The Greenwood Commonwealth from Greenwood, Mississippi • Page 8

TtlKRllKKINVKXM) Commonwealth PageQA zJll Lfll XzJ IJlJLA Sunday, March 26, 2000 Wild pitching costs GHS against Elzy Rice, Totten will forever be connected Puring their heydays at Mississippi Valley State, Jerry Rice and Willie Totten went together like peanut butter and jelly. You seldom heard one's name mentioned without the other. Totten, nicknamed had a cannon for an arm. Rice, nicknamed had hands of glue. In their three years together, Totten threw 47 touchdown passes to Rice, including an nald Dean and Markas Watkins each had a single.

Greenwood led 4-0 after three innings and then used the pitching of Carruth and good defense to shut down the Eagles. Cruger-Tchula 4, Central Holmes 3 Grover Allen picked up the win on the mound for the Colonels as CTA won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Trey Stewart and Ray Ratliff had home runs for the Colonels. Cruger-Tchula returns to action Monday against Carroll Benton 10, Carroll 0 Benton improved to 7-2 with this non-conference win over visiting Carroll, which falls to 2-5. Paul Chesteen took the loss for Carroll, which was outhit 14-4.

By BILL BURRUS Sports Editor Amanda Elzy got 14 hits and took advantage of Greenwood's wild pitching for a 21-10 win over its crosstown rivals Saturday afternoon in Whittington Park. Elzy opened the game in the top of the first inning with seven runs and led 13-5 going into the bottom of the fifth. "That big first inning really got us going," Elzy coach John Moore said. "They had a lot of walks that really helped us, but when threw strikes we hit it" Taking advantage of Elzy errors, the Bulldogs scored five runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 13-9. But the Panthers came right back in the top of the sixth to the game away with eight runs.

Repredto Reed was the winning pitcher. He worked six innings and allowed seven hits and struck out two. Jrmal Gray led Elzy at the plate with three hits, including a triple. Kevin Steward and Roderick Prayer also had three hits each. Henry Fant III chipped in with two hits.

For GHS, Markas Watkins and Chris Smith both had two hits. Elzy beat Greenwood 13-9 in B-team action. Tim Biles, Tavares Johnson, Avery Parker and Jay Pilcher each had two hits for the Panthers. Greenwood hosts East Side Tuesday, while Elzy plays at Yazoo County. Elzs game with South Delta Friday was suspended due to darkness.

The Panthers were leading 21-1 in the top of the fifth inning when the game was called. It will be completed on April 11 when South Delta comes to Greenwood. Greenwood 5, Weston 1 Khayree Carruth (2-2) worked seven strong innings as the Bulldogs won their their second straight district game Friday by beating T.L. Weston 5-1. Carruth, a senior, allowed the one run on five hits, walked two and struck out 11.

Roger Davis and Raymond Wardell had two hits each for Greenwood, which is now 2-2 in district Chris Smith and C.C. Brown had a triple each, and Sammy Neal, Willie Cannon, Regi amazing 1984. The very field where they used to perform their football heroics scorching opposing secondaries on fall Saturday afternoons is now named in their honor. The small cam- Wafew Lroi3sioijfiis sOsosflnaninn) 4 Bill Bums Sports Editor Football facility takes its name from former standouts By BILL BURRUS Sports Editor A couple of hundred Mississippi Valley State University supporters turned out on campus Saturday in Itta Bena to watch Jerry Rice and Willie Totten hook up one more time. There were no touchdown passes this time, but there was plenty of mutual respect between the two former Valley standouts.

The university held a renaming ceremony Saturday for its football facility, changing the name from Magnolia Stadium to Rice-Totten Stadium. This is not simply a renaming, but an opportunity to celebrate and honor two of Valley's favorite sons," Valley President Lester Newman said. "We are proud to make the name change These guys did so much for this school. They made miracles happen here on Saturdays." Chuck Prophet, the school's athletics director, said the name change is a perfect fit This is a great day for our school. Both of these guys are very deserving," Prophet explained.

