The Raleigh Register from Beckley, West Virginia • Page 18

Aooogyllll Hawks Doug Watts And Andre White Are Ready Hawks Seeking A Quick Victory By GAYLEN DUSKEY Register Sports Editor MENTOR, Ohio "We need a quick win or two, some confidence, early in the season," Beckley College basketball coach Joe Cook said. "1 hope we can get them here." Beckley opens its 1978 77 basketball season this evening against St. Glair in the opening game of the Lakeland College Turkey Tournament. In the night- a a a a Northwestern. i perienced," Cook said, "but, we have a lot of ability.

We've not got any John Mollohans or Rufus Johnsons nobody works that hard but we've got players with kind of potential." Cook's current-starting lineup features sophomores William 'The Eraser' Hall (8 9) and Jeff Price (9 9) along with freshman Lee Perry (6-3), Andre White (8 2), and Doug Watts (6 5). Gene Lomax (5 -11), Tony Halrston 4), Mike Smith 8 4 and Mel Hampton are challenging for starting berths. "Any of our players could start," Cook said. "We have depth. In other words we've got players that can be sent into the game without any perceivable loss of quality The Hawks lost three players -Phil Dailey, Mike Brown, and Darrell Ailen from the roster.

Allen, a sophomore from Glen Rogers, decided he didn't want to play basketball any more while while Brown and Dally, both a Jackson, are trying to get their classroom studies straightened out. i i i i i rebounding," Cook said. "We have good ball handlers and shooters and 1 feel we'll have to get the rebounds." To do that Cook will be looking toward Watts and Hall. "Watts, if he sets his mind to it, can do just about what he wants," Cook said. "But, unfortunately, Doug hasn't decided to do what lie can yet.

"William, however, has been the leader that we expected him to be," Cook said. "He's been looking good on defense and offense." The top reserve In the forecourt is Hairston or Smith. "Tony has looked good in practice, "Cook said. "He's amazingly agile for his size (6 4,208) and he plays defense well. He's also a strong rebounder and a good ahot." Smith, the other front court reserve, has come along well In practive and shown no effects whatsoever of last seasons knee Injury.

The backcourt is wide open and Cook said that the lineup could chance from game to game "because there is so much competition there." "Right now Andre, Lee, and Jeff are starting," Cook said, "but I don't know how to keep Gene Lomax out of the -starting lineup. He looked so good in our last scrimmage at Tech and he has kept pushing In practice. "Gene's main drawback has been his outside shooting and he's been Improving on that Cook continued. Currently the former Trap Hill star is the sixth man. i a Woodrow Wilson star, is at one position and Cook is looking forward to him having a good season.

"Andre has an uncanny ability to get off a shot despite being pushed or pressured," Cook said. "He could be one of the top scorers in the conference. He's also handling ball well and playing good defense." If White doesn't lead the Hawks in scoring Cook expects Perry to. The snaky, left handed, Perry a a 15.9 last a at Stonewall Jackson and has a good shot from outside. "Perry's as good, a shooter as Andre," Cook said, "but, he isn't as spectacular." Price adds the experience to the back court for the Hawks.

Alter the tournament BC is home to Ohio Valley College Tuesday night and Bluefield State Friday night before going on the road again to Portsmouth, Ohio, and a game with Shawnee State. HARRY SAYS "BE AN EARLY SHOPPER WHILE SELECTION IS YOU MAY USE HARRY'S LAYA A PLAN OR CHARGE ACCOUNT FREE GIFT WRAPPING HE Wkl APPRECIATE A GIFT THAT COMES FROM HARRY'S MEN'S SHOP Owls' Poletti Worried About Big Rav By DAN RESNIK Register Sports Writer Big Creek's undefeated Owls take on the Ravenswood Red Devils In a battle of easy first round playoff winners at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Van Meter Stadium. Ravenswood had little trouble disposing of the 9 Winfield Generals 28 0 at Ripley Satur- a A a i i Bluefield, the Owls were overcoming eight, first half fumbles in trouncing Greenbrier West 28 6. "They're a real good football team," Coach Mario Poletti of Big Creek said, talking about the Red Devils.

"They are bigger than we are and they have speed and experience. Eight of their offensive starters were them in 1975. We'll have to play our best and we can't afford to have another half like the first one we had. "I was as I watched our players do all that he fumbling. I just couldn't conceive of anything like that and it was by far the worst coaching moment of my life." The Owls came back, however, with 21 third quarter points to put the game out of reach.

"If there's anything 1 can point to with pride," Poletti said, "it's that our team didn't low its poise and it didn't fold up under all that adversity." Sophomore Brian Cantrell raced 90 yards for a touchdown, and led the Owls In rushing with 108 yards in four carries. He was followed by A. C. Mulljns with 79 yards on 13 carries. Ravenswood was led by the rushing of Greg Keffer, who gained 197 yards on 19 carries and Bob Sear Is who had 78 yards in 12 carries.

The Red Devil defense held the to just 159 rushing while Ravenswood picked up 350 yards. "We'll have to be at the top of our game for them," Poletti said. "They have lots of, speed and two halfbacks who can really set sail with a football (Keffer and Bryan Barnett) and a big 225 pound fullback (Searls) who can move and who is a hard runner, Bwtween them, the two teams have lost just one game, that being Ravenswood's 16 14 loss to AAA Point Pleasant. Hayenswood has more than twice the players on its roster as Big Creek. There are S3 Red Devils and just 26 Owls.

