The Greenwood Commonwealth from Greenwood, Mississippi • Page 11

Friday, May 28, 1999 Page 1 1 Mobfle will test Pride's on-field progress I VH'liHWil'l I TV Weekend judge how much the Jackson team has improved. We know we can play with them," said Pride quarterback Stewart Patridge, a Morgan City native and former Pillow Academy and Ole Miss standout "We had the ball twine inside their 5- It's tough, tough, tough, but we're going to make it" Patridge said if the Pride continues its winning ways the crowds at Veterans Memorial Stadium will grow. The more we win the more people we will put in the stands," said Patridge, the 1997 Conerly Trophy winner. "If we get on a roll, people are going to come out and see what we're all about "I feel like well have a big crowd Saturday because Mobile has some big-name players, and it's a big game for us." Former Dallas Cowboy Sherman Williams is Mobile's featured runner. The Admirals also have former Florida State quarterback Thad Busby and former Florida Ail-American receiver Jack Jackson.

The Admirals boast four former Cowboys with Super Bowl rings Williams, linebacker Kenny Gant, running back Dominique Ross and receiver David Lucas. Knights, Patridge completed 22 of 34 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns. "We've come a long way, plus we're doing a lot of different things we weren't doing in the beginning" Patridge explained. "We're using a lot of four-receiver sets, and we used some no-huddle last week. "We are also playing together more as a team.

The offensive line is getting better each week, and that's where it all starts." The Regional Football League is in its first year of existence, and the Pride hasn't been drawing fans like team officials had hoped. But after last week's crowd of 4,800, Pride general manager Wayne Van said things are looking up. "Iam very encouraged," Van explained. "We're developing a kind of a cult following that is growing. You have to realize that we put this thing together in two months.

We didn't have the head start that Mobile had. "We're going to hang in there and make it Team now hoping to show attendance improvement By BILL BURRUS Sports Editor The Mississippi Pride have served notice that they are an improved football team. Last weekend the Pride redeemed an earlier loss to Shreveport with a 35-10 rout over the Knights. The Pride can really make a big statement Saturday night against the Mobile Admirals, who boast a 5-1 record and are tied for first place in the Regional Football League with Houston. The Pride, 3-3, brings a two-game winning streak into its matchup with Mobile, which defeated the Pride 36-13 three weeks ago.

Saturday's game will be a good barometer to TODAY MAJOR LEAGUES Los Angela Dodgers al Atlanta Braves, 6:35 p.m.,TBS. NHL PLAYOFFS Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 pm, ESPN. AUTO RACING World of Outlaws Spring Classic, 9 TNN. SATURDAY NBA PLAYOFFS Western Conference finals, Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio, 4:30 NBC TENNIS French Open, NBC. AUTO RACING NASCAR Grand National, Carquest Auto Parts 300, noon, TBS.

CART FedEx Championship Series, Motorola 300, 2 ABC. GOLF Kemper Open, 3 p.m., CBS. Boone Valley Senior Classic, 4:30 p.m., ESPN. MAJOR LEAGUES Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves, 6:05 p.m.,TBS. Patridge yarrj get anything.

It was a lot closer than that score. And weVe gotten a lot better since then. The last three weeks weVe improved drastically, especially on offense. The defense has been solid from the start, but the defense is always going to be ahead of the offense when you are first starting out" Kickoff is set for 7 p.ra in Jackson at Veterans Memorial Stadium. In last week's rout over the Shreveport Youth Baseball Power reunited: Sosa vs.

McGwire UTTU UEAOUB THURSDAY'S GAMES HICROSPED 14. LAWRENCE PRMTWO. 4 LAWRENCE (4.2) 20 0 2 MtCHOSPED (5-1) 40(10) WP Jason Moss; LP Odric Date; 28 Ryxi Tsy-Kr (L): HR Robert Ryan Howrt (M): MuMsIt Hits -Taylor (L) 2. WILLOW RUN OW 10, UNION PLANTERS 0 UNION (04) 000 0 WILLOW (5-3) 450 1 WP JBoob Brown: LP Brett McCrory. 2B Ben Bush (W).

CJ Mortgomeiy (W): HR Bryct Dsvss (W); MuWolt Mils Dam (W) 2. Jacob Brown (W) 3, Montgomery (W) 2. UNOftLEAOUV THURSDAY GAMES SONIC 10, DELTA SPRMGS 0 DELTA 000 0 SONIC 303 4 WP Sam Kakft LP Mann Feher. PRUT SHOP 11, MID-SOUTH COPIER 2 PRINT 912 MID-SOUTH 011 0 WP Walt Montgomery; LP floss Home ML Men's Softball CHURCH LEAQUti THURSDAY'S GAMES FIRST BAPTIST It, CHURCH OF GOD FIRST (14) 771 10 CHURCH (4-4) 300 12 HR Tom Maid (F). Wayne NoMe (F).

