The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 16

Morris ready 2D NFL statistics 3D Prep polls 4D Section "POfftt Wednesday. October 16, 1991 left 'er bye Wm Garrett brothers enjoy mixed success during opening round of NILE rodeo pp-wwmwiu, in, I i. in j. f--. I till -J ii .1 1 3 By JOE KUSEK Of the Gazette Staff 66- wswr- LMI Mark Garrett can't complain about his sea PRCA RODEO: NILE, 7:30 son.

If fact, he's downright happy about the way p.m., Metra. things have been going. 1 ft Marvin Garrett would like to, maybe a little, about his draws, but he wont because he knows long dry spells come when competing in rodeo. The ride felt really good. He jumped and kicked, I felt like I was really getting in the air.

He's the type of horse you can't get enough of. Mark Garrett Bareback rider Palermo may toss first ball When both are done riding, the two leave as they came in. Together. Umpire Steve Palermo, And both would like to be together again at who was wounded trying to the National Finals Rodeo that begins Dec. 6.

in Las Vegas. Mark Garrett helped himself take another foil a robbery, is tentatively scheduled to throw out the first ball to start the World Series. 99 step closer by riding the Harry Void horse Bang Tail to a 78-point bareback ride Tuesday night "Currently, it is scheduled at tne first performance of the NILE Rodeo at Metra. The rodeo continues Wednesday with a to be Palermo throwing out the first ball," said a person in the commissioner's office in 7:30 p.m. performance.

Tuesday's crowd of 644 was the largest-ever Tuesday night per- New York who would not give lormance for the NILE rodeo. Older brother Marvin, a former two-time his name. "That could change, though." Mark Garrett, at 26 is two years younger than Marvin and has qualified for the NFR the past two years. He finished Uth overall last year and sixth at the NFR. This season, even with some time off in the spring, he got hot during the summer and picked up sizable checks at rodeos in Colorado Springs, Reno and Casper.

"I've had the best summer of life," said Garrett "Everytime I came home, I had something coming in. During the spring, I took some time off and didn't go very hard. It's the only time of the year a guy can do that and not get hurt in the standings. (More on Rodeo, Page 2D) Jim Small, a spokesman world bareback champion, had a tougher day, having the horse Climate Control turn down the intensity at the end for a ride of 71 points. "Things have been going pretty good, said for the commissioner, said the office preferred to hold off naming those selected to throw out the first ball.

Mark Garrett, who entered the NILE 11th in the world standings. "The ride felt really good. He lumped and kicked, I felt like I was really "We will confirm all of Gazette photo by J. Mark Kegana Brandy Smith of Helena scores a 55 during this ride in the saddle bronc competition Tuesday night at the NILE rodeo. The rodeo will continue Wednesday night at the Metra and run through Saturday.

getting in the air. He's the type of horse you cant get enough of." them and announce all of them at one time, after the National League playoffs," Small said. Stanford forfeits to Absarokee The Stanford-Absarokee No more magic? Braves face must-win situation tonight at Pittsburgh football game will not be played Wednesday because Stanford forfeited to the Huskies citing a lack of players. Absarokee's win streak is now at 40 consecutive games. The Huskies, three- GAME 6 6:37 p.m.

MDT time Class state champions, have not lost since the state championship game of 1987, losing to Terry. Laurel team needs coaches The Laurel Dodgers PITTSBURGH (AP) The Atlanta Braves should've won the NL playoffs by now, and they know it. Somehow, though, the outs and the innings and the games slipped away. So instead of relaxing Tuesday, they spent their off-day on a plane to Pittsburgh. "With a couple of breaks, it could've been very easy for us," catcher Greg Olson said.

"We could've been celebrating right now." Instead, the Braves go into Wednesday night's Game 6 facing a 3-2 deficit. Plus, they'll be facing Pirates ace Doug Drabek. Three Rivers Stadium has another surprise in store for the Braves. The Pittsburgh fans have stolen the chop-and-chant cheer from the Atlanta crowd, and practiced Monday night in the fourth quarter of the NFL game between the Steelers and New York Giants. Steve Avery will start for Atlanta, hoping to again fuel one of the most improbable rides in baseball history.

If it goes to Game 7, the Braves, trying to become the first team to go from the worst record in the majors to World Series winners will pitch John Smoltz. American Legion baseball team is accepting applications for two assistant coaches. Duane Kroll, president of the American Legion program, said interested Still, the Braves believe no, they're sure it shouldn't have gone even this far. That was before they started an 18-inning scoreless streak by missing a base, a bunt sign and a bunch opportunities. "I know I'm going to look back at a few things and say, 'I wish I hadn't done David Justice (More on Braves, Page 2D) I 'I 4 I 5 1 Chop comes under attack ATLANTA (AP) Jane Fonda and Ted Turner did the "tomahawk chop" together.

Even Jimmy Carter joined in the Atlanta Braves mania by using the swinging elbow-to-hand motion to root, root, root for the home team. But the nationally televised sight of these celebrities appropriating Indian symbols along with thousands of other Braves baseball fans who sang an Indian-like chant while waving toy tomahawks has outraged some American Indians. If Atlanta reaches the World Series, some Indian groups have said they will demonstrate outside the Metrodome in Minnesota before Saturday's opening game against the Twins. and chanting like that," said Phil St. John, a Dakota Sioux and leader of a group called Concerned American Indian Parents, who pushed for an end to Indian names and mascots in Minneapolis.

