The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 15

16 Kokomo (Ind.) Tribune Tuesday, Oct. 20, 1987 Return of the regulars Around the league NFL Lions' replacements ultimately would make the 45-man roster, although none were cut Monday. The replacements departed with some sadness at San Diego, where the irregulars went 3-0, putting the Chargers at 4-1, their best start since 1981. "Just another day at the office," Chicago Bears The Associated Press With temporary rosters set at 85, NFL teams are balancing the return of regular players this week with the best of the replacements who played during the 24-day strike. Among those who will stay, for now, is Los Angeles Raiders replacement quarterback Vince Evans.

The 32-vear-old Evans was out of football for two years before catching on with the Raiders' strike team. But Philadelphia and Cincinnati cut all their replacements. Detroit Coach Darryl Rogers said there was a slim chance any of the said quarterback Mike Kelley, who threw a touchdown pass and a 67-yard completion to set up a field goal as the Chargers beat the Raiders 23-17 Sunday, San Diego's first-ever victory over the Raiders at Los Angeles. "That's what made this so special," Kelley said. "We did it for us.

We were fighting for us." Pittsburgh Coach Chuck Noll said backup quarterback Bubby Brister might have become No. 1 over struggling Mark Malone had he crossed the picket line. Instead, Noll said, Brister may now be behind both Malone and Steve Bono, the Steelers' quarterback during the strike. LAKE FOREST, 111. (AP) Quarterback Jim McMahon will be activated for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay and might take the snap for the first time since November 1986.

"Will we activate him? Yes," Coach Mike Ditka said Monday. "Will he start? I don't know. Will he play? I don't know. He threw the ball very well. There is no discom fort i the a rm." McMahon left for Los Angeles after practice for an examination by orthopedic surgeon Frank Jobe and was expected to return in time for practice today.

McMahon, who underwent shoulder surgery last December, has been on injured reserve since the start of the season. He has been sidelined, however, since after last season's Nov. 23 game against Green Bay when he completed 12 of 32 passes for 95 yards. He appeared in only six games last season, but the Bears have won 23 straight games when McMahon was the starting quarterback. "He had speed on the ball and zip," Ditka said.

"We'll see what happens. We want to do what's best for the team." As for Chicago's non-union players, the team plans to make roster decisions today. The Bears will take their regular players and a 4-1 record to Tampa Bay. In non-union games, the replacement Bears were 2-1. "Everybody is on equal ground now," Ditka said.

"We're not playing with a blind hand. I can sympathize with other people who didn't have quarterbacks or players at skilled positions. I got my shock a half hour before the game." That's when Ditka learned that replacement quarterback Mike Hohensee, who guided the Bears to victories over Philadelphia and Minnesota, would not play against New Orleans because of a knee injury. "I was high on Mike Hohensee," the coach said, "but I'm not big on surprises." Ditka and team executives met with the returning players for 90 minutes Monday. "A few people got some things off their chests," he said.

"We're trying to get this thing back on track. Most of the animosities were directed at me. I can accept that. What's important is what's good for the Bears." Ditka made statements during the strike which bothered some of the players and he also chided fans who were turning in their tickets. Later, he said he was wrong.

"It not as much fun," said Ditka, who recently signed a new three-year contract. "But three weeks from now I might say it's great. Right now, I'm happier today than I was yesterday. "I'm here to win football games, if not, I'm gone," he said. "Some coaches are smart enough not to say anything." Ditka likes the idea that the Bears are considered among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl.

"I would like to hope that anybody who gets there has to come through Chicago. But that's up to us to make it The regular Bears would like to make it happen without any help from the non-union players. "We have 45 players who can get us to the Super Bowl," said safety Dave Duerson, the alternate union representative. "The consensus is we can win without scab players." Indianapolis Colts INDIANAPOLIS (AP) As the rest of Indianapolis' regular NFL players returned to practice, the Colts waived 16 replacements who had filled in during the three-week strike. Coach Ron Meyer said the Colts' roster Monday was at 71 active or inactive players with nine on injured reserve.

He said further cuts would be made later in the week to reach a 45-man limit for Sunday's game with the New England Patriots. He said it was possible four or five of the replacements would win spots on the post-strike roster. Meyer said finding out whether the regulars had stayed in shape was "a big concern of mine. That's why we're having a voluntary practice tomorrow (Tuesday). I'd like to expect 100 percent attendance.

