The Times Leader from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania • 11

1 NHL2B DMLB3B Stocks 9B SECTION Saturday, December 3. 1994 5' Berwick outscores Manheim Central in state semifinal thriller Canouse' late pick JQaswirLclassicL on 34-yard TD pass a dream come true By SCOTT FERTAL By DAVE KONOPK1 Times Leader Sports Correspondent HERSHEY With 38 seconds left In Friday night's PIAA Class AAA state semifinal, Berwick linebacker Jason Canouse was feeling pretty down on himself. The Bulldogs were clinging to a seven-point lead over Manheim Central, but the Barons were driving for a possible game-tying touchdown. The Barons had just completed a 22-yard pass to the Berwick 4-yard-line. More Berwick photos Page3B I if 1 I i fr II Times Leader Sports Writer HERSHEY In a game of big offensive plays, it was a defensive play which stole the show.

Berwick linebacker Jason Canouse picked off a Matt Nagy pass In the end zone with Just 28 seconds in the game to preserve a 37-30 Bulldog victory over Manheim Central in the PIAA AAA Eastern, Final in front of 18,000 fans at Hersheypark Stadium Friday night The Dawgs (13-1) advanced to next Friday's state title game in Altoona, in which they play Western champion Sharon at 7 p.mv for the AAA championship. Apparently Canouse has a flair for the dramatic it was his first career interception. "I didn't think I caught the ball," said the senior linebacker. "When I got over by the sidelines everyone was jumping all over me. I said to myself 'If this is a dream.

I don't want to wakeup." In a town where the chocolate is sweet, the Dawgs found victory even sweeter. "This is a great win over a great football team," sad Berwick coach George Curry, whose team ,7 trailed three times in the game. Our kids never quit We needed a big play from our defense late in the game, and Jason came through for us." Trailing 30-29 with 2:09 remaining, the Dawgs scored the game-winning touchdown on a 34-yard pass from junior quarterback Dave Robbins to junior receiver Brian Remley. Berwick converted a two-point conversion on a pass from Robbins to Dave Keck, giving the Dawgs a 37-30 lead with 1:18 remaining in the game. The teams combined for 832 total yards, including 307 passing yards for Manheim Central's Matt Nagy.

The junior completed 20 of 28 passes, including a pair of touchdowns. After a wild first half, the Barons held a 23-16 halftime lead. Berwick stormed back in the third quarter, scoring 13 unanswered points to take a 29-23 lead. Robbins scored on a 2-yard run and tailback Ross Stoico scored on a 5-yard run. The Barons looked as though they had earned a trip to Altoona when Jason Hondru hauled in a 4-yard pass from Nagy to give the Barons a 30-29 Canouse, a 6-foot, 215-pound senior, felt he could have prevented the completion and wanted to make something happen on the very next play.

He did. And now the "Dawgs are headed to the state finals for a fourth time. Canouse's clutch interception in the end zone snuffed out Manheim's final drive and sealed Berwick's 37-30 victory at Hersheypark Stadium. "It's a dream come true," Canouse said. "I just sat there and waited and the ball came right to me.

I didn't think I caught it It's just unbelievable!" "Thank God for Jason Canouse," an elated Berwick coach George Curry said. "We told them to look for something over the middle and he was right there." After quarterback Scott Nagy's completion moved Manheim inside the Berwick 5, the Barons called a time out to plot their strategy. The Bulldogs, however, also took advantage of the stoppage and inserted their nickel (pass defense package, rather than the dime package they were using during the drive. Curry instructed his defense to watch for some sort of pattern in the middle of the field, an area which Manheim exploited throughout the series. "We were playing a dime which we never practice," Curry said.

"When they caught the ball at the four I made the decision to go with our nickel instead of our regular defense." And the decision worked for the 'Dawgs. TIMES LEADERFRED ADAMS Berwick celebrates the pass interception in the closing seconds that preserved its 37-30 victory over Manheim Central I See CANOUSE, Page 3B I See BERWICK, Page 3B Familiar foes square off for SEC championship today Alabama-Florida TV Coverage 3:30 p.m., ABC College FootballInside Ready to rumble: A preview of today's Army-Navy Wanted by Spartans: Michigan St is waiting for PSU assistant Fran Ganter to accept the head coaching QB finalist: PSU's Kerry Collins was named a finalist for the Davey O'Brien was supposed to be in as this season's anointed super team. Statistically, at least, the Gators have lived up to expectations. The top two quarterbacks in the SEC are Danny Wuerffel, who became the starter at midseason, and Terry Dean, the man he replaced. Jack Jackson has caught 56 passes, including 15 TDs.

