Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 77

Edmonton f. fcs I EDMONTON JOURNAL, Tuesday, October 14, 1975 69 ir- Fans could cry fowl despite victory OVERLAND Thanksgiving, or Christmas? It was Thanksgiving Day and sure enough, Eskimos had something to be for thankful for. Like Joe Pisarcik. The way the Calgary Stampeder quarterback played you'd have thought the holiday was Christmas. As a result, Stamps did more giving than receiving.

Eskimos should send Pisarcik a thank you card. Every-time they made a mistake, he graciously let them off the hook. Pisarcik wasn't about to By Terry Jones Of The Journal Calgary 12 Edmonton 21 Another turkey. Grade A. Large.

Turkey Trot IV if you're counting. Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders serve one up every Thanksgiving and the 1975 update of the game was only slightly easier to digest for the 25,147 fans at Clarke Stadium because Edmonton won and they really would have been roasted if they'd lost. Eskimos, in second place for 24 hours, returned to first in the Canadian Football League's Western Conference with a 21-12 victory over Stampeders. Win, or not, Eskimos remain "snake bit." Another key player went down with a major injury. Defensive lineman Ron Estay, who will likely receive Edmonton's defensive player nomination for the Schenley Awards, will join Garry Lefebvre, Don Warrington, Tyrone Walls, Sam Britts and Leroy Jones on the injury reserve list.

Estay has a pulled calf muscle, this season's "in" injury. A defence led by a surprisingly effective rookie middle linebacker took credit for the Edmonton win along with Joe Pisarcik, who plays quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders but not very well some days, especially this one. In a game which had eight turnovers, most providing excellent field position, it looked for awhile like neither offence was going to get a touchdown. "We played a terrible game on offence," said Stampeder coach Bob Baker. That's from a guy who said of his boys after they blew a 27-point lead to Eskimos, "We played our hearts out but we didn't have enough." You get the idea.

"Our defence played well enough but we lost the game because our offence was so bad," added Baker. Asked why he didn't throw in Karl Douglas at quarterback in place of Pisarcik, Baker said, "Pisarcik didn't play well but we were never that far out of reach." Read that any way you want to, Karl. Jauch said he was happy enough with the win "because all of our new guys did a good job." The rest of the credit he gave to the defence, led by rookie middle line challenge John Primrose for any marksmanship medals. His rifle arm turned out to be a scatter gun. He bounced more balls off the ground than Wilt Chamber-kin.

Other passes went out of bounds or were thrown so high that receivers couldn hang on. Pisarcik throws a hard ball to catch, as his receivers will tell you, because it not only comes fast but 1 VW 11 aajM nose aown. ne nasn i SOf learned to take something off the ball when the situa- tion demands. Pisarcik's bullets are the reason the Stamps lost a top receiver like John Knnihowski who Leo McKillip sprained his fingers trapping a jolt from Joe and John Helton has made better tackles, but a sack is a sack as he downs Tom Wilkinson Wilkie, McGowan key team MS 18 cl subsequently didn't impress the Calgary coaching staff. Konihowski says that in contrast Tom Wilkinson throws an easy pass to catch because it comes nose up and he can "lay it into your hands." No passing attack Sunday Wilkinson was laying some passes into Calgary hands, but Calgary couldn't take advantage of the breaks because of sub-standard quarterbacking.

With Pisarcik nulifying the Calgary passing attack, a surprisingly stiff Eskimo defence put the clamps on Willie Burden and the Calgary running game. This sudden improvement in one of the worst defensive units in the league could be attributed to the arrival of middle linebacker Dan Kepley from Dallas. Eskimo coach Ray Jauch said he had the worst seat in the stadium for judging such performances but added: "All our new players looked good." Jauch refused to go as far as saying Kepley made the big difference. Ernest Kirk was also new at defensive end and Don Muse at tight end. Defensive coach Leo McKillip, 1 who watches from high up in the spotters box and has one of the better seats in the house, said he thought Kepley played a fine game.

"We knew he was intelligent and a hitter, said Jauch. Eskimos got that information from Pat Dye, a former Edmonton player now coaching at East Carolina. Dye described Kepley as the best player pound for pound he has ever coached. Esks tried to sign him last winter but he opted for Dallas as a free agent. Cowboys drafted almost exclusively for linebackers and Kepley hung in against competition from two first-round draft choices and a third-round pick.