"The practices will aid us to see who is here, plus assess the level of conditioning and their level of retention on offense and defense and terminology. "I really don't know any more limitations right now. We'll leave that up to the Management Council," Meyer said of a possible increase in the roster size following the strike. Nine Colts regulars, including two on injured reserve, rejoined the team before the strike ended last week. Waived were offensive tackles Sid Abramowitz and Milt Carthens, offensive guards Jeff Criswell and Shawn Heffern, tight ends Keith Lester and Greg Hawthorne, linebackers Roger Remo and Brad Saar, safeties Craig Curry and Pat Ballage, cornerbacks John Simmons and Lee Davis, defensive end Chris Scott, nose tackle Frank Mattiace, snapper Pat Snyder and kicker Steve Jordan.

The Colts announced linebacker Gary Padjen, another replacement, had retired. The coach would not say whether Blair Kiel, who made his first NFL start Sunday in a 21-7 loss at Pittsburgh, would remain the starter at quarterback or yield the spot to returning Jack Trudeau, normally the Colts' backup. "We'll have to Meyer said. "I thought Kiel played well at times, but there's also particular times in the game I'd like to have had a better performance out of him. To say the loss should be attributed to the quarterback, I don't buy that.

Everyone has a hand in the victories as well as the losses." Veteran starter Gary Hogeboom, who suffered a cracked rib in the Colts' 6-0 victory over the New York Jets a week earlier, will be out at least another week. "With the return of Jack Trudeau (from the strike), I want to check out his conditioning, his mental retention and his arm strength," Meyer said. "I want to look at Sean Salisbury (another quarterback signed last week), and I certainly want to look at Blair Kiel and Terry Nugent (another replacement quarterback)." Last replacement game IRVING, Texas (AP) It was only fitting in the NFL's final replacement game that a former semi-pro quarterback was the winner and a 13-year veteran quarterback failed with the contest on the line. The Washington Redskins, without any regular starters, beat the Dallas Cowboys, who started seven veterans, 13-7 Monday night in an NFC East showdown for first place. Tony Robinson, a former Tennessee star who was playing for the Richmond Ravens in September, led Washington to victory after Ed Rubber! went down with a shoulder injury in the first period.

Robinson completed 11 of 18 passes for 152 yards and Lionel Vital ran for 136 vards against a Dallas defense that included a front line of veterans Handy White, Don Smerek, Kevin Brooks and Ed Jones Washington advanced to 4-1 and Dallas dropped to 3-2 because veteran Danny White couldn't produce with four downs from the Washington 20-yard line in the final minute. "It is one of the most emotional wins I've ever been associated with," Washington Coach Joe Gibbs said. "Our (replacement) players kept us in the conference race. They were 3-0 in their three-game Robinson said he realized he could be back with the Ravens soon. "I don't know where I'll be three days from now," Robinson said.

"I was just happy to be part of the Redskins' organization and play in a game. This was a great opportunity for me." Robinson added "I hated to see Ed get hurt. He had been doing a terrific job." What was heaven for Robinson was hell for the heavily booed White. "This was one of the most difficult games I've played in," White said. "The boos don't make my job any easier.

We could really use the home field advantage. Right now we don't have it." The 60,415 fans, second largest of the NFL replacement games, booed White and Tony Dorsett every time they touched the ball. There were only 197 no-shows. "The fans pay their money and can respond any way they want to," Dorsett said. Gibbs said Robinson "was great" considering he was "thrown in there cold against the Cowboys.

He made some big plays and it was a tribute to him. He had tremendous poise for his first NFL game." Dallas Coach Tom Landry said the Cowboys contributed to Robinson's success. "We were our own worst enemy," he said. "And we just couldn't stop that second quarterback they had in there. He kept making some big plays." Landry said he never considered replacing White despite the boo birds.

"It's our job to turn boos to cheers," Landry said. "I didn't want to take Danny out. We had a chance to win until the last play of the game." Chants of "We want (Kevin) Sweeney, We Want Sweeney" began in the second period. Sweeney had quarterbacked Dallas to two replacement game victories. "I had to make a choice and when I decided on Danny and Tony it was their game, at least as long as it was close.