GB To Surprise By GAYLEN DUSKEY Register Spans Editor One thing Mannington had better watch out for, Saturday -surprises. Gauley Bridge will und a i something. "We've unveiled all we had," a i coach i i commented i getting his Travellers ready for a Class A championship showdown with Mannington at East West Stadium in Fairmont Saturday. Game time is 1:30. A contradiction? Not really, here are some examples: Morrison said that Gauley Bridge would be lucky to win any of its remainiing games on the a i Fayetteville.

The Travellers beat the Pirates, 38 19, and won the most or rest enroute to a playoff spot. Morrison said that quarterback Mark Grlmmltt was deflnately "out" for the semifinal playoff game against last Saturday. Grimmitt played and threw a touchdown pass as the Travellers won, 27 0. So, with the.aforementloned examples, it is a safe bet to say that Morrison probably has a trick or two up his sleeve lor the top ranked Gators. One trick that Morrison won't be unvieling for the first time is Urelesee 'Hop' Shepherd.

Last week the 5 11, 175 pound senior, rushed lor 157 yards and scored twice against Pineville. For his effort Shepherd was selected The Raleigh Register Athlete 01 the Week beating out teammates GrimmiU and Kenny Mattox and Plnevllle's Erby Hall. a Shepherd's strong game was the return of Grlmmltt, who had been sidelined for the three previous games with a broken collarbone. i a Morrison to return Shepherd to i a a a a spot. Shepherd, was the quarterback when Grimmitt was out.

"Mark la a veteran and the kids have a lot of confidence in him," Morrison said. "It means a lot to us having him In the lineup, we beat Pineville didn't we?" But, 'according to Morrison, beating Pineville and beating Mannington are two different things. The upcoming game is ALWAYS the toughest. "We're small and Mannington is big," Morrison said. "We'll just have to scrap for what we can get.

ial) itegister Page 10 Friday Afternoon, November 26,, 1976 Sports You Only Mi By 227, Jim Uralmt 'Hop' Shepherd I expect them to run the ball right at us. They're a ball control learn." One player Alan Sypolt especially impresses Morrison. "We haven't faced that kind of tackle and I just don't know If we can control the line of scrimmage." Last week the Travellers dominated the line of scrimmage and the game against Pineville despite being held scoreless until early in the fourth quarter. "We made things happen against Pineville," Morrison said. "Our defense dominated the game." Offensively the Travellers rolled up over 300 yards but Morrison was not that happy.

"I don't know If It was playoff jitters or what," Morrison said, "but we didn't play that well in the first hall." Twice the Travellers had the ball deep in Pineville territory but once the Minutemen held at the one and once Gauley Bridge fumbled Into the end zone. Still the Travellers had enough to come back and beat the Minutemen setting up Saturday's encounter with Mannington. No surprise for the Gators? Don't bet the rent money on it. By RICHARD SHOOK UPI Sports Writer PONTIAC, Mich. "Well," defensive tackle Jim Mitchell ot the Detroit Lions wanted to know, "how much did O.J.

gain, 500 yards?" Close, Jim--only 227 yards off. Simpson rushed by you and your defensive teammates, who had been giving-up just an average of 118 yards rushing a game to whole teams, for an NFL single game record 273 yards Thursday. That's more than any NFL back ever had gained in a game, by 23 yards. The Buffalo Bills' great back was that man, too, breaking the record he set on Sept. 16, 1973 a a i a Patriots.

"It's some consolation to be able to set the Simpson said, "but I'm still most proud of things 1 accomplished In college (at Southern California) because we won games. "It's good to get some goals accomplished," he said of the record game In his fifth season over 1,000 yards. "We're not winning (2 -10 with eight straight losses) but we're not as bad as our record would Indicate." The record never would have come about had Simpson not been been talked out of his desire to be traded to the West Coast by Bills' owner a Wilson and his money. He missed training camp, however, and that plus some key injuries --notably to quarterback Joe Ferguson and blocking back Jim Braxton--have held the club back. "I've found out you can't get by missing training camp," Simpson "I was confident-I could come back and still be able to run, though.

Remember; we've got some great guys-up front; they know me and 1 know them." Simpson rushed for 86 yards in eight carries the first quarter and seven times for 45 yards in the second. It took four tries to get 70 yards, including the 48 yard touchdown in the third period and he ran 10 times for 92 yards in the final quarter, his last being the 12 yard scoring run. Quarterback Gary Marangi got word from the pressbox before Buffalo's, last possession that Simpson was closing In on his own record. "When a guy is going like he's going," Marangi said, "you continue to go with him until he gets dead tired. Besides, our offense is built around him anyway." The Bills began at their own 42 and Simpson carried six straight times, lor six, seven, six, seven and then a single yard to put himself In position for the 16 yard romp to the Lions' 15 that broke the record.

The news was sent on Detroit's message board and the crowd of 68,895 gave Simpson a standing ovation. Even his teammates applauded wildly as the game was stopped. StindirdEnjiM Sleel Belted Ply Ttru FirtLTD 351 GID 2VV-8 Standard 121.0 inch 224.1 inch CfcvruWlmMl. 250 CID 1V-6 Optional 116.0 inch 212.1 inch Concord To Host Weekend Tourney Bluefield State and Concord College will both be participating in the Concord I i a i a Basketball Tournament Friday and Saturday nights in Athens. a i Lions, who finished third in the WVIAC Tournament last season will host Shaw of Detroit in the second game Friday, while Bluefield will play Guilford of North Carolina ih the tourney's first game.

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