Daily Record from Morristown, New Jersey • Page 33

DaiV Record Northwest N.J., Sunday, December 7, 1980 C1 0 Maassen TD IRetarns Title To Sparta nrm a phtTiT WH ill 7 i lowing Maassen's second interception of the game, ended a roller-coaster ride that left the Spartans drained both physically and emotionally. "It was that kind of football game," admitted Earl, "Each team had numerous opportunities but first we'd rise to the occasion and then they would. "They have a great football team," added Earl. "That Joe Baiunco is one of the best I've ever seen but we have some great kids too. We showed that today.

"I was afraid that with their size (the losers outweighed Sparta by 15-20 pounds a man) they would wear us down but I think we were in better physical condition." "We were tired," agreed Spartan 190 pound tackle Andy Strauss, "but they were the ones huffing and puffing in the second overtime." "I was glad Paul scored when he did," confided Winfree who was one of six Spartans to play both ways. "We were exhausted." Exhausted, maybe, but not willing to give an inch to a bigger, stronger, more physically im-prerssive opponent. The Spartan defense, led by Strauss, Maassen, Wathne, Phil Truedinger and linebackers Tom Holden and Scott Ityincr limited Saddle Brook's high powered attack to just 229 yards in total of fense. The 6 195 pound Baiunco, a blue-chip college prospect, got most of that as he carried 21 times for 85 yards, caught four passes for 81 yards and tallied the Falcons' loneTD on a two-yard second period run. Yet Baiunco's longest run of the day was I yards as lie was basically contained by the smaller but quicker Spartan defenders, "They overpowered us straight ahead but overall I think we outplayed them," observed Earl.

"We've been able to depend on our defense all year," added Strauss who helped the Spartans finish the campaign with a perfect 110 mark, extend their two-year winning streak to 15 games and capture their third II, Section 1 title (Sparta won in 1970, and 79 and Lenapo Valley won in 1977) in the last five years. Sparta tallied only touchdown in regulation time early in the second period when Winfree climaxed an 89 yard, 12 play drive by diving over left tackle from the one. The two key plays in the march were a pair of passes from McLester to Bob Delea covering 20 and 25 yards. The second pass play put the ball on the Falcon four und two plays later Winfree scored. Saddle Brook came back to knot the score when Baiunco went over just 1: 11 before the intermission.

That's the way the game remained until Sparta "opened it up" in the closing moments of the second overtime. By KURT ERICSSON Starr Sports Writer SPARTA TWP. Courage and emotion had carried them to where they were but after over three hours or football you had to wonder just how mueh was left. With the Group II, Section 1 championship game appearing hopelessly deadlocked at 7-7 and the last minutes of the second overtime ticking off the scoreboard clock, clearly it was time for decisive action. So after a brief strategy session with assistant coach Ted Barbato, Sparta High School football coach Ron Earl decided to chuck the conservative approach and open up and go for all the gusto.

Four plays later, the Spartans were celebrating their second state football championship in as many years as Paul Maassen's 28-yard dash around left end lifted them to a 13-7 sudden death victory over Saddle Brook. Spartan co-captain Brad Win-free, whose crushing block allowed Maassen to turn the corner and break free on his scoring scamper, set up the decisive TD by catching a 15-yard pass from Scott McLester that moved the football into Saddle Brook territory and then combining with McLester and teammate Rich Wathne on an 18-yard pass-lateral play that carried the ball to the Falcon 28. "I think we caught them a little off-guard," confided Earl, who after 19 years as an assistant succeeded Dick Cassels as the Spartan head coach in 1978. "We've used that pass-lateral play a couple of times this year but never in such a crucial situation. On the touchdown play, we were just looking to get within field goal range but we caught them in an inside blitz and once Maassen (the county sprint champion) turned the corner he was gone." The decisive scoring series, which began at the Sparta 40 fol i i NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 1 Group 4 Paaaalc Val 20, Fair Lawn Oroup 9 Mobokan 10, Ramaey Group Sparta 13, Sadoia Brook 7 (ovartima) Oroup 1 Glan Rock 22, Park Ridqa 21 NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2 Group III Summit 10, Rahway 7 CENTRAL JERSEY Group 4 Woodbrldga 7, Rarilan 8 Group 2 Aabury Pk 32, Voorhaaa 16 Group 1 South Rlvar 24, Spotawood 13 SOUTH JERSEY Group 4 Ponntaukan 14, Willinyboro 0 Group 3 Mainland Rag IS, Ovorbrook 12 Group 2 Burlington 12, Haddon Twp 7 Group 1 Paulsboro 16, Glasaboro 6 Parochial St.

