Tyrone Daily Herald from Tyrone, Pennsylvania • Page 4

I fttl DAILY HERALD, Tyrone, PA, Friday, February 14, 1997 Wrestlers in Skirts: Bombs Away! Bellwood-Antis' Brent Gerwert (35) unloads from close-range in last night's JVL Championship Playoff thriller. Gerwert netted 12 points in an action-packed battle in which Juniata Valley held on to post a 52-50 win on a 3-point shot at the final buzzer. (Steve Michaels Photo) Easy Two Bellwood-Antis' Steve Conlon (25) works inside for an easy two pointer as he slips two Juniata Valley defenders for a layup here. Conlon contributed 11 points in a losing cause in a 52-50 JVL Playoff thriller. (Steve Michaels Photo) to Down B-A in JVL Playoff Battle Dist.

6-AA '7 I 'J, Mat Tourney Underway Here by Jillian Kies Herald Sports Correspondent Juniata Valley's defending PIAA State Class A champions held off a strong closing run by homestanding Bellwood-Antis in another thrilling down-to-the- wire court battle of two state- ranked boys basketball teams to capture the another JVL championship with a 52-50 playoff victory over the Blue Devils. Valley rolled into this third meeting between the two talented teams ranked No. 4 in the state Class A rankings; B-A came in No. 5 in Class AA. They'd split two real battles earlier to force this playoff showdown to unlock a tie for league honors.

And meeting No. 3 between the two area small-school giants didn't disappoint. Valley surfaced with its fifth JVL crown in a row, but certainly not without the anticipated court war. Bleachers overflowed with anxious fans for this one as well. After each team exchanged a couple early turnovers, Mike De- IGrosso went backdoor and slammed a 2-pointer off the board to open.

JV answered quickly as Andy Simpson drained two treys. B-A's Steve Conlon and Shaun Sweigert hit two buckets each and Valley sharpshooters Tye Sports Card -FRIDAY- Wrestling District 6, Class AA Tournament, at Tyrone Area H.S. (11 a.m., 4 mats) Girls Basketball Tyrone at Bellwood-Antis QV 6, p.m.) Meeting Notice X-COUNTRY BOOSTERS The Tyrone Area Cross- country Boosters Club will meet on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in room 115 at Tyrone High School.

Booster Club by-laws will be made, officers elected and planning for the upcoming season presented. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. Parents of cross- country team members especially are urged to attend. Enter the school at the rear entrance by the swimming pool. Levy and Simpson countered as JV checked in at the quarter break with a 14-10 edge.

Tom Anders and Travis Broadbent hit quick back-to-back buckets to open the second period, and Valley's ever-dangerous offense began to kick into gear with Andy Showalter and Levy following up with key buckets to surge the Green Hornets to a 31-17 halftime cushion. B-A tightened its defense and scrapped its way back into the ballgame after the intermission, and had cut the lead to eight (42-34) headed into the final period. Blue Devil standout Brent Gerwert had the home fans on their feet with a duece to open the stretch run and B-A poised for a exciting 'neck-and-neck' run to the finish. With Steve Conlon, De- IGrosso, Gerwert, Beatty and Brad Wertz all contributing key scoring, they took a one-point lead, but Valley spiked the bid when Levy canned a game- winning 3-point bomb with one second remaining to earn the Hornets the 52-50 win and anothe league championship. Levy, with six of JV's nine 'treys', led all scorers with 20 points.

Simpson added 13 and tabbed five assists. Gerwert hit 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Con- Ion chipped in 11 points and counted three assists for B-A. "Tye Levy, being a pressure ballplayer, gave us the win with his clutch filial shot. He really came through for us in a big way," observed JV coach Mike Fields. "And Andy Simpson was able to do a really good job with Gerwert, in the first half.

