Daily Record from Morristown, New Jersey • Page 35

Sunday Daily Record, January 5, 1975 03 Dan Cast el I a no e. Al ECrevis Awaits NFL Call On Defense iiper Bowl IX: Steelers i I i r'- trial jMfcSiisv. mi riul.lniniMniwnlm NEW ORLEANS (AP) Two of the National Football League's strongest defensive teams clash in Super Bowl IX next Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers tangle to decide pro football's top title. It will be a return trip for the Vikings, who lost in the 1974 Super Bowl to Miami but earned another chance by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 14-10 for the National Conference championship a week ago. For Pittsburgh, their 24-13 American Conference championship victory over Oakland last week marked the Steelers' first title other than a division championship.

The success of both teams has been molded by their defenses. The Vikings have perennial All-Pros Alan Page and Carl Eller up front on defense and allowed just 15 touchdowns during the regular season, the fewest yielded by any team in the NFC. Minnesota's secondary is anchored by free safety Paul Krause, whose 64 career interceptions are third on the alltime NFL list behind only Dick "Night Train" Lane's 68 and Emlen Tunnell's 79. Pittsburgh's defense led the league with 52 quarterback sacks including 40 by the front four of L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Dwight White and Ernie Holmes.

"When you build a team, you must start with a strong defense," said Viking Coach Bud Grant. Both Super Bowl contestants qualify. Krevis feels the one thing he needs more work on is pass protection since his college team did nothing but run. "I hope to learn a lot in Mobile," the AP All-America said. "The pro technique is a little different than what we used in college.

And you also have to learn how to hold without getting caught." Of course, there are problems to think about for Krevis and the hundreds of other college seniors who await the draft. There's the idea of moving on to another part of the country, the contract and, most importantly, how to stay away from the money grabbing agents. Krevis is ready. "No one is going to take advantage of me," he said. "I have enough smarts to handle it.

I haven't even begun to think about money yet. "I like the game. It's a money making game and you have to look out for your own interests. You have to take care of yourself. But the important thing is to be happy." Krevis would prefer playing for the Jets, Giants, Patriots or Eagles in order to be close to home but, after spending some time on the West Coast, he started changing his mind.

"I'll go anywhere to play pro football," he said. "You know, it's something you think about but you never really know. I've always wanted to play football but you never really feel you're good enough to become a pro. "When I went to college, my thoughts were simply to be good. But, when I started getting letters from pro teams, I began to think I might really make it." Make no mistake about it.

He will make it. He already has in the minds of 26 pro scouts who are just waiting to see if he'll still be around when their teams pick. "Al Krevis is the best offensive lineman in the country." Boston College head coach Joe Yukica. "Al Krevis is the best lineman I have seen in seven years." Pittsburgh coach Johnny Majors. "Al Krevis will be the first player drafted out of New England this year.

I wish we could get him, but there's no way he's going to be around when we get to pick." Oakland Raider scout. "I just can't believe the way Al Krevis alone can seal off the outside." Massachusetts coach Dick McPherson. "Gosh almighty, Boston College is something else up front. I don't have any people like Al Krevis." LSU coach Charlie Mc-Clendon. And so it goes.

This is the most difficult part for Al Krevis the waiting, the wondering that leads to Jan. 28 and the pro draft and the knowledge that you're considered good enough to be picked by one of 26 National Football League teams no later than round two. And it was only six years ago that opposing high school coaches were waiting to meet Morris Catholic and its star two-way lineman who most thought was overrated and getting by on size alone. They don't think that about Al Krevis anymore. Technical blocking, quickness, balance and 275 pounds distributed over a 6-foot-5 frame make the Boston College senior one of the most sought after offensive tackles in the country.

And the highly articulate 22-year-old from Lake Hiawatha is certainly aware of his prowess. He'd have to be with all the awards coming his way. He was selected for the Senior Bowl and will receive his first paycheck at that affair in Mobile, Ala. Jan. 11.

And the Al Krevis sought lineman New Jersey Sportswriters Association chose to honor him for special achievement at their annual dinner Jan. 26 at Pines Manor in Edison. "They're calling this the year of the offensive lineman in the draft," Krevis said. "I've been told I'll probably be drafted in the middle of the first round, no later than early in the second." Yet it was only two years ago that Krevis lay in a hospital with a ruptured disc in his back, which required surgery and long recuperation. Krevis made it back stronger than ever after sitting out his sophomore season and, this year, was largely responsible for the Boston College offense being rated behind only Oklahoma and Ohio State in the country.