Chns Goss (C). Clint Sanders (C): Multiple Hits Jason Abetnalhy (Fl 3, Kyle Morgan (F) 2. Maid (F) 4. Hugh Land (F) 2. Larry Chailes Champion (F) 2.

NoMe (F) 3, Goss (C) 2. Chns Buden (C) 2. Bobby Goss (C) 2. Santos (C) 2. Chad Snvfi (C) 2, Dal Lemley (C) 3.

HM CATHOLIC 15, VWEYARM1 14 VINEYARD (1-8) 234 021 2 HM (3-4) 000 213 9 HR Jsrtny kin (V). David Tale (V). Rob Robertson (I). Russ Pi (l), Jeremy Castle (I): Multiple Hits Jimmy Johnson (V) 3, vi (V) 2. Jeny Hicks (V) 3.

Chad Chad (V) 3. Darwl Vast (V) 2. Thomas Beavers (V) 2, Davri Carpenter (V) 2, Deney Peoples (V) 2. Jamey Casts (I) 2, Pulen (I) 2. Jeremy Caste (I) 2.

Chns Martin (I) 3, Chad Robertson (I) 2, Zack Elks (I) 3, Riok Ttuttt (I) 3, Tyler AP Portland's guard Isaiah Rider smiles as he hugs shirtless teammate Jim Jackson after Portland beat the Utah Jazz 92-80 Thursday night to win the series 4-2 and advance to the Western Conference finals against San Antonio. Blazers knock out Jazz ill 4. Familiar feel may help USM JACKSON (AP) Southern Mississippi hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 1991, but there's an air of familiarity when the Golden Eagles return to the postseason. The Eagles (38-21) are in the NCAA Regional at Tuscaloosa, where they have played regular season games in each of the Last three years. Their postseason opener is against South Alabama, a team they split a pair of games with this season.

"Its an advantage. We know what we are getting into," said USM senior pitcher Josh Walker. Southern Miss and South Alabama (38-18) played at 2 p.m. today in the opener of the Tuscaloosa regional while Southeastern Conference tournament champion Alabama (46-14) plays Navy (27-20-1) in the nightcap. The double-elimination tournament continues Saturday.

"We are evenly matched teams," said Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer of opening opponent South Alabama. The advantage is that we know everything they do, and they know everything we do." South Alabama beat Southern Miss 12-5 on March 10, after losing 2-1 in Hattiesburg on March 10. In the latest published RPI ratings, Southern Miss is 35th, just two spots ahead of South Alabama. The Jaguars have the edge in postseason experience, making their 18th NCAA appearance this season, and have a 16-41 lead vs. USM in a series that dates back to 1967.

Southern Miss made its only previous regional appearances in 1990 and 1991, winning just one NCAA game. Walker (8-1, 4.22 ERA) said the Golden Eagles feel they have accomplished the hardest part just by getting into the NCAA tournament "I think people are relaxed now, and want to be here," Walker said. "Now people get excited and the adrenaline starts flowing through your body. The hard part was getting here." Tennis association to meet Saturday The Greenwood Community Tennis Association will hold a meeting at 11 am. Saturday for registration The meeting will be at the tennis courts in Whittington Park.

The registration cost is $20 per person. CHICAGO CAP) Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa staged a long-ball derby last season that was unprecedented, and probably will never be matched. For the first time since last season's historic homerfest, they were scheduled to meet on the same field as McGwire and the St Louis Cardinals began a three-game series today at Wrigley Field against Sosa and the Chicago Cubs. You know who everyone was watching every time they stepped to the plate, every time they took a swing. "It's a great rivalry and always fun to play at Wrigley.

But the focus should be on the Cards and Cubs, not McGwire and Sosa," McGwire said. Yeah, right Last year, Sosa's 66 homers didn't quite measure up. McGwire pulled away on the final weekend of the season, and his astounding 70 homers might never be touched. The race was last year," Sosa said. "Everybody knows what happened last year.

We don't know what will happen this year, but to talk about it is too early. We still have another four months to go." On Thursday, McGwire hit No. 14 for the year to share the Cards' team lead with Fernando Tatis. He has homered six times in the last eight games. Sosa, meanwhile, had 12 homers in his last 21 games and 16 this season before the Cubs got a day off Thursday.