We new B-A would be a challenge as always." "We scratched and clawed our way through the entire game, but we seemed to lack a lot of confidence in our offense in the first half," said B-A coach Gene Yingling. "After a 'wake-up' call, we decxided to change our defensive strategy from zone to man, which we hoped would take away their inside game. When we finally got the lead in the second half it became a new ballgame," he said. "In the last few minutes both teams were at their best. But Levy's clutch shot won it for them.

"We showed a lot of character coming back for the second year in a row to battle them for the league championship like we did," Yingling added. Next up for B-A is the Dist. 6 Playoffs, which they open on Feb. 21 at Hollidaysburg JHS in a 7 p.m. game against either Ligonier Valley opr Purchase Line.

-VARSITY BOXSCORE- BELLWOOD-ANTIS B. Gerwert, 4 3-3 12; S. Conlon, 4 3-3 11; T. Boob, 3 0-0 B. Wertz, 1 2-3 M.

DclGrosso, 4 0-0 J. Beatty, 3 0-1 J. Beaver, 0 0-0 S. Sweigert, 1 0-0 A. Snare, 0 0-0 K.

Lonsmger, 0 0-0 Z. Fay, 0 0-0 J. Schmittle, 0 0-0 S. Novak, 0 0-0 A. Gray, 0 0-0 0.

TOT: 20 8-10 50. 3-POINT FGs: Gerwert, Beatty. JUNIATA VALLEY Broadbent, 2 0-0 Anders, 3 0-1 Showalter, 2 2-6 Simpson, 5 1-2 13; Levy, 7 0-0 20; Isett, 0 0-0 Fuouse, 0 0-0 Price, 0 0-0 Lightner, 0 2-2 K. Ivie, 0 0-0 Wisor, 0 0-0 Peters, 0 0-0 0. TOT: 19 5-11 52.

3-POINT FGs: Levy-6, Simpson-2, Anders. SCORE BY QUARTERS: Bellwood-Antis 10-7-17-16 50 Juniata Valley 14-17-12-8 52 Football Boosters Schedule First '97 Fund-raiser The Tyrone Golden Eagles Football Boosters have anounced their first fund-raising project for the new year. The club said "Valentine's Extravaganza" dance will kick off the 1997 fund-raiser projects. The dance will be held at the American Legion on Feb. 15 from 9 p.m.

to 12 a.m. featuring music by Latchford and the Rock Boyer. Doors will open at 8:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For tickets, contact Vern Latchford, 684-5441; John Boyer, 632-8576; or call the Legion, 684-3342.

Big Ten Basketball Conference All Games Minnesota Purdue Michigan Iowa Illinois Wisconsin Indiana MichiganSt. OhloSt. PennSt. Northwestern 10 I 7 7 7 6 5 5 1 1 1 i 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 11 11 Pet. .909 21 2 .667 13 9 .636 17 6 .636 16 7 .583 17 7 .583 14 7 .500 19 7 .455 12 8 .417 10 11 .083 8 13 .083 6 17 Pet.

.913 .591 .739 .696 .708 .667 .731 .600 .476 .381 .261 Thursday's Result Ohio State 55, Northwestern 40 Seeking individual championships at least a place among the top five places at their respective weights, schoolboy grapplers from 20 teams began a long two-day grind in the revised District 6, Class AA Tournament here this morning at 11 o'clock in the TAHS gym. Competing teams include include nost Tyrone High and Bellwod-Antis, Bald Eagle- Nittany, Bucktail, Cambria Central, Claysburg-Kimmel, Forest Hills, Glendale, Juniata Valley, Marion Center, Moshannon Valley, Mount Union, Penns Valley, Portage, Richland Southern Huntingdon, United, West Branch and Westmont- Hilltop. In years past, the District 6, Class AA individual and team battles were staged over two long weekends at the Tyrone Area High School gym. However, that's been changed to a one-weekend shot with the addition of the Sub-Regional on the post-season docket. Pig-tails (loser out), first- round and quarterfinal bouts will be run off on the four mats for this morning's and this afternoon's sessions.

