The Sheboygan Press from Sheboygan, Wisconsin • Page 11

PORT Sports Editor Pete Barth 457-7711, Ext. 139 The Sheboygan Press Tuesday, February 16, 1999 Bl totes' MH (gals itt a Dwight Pelkin J- Sports Columnist By Chuck Carlson for The Sheboygan Press GREEN BAY The Green Bay Packers avoided the unsavory prospect of having to cut one of their ST, All-Pro defensive end files his retirement paperwork The 37-year-old White, who was coming off a season iri which he was named NFL defensive player of the year, was also under the impression that he had until the deadline, June 1, to file his retirement papers. But that was before the Packers found themselves with next to no room left under the $57.2 million salary cap after they agreed to terms with defensive tackle Santana Dotson and linebacker George Koonce last week. As a result, the Packers needed White to make a decision now, freeing up $3.4 million in badly needed cap room. Wolf said the Packers had already made plans that didn't include a future with White.

If he had wanted to play another season, the Packers likely would have cut him. "I didn't want to see it get to that point," team president Bob Harlan said. Neither, apparently, did White or his agent, Jimmy Sexton. "After he thought about it, he really didn't want to play again," Sexton said. "He was just excited when Ray came in.

There was the emotional thing that went into that and the idea of playing for Ray again was kind of interesting to him." Sexton said White had no hard feelings toward the Packers. As it is, the Packers continue to struggle with the cap, restructuring running back Dorsey Levens' five-year, $25 million deal. The Packers received permission from Levens' agent to guarantee his $2 million roster bonus, which is due March 15. Turn to WHITEB2 most popular players ot all time Monday when defensive end Reggie White was convinced to file his paperwork and retire. "It's an amicable situation between the Green Bay Packers and Reggie White," general manager Ron Wolf said.

"This issue is resolved." What had appeared to be a cut-and-dried situation after the season ended grew thornier in recent days when White dropped hints that he WHITE wouldn't mind coming back for another season to play for new coach Ray Rhodes, who has said he has tried to lure him back. Up and over ti 1 1 I I r- lt A history lesson on Sheboygan's own Redskins Enough about the Packers let's get back to our own Sheboygan first off, the long-gone Redskins. Even though they were the most nationally known sports team ever to play in town, it still amazes me when I get letters and phone calls (even long distance) about a team that was gone by the early '50s. Meaning people who saw them play have to be in their 50s or 60s or older these days. Obviously, the legend lives on.

And so do the players' names live on which doesn't "amaze me" all that much, for even in those somewhat naive days, Redskins like Kenny Suesens and Rube Lautenschlager and such who came to play here and went on to make Jheir homes and raise families here, Were treated royally and besieged for autographs which they gave not only willingly, but enthusiastically -and for free! They couldn't possibly have envisioned the autograph signing "parties" for that today's professional athletes indulge in as their due. Suzy and Rube would have been disgusted. That said, comes a letter from Wally and Bonnie Huibregtse with the information that Warren (Doc) Schrage died in January in Dallas. Schrage was born in Plymouth, along with another state basketball luminary, Walt Lautenbach, and was 79 when he left us. Said Wally: "Doc was home last summer for the Plymouth High School's 60th class reunion in fact, he and Lautenbach were back to Plymouth often for class reunions." Schrage was on the University of Wisconsin basketball team that won its only NCAA championship in 1941, then played briefly with the Redskins before going into the Navy as a PT-boat commander in the South Pacific during the war.

Badger teammate Johnny Kotz (the MVP of the NCAA title game as a junior) also wound up playing for a short time with the Redskins, along with several UW seniors. That was "fun time" for me, since that '41 i 1 1 ii': -s vr 1 J' 1 Press photo by Bruce Halmo Sheboygan's Amanda Stoelb attacks the vault in her team's meet against NeenahMenasha Monday night at South High. Sheboygan won 135.275-121.25. For more on the meet see bage B2. Lalteland football coach accepts job in Michigan Press staff Randy Awrey, who brought the run-and-shoot offense to Wisconsin and turned Lakeland Wisconsin team was "my" team and not only did Kotz (one of the early one-handed "push shot" shooters after Hank Luisetti) play in Sheboygan, but teammate Gene Englund played against us for the Oshkosh All-Stars.

