles' heel free throw shooting was too much to overcome. The Bulldogs hit a paltry 9-of-23 from the charity stride (39.1 percent) as Willie Bland, a 6-5 senior, hit just 2-of-ll.

"If they would have made some free throws, it would have been a lot closer," Brown said. "We didn't do anything to stop them. They stopped themselves." The Jayhawks, like Wichita State in the first game, roared out to a large lead in the early part of the game. After a 3-3 tie at the 17:21 mark, KU ran off 13 straight points to grab a 16-3 lead with 12:01 left in the opening half. Danny Manning and Calvin Thompson each had four points in the KU run.

Brown, however, did not like the effort of his team in the early going. "I could tell two minutes into the game we were in deep trouble," Brown said. "We didn't have our legs. "Ed (assistant coach Manning) told me we weren't ready to play and he's a pretty good judge of that." Kansas expanded the lead to 15 points at 20-5 before Louisiana Tech started to close the gap. The Bulldogs pulled within nine points on two occasions before the Jayhawks grabbed a 40-28 lead at halftime.

Twelve points was as close as the Bulldogs got in the second half. KU put the game on ice with an 11-2 run in a three-minute span to turn a 46-32 game into a 57-34 rout with 15:04 remaining in the game. The Jay- hawks matched that 23-point margin with 1:08 left when Chris Piper dropped in a four-footer in the lane to make it an 80-57 game. Manning led the Jayhawks in scoring and rebounding with 20 points and eight boards. Four other KU players scored in double figures as Ron Kellogg scored 14, Thompson 11 and Archie Marshall and Cedric Hunter 10 each.

Louisiana Tech was paced by Eland's 16 points and 12 from Roger Godbolt. The Bulldogs also were bad from the field, managing just 25-of-70 for 36 percent. Ditka named Coach of Year CHICAGO (AP) Mike Ditka, who began coaching the Chicago Bears amid criticism that he was picked because of team loyalty not skill has another argument to silence the carpers. Ditka was named National Football League Coach of the Year by The Associated Press on Friday. The one-tune Bears star end won the honor easily in a vote of a panel of sports writers and broadcasters after coaching the team to a 15-1 record, the best in the league this year, and delighting even the most casual football fan by occasionally transforming a 300-pound defensive lineman, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, into an offensive weapon.

Ditka accepted the news of his award with appreciation but an awareness of how tenuous success can be in his profession. "There are a lot of great coaches in football and I'm very privileged," Ditka said. "But I'm realistic. Coaches are voted on their record. I'm fortunate to have a good football team and good assistant coaches so I don't get too caught up in that individual glory.

"The award is shared by the football team as well as the assistant coaches. And I'm not just saying that to be idealistic or flattering to anybody." When Ditka came to the Bears after a coaching apprenticeship in Dallas under Tom Landry, critics called him unimaginative and untested. They said the late George Halas picked him out of a sense of loyalty to the Bear tradition. Halas, the storied founder of the team, was coach when Ditka played for the Bears. Ditka ran into more controversy last year when he was nearly fired after his old-style, tough-guy image clashed with President Mike McCaskey's Ivy League background.

But he grew to be not only the NFL's most successful coach but also its most innovative. Bears coach Mike Ditka Innovative is one of the adjectives being used to describe the 46-year old Ditka's use of Perry as a running back in goal-line situations. Perry ran for two touchdowns, caught a pass for another and did wonders for NFL's television ratings. The panel made up of three sportswriters and broadcasters for each of the NFL's 28 teams gave Ditka 66 votes, with five going to runnerup Raymond Berry of New England and three to Landry. Tom Flores of the Los Angeles Raiders, John Robinson of the Los Angeles Rams, Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins, Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins and Joe Walton of the New York Jets each received scattered support.

A collegiate star at Pittsburgh, Ditka was the prototype NFL tight end in the 1960s with the Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys. He played in five Pro Bowls with the Bears, setting a team record by catching passes in 49 straight games. His 75 receptions in 1964 established a league record for tight ends that stood until broken in 1983 by San Diego's Kellen Winslow. Ditka was an assistant under Landry at Dallas from 1973 until 1981, when he was named head coach of the Bears. In his first season, the strike shortened-year of 1982, the Bears finished 3-6 and out of the 16-team playoffs.

The next season, Chicago improved to 8-8 and last year won the NFC Central title with a 10-6 record, despite losing starting quarterback Jim McMahon for seen games and the playoffs because of injury. The Bears advanced to the NFC title game last year before losing 23-0 to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. The 1984 season probably saved Ditka's job. McCaskey, Halas' grandson and successor, was openly critical of Ditka on several occasions, including one incident when the coach injured a hand banging it on a locker after a loss. This season, however, there were no clashes.

The Bears won their first 11 games, clinching their NFC Central title earlier than any team had ever before clinched a title and established themselves as the NFL's dominant team. In the process, Chicago avenged the title- game loss of a year ago with a 26-10 win over the 49ers and also crushed Dallas 444) and Washington 45-10. While winning, the Bears developed a personality that barkened back to Halas' Monsters of the Midway. If Perry was the national personality, the heart of the team was a defense put together by Buddy Ryan featuring such players as ends Richard Dent and Dan Hampton, tackle Steve McMichael, linebacker Mike Singletary and Yale-educated safety Gary Fencik. "We were a good football team last year, and we have the capability to do a few more things this season," Ditka said.

"But the individual things mean very little to me unless we go all the way and win the Super Bowl.".