Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 25

Tuesday, January Some cheap advice Chargers' defensive problems may be matter of philosophy once one of the finest In the NFL but has now fallen Into being strictly above average. Evidence the Chargers had just 19 sacks this season, ranking them 20th in the 28-team league. Fred Dean has long since departed. Louie Kelcher is still Impossible to beat on the run, but he put on so much weight that hes a nonfactor in pass situations. Gary Johnson, meanwhile, draws too much attention now that Dean's gone.

Th San Diegans could also use some help at linebacker. They should leave Cliff Thrift alone In the middle. He had a good season In his first full year as a starter and can only Improve with experience. The outside linebackers are average. Arizona State's Vernon Maxwell would be a plus here.

Another problem with the defense as a whole, besides Its lay-back, soft style. Is that's it's not physical enough. Like It or not, intimidation is part of the game. Rest assured the Chargers will try to Improve these areas. Gene Klein was the busiest owner in the league last offseason, making more trades than any of his peers Unfortunately, few of those deals were effective.

Tim Fox was a vast improvement at free safety. Bruce Laird proved to be a fine open-field tackier from the strong safety position, but he suffers from white mans disease no speed. Neither David Lewis nor Dewey Selmon made much contribution at llnbacker. And giving up a draft pick for Ricky Bell was a complete waste. Let us hope the Chargers fair better In the months to come.

Otherwise, they'll continue to be what they have been the past four years the most lopsided team in the NFL. So lopsided they fall over before reaching the Super Bowl Where do we go from here? Thats the question the San Diego Chargers are asking themselves today. And although they didnt ask me, Ill freely offer my advice. First the offense. What the Chargers should do here Is absolutely nothing.

Do you get out the water colors and brush up a Rembrandt? Do you pull Baryshnikov aside and tell him to work on his pirouette? Do you try to teach a Magic Johnson how to play basketball? No. When youre the best at something you stick with what youve got. Sure, there can be some fine tuning. The Chargers should make sure some of those eager young offensive linemen are ready to step In for the senior citizens, Russ Washington, 36, Doug Wilkerson, 35, and Ed White, 35. James Brooks should be allowed to spell Chuck Muncle a little more often.

The club should have an heir apparent lined up for Charlie Joiner, who drops a pass every now and then and doesn't care for the rough stuff defensive backs like to dish out. Other than that, put the offensive play-book in the cabinet, lock the door and dont mess with it again until July. On to the defense. What should the Chargers do here? Do you have a spare five hours? For starters, the Chargers should change their entire defensive philosophy. Tom Bass theory of give up the short stuff, but dont allow anything long plays directly into what the opposition wants the Chargers to do.

What are most teams concerned about when they play the Chargers? Their offense, of course. Whats the best way to keep the Chargers from lighting up the scoreboard? To keep their offense off the field? And how do you do that? By maintaining long, ball-controlled drives, exactly what the Charger defense Is offering. If I've got the best offense In football, I want Bon Horcross to get 'em the ball. I dont care how you do it, just give me the football. Look at tha four teams left in the playoffs, Miami, New York, Washington and Dallas.

The Redskins and the Dolphins, who were No. 1 and 2, respectively. In fewest points allowed, played aggressive, blitzing defenses. The Jets and Cowboys dont have to play such gambling defenses because they have superior defensive lines that can pressure quarterbacks without the help of linebackers. In order to carry out aggressive defenses like the Dolphins' and Redskins, however, a team must be blessed with comerbacks who can cover swift wide receivers.

The Chargers do not have this commodity. The San Diego comers usually line up In La Mesa and then backpedal all the way to Julian. So the Chargers would be wise to Improve themselves In the defensive secondary. Unfortunately, as talent-rich as the 1983 collegiate draft Is said to be, It's not supposed to be blessed with many defensive backs If tha Chargers don't faal they can fill this hole via the draft, they would be wise to Improve themselves by going the trade route. Next, this team must find a way to put more pressure on opposing passers.

Going to the aforementioned blitzing, gambling style would be an Improvement. The Chargers did not often blitz this season, but when they did they were usually successful. The thinking here Is that they also need to Improve their defensive line, an area which was Jim Baud'1 The Times Advocate 1 Chargers' Louie Kelcher had trouble with the pass rush this season. Jets are quite pleased to be flying to Miami ceiver Bobby Jones. There's no way anybody can look past them to the Super Bowl." Actually, until this season, the Jets had few problems with the Dolphins.