Defenders of the tomahawk chop say the Atlanta fans' antics are good, clean fun that is not meant to offend anyone. "I can't get into the minds of other folks," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said Monday. "The fans are the ones who sort of took to the characterization of the Atlanta Braves as a winning team simulating warriors in battle, all of which we view as very positive and certainly doing nothing to discriminate or in any way negatively impact." "It's dehumanizing, derogatory and very unethical," said Aaron Two Elk of Atlanta, regional director of the American Indian Movement. "It extends a portrayal of Native American people as being warlike, aggressive, having a savage approach." The behavior of Braves fans, whose team trails 3-2 in the best-of-7 National League playoff series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, has touched a particularly raw nerve in Minneapolis, where more than 23,000 Indians represent one of the largest concentrations of urban Indians in the nation. There are about 50,000 Indians in the state.

"People in Atlanta don't realize they're talking about an entire race of people, and it hurts to see these white boys in the bleachers singing Gazette photo by J. Mark Kegana Return to sender Eastern Montana's Fawn Nelson goes up to block the hit by Tracy Bock of Alaska-Anchorage during Tuesday afternoon's match in Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets lost 1 5-1 1 ,1 6-1 4,1 5-1 3. applicants need to mail in their resumes by Nov. 1.

The mailing address is PO Box 147, Laurel 59044. Orediggers sweep honors Montana Tech swept the "Player of the Week" honors in Frontier Conference volleyball and football conference commissioner Sonny Holland announced Tuesday. Tech hosted a 15-team volleyball tournament and won six of its eight games. The conference award went to Yvonne Lorenz, a 6-foot junior from Kent, who was named to the all-tournament team. She made 15 aces, 79 kills, 52 digs and 27 blocks.

In football the Orediggers dumped Carroll College, 33-6, and the weekly individual honors went to running back Greg Liebelt on offense and inside linebacker Brady Stands on defense. Liebelt, a 6-foot-2, 226-pound junior from Glasgow, rushed 14 times for 55 yards and two touchdowns, and caught five passes for 70 yards and two more touchdowns. The other nominee was the entire offensive line at Rocky Mountain College. Stands, a sophomore from Twin Falls, Idaho, made 11 unassisted tackles against Carroll and helped on seven other tackles. The other nominee was Scott Satake from Rocky Mountain.

NAU quarterback is suspended Northern Arizona University quarterback John Bonds has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules, the team announced Tuesday. NAU coach Steve Axman would not elaborate on why he suspended Bonds, but said he will meet with the junior Thursday. He said there is a BSU Griz defense never rested against Sports Commentary Joe Kusek The difference this year is no finger-pointing. The offense doesn't blame the defense and the defense doesn't lay blame on the offense. Team unity is being stressed all the way down the line starting with the coaches and through every player.

"It's experience," said senior offensive lineman Mitch Matuska of Rocky being in contention for the title. "A lot of us have won and lost together. We've been through a lot of adversity. We have a better team concept. "We feel we can win the title.

But it won't be easy. Our work isn't over. It (winning the Frontier) is going to come down to winning on the road. And we have some tough games ahead." The Bears can make a legitimate push toward the conference championship this Saturday in Helena when they play defending Frontier Conference champion Carroll College. The Fighting Saints have won six straight league titles but are struggling this year.

Carroll lost last weekend at home 33-6 to Montana Tech, but will have revenge on its mind when playing Rocky. At Klindt Field on Sept. 28, the Bears scored a touchdown in the final 20 seconds to beat the Fighting Saints 16-12, for the first time since 1984. feated and offensively explosive Weber State coming to Missoula this Saturday. "It was so elevating in every way," said Read, of the importance of the win over the Broncos.

"We were frustrated after last week. After the game (Boise State), the team was kind of overwhelmed. They knew they had played well "We're a lot better team than we've demonstrated. We're becoming better than most people think we could be. We feel good about what we're doing and hopefully, we can build on it.

"We're on the right track. That was our best game of the season. But the Boise State game is history now, but we're definitely a better football team because of it." Also a better football team after last week is Rocky Mountain College. The Bears manhandled Western Montana 47-17 last Saturday, putting themselves back into a first-place tie with Montana Tech at the top of the Frontier Conference standings. Rocky did whatever it wanted offensively, rolling up a 34-10 lead by halftime.

The 47 points is the most scored by a Rocky team since 1984 when the Bears beat Carroll 48-15 and Montana Tech 70-27. That was also Rocky's last winning season. They were almost forgotten. The coaching staff knew and the team knew, but probably not too many outside the University of Montana football program knew, that the defense is a large reason the Grizzlies are still in contention for the Big Sky Conference title. Boise State found out last Saturday.

Coming into the game, the fourth-ranked Broncos were unbeaten and averaging 38 points a game. They left 21-7 losers. "We knew we were a good defensive football team all along," said UM head coach Don Read. "Our defense is all veterans. They never had a lot of publicity, for whatever the reason, this season.

"We have 11 defensive linemen that have played, started, for the past three seasons. And we have very physical-type linebackers. And this year, we went out and improved our secondary. We just play real solid defense." The Grizzly defense limited the Boise State offense to 191 total yards and just 56 yards rushing. They even scored the first two points of the game on a safety and the last two on a safety, tying a Big Sky Conference record.

The defense has been overshadowed by a sputtering offense. Grizzly quarterback Brad Lebo threw for a career-high 312 yards, but the offense stumbled three times inside Boise State's 8-yard line including once on the 1 and came away empty. "We're visibly getting better," Read said. "It's been several things during the season that have bogged us done. We cleaned up a bunch against Boise State.

But we're still making mistakes. "We had other opportunities to do more damage, but had a few slips. When you win 21-7 and make some mistakes, pretty soon you've got to start thinking the dice will roll your way." Along with the bottom-line victory, the win against Boise State was a huge psychological boost for the Grizzlies, who still feel they should have beaten Eastern Washington. And it was the right shot of confidence needed with unde chance the quarterback can be reinstated. Bonds is the school's fourth all-time passing leader..