John Vlannay 14. Red Bank Cath 6 0 7 0 0 0 07 taodtalraaa Sparta 0 7 0 0 0 613 WinliM 1 run IWalhna kick) So Aaiunco 7 run (Caldarona kick) SWuiian run (Suddan daatri. no PT) I t. Sparta 13 14 5 Full dowm Ruihaa-yardt Panlng yaidl Pailtl Punll Fumbtot-loit Panaltitl-yardl 401111 43 IIS ill 10-71-J 13-211 5-44 6 11 10 10 13105 6MI 1 i Dodgers Eye Another Title v. Borough, came on a field goal in the last quarter.

Madison (9-2) has won four straight after losing to New Providence, 7 0, in the Dodgers' seventh game of the season, which dropped Madison's record to 5-2. Madison also lost to Summit, 21-0, which broke the Dodgers' 38 game winning streak. Linebackers Mike Bet and Jim O'Donncll, two-way end Dayle Rust and safety Norman Burrough will key Madison's defensive effort. Madison has given up 81 points in 1 1 games. On offense, fullback Barry Rogers, halfback Mike Savercool and quarterback Jeff Lucht will have to get the veer running in high gear if the Dodgers are to overcome the intense Wildcat defense.

-MILLS Coach Ted Monica of Madison has helped his team win 60 of its last 65 games during the past six years. Today the 26-year veteran Dodger mentor seeks to make it 61 out of 66 as his team travels to Whippany Park for the North Jersey Section 2, Group II high school football playoff championship. The game begins at 1 p.m. Players like tackle Jim Bello and end John Tor-kos of Whippany Park will be trying to deny Madison its fourth straight state title, and give the Wildcats their first football sectional title ever. Whippany Park (9-1) has an extremely tight defense, surrendering only 42 points as a team in 10 games.

The Wildcats only loss, 9-7 to Chatham Sta photo by PETER BYRON Sparta's Paul Maassen (21) churns for yardage against Saddle Brook. Maassen scored the winning touchdown and intercepted two passes in the Spartan victory. If One Doesn't Get You, Another Will Spartan Backs Tough To Stop i 1 But the impressive figures don't tell you half Y- 4 I S4 "j0 1 -X By ED MILLS Staff Sports Writer SPARTA TWP. When it came down to the game-breaking play, Sparta went with the three offensive backs who have been the Spartans' bread and butter all year long. And you can be sure that Sparta coach Ron Earl is glad today that he relied on the hard running trio of Paul Maassen, Brad Winfree and Lou Seville when it really counted.

A 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior, Maassen dashed 28 yards around his left end with 1: 20 left in the second overtime to give Sparta a stunning 13-7 playoff verdict over Saddle Brook yesterday. But if it wasn't for teammates Winfree and Seville, Maassen might have been stopped at the line of scrimmage. First Seville, and then Winfree, made perfectly executed blocks to cut down three Saddle Brook defenders intent on tackling Maassen, and made it possible for the Sussex County sprint champion to find his way to freedom in the opposing end zone. "I saw two guys (Saddle Brook) coming right at me and Brad took both of them out," Maassen said. "Lou and Brad deserve a lot of the credit for the touchdown.

