Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 6

Raiders and Chargers are still tied for first DENVER (UPI) A 24-21 win over the Denver Broncos which kept the Oakland Raiders in the thick of the AFC Western Division title race didn't come easy but then bead coach Tom Floras wasn't expecting it to. "They never come easy in Denver," said "We knew Denver would be a tough team regardless ot whether they were going to be in the playoffs or not. Denver is always tough when we play in Mile High The Broncos put on one of their best offensive shows of the season, with quarterbacks Craig Morton and Matt Robinson combining for 431 yards passing. But three of the four Bronco turnovers resulted in Oakland scores and the Raiders fought off two fourth- quarter Denver scoring threats for the win. Oakland and San Diego head into next Sunday's regular season finale with Identical 10-5 records and 6-2 against division opponents.

If they remain tied next week, the division championship will go to the Chargers who have a higher winning point margin against division rivals. The Raiders, who close out the regular season against the New York Giants, would have had to beat the Broncos by 29 points to win the tiebreaker with the Chargers. San Diego hosts Pittsburgh in next week's Monday night game while the Broncos finish at Seattle "Whether we win by 3 or 30 points, you still have to win," said Oakland quarterback Jim piunkett, who completed 13 of 21 passes for 213 yards. "It would have been nice to win by more but now we are on the way to the playoffs and maybe a title Piunkett combined with wide receiver Bob Chandler for touchdown passes of 11 and 38 yards. Free safety Burgess Owens intercepted Robinson's pass on a faked fieid goal and returned the ball 58 yards for Oakland's first score, and Chris Bahr broke a 7-7 tie with a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter Dave Preston had touchdown runs of 2 and 9 yards for the Broncos and tight end Riley Odoms caught a 12 -yard scoring pass from Morton.

Fred Steinfort missed field goals from 46 and 47 yards out, the latter with 2:36 left that would have tied the game. "We played a strong game and did not give up," said Denver coach Red Miller. "We moved the balKbut the turnovers really hurt." The loss dropped the Broncos to 7-8 and out of the playoffs for the first time in the four years Miller has been head coach. Binlw yards Passing yards Return yards Panamas-yards out IS 179 217 DEN 26 431 30 4 Eegheo WhtUmgton 11-11, Phmtatt 1-C King 1-1 Dearer-Preston 11-90, Lytic 4-11. Jensen j- 10, Keyworth l-S.

Morton 1-1. 13-21-1 lu Denver Morton 18-30-1-338, Roblnaon a-u-j. 110. RECEIVING. Oakland-Cheneaer Cheater t-st.

Branch 1 -M, Whtttlngton 1-23 van Keshan Ha, lumen 1-17 Denver Moaes (-Mi, Odoms 6-121, Watson 3-Sg, Jensen 1-40, Keyworth J-M. Preston 4-17, Ly- Ue in Redwood Empire national sports Dally Journal, Ukiah, Calif. December 15,1980 Kenny Brown: a leader in Wide open scramble scholastics and athletics By GLENN ERICKSON Journal Sports Editor Gold is where you find so is a fine athlete and leader. The committee choosing the 1980 Mendocino County Football Scholar- Athlete Lineman found one in the person of Kenny Brown, an All-League offensive guard and middle linebacker for Potter Valley Community High School. But Kenny is more than just an outstanding, hard-nosed, dedicated football player; more than a 3.6 GPA scholar.

The son of Jack and Pat Brown, of 9900 West Road, Potter Valley, already is a mature, very involved young adult, able to assume a good deal of responsibility and leadership, on the athletic field, and more particularly off of it. His achievements and activities at Potter Valley Community High School, at a time when the young school was in need of responsive and responsible student leadership, are considerable. He did not play football as a freshman, but was voted the Most Improved Player in basketball. As a sophomore. Brown was Jayvee football team captain; earned the JV Team Lineman award, and Gold Helmet Award of Coca-Cola, as the team's hardest and most consistent hitter.