Semifinals will be on two mats tonight at 7 p.m. Wrestling resumes Saturday at noon with four rounds of consolations on four mats. Third- and fifth-place consolations will begun at 6 p.m., with championships around 8 p.m. Top five placewinners in each weight class return here next week for the newly-placed Sub- Region Tournament, joining the top three placewinners from District 5. Next weekend's Sub-Region action at TAHS will determine the four qualifiers at each weight who will advance to the Southwest Regionals at Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center the weekend of Feb.

28-March 1. Admission costs per session this weekend are $4 for adults and $2 for students per session. Class AAA mat fans, too, will get their first good dose of postseason action this weekend at nearby Aloona High School, beginning at 5:30 p.m. tonight and continuing through Saturday. The top five there, too, will advance to a Sub-Region AAA Tourney, along with District 9's top three at eash weight, next weekend at State College.

Scots All Dressed Up for NCAA Tournament By ALAN ROBINSON AP Sports Writer EDINBORO, Pa. (AP) Dennis Rodman isn't the only skirt- wearing man in sports. Bruce Baumgartner's nationally ranked Edinboro University's wrestlers are also dressed to kill. Actually, they're dressed in kilts plaid ones, fashionably below-the-knee length with cute little pleats. Just the thing for the cover of Vogue or Cosmopolitan, but hardly a suitable look for Sports Illustrated.

Not to skirt the issue, but how did some of the most macho men in college athletics end up dressing for their team picture in, well, dresses? "We were looking for a catchy poster to sell as a fundraiser, and my assistant, Tim Flynn, came up with the idea," said Baumgarfner, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time medalist. "They shot the guys bare-chested and in sweatshirts, and we liked the bare-chested look best." The quickest way to make his Fighting Scots fighting mad is to suggest they look pretty in pink and red and green and Baumgartner said none of his athletes are grappling with their gender. "The poster is on more walls in northwestern Pennsylvania than Pamela Anderson Lee," Edinboro sports information director Shawn Ahearn said. It also has brought unaccustomed publicity to one of the most overlooked of sports and a relatively small state university that takes on, and regularly beats, the big boys of college wrestling. How the Scots wrestle in sin- glets, mind you, not skirts would rate second glances even if there were no poster.

Check the latest NCAA Division I rankings, and it looks like the Big Ten against the Big Little: Oklahoma State, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Illinois and Edinboro. The Fighting Scots, 11-0 before Thursday's night match at West Virginia, also are the uncrowned Rose Bowl champions of wrestling, beating Ohio State and Arizona State. "We downplay the national ranking in the wrestling room, and it's great to have undefeated and nationally ranked wrestlers, but you have to perform every night," Baumgartner said. "So far, the guys have. They're not afraid of working hard." Baumgartner has benefited from geography and meteorology while systematically building one of the nation's best wrestling programs in a small town.

Located 15 miles south of Erie, 100 miles north of Pittsburgh and a Tiger Woods tee shot away from eastern Ohio, Edinboro is ideally located in a region populated by some of the nation's best high school wrestlers. Not surprisingly, many are eager to be coached by me nation's best- known and most successful amateur wrestler. "I don't know if they (his gold medals) have opened some doors. The guys don'tcomehere tosay 'Hi' and hang out with Bruce," Baumgartner said. "They come here to accomplish something." Edinboro's wicked weather, worsened by relentless lake-effect snow that regularly piles up at the rate of 8-12 inches, leaves few wintertime diversions in the community of 7,700.

As a result, home matches regularly draw spectators, or more than many Division I basketball teams attract. Unlike Iowa's fabled Dan Gable, Baumgartner still cannot sign virtually any wrestler he chooses. But he and his assistants, including Lou Rosselli, another U.S. Olympian, recruit meti- ciously and well. Three Scots, 190-pounder Jason Robison (28-0), 158-pounder Tony Robie (27-4) and 118-pounder Kevin Saniga (22-9), are nationally ranked and should challenge for NCAA titles.