They gave a lot to this school, and now we're giving back to them. This is an honor that they will always have." Both ex-players were deeply honored by the name change. Rice who has won four Super Bowls and played in 12 Pro Bowls as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers was asked how Saturday's renaming ceremony ranks with his other accomplishments. This is where I got my start, so this would have to be No. 1," said the future NFL Hall of FamerTo be remembered this way is very special." Rice said he is proud to have his name next BiBunus Former Mississippi Valley State football greats Willie Totten, left, and Jerry Rice answer questions during a ceremony Saturday at Valley to rename the football stadium after them.

Together they brought national attention to the small Delta school with their football heroics. to his former quarterback's. This dangerous duo set more than 40 Division I-AA records during their three years together at Valley. Rice had 310 receptions for 4,851 yards and 51 touchdowns from 1981-84. Totten completed passes for 13,128 yards and 141 touchdowns from 1982-85.

Young, but it always comes back to Willie Totten because he put me on the map," Rice explained. Totten, now coaching at East Side High School in Cleveland, said: That's special to hear Jerry say that We had a unique relationship, and I'm very happy to share this honor with him." Rice was a first-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1984 and is the holder of nearly every NFL receiving record during his 16-year career with the 49ers. Totten went into coaching after his college career ended and is Mississippi Valley's former offensive coordinator. Tve played with Joe Montana and Steve Knott, Wright lead State's offensive onslaught against Tide pus in Itta Bena was buzzing Saturday afternoon with Rice and Totten back for the renaming of the school's football facility, which is now called Rice-Totten Stadium. This is a tremendous honor," said Totten, who coaches football at East Side High School in Cleveland.

This is a day that I will always look back on as very special tome." Rice, who has played the last 15 years with the San Francisco 49ers, agreed: "I tell the world this is where I got my start I'm always telling NFL scouts about Valley and the other small schools." Together, Rice and Totten made Valley nationally famous while setting more than 40 Division I-AA records and running up huge point totals. And that recognition couldn't have come at a better time. "We had something to prove because at that time there was some talk of closing the school," said Rice, who played with Totten from 1982-84. "I like to think that we made people take a second look at Valley. "When I got to the pros, I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders because I knew I had a chance to put Valley on the map." Mission accomplished, Jerry.

Rice has won four Super Bowl rings and set almost every NFL receiving record during his 15-year pro career. He also has 12 Pro Bowl invitations and a spot on the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team. "What Jerry did here and in the NFL has done a lot for our school and our athletic program," said Chuck Prophet, Valley's athletics director. "Everybody has heard of Mississippi Valley State through his accomplishments." At Valley, Rice totaled 4,851 yards and set 18 Division I-AA records. Rice credits Totten for his success then and now.

"We had a close relationship," Rice said of his former signal caller. "I could look at him, and he knew what I was thinking. The chemistry was there. "He made me a better player He helped me get my stait" Rice-Totten Stadium. Yep, it certainly has a nice ring to it Prophet credits Valley President Lester Newman with the idea to rename the stadium.

With Rice and Totten joking about Rice's name being first, Newman interrupted, "I flipped a coin to determine that" Newman wasn't at Valley when Rice and Totten were playing, but he did see them play when Newman attended a game at Valley in 1983, pulling for Southern University, the night that Rice caught an NCAA-record 24 passes against the Jaguars. Rice said that? one of his fondest memories of the former Magnolia Stadium. One person was missing from Saturday's ceremony, Archie "the Gunslinger" Cooley. Cooley was the head coach at Valley during those days. He was the one who designed the five-receiver formations that allowed Rice and Totten to make the most of then-abilities.

Cooley was unable to attend because he was just named the new head coach at Paul Quinn College, a historically black NAIA school in Dallas. "(Cooley) had a big part in all of this," Rice said. "He was very motivational He knew what he wanted out of you and he was going to do whatever he could to get that" Rice and Totten have taken different paths to success since their playing days at Valley but with the renaming of the stadium, their names will be forever linked. eighth and the game-winner in the top of the ninth. Daron Wright was 3-for-4 with three RBI for Mississippi State (20-3, 6-2 SEC).