He also was treasurer of his sophomore class. In his first Varsity season, as a junior, Kenny Brown earned the Best Team Lineman Award and was All- Northwestern League defensive tackle, and named to the All-Redwood Empire' Second Team as a defensive tackle. Furthermore, in basketball he was the Varsity's Most Improved player; All-Tourney at the Potter Valley Invitational Tournament, and All- Northwestern League Second Team in basketball. And in the Spring, Brown All-Northwestern League as a baseball catcher. In this, his senior year, Kenny Brown was the Most Outstanding Lineman and Varsity football captain; All- Northwestern League as both an offensive guard and middle linebacker; is contributing to the Varsity basketball team once again, and plans to round off four busy athletic years with a final season of baseball.

There are academic purists-or might look down on any course that includes FFA, Agricultural Production, Agricultural Mechanics, in addition to such academic subjects as history, English and a full share of geometry, chemistry, etc. They would be showing their own ignorance. While Brown may have had "very human" grades in some subjects, his grades were very for academic in English, history and "out of sight" in courses dealing with farm production, farm machinery maintenance and Cal Poly wins Division II grid title ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (UPI) In the battle for supremacy in NCAA division II football, the Eastern Illinois defense was able to hold the division's rushing champion to only 26 yards, but it was unable to stop Cal Prfly San Luis Obispo wide receiver Robbie Martin. Martin caught two touchdown passes and scored another on a 42-yard punt return to lead the Mustangs to a 20-13 upset vfctaqr over Eastern Illinois Saturday In the Zia Bowl the Division Uchanmkmsbip.

Cal Poly's Louie Jackson bad rushed for 1,429 yards this season, but managed only 26 yards on 20 carries Saturday. So. tne air, completing 12 of 21 passes for 236'yards. defeat kept the Panthers from Incoming tjie first Udohr won in 1978. This was Cal Poly's first appearance in KENNY BROWN PV Senior Class photo operation, and any area dealing with the day to day scientific, mathematical, very human and sometimes very intense problems of operating a farm, a ranch, a "spread," effectively, for family survival, growth and liveable profit.

In addition to maintaining an over-all B-plus to A-minus grade-point average (GPA) that would do any student proud, and his already enumerated athletic achievements representing hours of hard work on the athletic field, Kenny Brown achieved like standards of excellence in his Future Farmers of America (FFA) projects at Potter Valley, from junior high on. He served as FFA vice-president in 1979, treasurer in 1977-78; was FFA project competition winner in beef in 1977; served on FFA livestock judging teams in 1978-79; was a member of the FFA welding competition team in 1980. Brown, somehow, has found time to be even more active, it seems, in Potter Valley and Mendocino County 4-H project and leadership activities for nearly seven years. In 1975, for example, Kenny Brown was a Mendocino County 4-H medal winner with his beef project, and won the Pollette Award for outstanding breeding beef animal at the Redwood Empire Fair. In 1976 he again was County Beef Project Award winner, for both the size and quality of his beef herd project; and again won the Pollette Award for outstanding beef breeding, given at the Redwood Empire Fair.

In 1977, Kenny Brown served as sergeant at arms for his Potter Valley 4-H Club; and was 4-H County Medal Winner for both beef and livestock judging. Then, in 1978, Brown was vice- president of the Potter Valley 4-H Club, and Mendocino County 4-H Medal winner for over-all agriculture, with outstanding projects In beef, crops, tractoring and swine. In 1979, Kenny served as Potter Valley 4-H president, won the top award in Mendocino County in agriculture, and was a Potter Valley 4-H Club delegate to the California State 4-H Leadership Conference at University of California at Davis. Brown also won the All-Cotmty ratability award for the highest yielding rate of gain steer-the steer who gained the most and yielded tne best meat. In 1980, Brown has been Mendocino County delegate to the 4-H State Leadership, Bank of America meat Award wtaner County.