That was some UWteam! Wally also asks: "Are those '41 jerseys once on display at the Field House still there or have they been moved to the new Kohl Center? In fact, I'm curious if my own Hall of Fame "Friends of Basketball" plaque is still at the Field House or Anyone know? I'd also like to learn something to pass on to the NBA. A while back in NBA guy called asking if I could provide the design and colors of the Redskins logo. Not even Bobby Holm, the old Seton Hall guy who In terms of victories, Randy Awrey leaves as Lakeland's third-winningest coach. However, he's tops in terms of winning percentage Following is a look at the Muskies' top three coaches in terms of total wins: .594) .554) .700) .555) .418) I John Thome ('67-80) 78-53 I Marinus Kregel ('37-'42; '46-'50) 4032 I Randy Awrey ('94-'98) 35-14-1 I Monte Carter ('81-86) 30-24 Uohn Allen ('52-59) 22-31 in his five seasons, could not be reached for comment. A call to his Howards Grove home was not returned Monday night.

"We are very excited for Randy and his excellent opportunity," said Steve Gould, president of Lakeland College. "He is obviously a very talented coach as his record indicates and will succeed at the next level. His unique ents made him an invaluable asset to Lakeland College. We wish him and his family the best of luck at Saginaw Valley State." In Awrey's first year, the Muskies finished 4-6. But he turned the program around quickly, guiding the Muskies to two Illini-Badger Conference titles (1996 and 1997) and a perfect 10-0 mark in 1997.

He was named IBC Coach of the Year three consecutive seasons, from College into a perennial football power, has accepted a job in his home state, Lakeland College said in a press release Monday. According to the release, Awrey, a Michigan native, will be the head coach at Saginaw Valley State Bouche. "With his talents and skills, I'm sure, he will be just as successful at Saginaw Vallev as he was at Lakeland AWREY 1995-97, as his team reeled off 20 straight wins over parts of those three seasons. The Muskies finished 7-3 last year. "Randy did an outstanding job in turning our program around and we are greatly indebted to him for that," said Lakeland Athletic Director Jane Prior to coaching at Lakeland, Awrey was the head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan, an NCAA Division II school, from 1990-94.

University, an NCAA Division II program in University Center, Mich. Awrey, who guided the NCAA Division III Muskies to a 35-14-1 record 13th-ranked Wisconsin welcomes late-season break played tough guard for the Redskins in the '40s and who's the only "skin" still in town, can say for sure. Schatzie Suesens had Kenny's old warm-up jacket, but is there anybody put there who can nail down the jersey logo and If you can, I'll pass it on to the National Basketball Association. i And a letter from Nancy (Kuplic) Wierman that's been on hold for a while, questioning the "original" tedskins. Let's set the record i first team ever to wear ledskin uniforms were John and oe Posewitz, Walter Grauman, Eddie Dancker, Les Cuplic, Slim Lonsdorf, Paul Sokody, Steve Baker, and Carl Roth with coach Doc Schutte.

That was 1938-39 National Basketball ESSH By Frank Schwab for The Sheboygan Press is all but locked up. The top five teams get byes for the first round of the conference tournament, which starts March 4. Right now, Wisconsin has clinched a better seed than four teams, based on conference record and tiebreakers. The loser of the Iowa-Northwestern game Feb. 23 will be the fifth team Wisconsin is guaranteed a better seed than, based on head-to-head tiebreakers.

The only way the remaining five teams could all finish ahead of Wisconsin is ff the Badgers lose all three remaining games, the Northwestern-Iowa win- MADISON University of Wisconsin point guard Ty Calderwood is one Badger who was certainly happy to see that no games appear on this week's' schedule until Sunday. "I've been sick," Calderwood said. "I've had the flu for like a week, and in the game (Saturday against Penn State) I was struggling. I was dizzy. I didn't want to play.

That's the first game in my life I didn't want to play. I was hurting." Calderwood's illness notwithstanding, this off week comes at a good time for Wisconsin. UW has three games remaining, including a matchup against first-place Michigan State on Sunday. "We have to play the two teams above us on their home court, and Michigan already beat us," Calderwood said. "By far, I think we got the toughest schedule." Wisconsin, ranked 13th in this week's Associated Press poll, travels to Ohio State next Wednesday before closing out the season at the Kohl Center against Michigan next Saturday.

Despite the tough road trip, Wisconsin's bye in the Big Ten Tournament A vear earlier as semi-pro, Enzo Jels it was the Posewitzes, Lonsdorf, Rube, John Cinaelis, Kuplic, and Roth. Turn to BADGERSB2 End of history lesson..