Travis Chapman hit two doubles for the Bulldogs. Aaron Clark hit a three-run homer for the Crimson Tide (18-10, 3-5). Mississippi State's Adam Larson (3-0) received the win for the Bulldogs. Larson pitched two innings, giving up one run on two hits. Alabama's Jonathan Blankenship (4-3) picked up the loss.

Blankenship pitched Vk innings, giving up one run on three hits. Alabama beat MSU 9-6 Friday night Southern Miss 14, South Florida 6 Chris Finnegan had three hits and drove in four runs as Southern Mississippi beat South Florida 14-6 on Saturday. Southern Miss (14-10, 4-0 Conference USA) trailed 1-0 in the second inning before getting it going offensively. DeQuincy Scott, who went 4-for-5, got a hit to score Darren Welch to tie the game at 1-1. Auburn 9, Georgia 4 Malion Kent went 2-for-3 and drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh as Auburn beat Georgia 9-4 on Saturday.

Auburn posted three runs in the bottom of the third inning to go ahead 4-0. But Georgia fought back, and an RBI single by Adam Swann in the top of the sixth tied the game at four. Associated Press Jon Knott went 3-for-4 with four RBI to lead Mississippi State over Alabama 12-11 on Saturday. Mississippi State built an 8-1 lead before Alabama scored six runs in the bottom of the third, including home runs by Kelly Gulledge and Casey Lambert After Alabama went ahead 10-9 in the seventh, the Bulldogs scored two runs in the Lost cool leads to lost game AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -All night long, coach Larry Eustachy was on his feet, up and down in front of the Iowa State bench, shouting at his players, shouting at the officials, just plain shouting.

This was, after all, no small piece of business against Michigan State. The coach's seat on the bench was there strictly for decoration. Eustachy certainly didn't need it In the end, though, the' coach's carrying on went too far in the NCAA tournament's Midwest Regional final Saturday night Eustachy wound up in the dressing room, thrown out on a double technical foul in the final minute of Michigan State's 75-64 victory that was much closer than that This game was played hand-to-hand, with an in-your-face attitude by both teams. "I didn't even comb my hair today," said Iowa State guard Michael Nurse, "because I knew it would be a dogfight" Emotions ran high all night long and Eustachy wasn't the first coach to get in trouble with the officials. Michigan State's Tom Izzo drew his own technical foul with we play the same way." Now, after being beat off the boards all night long, Michigan State began asserting itself under the basket just in time.

Andre Hutson grabbed three rebounds in a row and the Spartans converted each time to take the lead. The game had turned. In the final minute, Iowa State was down by five points at 69-64 and desperate for baskets. Fizer went up for a shot and again there was the dreaded whistle. Another personal foul, this one Nurse's fifth.

Eustachy went ballistic. Players tried to keep the crewcut coach away but he tore past them to confront officials Curtis Shaw, Frank Basone and Lonnie Dixon. Quickly, Dixon called a technical and that just incited Eustachy even more. He was out on the floor, pushing players away, appearing to make contact with Basone. He drew another technical.

In an instant, the coach was gone. Moments later, so was the game. The first technical foul was for excessive demonstration and cursing. The second technical was for coming out on the floor," Shaw said. 5:49 left, dropping the Spartans into a seven-point hole at 59-52.

"I ask my players to stick up for what they think is right and I stick up for what I think is right" So did Eustachy. Shortly after Izzo's technical, Eustachys pressure cooker began to build. With 3:43 to play, Iowa State's Paul Shirley got locked up under the basket As Shirley's shot went in, it was waved off by the officials. No basket Instead, a fifth personal foul on Shirley. Eustachy screamed at that turn of events, crucial at that juncture with Iowa State's lead down to three points.

It would get worse. Ail-American Marcus Fizer was already laboring under the burden of four personal fouls but Eustachy couldn't pull the centerpiece of his team off the floor at that stage. So Fizer stayed. And so did Nurse, also playing with four personals. "We play hard, no matter what" he said.

"If Coach catches you playing soft because of fouls, hell take you out Whether we're not in foul trouble or if we have a lot of fouls, AP Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy Is held back by Michael Nurse as he argues with referee Curtis Shaw in the closing minutes of Iowa State's 7S64 loss to Michigan State. Eustachy received a double technical and was ejected from the game..