From 1976 to 1980, Ketinynas setvedV as a Junior and teen leaderof (he Potter Valley 4-H Club, a club of 105 members with varying projects and individual and collective needs and disciplines. About 70 of those members are in the elementary grades, so adult leaders rely heavily on the junior and teen leaders. Brown has been a beef project junior leader for five years, and has been responsible for helping three 4-H members with their beef projects each year. He assists them with their records keeping, as well as helping to organize practice judging, showing and fitting days for all the beef project members of the Potter Valley 4-H Club. It is only natural that Kenny gravitate toward agriculture.

His family has a ranch whose total acreage reaches about 5,000. Kenny is into weightlifting, both the practical- working kind, and the athletic kind. His summertime, year-around weightlifting, the practical kind, is in lifting and hauling about 1200 bales of hay, weighing around 100-110 pounds each, for friends and neighbors as well as his dad's ranch. Kenny, who was once around 137 pounds or less, also has used weightlifting to build himself to pounds. He works out an hour and a half a day, religiously, lifting weights.

He now bench-presses 380, has a maximum single lift of 500 pounds. While he likes to communicate, to write, and enjoys history, he is set on an Agri-Science, Agri-Business, Ranch- Management college or university major, with perhaps a minor in PE or English and history. He would welcome a chance to go to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; Modesto J.C; Humboldt State; or possibly Davis. Kenny is lucky, and knows it, to have the support and respect of his family. These include, besides Mom and Pop, sisters Judy Barbera, and Kathy, who is assisting in coaching girls' basketball at Potter Valley and has attended Cal Poly, herself; brothers Jim, now on medical leave from U.C.

Davis and his own Ag studies to correct a knee injury; Donnie, now at Modesto JC in agriculture, and Dave, a Potter Valley Frosh, and foster-brother and friend CarlEleck. Of the 30 or more outstanding Northern California Football Foundation Football Scholar-Athletes of 1980 who will assemble for an Awards Dinner at the San Francisco Hilton on Dec. 17, Wednesday, Potter Valley's Kenny BrowQ will have one of the more if practical, scholarship, achievement records of any of the scholar-athletes from He's done it hard work and setf discipline. for playoff spots By IRA KAUFMAN UPI Sports Writer It may be parity, but it sure ain't pretty. With just one week remaining in the "NFL's regular season, the playoff picture remains as fuzzy as an out-of-focus snapshot: four of the six divisional titles are still up for grabs as are six of 10 playoff berths.

While the NFL congratulates itself for a schedule that is keeping nine teams grasping for postseason life, fans throughout the league are dusting the cobwebs off the adding machine to figure out the possibilities. They are endless. On Sunday, Minnesota grabbed its llth NFC Central title in 13 years with a stunning 28-23 triumph over Cleveland and Atlanta clinched the first division crown in its 15-year history with a 35-10 drubbing of San Francisco. The Browns have come back to win four times this season and eight of their 10 victories have been by margins of seven points or less, but they received a bitter taste of their own medicine when Tommy Kramer who passed for 455 yards lofted a high pass toward the right comer of the goal-line with five seconds remaining. "It looked like there were about 35 guys going for the ball," said Ahmad Rashad, who also snared a TD pass with 95 seconds left as Minnesota notched a 19-point fourth quarter The Vikings, 9-6, clinched their seventh division title in eight years while the Browns, 10-5, fell into a first- place tie with Houston atop the AFC Central.

In the AFC East, Buffalo, 10-5, leads New England by a game, but the Bills can still lock up their first division title since 1966 with a victory or tie in San Francisco next week. Whichever team doesn't win the division title can still qualify for a wild card berth. Houston and Cleveland are tied in the AFC Central and the Browns can clinch the division title with a victory in Cincinnati Sunday. Pittsburgh, 9-6, can still qualify for the playoffs as a wild card team. In the AFC West, Oakland and San, Diego are 10-5 and if the Raiders beat the New York Giants next Sunday and the Chargers beat the Steelers next Monday night, both teams qualify for the playoffs.

