The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 58

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1987. ght Atlanta gournal AND CONSTITLTION Appalachian Stete; groymidls Eagfes 11 4B PLAYOFF ROUNDUP By Tony Barnhart Start Writer isrj. sides before the snap and gave the Mountaineers, a first down on the 13. On the next play Ritchie Mel-chor went around right end for a touchdown. "On that play we thought their center was moving the ball up and down, and that's why our guys jumped," said Russell "It was a big play, just about as big as you can get.

It was obviously enough to Georgia Southern was able to move the ball quite successfully in the first half, thanks to the efforts of reserve fullback Garry Miller, who had his best day with 105, yards. But every time the Eagles -threatened to score, they made a mistake. The litany of errors went like 'V Second possession. Georgia Southern moved from its own 20 to the ASU 39. On first down, quarterback Raymond Gross threw an interception.

Third possession: Georgia Southern moved from its own 3 to the Appalachian 44. On first down, Gross and Miller missed an exchange and the Mountaineers recovered on the 45. Fourth possession: Georgia Southern moved from its own 20 to the ASU 41 with a first down, but a bad pitch by Gross lost II. yards. The Eagles recovered and faced a fourth-and-inches at the 32.

Karl Miller was thrown for a three-yard loss, and the ball went Over. Fifth possession: After recovering a fumble at midfield, Georgia Southern moved down to the ASU 14 with a first down. On fourth down at the 11, holder Pat Parker dropped the snap on a field-goal attempt. Georgia Southern capped off its frustration in the closing minutes when it drove to the Appalachian State 1 and fumbled, thus assuring the Mountaineers of their shutout That was the only real threat the Eagles mounted in the second half as they were held to 79 total yards. "It seemed like we could run the ball up and down the field on them, but when we got a chance to score we just couldn't execute," said Gross, who finished the day with 63 yards rushing and 61 passing on five of ,12 completions.

"We should have iut points on the board three or our times in the first half and just BOONE, N.C. Georgia Southern's hopes for third consecutive NCAA Division I-AA championship came to an end in the snow and cold of the Blue Ridge Mountains as an Appalachian State team clearly in Us element won 19-0 Saturday afternoon. The loss was Georgia Southern's first in I-AA playoff competition after winning eight straight on the way to its national titles in 1985 and '88 and beating Maine in overtime last week. Top-seeded Appalachian State, 11-2 and winners of nine straight, will meet Southern Conference cousin Marshall in next week's semifinals at Boone. It could not have -been a more frustrating afternoon for the Eagles, who were shut out for the first time since 1941.

They squandered three scoring opportunities in the first half with mistakes and were all but shut down in the second half. The field conditions did nothing to help Georgia Southern, whose offensive attack revolves around the option play, which was considerably slowed by the slick surface. The artificial turf of Conrad Stadium had been covered by three inches of snow Friday and, because of below-freezing temperatures Saturday morning, the field was not cleared until Just before kickoff, when the thermometer registered 25 degrees. "I was out here at 10:30, and I didn't; te any way they could get the field ready," said Georgia Southern coach Erk Russell But Russell refused to cite the weather as the reason for his team's loss. "It's hard to say how big a factor it (the weather was," said Russell.

"They dominated the game so much I can hardly say if it was the difference or not "I will say that their offense is perhaps more suited for a field like this, and a lot of our stuff starts east and west But I can't say it was the difference in the game-Georgia Southern lost the game on Appalachian State's second possession. The Mountaineers moved from their own 48 down to Georgia Southern's 18. On fourth and three, Appalachian State lined up for a 35-yard field-goal attempt The, Eagle defense jumped off Special to Th JournatConstrtutrOn, BREAKING AWAYz Georgia Southern quarteback Raymond Gross turns corner for a gain against Appalachian State's Anthony Downs. A A Division 1-AA Playoffs couldn't do it Mistakes just killed as they did or consistently as they us." did," said Russell "But they did it Appalachian State's second very well." touchdown was set up by the fumble when Gross and Miller failed to Qi8 A8u i "AooalachlanSt. 19 Appalachian (11-2) Richmond Appal.

St. mane me exenange in me eariy fkm down 20 minutes of the second quarter. Ruttm-yard 66-200 62-270 Ga. Southern 61 68 Maine Ga. Southern 28 31 PastkiQ "That was my fault," said umYard Gross, the freshman.

