The Californian from Salinas, California • 17

SffDdDirtQ Public notices Pages 20-21 Classified ads Pages 21-24 Monday, Jan. 11, 1982 Salinas Californian 17 Cadillac catch sends 49ersto Pontiac By JOHN WILHEIM Gannett News Service SAN FRANCISCO All season long, the San Francisco 49ers attained heights no one thought possible. They did it again Sunday, because Dwight Clark momentarily believed he could go as high as one of the Golden State Warriors. Because he did, the 49ers will play Cincinnati Jan. 24 for the National Football Leagues highest honor: victory in the Super Bowl.

Clark leaped as far as off the ground as a man carrying 210 pounds on a 6-foot-4 frame ever could be expected to leap to grab a touchdown pass from Joe Montana with 51 seconds to play. His 6-yard grab in the back of the end zone tied the score and Ray Wersching, perfect on extra point kicks during the season, booted the ball through the goal posts and over the net to give the 49ers a 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. I didnt think I was going to get it. It was way up high. I just stretched as much as I could stretch, Clark said of his catch, which was his eighth of the game.

A guy that tall, that big, ought to be able to jump, said Cowboys coach Tom Landry, whose team had seemed on the verge of posting its fourth victory over the 49ers in four playoff meetings. Dallas had gone ahead, 27-21, on a 21-yard pass from Danny White to Doug Cosbie with 10:42 to play, followed by a Rafael Sep-tien PAT kick. Two plays after the kickoff, a long pass by Montana was intercepted by Dallas cornerback Everson Walls. It was Walls second interception of the game and the sixth turnover of the afternoon by the 49ers, who had given the ball away just 25 times during the 16-game regular season. Americas Team then used nine plays to reach the San Francisco 45-yard line, eating up more than five minutes in the process.

But on third down, 49ers corner-back Eric Wright slammed into receiver Doug Donley to break up a pass that would have been a first down. He was crying to the official. Im surprised they didnt call it 'pass interference), said Wright. Was it interference, he was asked. It could have gone either er, said Clark, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Freddie 'Solomon) was supposed to get the ball. It was the same play as the first touchdown an 8-yard toss to Solomon in the first quarter), but they bottled Freddie up this time. I just slid along the back of the end zone until Joe saw me. He was getting ready to throw the ball away, but when he saw me, he put it up high, so Id have a chance to get it if I could go high enough. I guess you can go as high as you need to in a championship game.

The 49ers had scored on the play once before this year, with Charle Young making the catch. The sliding part of it hadnt materialized for me, though, said Clark. Usually, I run my hook and they come back with me, but this time they didnt. I didnt see the play until I saw the replay on TV in the locker room," said Montana, who was sent hard to the chopped-up turf a split second after releasing the ball. It was about the most beautiful thing Ive ever seen.

But the game wasn't over yet. White fired a 31-yard pass to Drew Pearson at the San Franci-so 44, stilling the deafening cry of Defense! Defense! from the 49ers rooters in the crowd of 60,525, most ever to see the 49ers play at home. Their gloom turned to joy again just one play later. San Franci- scos Lawrence Pillers over- powered Cowboys center Tom i Rafferty and hit White in the chest. The ball popped out of his grasp and was smothered by 49ers left end Jim Stuckey.

It wasnt my best hit of the season, but it certainly was my most important, said Phillers. At that moment, I felt total euphoria, said Stuckey. The 49ers made the big plays when they had to, said White, whose turnover was the Cowboys third of the game. We felt we had the best team in the league, so this is difficult to take. The Eagle loss in the playoffs was not nearly as hard to take as this one.

Its always tough to lose at the end, said Landry. Solomon had six catches for 75 5 yards, Clark 120 yards on his eight. And with that last catch, he lift- ed the 49ers to the Super Bowl game for the first time in their history. (Colifornton photo by Clay Peterson) Fans ignored sign on scoreboard and swarmed over Candlestick turf following dramatic 49er win. yards from the Dallas goal line with 4:54 to play.

We tried methodically cut them apart, said 49ers coach Bill Walsh, and thats precisely what the 49ers proceded to do. They marched 83 yards in 13 plays, highlighted by a clutch third-down pass to Solomon at the San Francisco 23, an offsides call against Dallas on third-and-3 at the 41 and a 14-yard run by Solomon on a reverse. Solomons run came on the first play after the two-minute warning and put the ball at the Dallas 35. In quick succession, Montana then connected on first-down passes to Clark and Solomon, advancing the ball to the 13, with 75 seconds to play. He tried to hit Solomon in the end zone, but overthrew him.

