The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • 23

CALL US MORE Scoreboard 2C Football 3C Baseball 4C Markets 5C Business 6C To contact The Sun's sports department, call 1-800-269-0488 or Executive Sports Editor Terry McCormick, 425-9635. Sports Editor Dan Morris, 425-9636. John Denton, high schools, 425-9751. Wednesday, October 8, 1997 PAGE 1C (2 wS 9 aim snip woSlhi mm Fearless forecasts: round seven There was no doubt in our minds. Surely Old Fearless would be unbearable after correctly picking Kentucky over Alabama.

Wrong again. The born loser was dragging when he entered the office Monday, obviously in no mood to badger us about hitting the Wildcats' first victory pver the Tide since 1922. We had forgotten the old buzzard's bride bled Alabama Crimson. "She's not speaking to me," Fearless moaned. Til not be getting any chocolate chip cookies for the 1998.

Diamond Jaxx President David Hersh made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday night after weeks of negotiations. In essence, Hersh put together his first Jaxx trade and got the Seattle Mariners to go to Orlando and the Cubs to come to Jackson. "This deal was a no-brainer," Hersh said. "There's not a Major League club that offers more potential, not only to the franchise but to this community, than the Cubs. For our region, this is the best we can do." Especially since the St Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves were not available.

The Cubs are a strong third in area popularity. "For our first-year franchise to be able to latch onto one of those three is just tremendous," said Ron Barry, who has coordinated Jackson's professional baseball efforts. "I'm excited just because the Cubs have a national presence," Barry said. "A lot of people like the Cubs and can't really explain why. On the na tional level, they have a tag of being a loveable loser.

But it looks like their farm system is showing some real promise." Since it was a trade, current contracts must be honored. That means the Cubs are only obligated to Jackson for 1998. But Hersh said both sides are interested in a long-term working agreement "The move made a great deal of sense for the Cubs since this is the closest city to Chicago playing Double-A ball," Hersh said. The Cubs' Triple-A team is in Des Moines, Iowa, and their Single-A teams are in Rockford, 111., and Daytona Beach, Fla. The Double-A Orlando Rays of the Southern League will be moving to Jackson.

The Rays finished 63-75, ninth out of 10 Southern League teams, this season. But they placed second in the second half of the season with a 38-31 record. Hersh said he isn't concerned about the Cubs' losing image. "Win or lose, the Cubs are Please see CUBS, 4C Fulmer: Beware of 'Dawgs The Associated Press KNOXVILLE Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer wants a balanced offense and is worried he'll see it Saturday in the form of No. 13 Georgia.

The ninth-ranked Volunteers (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) have won six straight against the Bulldogs, have the home field advantage and are 10-point favorites, but Fulmer is concerned. "They are playing very well," he said Tuesday. "We will have to have our best team effort to win the game." The Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0), off to their best start since 1982, feature quarterback Mike Bobo and running back Robert Edwards, who is back from an ankle injury. 1 next decade." That thought had him in a surly mood, and the latest contest results didn't help matters. Fearless had a 274 record, finishing 17-3 with the prep Dan MORRIS games, 9-1 on the college schedule and hitting the Oilers' loss at Seattle.

"A lot of good it did to pick Kentucky," barked Fearless. "When am I ever going to learn that you never pick Memphis to win anything? That blew my jvhole percentage when they lost" Overall, Fearless is 102-18 with the preps (.850 winning percentage), 53-13 with the colleges (.803) and 4-1 with the Dilers. Out of 188 entries in the "1 Beat Fearless" contest, 20 won bumper stickers by picking more than 27 winners from among the 31 games listed. Selmer's Zolon Clayton won the drawing for two tickets to see the Oilers in Memphis. Zolon missed ihree.

Top pickers with two misses each were Henderson's Joe Talley, Trenton's Darrell Kolwyck, Jackson's Barbara Moore, Camden's Cliff Palmer, Rutherford's Justin Jones and Milan's David Lesley Parkins. I Til bet they all enjoy cookies whenever they want them," a jealous Fearless muttered. "I'm in withdrawal for the homemade kind. That's what makes my picks Pop." Checking area stores for their Cookie stock and thankful Alabama has an open date Fearless picks: JCS over Crockett County, North Side over Lexington, McNairy over South Side, Munford over JCM, USJ over St Benedict, Humboldt over Bolivar, Trenton over Huntingdon, Dyer County over Gibson County, Milan over Mayfield, Obion over Chester County, Union City over Westview, McKenzie over Halls, Middleton over Gleason, Riverside over Camden, Covington over Haywood, Dyersburg over Fayette-Ware, Hardin County over Ripley, Dresden over West Carroll, Bruceton over Lake County and Fulton over Bishop Byrne. On the college front: It will be Tennessee over Georgia, MTSU -over UT Martin, Kentucky State 'over Lane, Memphis over 'Arkansas State, Maryville over "Bethel, Auburn over Louisiana rTech, Florida over LSU, Kentucky over South Carolina, 'Mississippi State over Northeast and Vanderbilt over Northern Illinois, And the slick pick has the "Oilers over Cincinnati.

Dan Morris is The Sun's sports 'editor. He can be reached at 425-9636 or 1-800-269-0488. West Tenn will be the Cubs' Double-A affiliate for 1998. By DAN MORRIS Sun sports editor The Cubs are coming; so let's play two and have Harry Caray lead the singing during the seventh-inning stretch on opening night That might be arranged now that the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx are officially the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate for Marlins edge Braves Florida takes Game 1 of NLCS, 5-3, beating Greg Maddux. The Associated Press ATLANTA Right off the bat, the Florida Marlins showed they weren't scared of Greg Maddux.