The division title, however, would go to San Diego because the tie would be broken on the basis of best net points in division games. If both teams lose next week, Oakland wins the division on the basis of a better conference record. In the NFC East, Philadelphia, 12-3, leads Dallas by a half-game heading into tonight's Cowboys-Rams game. Both clubs have clinched at least a wild card berth and if Dallas loses to Los Angeles, the Cowboys must defeat the Eagles in the season finale to tie at 12-4. The division tie would then be broken on the basis of best net points in division games.

If Dallas beats Los Angeles, the winner of the Eagles-Cowboys showdown takes the division. Detroit, 8-7, can still pull out a NFC wild card spot, but only with a victory over Green Bay next week and two fosses by the Rams. Los Angeles clinches an NFC wild card berth with a victory over either Dallas or Atlanta. Elsewhere Sunday, New England beat Buffalo 24-2, previously winless New Orleans edged the New York Jets 21-20, Pittsburgh downed Kansas City 21-16, Houston defeated Green Bay 22-3, Philadelphia topped St. Louis 17-3, Cincinnati beat Chicago 17-14 in overtime, Oakland nipped Denver 24-21, Detroit defeated Tampa Bay 27-14 and Miami beat Baltimore 24-14 Washington edged the New York Giants 16-13 and San Diego topped Seattle 21-14 in Saturday games.

Dallas plays in Los Angeles Monday night. PATRIOTS 24, BILLS 2 Matt Cavanaugh threw for two TDs and Vagas Ferguson became New England's all-time leading rookie rusher as the Patriots moved within a game of Buffalo in the AFC East. SAINTS 21, JETS 20 Tony Galbreath's second 1-yard TD of the game, with 4.49 left, lifted New Orleans to its first victory after 14 consecutive losses as the Saints avoided an NFL-record 15th loss STEELERS 21, CHIEFS 16 Rocky Bleier, playing his final game In Three Rivers Stadium, raced 11 yards for the winning score In the fourth quarter to keep Pittsburgh's wild card playoff hopes alive. OILERS 22, PACKERS 3 Earl Campbell rushed for 181 yards and two TDs to set a personal single-season rushing record and lift Houston into a first-place tie with Cleveland in the AFC Central. EAGLES 17, CARDINALS 3 A fumble recovery and an interception set up Wilbert Montgomery's 9-yard TD run and Tony Franklin's 19-yard field goal in the second half as Philadelphia Improved to 12-3.

BENGALS 17, BEARS 14 Jim Breech's 28-yard field goal at 4:23 of overtime lifted Cincinnati to Its third straight triumph and dropped Chicago to 6-9. The key play In the winning drive was Jack Thompson's 25-yard pass to Dan Ross. LIONS 27, BUCCANEERS 14 Ray Williams snared a 22-yard scoring pass and ran back a kickoff 91 yards for a game-sealing TD with 8:32 left as Detroit, 8 -7, kept its flickering wild card playoff hopes alive. DOLPHINS 24, COLTS 14 Rookie David Woodley passed for three TDs to lead Miami, 8 -7. $altimore scored on a 38-yard run by rookie Curtis Dickey and Bert Jones' 16-yard pass to Reese McCall.

NFL Standings By United Press International American Conference Pet Buffalo 10 0 667 New England 9 6 0 .600 Miami 8 7 0 S33 Baltimore 7 6 0 467 NY Jets Central 3 12 0 214 Cleveland 10 5 0 667 Houston 10 5 0 667 Pittsburgh 9 6 0 600 Cincinnati 6 9 0 400 West San Diego 10 5 0 667 Oakland 10 5 0 667 Denver 7 8 0 467 Kansas City 7 8 0 467 Seattle 4 11 0 267 National Conference East Pet. Phila 12 3 0 800 Dallas St Louis 11 3 0 788 Dallas St Louis 5 10 0 333 Washington 5 10 0 333 NY Giants 4 11 0 267 Central x-Mlnnesota 6 0 600 Detroit 8 7 0 .533 Chicago 6 0 400 Tampa Bay 5 9 I 379 Green Bay 5 9 1 379 West (Atlanta L2 3 0 .800 l-os Angeles San Francisco 9 5 0 643 l-os Angeles San Francisco 6 9 0 400 New Orleans 1 14 0 087 -clinched dhrtstoo title -clinched playoff berth Saturday 'tResulU Wash 16. NY Giants 13 San Diego 21, Seattle 14 Sunday 's Results New Engl 24. Buffalo 2 San Diego 21, Seattle 14 Sunday 's Results New Engl 24. Buffalo 2 Clncl 17.