He was cut last week and went into the game against Calgary with only five practices here. Esks have excuse Jauch denied that Esks had any special plans to shut down "Hundred Yard" Willie. "We just seemed to have a-lot of people around him," said the coach. "The biggest problem with Burden is we were overplaying him. He can cut back so quickly that we were missing tackles." Neither team was very impressive Monday.

Eskimos have an excuse. They've got two battered quarterbacks and a long list of injuries. Stampeders also have an excuse. They just aren't a very good football team. A coaching change hasn't conjured up any noticable improvements.

Quarterback is their biggest problem. Pisarcik is like so many signal callers Eskimo fans suffered with over the years. Had an impressive rookie season and then reality set in the second time around. Stampeders are supposedly in a desperate fight with Winnipeg for the final Western Conference playoff spot. That position will be decided by default this season.

it? 'V backer Dan Kepley, who restneted Stampeder running back Willie Burden to 54 yards. Eskimos, at 10-3 in the win-loss columns, are now one point up on Saskatchewan with a game in hand. They have two routes to clinch first place. They could do it by beating Saskatchewan. Or, if they lose that one, they can win by taking Winnipeg and B.C.

in their final two regular season games. Stampeders remain fourth, three points behind Winnipeg Blue Bombers with three games to play each. The game was duller than Tom Wilkinson's razor blade. Using positive language, the first quarter was all Dave Cutler. Put otherwise, he kicked a 14-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Things tightened up a bit in the second quarter. Cutler kicked a 19-yard field goal and Cyril McFall kicked a 31-yard reply while former University of Alberta Golden Bear, Gerald Kunyk added a 71-yard single for Calgary. Six-four. The highlight of the half was a 53-yard Wilkinson to Calvin Harrell bomb. Harrell was wide open and when Stampeders' Vernon Robertson caught him, Harrell carried the receiver another 10 yards to the five.

First and goal from the five, Eskimos ended up third and goal from the two. Coach Ray Jauch sent in Cutler again and the fans let out with a chorus of boos. So they faked the field goal. Wilkinson's pass was blocked by Larry Cates. No points.

Things opened up in the third quarter. Robertson intercepted a Wilkinson pass intended for George McGowan on the Edmonton 51 yard line. Dick Dupuis stepped in front of Tom Forzani to intercept a Pisarcik pass and run 24 yards to the Calgary 46. Things like that. But no scoring.

Finally Calgary came up with the big play which resulted in the first touchdown. Rick Galbos went into the line and, in a moment of inspiration, decided to lateral to a surprised Burden behind him. Newcomer Kepley recovered for Edmonton and ran the ball 28 yards to the Calgary five. Roy Bell ended up scoring a touchdown and Cutler converted. A 46-yard Pisarcik pass to Tom Forzani plus a roughing penalty to Eskimos Larry Highbaugh, set up a one-yard Burden score and McFall converted.

Thirteen-eleven. Dale Potter intercepted early in the fourth quarter and Tom Wilkinson took a pile-driving hit from John Helton which he could have dodged to avoid punishment if he'd have been willing to give up the play. The play was a bomb to McGowan and while Wilkinson was getting Helton's number tatooed on his body, McGowan was beating Cates for 43 yards and the touchdown with an outstanding reception. It was the play of the game and was the turning point which sunk the Stamps. McFall managed a single on a 48-yard field goal with three minutes to play to sign thirty to the Calgarians.

IGLOO ITEMS Ernest Kirk replaced Leroy Jones at defensive end and former Stampeder Fred James went most of the way at the other end due to the Estay injury. Don Muse, the other newcomer, caught one pass for il yards as he replaced Tyrone Walls at tight end. caught four passes for 74 yards while Harrell. who had 35 yards rushing, had three receptions for 77 yards. Bell picked up 92 yards rushing as Eskimos threw only four passes in the second half in an attempt to get the running game rcaa.

for the cold weather. ended up completing 12 of 19 while Pisarcik was 13 for 30. M3 E. ocodo i By Jim Donlevy Of A Golden Bears It has been suggested that a quarterback can throw a pass anywhere in the direction of George McGowan and there is an 80-per-cent chance he will catch it. The decisive touchdown which gave the Ed-" monton Eskimos a victory over the Calgary Stampeders yesterday was scored by McGowan after a reception that gave credence to such a theory.