Freshmen tailbacks Fred Taylor and Elijah Williams have combined for 1,485 yards. Tide has rallied to win in the fourth quarter, and the 10 victories Division I-A opponents have come, by a total of only 80 points. "I'm surprised they didn't slip up somewhere," Florida center David Swain said. "I figured we'd be playing them in the SEC championship game, but I didn't think they'd be undefeated." Alabama is still In the running for its second national title in three years a position Florida team like Florida," Alabama defensive lineman Shannon Brown said. "They are so dominant They've got speed, they've got great athletes.

Alabama and people like that are not so fortunate to have the great athletes." the master poor-mouther, would have loved a comment like that. He also would have loved this Alabama team, which doesn't have a bunch of big-name players but has plenty of heart Four times, the Crimson ATLANTA (AP) They've got-! ten used to seeing each other at 1 this time of year, which is not to say they take the same path to the Southeastern Conference championship game. Florida is the perfect team for the MTV generation: high-scoring, swaggering, a mirror of its fun-n-gun coach, Steve Spurrier. The antithesis is Alabama: old-fashioned, defense-oriented, a reflection of the Bear Bryant-schooled coach. Gene tailings.

Now it's time to decide which way is better. Third-ranked Alabama (11-0), champion of the Western Division, meets No. 6 Florida (9-1-1), the winner in the East, for the third year in a row today at the Georgia Dome. They've split the first two games. "It would say a lot if we could win two out of three against a Car accident leaves jSeahawk DT paralyzed Cougars advance to Classic final Makarewicz leads team with 16 in win ovef North Allegheny By JEFF LEWIS More H.S.

basketball Page6B MIKI FRIIR CHRIS WARRIN KtRKLAND, Wash. (AP) Seattle Seahawks tackle Mike Frier probably will never walk again after breaking his neck In a car crash that also Injured two teammates, a doctor said Friday. The issue of who was driving the car Thursday night remained uncertain after agents for the two other players Chris Warren and Lamar Smith contradicted police reports that Warren was at the wheel. Smith's agent, Eugene Parker, said Smith was driving. Rick Schaeffer, Warren's agent and attorney, said his client was not driving and was not the owner of the car.

Police did not immediately re- i turn telephone calls seeking clarification. But The Seattle Times on Friday quoted Kirkland police as saying the only information they had gathered at the scene Indicated Warren was the driver. Warren would not discuss the accident when reached at his home, the Times said. Kirkland police said after the ccident that Warren, a Pro Bowl running back, had been arrested for investigation of vehicular assault and was released on his own recognizance. The police investigation was ongoing, but Detective Jim OToole said Friday there is 'iW hay JMJ'h Timet Leader Sport Correspondent HORSHAM Despite being nearly 100 miles from Its own floor, Hazleton Area looked right at home Friday night.

The Cougars opened their 1994-95 season in Impressive fashion by rolling past North Allegheny 54-38 in the opening round of the Hatboro-Horsham Hoops Tlpoff Classic at Hatboro-Horsham High School. Hazleton Area will face North Penn in tonight's 8:30 p.m. final, while North Allegheny will meet Hatboro Horsham at 7 p.m. in the consolation game. The Cougarsased a combination of tough inside defense and crisp ball movement to keep the Tigers off balance as they Jumped out to a 28-9 halftime lead.

Using Its extreme size advantage, Hazleton Area refused to let North Allegheny establish an Inside scoring threat In the first half, forcing the Tigers to take difficult shots, sometimes from more than 25 feet from the basket. "We started out in man and got on the shooters pretty well," Hazleton Area coach Bruce Lelb said. "We kept them in check In the halfcourt offense." Meanwhile, the Cougars' hot shooting allowed them to build a 26-5 lead late in the second quarter. The Cougars would ride that hot shooting to the substantial halftime lead. "We made some good passes to get some open shots." Leib said.

"All we did was make the extra pass and the shot was there." Early in the second half, however, the Cougars' sloppy play allowed North Allegheny to cut the Hazleton Area lead to 37-23. But after taking a timeout, the Cougars rolled back to shut down the Tigers and take command for good. "We had some trouble on the See COUGARS, Page 6B "reason to believe alcohol was involved." Frier, a 6-foot-5. 299-pound defensive tackle, "almost certainly will be wheelchair dependent" Dr. Michael Schlltt told a news conference at Overtake Hospital Medical Center In Bellevue.

where all three men were taken after the wreck. Frier, 25, was a passenger In a 1992 Oldsmobile Bravada that ran into a utility pole near the Seahawks' headquarters about 8:40 p.m. Thursday. Police initially had described the car as a Chevy Blazer. Warren, 27, was treated at the hospital for two fractured ribs and released early Friday.

Smith, 24, a rookie running back, was hospitalized with A chip fracture in his spine and an ankle sprain. AP PHOTO On top of the world Winston Cup points champion Dale Earnhardt stands atop a car Friday In Times Square. Earnhardt was in New York to attend the Winston Cup awards dinner. Story, page 2B..