Lenvil Elliott swept left end for 7 yards, putting the ball at the 6 with 58 seconds to go. Seven seconds later, pandemonium broke loose in Candlestick Park, courtesy of Mr. Clark. I was the secondary receiv San Francisco Cincinnati puts Chargers on ice celebrates victory way, Wright said noncommittally. But the officials, who had called several controversial interference penalties earlier in the game, kept their yellow flags in their back pockets.

That made it fourth down, and Whites punt was caught by Freddie Solomon, giving the 49ers possession 89 (Californton photo by Cloy Peterson) a 49er team with incredible heart in the Silverdome. The 49ers, seemingly beaten for the fourth straight time by Dallas over an 11-year span in the playoffs, finally rid themselves of the Cowboy albatross with an incredible last-minute comeback victory in the Mud Bowl at Candlestick Park. So now, for the first time since the 1968 season, two teams that have never played in a Super Bowl will square off for the NFL championship. It will be footballs best-looking uniforms, the 49ers, against footballs worst, the Bengals. And it will be Paul Brown standing in San Franciscos way once again.

The 49ers have played in one title game before, the 1949 AAFC showdown with Cleveland coached by Brown. Cleveland won, 21-7. Paul Brown now owns the Bengals, and once failed to promote an offensive and predicting a 49er victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl. Strategically placed police units monitored the scene. The Bus Stop, a noted Union Street sports bar, ran out of beer an hour after the game.

But customers seemed content to sip the stronger stuff still on hand. Police vans honked their horns outside as hundreds of people roamed the streets. Several times, the crowds spilled onto the streets and stopped cars to make sure occupants supported the right team. Once, the crowd stopped a police car. The officers inside got out and raised a finger to symbolize their support of the No.

1 NFC team. This bar is going crazy, said Gary Reilly, 32, a bartender at OSheas. Nobody stopped drinking throughout the game. And now that its over theyre drinking even more. Its been a long time; its great to beat the Cowboys.

We still cant believe it. And at a tavern in th Mission District, Mark Whitman, a computer specialist, yelled. The 49ers are my team, but I would never have believed it. This is the best day of my life. And another fan yelled as he left Candlestick: Americas team now wears red.

arm to play in the NFL. At wide receiver was Dwight Clark, considered by many scouts too slow to compete with the burners of the professional ranks. Making a comeback even more improbable for the 49ers, they had turned the ball over six times to Dallas. This is the same thing as hara-kari. Elliott dropped a pass on first down and everyone groaned.

Montana came through on third down, hitting Freddie Solomon, whom Miami considered such a hot prospect that they traded him to San Francisco four years ago. These four miscasts Montana, Elliott, Solomon and Clark carried the 49er offense down the field, 89 yards in 13 heartpounding plays. The thirteenth lucky 13 was the 6-yard pass from the kid with no arm to the kid with no speed. And the 49ers were the NFC champions. Americas Team was defeated.

SAN FRANCISCO 'AP) -Many a voice fell hoarse and many a bottle ran dry Sunday night as this city, known more for flower children than champions, celebrated the victory of the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers. As the Dallas Cowboys saddled up for a long ride home after their 28-27 defeat, the 49er Faithful of the Bay Area celebrated their first National Football Conference championship. And after a week filled with the tragic news of last Sundays rainstorm, this town was ready to party. As the game ended, 2,500 fans rushed the much-maligned field of Candlestick Park. At one point, several hundred fans captured 49er defensive end Fred Dean, lofting him on their shoulders and keeping him on the field for 15 minutes.

Despite the crush, Dean raised his hands in a victorious clenched fist and allowed the 49er Faithful to vent their jubilation as they escorted him to the locker room. On a public bus returning from the park, fans crowded around a large radio, cheering frantically when the announcer replayed the 49er triumphs, and booing at each Dallas score. Cars filled with fans circled the bawdy bars of North Beach, cheering and honking wizard named Bill Walsh, then a Cincinnati assistant, to head coach. Bedlam by the Bay Brown didnt do too badly later with For-fest Gregg, who coached this seasons Bengals to the second best record in football '12-4, tied with Dallas). The 49ers finished with the best '13-3) and beat Dallas twice in one season.