Besides Eller and Page, the Vikes use iron-man Jim Marshall and Doug Sutherland in the defensive front four. Marshall has played in 203 consecutive regular season games dating back to 1960. Minnesota's linebackers are Roy Winston, Jeff Siemon and Wally Hilgenberg, whose end zone interception halted a 98yard Los Angeles drive and turned the tide in the NFC championship game. Krause, Jackie Wallace, and the unrelated Wrights, Jeff and Nate, complete the defense. Behind their awesome front four, Pittsburgh owns perhaps pro football's finest trio of linebackers in veterans Jack Ham, and Andy Russell and Jack Lambert, chosen Defensive Rookie of the Year last week by The Associated Press.

Mel Blount, Mike Wagner, Glen Edwards and J.T. Thomas form the defensive secondary. Edwards, Thomas and Ham each had five interceptions and the Steelers picked off 25 enemy passes, three more than the Viking defense grabbed. Those defenses will face two quarterbacks who like to throw the football. Minnesota's Fran Tarkenton passed for more than 2,000 yards for the 13th consecutive year and his 266 career touchdown passes are second only to Johnny Unitas' lifetime toal of 290.

Terry Bradshaw doesn't have statistics that impressive. But he fought his way back from the bench and a third-string role early this season to pilot the Steelers smartly past Buffalo and Oakland in the playoffs. Both teams have top runners, including two of pro football's top all-purpose backs. Pittsburgh's Franco Harris missed two games because of injuries but still gained 1,006 yards rushing and 200 more on 23 pass receptions. He was the Steelers' No.

2 receiver, trailing only Frank Lewis, who caught 30 for 365 yards. Chuck Foreman of the Vikings led the NFL with 15 touchdowns, gaining 777 yards rushing and 586 more on a club record 53 pass receptions. Both Harris and Foreman had good games in the conference championships. Harris carried 29 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Foreman gained 80 on 22 carries.

Besides Foreman, Minnesota uses" Dave Osborn in the backfield, with Ed Marinaro, Oscar Reed, Bill Brown and Brent McClanahan also available. Harris' running mates are Rocky Bleier, Preston Pearson, Steve Davis and Reggie Harrison. Tarkenton's wide receivers are Jim Lash, who caught his first pro touchdown pass in the NFC title game against Los Angeles and speedster John Gilliam, who averaged 22 yards per catch during the regular season. Stu Voigt is the tight end. The rest of the offensive line has All-Pro Ron Yary and Charles Goodrum at tackles, Andy Maurer and Ed White at guards and Mick Tingelhoff at center.

For Pittsburgh, the wide receivers are Lewis, and Ron Shanklin or rookie Lynn Swann, with Larry Brown at tight end. The offensive tackles are Jon Kolb and Gordon Gravelle, with Sam Davis and Jim Clack at the guards and Ray Mansfield at center. East Topples West In Hula Bowl made his record-breaking throw on; the next play. After the East's final touchdown on a six-yard run by Holloway in the 35 fourth quarter, Haden led the West in two scoring drives in a comeback effort. That interception led to the Holloway-to-Burton touchdown pass.

Bartkowski then led a 57-yard drive on seven plays, with Roan scoring on a nine-yard pass. Holloway drove the East from their own 35 to the West two-yard line, where Fritts fumbled.Haden Chuck Foreman all-purpose back A crowd of 21,887 saw the game live up to its billing as a passing duel, as the two teams combined for 744 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. East Coach Bill Battle of Tennessee, a proponent of the pass-run option, said he opted for a strong passing attack in the game. "We wanted to be balanced and also had good pass receivers," Battle said. And West Coach Bill Yoeman of Houston acknowledged that the East aerial attack, particularly three long touchdown passes "wounded us badly." Battle made extensive use of Holloway, who completed 14 of 20 passes and gained 51 yards on nine rushes.