Although Sosa and McGwire are trailing the likes of Ken Griffey Jose Canseco and Raul Mondesi, who's to say they can't catch up? "We can have 10 or 12 home runs and then, in another 10-15 days, we can hit 10-15 more home runs. That's just the way we are," Sosa said, perhaps recalling that his major league-record 20 homers last June got him into the home run race. When the Cubs and Cards last met, in September at Busch Stadium, McGwire tied Roger Maris, then passed him with the historic No. 62 the next night off Chicago's Steve TrachseL Sosa ran in from right field to congratulate his respected rival, and they exchanged their familiar greetings McGwire's fake punch to the stomach, Sosa's two-finger salute to the crowd. Sosa took the lead briefly on Sept 25 with his 66th, but McGwire answered big time.

ITTA BENA BAPTIST 23, NORTH CARROUTON 7 ITTA BENA (0-2) 931 28 NORTH (3-5) 211 21 HR Brad Blount (N); Multiple Hm) Scon Mikftel (1) 3, Lee Hodges (I) 4, Mhe Bobrtt (I) 5. Danny Cautier (I) 2. Aucke Branch (I) 3, Bariey Patndge (I) 3. Randy Hurt (I) 3. Casey Hum (I) 4.

Buoba Chrismond (I) 2. My Waker (1) 3, Andy Fletcher (N) 3, Mitrii Sanders (N) 2, Wes Hunt (N) 2, Brent Avant (N) 2, Kit Colvin (N) 2. INDUSTRIAL LEACHJC THURSDAY'S GAMES BELZONI 21, HURRICANES HURRICANES (0-5) 022 11 BELZONI (44) 616 8X Multiple Hits Hosie Bankman (B) 2. Dametl Head (B) 2, LK. Wiiams IB) 2.

Joey Head B) 2, Lucas Hart (B) 2. Damn Tale (B) 2. BUNCH'S KITCHEN 1, NATIONAL PICTURE BUNCH'S (4-1) 160 56 NATIONAL (2-2) 140 40 HR Gene Johnson Multiple Hits Johnson (8) 3. VWtoTotlen 3. Oennrs Barnes (B) 1 JoJo Robertson (B) 3.

vemon Streater (B)2. Michael Grvens (N)3. Al Snati (N)2. Randy Pawl (N) 2, Arthur Wrkams (N) 2, Mark Jones (N) 2. SAUVIVORS 31, VIKING 20 SAUVIVORS (2-2) (10) 5 7 45 VIKING (0-4) 6 (10)1 03 Multiple Hits ken Baker (S) 4.

Jerry Ross IS) 4. Sammy Dennis (S) 3. Waller Craft (S) 3. Robert McCfcng (S) 3. Daren Han (S) 3.

Mfce Miner (V) 5. Eddie Brock (V) 4. Jason Turner (V) 3. Bruce Burns (V) 2. The Jazz, who won Game 5 to stave off elimination for the sixth time in two postseasons, might have let their last shot with future Hall of Famers Malone and John Stockton slip away.

"It's not the end of an era. I don't look at it like that" Malone said. "We just have to wait and see, though. There's a lot of decisions to be made." Malone had one of the worst postseason games of his career, scoring a career playoff-low eight points on 3-for-16 shooting. "I couldn't get anything going," said Malone, who has played 148 postseason games.

"I couldn't give our guys much help." Despite Malone's familiar playoff foibles, the Jazz nearly pulled off another rniraculous finish. Portland took a 74-65 lead with 6:40 left when Greg Anthony found Walt Williams alone in the corner for a 3-pointer. The basket came after two turnovers by Malone a ball dropped out of bounds and an errant pass after he came up with a jump baLL Utah gradually cut the lead, and got within two points on a layup by Bryon Russell and a free throw by Jeff Hornacek that made it 80-78 with 1:21 left PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Portland Trail Blazers kept Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz from another shot at the NBA title. Now they will try to do the same to the San Antonio Spurs and David Robinson.

The Blazers are in the Western Conference finals, playing with the same kind of determination and defensive smarts that the Jazz were known for, at least before this series. Portland put the Jazz away Thursday night with a 92-80 victory, a game in which the Blazers made their last 22 free throws and shut down Utah's final desper-atecomeback. "We beat the Jazz at their own game," Portland's Jim Jackson said. "We kept our poise, we were patient and we outworked them. But it's all behind us.

WeVe got to get ready for the Spurs." Game 1 is Saturday in San Antonio. The Spurs, led by the veteran Robinson and the up-and-coming Tim Duncan, have been waiting since sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers four straight The Spurs are on a tear right now," Portland point guard Damon Stoudamire said. "But they're the team thafs in our way. We can beat them, but it'll take what we did against Utah and then some." Major Leagues NATIONAL LEAGUE East Division A Beem shining at Kemper Open Pet .617 .574 .511 .341 .319 VV 29 18 27 20 23 22 15 29 15 32 Atlanta New York Philadelphia Montreal Florida Central Division GB 2 5 12V4 14 GB 4 4)4 5Vi 7 8 Pet "Let's see, back in 1990, I was born," said Beem, who holds the distinction of having the shortest biography in this year's PGA Tour media guide. Beem, whose father is the golf coach at New Mexico State, never played a PGA Tour event or even a Nike Tour event before this year.