"I was indeci- sive about whether or not I should Fumtxost hand off and as a result I left the Penaitiaa-Yard Kall nn his IMIllprtl hin." Time Ot PoSOT9loW -6 2 5-12-1 5-10-0 4-32 3-36 4-2 2-1 2-10 3-26 26:49 31:11 Weber St. Idaho 59 -22 Weber St. Marshall (10-3) 23 51 Marshall "12V 41 James Madison Marshall GtOfolt Sou! ApMwcMwi f-1t Appalachian State took the ball at its own 4S and drove the distance ASU-Melchot 13 run (Nitlmo kick) N. Texas St. NE Louisiana 9 30 NE Louisiana (11-2) NE Louisiana 33 32 E.

Kentucky in 10 plays, eight of them carries by JfiCTSJi 4 Melchor, who ended the day as the asu-fq mttmo 21 game's leading rusher with 156 222: W. Kentucky E. Kentucky 40 01 ICUIkinrUmoi Cmilluwn Uillar 11.105 Youngstown St 28 N. Iowa 31 Appalachian State ran through Grot 22-63. Appalachian St, Melchof 29-156.

Georgia Soutiiera's defense for 270 N. Iowa Arkansas St. Arkansas St. Jackson 35 32 5-1058. yarus un iuc Appalachian Fuller tnct itirln't think' thev COUld RECEIVING Georgia Boulhem.

Barron M4. 1 1-14. Appalachian SU Beaty 3-50. drive, the ball on as effectively Woraham tit iJ.j! is The 1988 Braves Gift Certificates. ORDER TODAY! Call 522-7630 or order by mail: Atlanta Braves Ticket Office P.O.

Box 4064 A Great Braves Season. Put all the action of any Braves Home Game on your holiday list this year. Give those hard- GL LrO eUltlG to-shop-for people gift certificates redeemable for any 1988 home game field level seat. They're great stocking stuf fers tool Atlanta, GA 30302 Certificates $8 each. No minimum.

All major credit cards accepted. OPENING NIGHT APRIL 3, 1988 mmm 3 spy. oi It's the Georgia Outdoors Christmas Gift Sale in square footwarehbuse store. Save on thousands of outdoor gifts, plus meet over 50 brand name manufacturer's representatives. r.Taitl a 1 liTil.lit i af .1 1 I.Ud fil l.

uti ID 1 SAVINGS These last remaining condominiums are housed within a private security protected community. A contemporary lifestyle that blenda harmoniously with the ambience of an old English Village. Thtse English Tudor homes offer larger than usual floor plans consisting of 2 and 3 bedrooms rangingln size from 1260 square feet to 1 628 square feet. Currently priced from $62,500 to Two one-bedroom condominiums will also be Included in the sale. Amenities include beautifully landscaped grounds, 24 hour manned security gate, Olympic size pool, 3 lighted tennis courts and a club house.

With Its prestigious location on Roswell Road, FOXCROFT is within minutes of Atlanta's finest shopping centers, Internationally renowned specialty stores, restaurants and off ice parks. UP TO MM e8IUglstf mm FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 11:00 a.m. p.m. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 11 :00 a.m. p.m.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 DlfllliMMtlliliy lilDlii Jimmy Carter Blvd. Buford 1-85 Hwy. IWEUOUSEOUTLET SALEONLYATOURNEWOUTLETLOCATION 61 55 Jimmy Carter Blvd. S-0555 8ALE DATE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2:00 P.M. SALE LOCATION HOTEL TOWER PLACE 3340 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta, Georgia BROKER COOPERATION INVITED EXCELLENT FINANCING To obtain the auction catalogue and terms and conditions of sals call: 393-2570 Inspections daily and weekends 10:00 A.M.

to 5:00 P.M. Broker lor the Seller Marketing Consultants DRAPER AND KRAMER OF NATIONWIDE AUCTION COMPANY GEORGIA, Atlanta, Georgia Newport leach, California J. V. NORN, AUCTIONEER UC. GAL1076 SANDVV i SI'KINCS '7Nt V-t ft I SI hotei 1-75 SA TOWER 0 1 IGeoia Outdoors mW Everything you need out there is in here..