Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 17

3 I- MATT MITCHELL Harris came inexpensively newspapers are suggesting, Prothro and staff will be back. Don't look for Klein to derrick Prothro for Don Coryell. The San Diego State legend is unhappy in St Louis, but the Chargers once quietly tendered him an offer to be offensive coordinator when he was still the Aztec head man and he just as quietly rejected it. Bill Walsh was asked by Klein not to take the Stanford head coaching job last winter with the suggestion he might be the Charger coach of the future. But Bill closed off that option by taking the Palo Alto position The biggest problem Prothro might have is retaining Larrye Weaver and perhaps Jerry Smith, both of whom along with offensive coordinator Max Coley will be candidates for some of the openings throughout the National Football League.

Weaver probably is the highest on the list of assistants who have a shot at a head coach's job in the NFL. And Coley has come close in the past while Smith had a brief season-timsher at Denver once. Catch this segue, as they say television Speaking of season-finishers, here's the final week's picks for the NFL season With a season record of 127-55 1 69 percent). I'll need a 12-2 week for a paltry 70 percent which is almost good enough to be a playoff record. But in being peerless and fearless prognosticator theres only a wait'll next year position which can be taken.

Besides, it's only a game This final week's picks: Los Angeles over Washington, Miami over Buffalo. Detroit over Minnesota; San Diego over Pittsburgh; Chicago over New York Giants, Houston over Cincinnati; Seattle over Cleveland, Dallas over Denver; Oakland over Kansas City; Baltimore over New England; Atlanta over New Orleans; Philadelphia over New York Jets; St Louis over Tampa Bay (maybe); and Green Bay barely over San Francisco Some unreported factors on this final Charger weekend: No, James Harris hasn't cost the San Diego Chargers one or more first-round draft choices. We've learned there was an escalation clause in the Harris acquisition The better he did in taking the Chargers along during the season determined his value. If he would have led San Diego to a Super Bowl victory, then it would have been worth probably a couple of tirst-round picks in the next two years Playoff berth would have been perhaps a second-round pick But with the Chargers destined to finish either 8-6 or 7-7, depending on Sunday's outcome with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season's finale at San Diego Stadium at 1 Harris will mean the Chargers got him cheap if a fourth-round pick in the 1978 draft is cheap It is. It has to be pleasing to the Chargers that close to 50,000 will be on hand to witness the final contest of 1977.

The team, with its own effort, has sold San Diego on itself. In past seasons, the teams assembled bv Tommy Prothro (or Harland Svare before him) had been big turnoffs. If the Chargers don't raise ticket prices for next season (and a fabulous TV package should insure that tickets won't get any more expensive than they already are), the season ticket sale should probably get out of the low 20,000 level for the first time in three years and get back to in excess of 30,000. I can't believe Charger head coach Tommy Prothro will quit next week He's too close to producing a winner. It would be like a farmer leaving his homestead a couple of weeks before harvest and never knowing what his final touches would have done to his crop.

Prothro has been playing it cozy and so has owner Eugene Klein. But the two strong-willed men have gotten along and see great promise next season. Despite what some metropolitan NOW HERE'S A TWIST It would appear that Orange Glen High School 165-pounder Craig Allen was in need of a good chiropractor this morning after his wrestling match Thursday evening against Oceanside's Ken Walker. Actually, that's not Allen's own leg he's pulling, it's Walker's. Al- len was able to get himself together and go on to an 8-2 victory.

The Patriots won, 53-7. Story, Page A-19. I Life with Redskins very good WASHINGTON (AP) Tight end Jerry Smith says a season spent mostly on the Washington Redskins' bench has been good for him. I think I've learned an awful lot from my experiences this year, said Smith, who will play his last professional home game Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. Its just highlighted for me how important it is to keep the right perspective on who you are, what its all about, he said Thursday.

This is still only a game. The things that are most important in life are people and how we relate to each other. Smith was cut last fall along with long-time roommate Brig Owens, but both were brought back. Since then, Smith has been used to provide an extra blocker on short-yardage situations and caught a pass for a first down against Atlanta in a drive that ended in a Washington punt. But mostly, he has sat on the bench.

He insists he is not bitter about the lack of playing time. Its been a necessary experience for Jerry Smith, he said. Like Smith, a number of other 1 Redskins may be playing their last season. 2 Chargers get Pro Bowl bids NEW YORK i APi Two San Diego Chargers linebacker Louie Kelcher and offensive tackle Russ Washington have been named to the American Football Conference's team for the Jan. 23 Pro Bowl.