Thus the two best teams in football will fight it out in Pontiac. With 4:54 left in Sundays NFC championship confrontation, the 49ers were back on their 11-yard line, trailing 27-21. The Cowboy defense, hands on hips, stared into the 49er huddle, grinning. For in the 49er backfield was Lenvil Elliott, a one-time Bengal washout who was cut by the 49ers during the exhibition season, then brought back in time for the the playoffs. At quarterback was a kid named Joe Montana, who supposedly didnt have a strong enough By VIC CARUCCI Gannett News Service CINCINNATI If the coldest day in this citys history rendered his hands useless, Dan Fouts wasnt saying.

If the minus-60-degree wind chill factor contributed to his two costly interceptions, the San Diego Chargers quarterback was keeping that a secret, too. Fouts never has been one to go public with his physical problems. He always has done his best to keep his aches and pains well hidden. Not only from reporters. From everyone, including his own teammates.

Hes not going to gripe about anything. tight end Kellen Winslow said. Hes going to go out there and do the best he can. Last year, Dan Fouts was hurt several times, and I didnt know about it until the end of the year. But there was no mystery behind the way Fouts felt during the Chargers 27-7 AFC championship loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.

The San Diego receivers, almost to a man, said their quarterback was having problems gripping the ball. He couldn't get the grip on the ball, because his fingers were frozen, said Winslow, who scored the Charger touchdown on a 33-yard screen pass. We could have played in 70-above or 20-below. Dan could not grip the ball. And if he can't grip it, he cant throw it, and we can't catch it.

That, according to Winslow, never was more obvious than on Fouts second interception, which came shortly before halftime while the Chargers had a first down at the Bengal 22. Fouts was going for Winslow deep in the end zone but the throw was short enough for strong safety Bobby Kemp to make an easy interception and preserve Cincinnatis 17-7 halftime lead. The pass just didnt come off his hand right, said Winslow, who received a hit by free safety Bryan Hicks on the play and felt numbness in the shoulder he injured in last weeks semifinal against Miami. I was expecting the pass to come high. But I just didnt get there in time to knock it down.

Fouts, who also was picked off by cornerback Louis Breeden, refused to offer any explanation for his interceptions, saying only that they were the difference of the game. Sometimes, I was able to throw the ball. Sometimes, I 49er Dwight Clark (87) is hugged by Walt Easley after catching game-winning touchdown pass. America's dream beat America's Team (AP lOMTphOto) Dan Fouts by cold wasn't. he said.

I dont know why. Asked if his hands were numb, the quarterback said, Theyre not numb now. Fouts did, however, acknowledge the weather conditions were far from desirable. These were the worst conditions anybody ever played in, he said. I couldnt imagine a colder day, but it was even for both sides.

Ar.d, on the other side, the Bengals played as if they were oblivious to the cold. Quarterback Ken Anderson didn't throw any interceptions while completing 14 of 22 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals only turnover was a fumble by tight end Dan Ross, while the Chargers had four turnovers Fouts interceptions, a fumble by James Brooks on a kickoff return and a fumble by running back Chuck Muncie after a hit by linebacker Reggie Williams. But Winslow, who earlier in the week, said he didnt care if the game was played in Alaska, said the weather had a major influence on the outcome. Sportwaves RADIO TUESDAY BASKETBALl-los Angeles vs.

Clevelond 6pm KOCNI05FM. BASKETBAll-Golden State vs. Phoenix 61S KNBR 660 AM BASKETBALl-Notre Dome vs. USE. 9 p.m (top delayed).

KNBR 660 AM TELEVISION TUESDAY BASKETBAU-Notre Dame vs. USF (tape delayed) 11 p.m. (2). By DAVE NEWHOUSE Gannett News Service SAN FRANCISCO Americas dream defeated Americas Team Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers served as the NFLs punching bag only a few years ago.

For longer than that, they have had sand kicked in their faces by those bullies from Dallas. And for even longer than that, 35 years to be exact, the 49ers have never won a league championship in either the All-America Football Conference or the NFL. Well, that can all change in 13 days. The little team that couldnt is in the Super Bowl. And the city of San Francisco, thought too cosmopolitan for a winner, has put on a championship face.

The Cincinnati Bengals, the AFC champions following Sundays survival of the fittest warmest?) in the Deep Freeze Bowl at Riverfront Stadium, will meet i.