The pass play as diagrammed is a relatively simple series of patterns, but two factors contributed significantly to the success of this play. First, the fact that Tom Wilkinson had been subjected to a severe physical pounding a week earlier at the hands of the Saskatchewan Roughriders front four, may have resulted in a lesser quarterback folding under similar pressure the next game. Instead on a number of occasions, Wilkie delivered the ball to his receivers in spite of a strong rush by John Helton and Larry Moore in particular. The second factor is the demonstrated ability of George McGowan while closely covered, to concentrate on the flight of the ball and manoeuvre to the reception area even when the pass is off target. On the diagrammed play, the wide receivers, McGowan (76) and Stuart Land (15) ran "post" patterns.

John Konihowski (72) and the new tight end, Don wan's sudden break to the outside. To catch the pass, McGowan had to turn his back on the ball, pivot, re-focus and judge the downward trajectory of the pass. This is the mark of an outstanding receiver. ALthough Cotes recovered to tackle McGowan, second effort and a long reach resulted in the major score. But Tom Wilkinson did not see the reception or the touchdown.

He was buried under John Hel Cotes (26) covered Konihowski and McGowan respectively. Wilkinson (12) dropped back but was forced from the pocket by a strong rush from John Helton (77). By this time, McGowan had broken to the inside and was covered perfectly by Cotes. Wilkinson, however, threw the ball deep and to McGowan's outside shoulder to avoid an interception. Larry Cotes could not anticipate and react to McGo Muse (70), both "hooked" twelve yards deep while the Roy Bell (14) and Calvin Harrell (19) checked for blitzing linebackers and ran "flare'' patterns into the flats.

The Stampeders were playing a combination zone and man-to-man defence. In this situation the linebackers and the right side of the certain unit, Dennis Meyer (23), Don (72) and Vern Roberson (18), were in zone coverage while Don Moulton (28) and Larry Eskimos and Koughnders are tne only tootoau teams in the conference. The rest are a disorganized rabble, whose games aren't worth the price of admission. Problems in Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg start right at the top, just as they did in Edmonton for so many years. Bad coaching, management and directors all add up to an inferior product, as 26,147 fans observed at Clarke Stadium Monday.

ton. control inflation There was no for Oilers goal A masked goalie in major league hockey, saw 28 Oiler shots and made numerous good saves, including two when Patenaude was home free. The score was tied 2-2 at the end of the first period and Oilers led 5-3 going into the final 20 minutes. MacGregor and Danng Spring were the other scorers for Edmonton. Ron Buchanan led Racers with two goals while Bob Fitchner, Brian Coates and Reg Thomas scored one each.

Veteran goalie Jacques Plante was not on the road trip. Plante did not attend practice Saturday and was not sighted at the game Sunday, although Hunter said there is no change in his status which is "under contract." plauded enthusiastically on almost every shift. Pretty scoring plays, outstanding goaltending, a few hits and frequent fights. To complete the night for the Oiler supporters, two of their favorite players, speedy Rusty Patendaude and veteran Ed Joyal, led the scoring with two goals each. Patenaude, who the fans love because he flies, beat Andy Brown with a pair of slap shots, one finishing off an end-to-end rush.

Joyal, who draws approval because he is one of the most consistent and hardworking Oiler forwards, was sent in perfectly by Barry Long and flicked the puck into a corner. The linesman should get an assist on Joy-al's second goal. He waved the centre out of the circle By Wayne Overland Of The Journal Oilers 6, Indianapolis 5 Inflation was running wild at The Coliseum Sunday. And the consumers were loving it. The scoreboard was going up faster than the cost-of-living index.

After 60 minutes, 11 goals had been scored, sue by Oilers and five by Indianapolis Racers. The wide-open win gave Oilers a 1-1 record in World Hockey Association regular schedule play. General manager Bill Hunter was wishing he could have shown the Sunday contest on province-wide television rather than the opening debacle. The game against the greatly improved Racers had something of everything for 7,183 spectators who ap and Bruce MacGregor had to take the faceoff in the Racer zone. MacGregor dropped the puck to Joyal and bang, it was slapped into the twine.

Strange as it may sound for a goalie who allowed five scores, Chris Worthy was the real Oiler star. "Goaltending was the difference," said Indianapolis general manager Jim Brow-itt. Worthy faced 42 shots and couldn't be faulted on any of the five which eluded him. Racers have a dangerous power play with Pat Stapleton and Bob Whitlock on the points and Ron Buchanan at centre, and Worthy was at his best when Oilers were a man short. At the other end of the ice, Brown, the only un- 'j-Aw-'' fr-m Oiler goalie Chris Worthy and Ed Joyal stopped puck but missed Michel Dubois.