It is a team dominated by Oakland Raiders, eight of them, even though they finished behind Denver in the AFC Western Division. The Broncos place five players on the squad The Raiders, defending Super Bowl champions, will have tight end Dave Casper, tackle Art Shell, guard Gene Upshaw and punter Ray Guy starting in the all-star game Monday, Jan. 24, at Tampa Stadium. Oakland's four other representatives are reserves wide receiver Cliff Branch, center Dave Dalby, quarterback Ken Stabler and running back Mark van Eeghen. The Broncos, in the playoffs for the first time in their history and possessors of the NFL's best record at 12-1, will have Pro Bowl starters in defensive end Lyle Alzado, middle linebacker Randy Gradishar and safety Billy Thompson, plus outside linebacker Tom Jackson and cornerback Louis Wright in reserve.

Baltimore also placed five players on the AFC roster all starters. They are George Kunz at tackle, Lydell Mitchell at running back, John Dutton at defensive end, Mike Barnes at defensive tackle and place-kicker Toni Linhart. Kelcher easy MVP selection BIG SQUEEZE It wasn't a friendly expression that Orange Glen High School's Don Hansow wore Thursday while compressing the head of Oceanside's Dean McKeever in a bout at 154 pounds. Hansow eventually pinned his foe in 5:42, one of five pin victories for the Patriots. Alis last fight may be against Norton Staff Photo by Larry Littlefiald First, however, is the little matter of the 24-year-old Spinks, the 1976 Olympic light-heavyweight champion.

The two fighters appeared at a news conference Thursday. My speed is not like it was, but I still have enough to beat him, said Ali, who will be 36 next month. It's possible for him to win, but its not likely. He was a little boy growing up and watching me. Now he's meeting the master.

Spinks is two years older than Ali was when he won the crown from Sonny Liston in 1964. He was great when I was a kid, the challenger said. "Hes still great, but hes getting older. I'm waiting for him. I don't think Ill knock him out, but Ill be ready.

By MATT MITCHELL T-A Sports Editor SAN DIEGO It may sound surprising. but the vote wasn't unanimous. Louie Kelcher was picked this noon as the San Diego Chargers most valuable player which is the least shocking matter of the long football season. And the reason the vote wasnt unanimous was that Kelcher had too much class to vote himself in the secret balloting among players. Kelcher is the first defensive tackle in the history of the Chargers to be tabbed as the team's most valuable.

Two defensive ends, Earl Faison in 1961, and Steve DeLong in 1969, are the only other defensive players ever picked. The MVP from two seasons ago, Pat Curran, was given the Chargers most inspirational player award. It's the second time Curran received the Emil Karas Memorial Award in his three seasons with the Chargers and is more meaningful this year since he spent half the season as a second-string tight end behind Bob Klein. Last season's MVP was wide receiver Charlie Joiner. And for a fourth year in a row, lineman of the year honors went to offensive guard Doug Wilkerson.

That vote of his teammates doesn't match the one taken by American Conference football coaches who tapped the team's most veteran player, tackle Russ Washington, another trip to the Pro Bowl where he'll be joined for the first Youth soccer title contests set Saturday ESCONDIDO Four championships will be up for grabs in North County Youth Soccer Association games Saturday. the Divismn 6 title contest will start things off at 8 a m. on the Miller School field where the Kickers will take on the Bengals A 9 a m. game between the Division 5 Raiders and Cougars is scheduled at Juniper Elementary School. The Rowdies and the Tide meet for the Division 4 title at 10 a m.

at Oak Hill Elementary and the Hawks and Bruins battle for the Division 3 crown on Orange Glen High Schools field at 11 a Awards presentations are planned at Felicita Park. latest plans. The contract needs only Nortons signature. Arum has deposited $125,000 in a bank to serve as part of the purse. The money goes to Ali if Norton fails to sign by May 1.

I see no problems in getting Norton, Arum said. I cant say that I have him, though, because I dont. However, Ali said Norton's advisors are clamoring for another shot at the champ. Theyre bent on getting me, Ali said. But if I don't get $12 million we aint gonna dance.

Ali and Norton split a pair of non-title bouts and Ali defeated the challenger in September 1976 in a unanimous but highly controversial decision. NEW YORK (AP) Muhammad Ali, who has announced his retirement as world heavyweight boxing champion several times, apparently will be around quite a while longer. At a news conference Thursday to promote a title bout against young Leon Spinks in Las Vegas, 15, Ali suddenly disclosed that he has signed for still another defense next September against Ken Norton, a three-time rival. The Norton fight, for which Ali reportedly will receive a whopping $12 million, will be held in a foreign country, according to Bob Arum of Top Tank, who also is promoting the spinks bout. At the Ali-Spinks news conference, he champion was asked if he was duck-ng Norton.

Thats when he disclosed his time by Kelcher. Louie's pick was automatic. He was the spark of the conferences leading defense. Charger head coach Tommy Prothro calls the 6-foot-5 280-pound, cowboy boot-wearing Texan the teams "policeman." Kelcher is the leading tackier on the team and has been the spark in leading the Chargers to a club record 44 sacks of opposing quarterbacks I.