Roan was the game's leading receiver with seven catches for 205 yards for the West. Haden completed 12 of 19 passes for 188 yards but threw two interceptions. Holloway was not intercepted. Rubin Carter of Miami, who broke up numerous West plays, was named the outstanding defensive player. The West lost a scoring opportunity in the first quarter when Jim Upchurch of Arizona fumbled on the East 12-yard line.

Another drive was halted in the second quarter when Mike Williams of Louisiana State intercepted a pass on the East 32. HONOLULU (AP) Tennessee's Condredge Holloway ran and passed for 253 yards and led a strong aerial attack that propelled the East to a 3425 victory over the West in the 29th annual Hula Bowl game Holloway connected on one. touchdown pass and was named the game's outstanding offensive player. Holloway engineered an 82yard drive after the opening kickoff climaxed by a 13-yard run by Stan Fritts of North Carolina State with less than three minutes gone in the game. The East exploded for 19 points in the second quarter as Larry Burton of Purdue took two touchdown passes, a 59yarder from Holloway and a 55yard scoring toss from Michigan's Dennis Franklin.

Milt Holt of Harvard than threw a 47-yard scoring pass to West Virginia's Danny Buggs. Pat Haden of Southern Cal led a second-half comeback by the West as the Trojan signal caller passed for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Oscar Roan of Southern Methodist and Haden teamed for a Hula Bowl-record 98-yard touchdown play in the third quarter. Roan, who also took a 20-yard scoring pass from Haden and a nine-yard TD strike from California's Steve Bartkowski, racked up another Hula Bowl record with three scoring catches. 1 1 CT i nj fe i TX I Joe Greene 'mean' sacker 03 Mercer Issues CCM 3rd Loss (Giro! Big savings on famous Nettleton shoes for men.

Selected popular sfles in both traditional and the latest fashion patterns. Size's to fit everyone, but not in every style. NOW ONLY tll ORIGINALLY TO $50 We're the Daily Record and the Sunday Daily Record. If you don't already have us delivered to your home, why not fill out the coupon below and have us start. It's only a dollar a week for both daily and Sunday editions.

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Steve Carver and Lee Hackett fouled out while Kevin Miller rein-jured his knee. Joe Hartman, an FDU substitute, also fouled out in the first half. The Jersey Devils managed to come within 11 points, 83-72, with 9:00 to go in the second half, but couldn't get any closer. Jim Saunders grabbed 11 rebounds and Hackett six, as FDU was beaten off the boards, 50-34. MERRIMACK COLLEGE (Mass.) 106 Emerson 2-0-4, Silva 0-1-1, Walsh 4-3-11, Feury 2-6-10, Harper 5-1 1 1, Murphy 12-7-31, McKinney 1-0-2, Dor-sey 3-06, Jenkins 7-8 22, Kuczynsky 4- 0- 8.

Totals: 40-26-106. FAIRLEIGH-DICKINSON 90 Carver 2-0-4, Lang 4-6-14, Miller 3- 1- 7, Hackett 6-4-16, Saunders 8-420, Hartman 2-15, Linden 2-0-4, Pisano 4-5-13, Dichiara 2-15, Camelotta 1-02. Totals: 34-22-90. H-time: 52-39, Merrimack. RANDOLPH TWP.

Poor shooting from the field and a lack of rebounding cost the County College of Morris Titans their third defeat of the season last night, when they bowed to Mercer County College, 60-56. The Titans had a one-point lead at halftime, 28-27, but Mercer scored the first five points of the second half and CCM never regained the lead. Most of the problems last night resulted from the fact that the Titans were able to hit on only 23 of the 69 shots they took from the floor and 10 of 17 from the foul line. George Johnson, Mercer's 6-foot-8 center, led the second half surge, scoring eight of his 14 points after halftime. The Titans' Darrick Hurd led all scorers with 18 points.

Clarence iVhite and Hank Murawski each had 13 for Morris County. MERCER 60 Ley 4-19, McKeen 2-15, Johnson 6- 2 14, Mayo 6-0-12, Rubino 4-19, Bailey 1-02, McKnight 0-33, Washington 3- 0-4. Totals: 26-8-60. CCM 56 White 6-1-13, Hurd 9-0-18, Higgins 1-6-8, Murawski 5-313, Whaley 1-02, Mollett 1-0-2, D'lorio 0-0-0. Totals: 23-10-56.

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