All are from western Pennsylvania. "Oklahoma State and Iowa obviously have an advantage over us a down year for them is No. 2 or 3, a down year for us is No. 24 or 25," Baumgartner said. "In a good year, we can be in the top five.

It's like any other team with the best talent usually wins. And we try to recruit winners." No. 24 UCLA Knocks Off No. 11 Arizona Steve Lavin is having a great week. Two days after signing a four- year contract as UCLA coach, Lavin's 24th-ranked Bruins beat No.

11 Arizona 66-64 Thursday night on J.R. Henderson's jumper in the lane with 18 seconds left. "This came down to will," said Lavin, who started the season as UCLA's interim coach after Jim Harrick was fired. Charles O'Bannon scored a season-high 26 points as the Bruins (14-7, 9-3 Pac-10) kept pace with Southern California in pursuit of their third straight league title. UCLA, which beat Arizona in overtime on Jan.

18, also completed a sweep of the Wildcats for the first time since Lute Olson became Arizona coach in 1983. "I felt we needed a spark, and I was the one to do it," said O'Bannon, who was 10-of-14 from the field. Miles Simon scored 24 points for Arizona (15-6, 7-4), which lost despite forcing UCLA into 28 turnovers. "To force them into 28 turnovers and not win the game is incredible," Olson said. "Defensively, they really did a good job." In other Top 25 games, it was No.

5 Utah 84, SMU 63; No. 8 Cincinnati 69, Saint Louis 56; No. 10 Maryland 73, Florida State 57; No. 13 New Mexico 81, Rice 64; No. 22 Stanford 87, Oregon State 54; Alabama-Birmingham 64, No.

23 Tulane 61; and No. 25 College of Charleston 85, Florida International 81. No. 5 Utah 84, SMU 63 At Salt Lake City, Michael Doleac had 19 points and nine rebounds as Utah defeated Southern Methodist. Leading 41-29 at halftime, Utah (18-3, 10-1 WAC) opened the second half with an 11-2 run to break the game open.

Keith Van Horn added 18 points for Utah, while Jay Poerner led SMU (13-9, 5-7) with 15. No. 8 Cine. 69, St. Louis 56 At Cincinnati, Darnell Burton scored 21 points and the Bearcats overcame a sluggish start and foul problems to win their fifth straight.

Cincinnati (19-4, 7-1 Conference USA) outscored Saint Louis 16-3 in the final five minutes. Cincinnati star Danny Fortson was held to nine points, 13 below his average. No. 10 Maryland 73, Fla. St.

57 At College Park, Keith Booth scored 17 points and Maryland used a 21-2 first-half run to beat Florida State. Obinna Ekezie had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Terrapins (19-5, 8-4 ACC), who had lost three of their previous four games. No. 13 New Mexico 81, Rice 64 At Albuquerque, Charles Smith scored 19 points as New Mexico (19-4, 8-3 WAC) increased its home winning streak to 24. Clayton Shields added 17 points for the Lobos, while Shaun Igo led Rice (11-10, 5-6) with 26 points.

No. 22 Stanford 87, Oregon St. 54 At Stanford, Kris Weems scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half as the Cardinal snapped a three-game losing streak. Arthur Lee added 13 points for Stanford (14-6, 7-5 Pac-10), which remained unbeaten seven home games this season. Corey Benjamin had 16 points for Oregon State (6-15, 2-10), which lost its 17th straight road "game.

64, No. 23 Tulane 61 At New Orleans, Damon Cobb hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining and Carlos Williams scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half as Alabama- Birmingham handed Tulane (16-8, 7-2 Conference USA) its third straight loss. No. 25 College of Charleston 85, Fla. International 81 At Miami, Sedric Webber, Rodney Conner, Thaddeous Delaney and Anthony Johnson scored 14 points each as College of Charleston extended the nation's longest unbeaten streak to 16 games.

The Cougars (22-2, 13-0 TAAC) clinched their fourth consecutive regular-season title..