Chi 14IOT) Minn Clevea Houston 22. Green Bay 3 Pitts 21. Kan City 16 Miami 24. Baitl 14 New Orleans 21. NY Jets 20 Oakland 24, Denver 21 Phllal7.St.Louis3 Atlanta 35, San Fran 1.0 Detroit 27.

Tampa Bay 14 Monday's Game Dallas at Los Angdes Playoff-bound Falcons rout 49ers ATLANTA (UPI) LeemanBennett says his NFC West Division champion Atlanta Falcons don't have many "violinists," but they've got 45 "fiddlers" who play like heck 60 minutes ever game. After fiddling away half the game Sunday, the Falcons, now 12-3, finally started making music and the result was a 35-10 rout of the San Francisco 49ers and the first divisional title in the -15-year history of the franchise. The victory Atlanta's ninth straight broke Los Angeles' seven- year reign as the NFC West champs, and it means the Falcons will play their first playoff game either Jan. 3 or Jan. 4 in Atlanta.

The Falcons, blowing many opportunities in the first half, led only 7-3 at intermission. But quarterback Steve Bartkowski, who got the first touchdown on a 1-yard sneak, came back in the second half with three scoring tosses and linebacker Al Richardson recovered 49er quarterback Joe Montana's fumble in the end zone for another score. Bartkowski, who completed 22-of-31 passes for 276 yards, hit Wallace Francis on scoring tosses of 81 and 12 yards and tight end Junior Miller for an 11- yard TD pass. San Franciso was limited to a 41-yard second-quarter field goal by Ray Wersching and a 13-yard scoring toss from Montana to Dwlght Clark on the final play of the game. Atlanta fullback William Andrews had his sixth 100-yard game of the season, picking up 105 yards on 18 carries.

Francis, who has been preaching Super Bowl to his teammates since the start of the year, said the Falcons were "happy" to be division champs because "the guys know now that we've got It. It's a confidence builder and more people now believe. We just know we can doit." Cowboys, Rams renew fierce rivalry tonite ANAHEIM (UPI) The Los Angeles Rams the NFC West title Sunday for the first time in eight years, and they took it lying down. Or sitting on nice, comfortable chairs. That's all they could do as the Atlanta Falcons routed the San Francisco 49ers, 35-10, to clinch the crown and dethrone the Rams.

With the knowledge that all hope of competing in the playoffs rests on a wild card berth, the Ranis square off tonight against the Dallas Cowboys in another chapter of What has become a fierce and often bitter rivalry. The nationally televised game is important to the Cowboys for a reason that most NFL teams would love to have. They want to finish ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East to avoid the extra wild card game. But either way, the Cowboys are in the playoffs. The clouded playoff picture, which would take a half dozen MIT mathematics professors to explain thoroughly, looks something like this' from the Rams viewpoint: If the 9-5 Rams defeat either the 11- 3 Cowboys or 12-3 Falcons, they'll be in the playoffs via the wild card berth.

The Rams also will qualify if Green Bay defeats Detroit next weekend. But, if the Rams Ipse to Dallas and Atlanta, the Lions are playoff-bound and the Rams pack it in for the, season based on Detroit's 41-20 victory over Los Angeles on the opening day of the season. In the NFL's enormously complex tiebreaklng procedure, bead-to-head competition is the first (actor in determining the wild card entry..