They were the ones that helped me turn the corner." And that's been the way things have gone for the threesome since Sparta's first game this season against Franklin on September 20. When Sparta needs a big offensive burst, it goes to Maassen, Winfree or Seville and the other two block for the one that carries the ball. Seville finished up with 15 touchdowns to lead the Spartans in that category. Winfree, who scored Sparta's first touchdown on a one-yard plunge in the second period, concluded 1980 with 13 touchdowns and one two-point conversion. Maassen's dramatic run upped his scoring to nine touchdowns, good for 54 points.

When you add all the numbers up, the statistics for the trio total a solid 37 touchdowns and the one two-pointer. That's 224 points for the troika, or more than 75 percent of Sparta's final team total of 296 points. the story. Maassen at safety and Winfree at cornerback are starters on defense, and yesterday Maasen intercepted two and Winfree one of Saddle Brook quarterback Jim Wisse's passes. Although Seville doesn't play defense, the 5-9, 165-pound sophomore fullback gets the calls for the tough yardage up the middle.

In fact, Maassen's pass theft at his own 40 set up Sparta for its winning 60-yard, four-play touchdown drive in the second overtime, and then Winfree took a lateral from Rich Wathne after he caught a pass from Scott McLester to keep the march moving with an 18-yard gain. "It was a hell of a play," said quarterback McLester of the power pitch left to Maassen that won the game. "Everybody just did their job to make the play break all they way." Winfree, Seville and Maassen don't tell people around Sparta today that there's any better triple threat triad of running backs in the Northwestern New Jersey area. They simply won't believe you. Staff photo by PETER BYRON Saddle Brook runner Joe Caufield (17) found the Sparta defense tough to dent in yesterday's title game.

Knicks Hold Ob To Knock Off Milwaukee points. In the midst of that New York comeback was an inspired performance by Sly Williams, a performance which was abruptly halted by a sprained ankle. Sly, who misses layups for a hobby, started the game with a missed layup. But with 4: 58 left he began to make more amends with a steal from Mickey Johnson. He drove in for a layup, missed (naturally), and converted his own offensive rebound, making the score 16-15, Bucks.

ing a finger at Alexander and calling him a dirty name which could be heard in the blue seats. Unbelievably, or maybe justifiably, Alexander listened calmly, and it took his refereeing partner, Earl Strom to call the technical. Since it was the second of the game on Nelson, he was ejected from the game. The teams traded upper-hands in the first half when Milwaukee went out to a 16-7 lead, then the Knicks took a 29-18 lead on the strength of a string of 13 straight der failed to make a call on either the Knicks' Glenn or the Bucks' Mike Evans. Evans took the ball to the basket for a fast-break layup and Glenn dug out to play defense, added to his superb offensive game.

Evans flipped over Glenn and almost landed on his face in what appeared to be a charge. No whistle. Bucks' coach Don Nelson interpreted it as a foul on Glenn. Nelson stormed on to the court, point Although it seemed like a one-man show, Glenn had help in the form of Cartwright who added 24 points of his own. For the Bucks, sixth-man Junior Bridgeman was high scorer with 21 points and Bob Lanier had 18.

The see-saw game finally tilted in the Knicks' favor for good in the third quarter when a Glenn shot from the corner made the score 61-60. The Knicks proceeded to rattle off 10 straight points. The Bucks' frustrations culminated when referee Bruce Alexan time with Ray (Williams) or Sugar (Michael Ray Richardson), two quick penetrating guards," Glenn said, "and that helped a lot." When the penetrators did their jobs, the defense collapsed, leaving Glenn open, where he did his own job. "I got open from good picks," Glenn said. "I asked Bill (Cart-wright, center) to do it for me please, and he did a good job." So good that Glenn had time to concentrate and convert 10 of 1 1 field goal attempts.

By STEVE CAULK Staff Sports Writer NEW YORK Always humble and usually unnoticed, Mike Glenn will tell anybody a performance like last night's is what he hangs around for. Mike Glenn is a shooting guard, the guy who takes all the technical foul shots. Last night he did it again with 21 points all in the second half to lead the New York Knicks to a 104-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. "I was in the game most of the.