He earned a spot on the big tour when he shot a final-round 66 to finish ninth at the qualifying school. stroke lead over Corey Pavin, Bill Glasson and Watts, another golfer who knows what it's like to make a surprise run. Watts played the Japan tour for years before finishing second at last year's British Open, earning him a place on the PGA Tour. And, as with Watts last year in England, Beem suddenly found his life story suddenly in demand after a good round. POTOMAC, Md.

(AP) When Brian Watts came out of nowhere, that nowhere was Japan. Rich Beem's nowhere is El Paso, Texas. Turn left at nowhere, go 20 miles," is how Beem described his hometown Thursday after he finished the day at the top of the leaderboard for the first time in a PGA Tour event Beem's 5-under-par 66 at the Kemper Open was good for a 1- 29 17 24 20 24 21 22 21 22 24 21 25 .630 .545 .533 .512 .478 .457 Houston Chicago St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Milwaukee West Division GB 214 6)4 9 TUTTTJ7TT Rafter shows he can work with clay Pet San Francisco 27 20 .574 Arizona 27 21 .563 Los Angeles 24 22 .522 Colorado 19 25 .432 San Diego 17 28 .378 Thursday's Games Los Angeles 4, Cincinnati 3 Atlanta 8, Milwaukee 7 Colorado 4, Houston 3 St. Louis 3, San Francisco 2.

12 innings AMERICAN LEAGUE Pet Boston 27 19 .587 NewYork 26 19 .578 Toronto 24 25 .490 Tampa Bay 22 25 .468 Baltimore 18 28 .391 GB Yi 4) 4 5) 4 9 Central Division Pet GB 4 Limnm m. mi. i. ii.mii in mi i 4 4 mm- iilr" A lea of Romania 64, 6-1. Rafter has won eight titles, but none on clay Still, the Aussie came into the French Open in great clay-court form, having reached the final of the Italian Open by beating such clay specialists as Felix Mantilla along the way.

Rafter said this week that clay-courters "want to sit back and hit baseline points. I try to play my game as much as I can. I'm surprised Pete (Sampras) doesnt do more of it" Sampras made an anguished exit Thursday after failing for the 10th time to reach victory at Roland Garros, the one Grand Slam title that eludes him. Not long after his painful second-round loss, Sampras was asked why he didnt just throw in the towel once and for all and focus on the other three events. Garros, took five sets to defeat Spanish countryman Fernando Vicente, 6-3, 64, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2.

Among the women, top-seeded Martina Hingis and defending champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario powered their way toward a possible semifinal meeting with easy third-round victories. Neither player has lost a set in the first three rounds. Hingis has lost only 18 games and Sanchez-Vicario 12. The two could meet in the semifinals, but first Hingis has a likely date in the quarters with Venus Williams also in top form. She faced Alicia Molik of Australia later in the day Hingis beat Kveta Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 64, helped by a double fault from her opponent to set up triple match point Sanchez-Vicario beat Irina Spir- PARIS (AP) Trying to show a serve-and-volleyer can thrive in the French Open, Patrick Rafter advanced to the third round today against clay-court specialist Nicolas Escude of France.

"It's a big relief" Rafter, seeded third, said after his 7-5, 64), 2-6, 64 victory. The match was completed after being suspended for darkness the night before, with Rafter leading two sets to none. Tim Henman tumbled out of the tournament after leading two sets to love and 3-1 in the third against Alberto Berasategui of Spain, a 1994 finalist in Paris. Serving at 4-5 in the fifth, the seventh-seeded Briton netted his two final shots to give the Spaniard a 4-6, 4-6, 64, win. Alex Corretja, last year's finalist and perennial favorite at Roland Cleveland 32 13 .711 Kansas City 22 23 .489 Chicago 20 24 .455 Detroit 20 27 .426 Minnesota 17 29 .369 10 11)4 13 15)4 West Division i 26 20 24 23 23 23 GB 2)4 3 4)4 Pet .565 .511 .500 .468 Texas Oakland Seattle Anaheim 22 25 AP Thursday's Games Third-seeded Patrick Rafter of Australia reacts after he defeated Nicolas Escude of France 7-5, 60, 2-6, 64 in their second round tennis match at the French Open at Roland Garros stadium in Paris this morning.

Oakland 6, Kansas City 1 Detroit 10. Chicago 5 NewYork 4, Boston 1 Baltimore 6, Anahern 3.