In fact, they made the Atlanta Braves look like the October rookies. Kevin Brown defeated Maddux in a pitching duel that never developed and the Marlins remained perfect in their young postseason history, beating the Braves 5-3 Tuesday night in Game 1 of the NL championship series. Moises Alou drove in four runs, three with a first-inning double set up by Atlanta's shaky fielding, and that was enough. The wild-card Marlins improved to 4-0 in their first year in the playoffs, and proved their 8-4 record against the Braves in the regular season was no fluke. Chipper Jones and Ryan Klesko homered for Atlanta, which is appearing in the postseason for the sixth straight time a streak that started two years before the Marlins even began their expansion season.

But Jones, bothered by a bruised right heel, and Klesko each had a misplay, as did Fred McGriff and Kenny Lofton, that made all five runs off Maddux unearned. More baseball, Page 4C DREW TARTERThe Jackson Sun David Rickman shot 76 for Hardin County on Tuesday. Pippen to miss two months after surgery Scottie Pippen is expected to miss at least the first two months of the season following foot surgery. The Bulls said Tuesday their star forward had an outpatient operation Monday in New York. Pippen, who did not wish to discuss the surgery, injured the.

soft tissue of his left foot last season during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami. "Each year we start off with some sort of challenge and this makes it even more so," Michael Jordan said Tuesday. The Associated Press Atlanta Braves ace Greg Maddux removes his hat after giving up three first-inning runs against the Florida Marlins in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. In a 47-0 thrashing of Mississippi State last weekend, Bobo had a career-high 26 completions in 33 attempts for 257 yards. Edwards ran for 104 yards on 14 car ries and two Fulmer touchdowns, and caught five passes for 64 yards and another TD.

"We have to have a lot of people around the football, chasing the football. We have to tackle well," Fulmer said. Tennessee just discovered a running game in freshman Jamal Lewis last week. He ran for 155 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown in a 31-17 victory over Mississippi to balance Peyton Manning's fourth straight 300-yard passing game. "I think that we are closer on both sides of the ball to being where we want to be," Fulmer said.

"Jamal Lewis obviously made a difference for us in the football game in giving us some balance." Fulmer said the challenge this week will be continued improvement in the maligned offensive line, how receivers break away from Georgia's talented cor-nerbacks and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. "We definitely need to turn our attention as a staff to trying to get touchdowns when we finally get it close on our end of the field," he said. Against Mississippi, Manning threw an interception at the Rebels' 1, and twice the Vols missed field goals when they were in position to score touchdowns. "I am not really interested in making an Ail-American out of a kicker," Fulmer said. SEC notes, Page 3C golfers state bound Hardin Co.

North Side, Lexington boys send individuals; Dyersburg girls also win title. By MELISSA GESCHWIND The Jackson Sun MILLINGTON Hardin County coach Michael Davis had seen this movie before, but he was still nervous as he waited for the final scene. When the curtain fell on the Region 7-AAA golf tournament, Davis unclenched his fists and enjoyed the familiar feeling of excitement mixed with relief. His Tigers had won the team competition, after a tense one-hole playoff. MORNING Adebayo eligible, back at Arkansas Sunday Adebayo is returning to Arkansas and will play basketball after the NCAA relented and gave him another year of eligibility.

Adebayo transferred to Memphis last year amid a flap over his eligibility. The NCAA told the school that letting Adebayo return to Arkansas with an extra year of eligibility was "significant relief from its rules. The NCAA had questioned his eligibility during the 1995-96 season because his junior-college grades had not been properly certified at Arkansas. Germantown in the state tournament Led by David Gossit, the top-ranked amateur player in the nation, Germantown figures to be a tougher foe than it was 12 years ago. Last week, the Red Devils shot a course-record 285 to win their region title.

But Davis is hoping for another repeat performance. "I like our chances," he said. "I wouldn't swap these five guys for any five guys out there." Davis' guys include freshman Clint Cromwell, who went back for a third shot at hole No. 1 after the Tigers won the team playoff. Cromwell, Bartlett's Andrew Please see HARDIN, 2C out with broken hand "One of the keys we've had is staying pretty healthy through the years," Lambuth Coach Vic Wallace said.

"But you can't look back. We're not giving up; that's for sure." Caruthers broke his hand diving into the end zone for a touchdown. He completed two passes afterwards and didn't realize the injury was significant until after the game. Gene Lofaro, a red-shirt sophomore from Nashville, will start his second game at quarterback next week. The Eagles do not play Just like before.

This time, the playoff was against Bartlett after the two schools finished the round tied at 310 Tuesday on the par-70 Orgill Park Golf Course. One hole times 10 golfers later, Hardin County was ahead by two strokes, and state-bound. "I told the guys, 'You'll remember this for the rest of your Davis said. It wasn't just another motivational line. Davis knew it for a fact In 1985, when Davis was a senior at Hardin County High and the regions were divided differently, he and his teammates beat Germantown in a one-hole playoff to advance to state.

Now, the Tigers will meet BRIEFING Lambuth's Caruthers There is more bad news for the Lambuth Eagles 24 football team. Senior quarterback Stacey Ca ruthers, who rallied Lambuth to three fourth-quarter touchdowns last week, broke his right hand in the homecoming loss and is out for the Caruthers season. His injury comes less than a week after starting quarterback Billy Joe Spann broke his right collarbone in practice. k'-'TilinnlMif Scottle Pippen '-IT if 1 Memphis schools get TSSAA probation Recruiting violations have landed Westwood's football, boys' basketball and boys' track programs on probation for four years. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association also placed programs at Memphis Kingsbury and Trevezant on probation for recruiting violations.

Kingsbury's football and boys' track programs were put on probation and barred from postseason competition for one year. Trezevant's football and boys' track programs were placed on one year's probation. I.