In eight games In the 1978-81 seasons, New York had seven wins and a tie against their AFC East rivals, Including two wins in 1980, when the Jets were 4-12. But despite the long-standing rivalry between the two teams, the game doesnt figure be the same kind of street fight as Saturdays 17-14 win over the Los Angeles Raiders. That game, the Jets second straight playoff win on the road, was full of near-flstfights, Including one in which the Raiders Lyle Alzado ripped off the helmet of New Yorks Chris Ward and threw it at him. "We have a lot of friends on this team," said Wesley Walker, whose diving catch of a 45-yard pass from Todd set up the winning touchdown In the fourth quarter of the Raider game. "Miami Isnt known as a dirty team.

It won't be like the Raiders game with guys throwing helmets and spitting. They play hard, but clean." Some Jets also cited another reason for preferring the Dolphins theyd be easier to prepare for than the Chargers, whom the Jets havent faced since 1975, when the personnel on the two teams was almost 100 percent different. "We know Miami as well as any team." said guard Dan Alexander. "Weve studied their style and their personnel. We can prepare for them more easily.

Cornerback Johnny Lynn said he wanted to avoid another cross-country trip. He also suggested there would be fewer distractions playing on the East Coast. "San Diego Is too close to Los Angeles, where the Super Bowl is being played, said Lynn. "Some players might start looking ahead. NEW YORK (AP) Almost to a man, the New York Jets rejoiced Monday that theyll be facing the Miami Dolphins rather than the San Diego Chargers in next weeks American Football Conference championship game.

The major reason a chance to eradicate a major blemish on their record. Actually there are two blemishes a 45-28 loss to the Dolphins in New York on the National Football League's opening day; a last-minute 20-19 loss in Miami on Dec. 18. The Jets lost only one other game this year, to Kansas City in their last regular-season game. Weve got the revenge factor," said quarterback Richard Todd.

We want another shot at Miami," said linebacker Greg Buttle. "We want to prove that we can beat Don Shulas team. The Dolphins are our main rivals and that always makes it better, said backup wide re Dolphins prove that they can travel by air jt t'l A iff i 1 ivoi tt Vista High School's Hector Hernandez was head and shoulders above the competition last week Hernandez kicking up By Terry Monahan The Times Advocate VISTA Last season was one Hector Hernandez would like to forget. 47 of 63 attempts 74 percent for 680 yards, seven touchdowns and only one Interception. He completed 16 of 19 for 246 yards and two touchdowns In the Dolphins 28-13 victory over New England in the opening round of the playoffs and hit 17 of 22 for 195 yards and two touchdowns against San Diego.

"We really arent doing anything different than we did earlier in the season," Woodley said after the Chargers game. "Before, when things werent going well, wed call a play and were hoping things would go right, he added. "Now, we have the attitude that were going to run a play and its going to work. Our problems were never anything you could put your finger on an interception, a fumble, or whatever, said Woodley. "We're playing with a lot more confidence now and the results are showing It." On Sunday, the Dolphins controlled the bail for nearly 41 minutes and outgained San Diego which averaged 450.4 yards per game 413-247.

"Everyone was talking about how we would have to try to stop them, said Miami cornerback Gerald Small. "No one ever mentioned how they were gomg to try to move the ball on us. The Dolphins secondary, which allowed a NFL-low 114.1 yards per game passing, limited Fouts to 191 yards, far below his record 325.9 yards per outing, and intercepted the San Diego quarterback five times. The Chargers also lost two fumbles. Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow, who caught a playoff-record 13 passes for 166 yards in San Diegos 41-38 AFC semifinal triumph over Miami last season, caught only one pass Sunday for 18 yards.

"The Dolphins did everything you could expect a defense to do, said Winslow. The stats in the game prove you can say it either way: They had a great day, or we had an off day. "But really it was both. They earned it. We got what we deserved.

MIAMI (AP) Miamis airborne attack, once anemic, has come alive during the past three weeks and the Dolphins now are placing high hopes In quarterback David Woodleys arm to lead them over the New York Jets In the American Conference championship game. The Dolphins dominated the San Diego Chargers offensively as well as defensively during Sundays 34-13 AFC semifinal victory, and Coach Don Shula said "productive ball control was the difference. "We built a lead, then built onto the lead, said Shula. Any time you can keep the ball away from Dan Fouts, it's quite an accomplishment. Miami, 9-2, will host the AFC championship game against the 8-3 Jets this Sunday in the Orange Bowl.