You have to stick with your veterans." White hit Kelvin Edwards with a 38-yard touchdown pass, but it wasn't enough to offset two field goals by Obed Ariri and Ted Wilson's 16-yard touchdown on a reverse. I Shopped First For All The Bargains at CKAGE STORE 35 NORTH AICC IROO CARPET QUALITY CARPET INSTALLATION GRAND OPENING Oct 21-24 Open 457-0647 123 W. SUPERIOR HOURS: 9-5 m. 9-7; 10-5 Chicago Bears' quarterbacks Jim McMahon and Mike Tomczak, 18, greet each other at practice Monday (AP photo) Sports update Jones perfect on 'Pigskin Picks' We checked his entry not once, or twice, but three times. And we made sure it wasn't deposited Monday morning after the games were played.

So, it's on the up and up. David Jones, 2132 100 Kokomo correctly predicted all 20 high school and college games last weekend to win $100 in the Tribune's "Pigskin Picks" contest. Jones was the only person of 679 entries to turn in a perfect card. His in fact was even close on the tie-breaker. He predicted a 21-16 IU win over Minnesota amd the actual outcome was 18-17.

There were five persons missing just one contest. Ron David, Jennifer Hotz and Richard Cottingham of Kokomo and Jerry Monticue of Russiaville missed the Texas victory over Arkansas. Paige Hall of Kokomo was wrong on the Alabama rout of Tennessee. This week's entry blank can be found on Pages 14 and 15. Western teams finish 4-3 PERU, Ind.

Western's freshman and reserve football teams each wound up with 4-3 records after tangling with Peru here Monday night, but their outcomes differed. Bart Miller ran for one touchdown and threw for another as the Panthers' freshmen won 20-0. Miller tossed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Matt Keisling for the visitors' first score, and after teammate Chad Roberts scored on a five-yard run, Miller ran it in from the two-yard line, then ran for the conversion. Western coaches cited the entire team for an outstanding job. A blocked punt provided Peru's winning touchdown in the reserve game, as Western fell Chad Edwards had the Panthers' lone score on a one-yard run.

Peru's David Smith returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown, and after the blocked punt, Darrin Hardinen hauled in a five-yard pass from Matt Key. The Western defense was cited for a well-played game. GIESECKE R.V. CENTER Toppers-RV Sales-Parts-Service TRAV-A-CAP Fiberglass Toppers Free Paint Option Sale ALUMINUM TOPPERS Free Sliding Window Bed Liners Bed Mats Receivers '170-180. '58.

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The teams battled a scoreless third quarter and then Kokomo's Talik Woodward scored on a 73- yard run on a takeaway after stripping the Blackford runner of the ball. James Parker made the conversion on a run. Tonight the Kokomo Freshman team is at Logansport. RUNNING BOARDS I INSTALLED Brown out for season CARBONDALE, 111. It has been announced that Northwestern High School graduate Kevin Brown will miss the rest of the 1987 football season at the University of Southern Illinois.

Brown, who was the SIU starting quarterback, suffered a broken collarbone against Southwest Missouri State University in the second game of the season. Ironically, last season the junior Brown also injured his collarbone in the Southwest Missouri State game. Earlier in the season, it was thought Brown might be able to return for the last two games. Homecoming bus set for IU trip The IU-K Student Athletic Board has charted a bus for IU's Homecoming Game with Michigan Oct. 24 and there are 26 seats left.

The trip cost is $30 with a $15 deposit required at time of sien- up. The bus will leave IU-K no later than 9 a.m. Oct. 24 and will return at approximately 7 o'clock the same evening. All participants should meet at the oval drive no later than 8:45 a.m.

and game tickets will be distributed at this time. For more information call 4532000, extension 280. PHIL GALLOWAY FOR COUNCILMAN-AT-LARGE RUNNING BOARDS FOR S-10, FORD RANGER PICKUPS AS LOW AS $80 INSTALLED Full Size Pickups Mini Pickups Vans Most Sizes In Stock! TRUK SPECIALTIES 317 W. Jefferson 457-8224 "Willing to work hard for a better Kokomo and to serve you The People." Now's the time to buy a new Bryant PLUS 90' or Formula energy efficient gas furnace for your home They pay for themselves in just a few short years We offer no down payment, easy term financing AIR CONDITIONING INC. 608 E.

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