The Dolphins beat their AFC East rivals twice during the strike-shortened regular season. The championship game was sold out Monday at 3:30 p.m. EST, just 27 hours after the first ticket went on sale. That means the game will be televised In South Florida. Under league rules, games must be sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff for a blackout to be lifted.

"We did expect to sell out quickly, but not necessarily Monday, said Mary Gallagher, Dolphins assistant ticket director. Its a big game. Obviously, everyone wants to be here. Miamis top-ranked National Football League defense and the running of Pro Bowl fullback Andra Franklin carried the Dolphins through much of the season as Shula received ineffective play from quarterbacks Woodley and Don Strock. But the past three weeks have seen the blossoming of Woodley, who guided the team to a 6-2 start, despite completing only 53 percent of his passes.

Woodley, a third-year pro whose running ability places added pressure on defenses, completed only 84 of 157 passes for 841 yards and two touchdowns during the Dolphins' first eight games. He was also intercepted eight times. But in the clubs last three outings, Woodley has hit prep of the week has Vista a storm Vista, which sports an undefeated record after three games in th Palomar League, already has surl passed last years win total. The Panthers' overall record is now 11-1 for the season. The only blemish on Vista's slate came at the hands of San Pasqual, which administered a nonleague 5-2 loss to the Panthers on an aften noon when Vista had just 10 players.

Hernandez has been right in thd middle of the Panthers resuri gence. He was named the most valuable player as the Panthers claimed the large school division champion1 ship at the annual La Jolla Cup Tournament during the Christmas vacation. i Please see Prep, page D2 After an all-league soccer season as a freshman, the Vista High School student was hampered by an assortment of injuries a pulled hamstring muscle, a bad back and a gimpy knee. With Hernandez slowed to a walk, so were the Panthers. Vista wound up with an unspectacular 10-10-1 record.

But Hernandez, now a junior, is healthy again. And so are the Panthers. Don Shula Ball-control coach Bruins back in an old familiar spot rated No. 1 in the country In the extremely close balloting, UCLA finished only eight points ahead of runner-up Indiana, fourth last week after being No. 1 earlier in the season.

'I would imagine if you went to a Lousville practice, or a BYU practice, they would look about the same as ours. After all, it worked pretty well for Larry Farmer, UCLA coach LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA basketball, the most successful program in college sports history, had been in a relative decline since Coach John Wooden retired in 1975. But the Bruins are back. With an 11-1 record under second-year coach Larry Farmer, UCLA jumped from fifth to first in The Associated Press Top Twenty college basketball poll this week. It marks the first time since February of 1979 that the Bruins, who won 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year span during the 1960s and 70s, have been ranked No.

1. UCLA became the fourth team to hold the top spot this season and the rapid move up the rankings came on the heels of losses by last weeks top three teams Memphis State, Virginia and St. Johns. The Bruins received 22 first-place votes and a total of 1,099 points in the weekly balloting by a 57-member national panel of sports writers and 56, last Monday night only hours after receivmg the top ranking. Memphis State, 12-1, bounced back with an 80-63 victory over Cincinnati, but still slipped to sixth in this weeks poll with 810 points, including one first-place vote.

Rounding out the top five this week are No. 3 North Carolina, which is 12-3 and was No. 11 last week; No. 4 Arkansas, 13-0 and No. 5 Nevada-Las Vegas, 13-0.

If the 1983 Bruins resemble the Wooden-guided teams who dominated college basketball for more than a decade, its no mistake. Farmer, 31, played under Wooden at UCLA during 1970-73, a period when the Bruins went 69-1. He still calls Wooden simply "Coach." The schools fourth head basketball coach since W'ooden retired. Farmer said his coaching philosophy is solidly grounded in on what he learned under his old coach. "Our program now is pretty much the same as it was back then, Farmer said.

"We do a lot of the same drills. Our basic philosophy is that, while we do i try to prepare for each opponent, we believe its most I important that we do what we need to do. We spend a lot of time on what we want to do, not what we expect 4 the other team to do." I Farmer laughed and added, I would imagine if 5 you went to a Lousville practice, or a BYU practice, they would look about the same as ours. After all. it worked pretty well for Coach.

Louisville is coached by Denny Crum and BYU by Frank Arnold, both of whom served under Wooden at UCLA. While the Bruins are back in their once-accus- i tomed spot atop the basketball poll, Farmer said hes well aware they wont necessarily stay there. "I read where people say this team or that team was upset, and I dont think upset is the right word." he said. "At this time of the season, people are still jockeying their teams around. Teams are going to lose one here or there, then not lose one for a long time.

The Hoosiers, 12-1, collected 29 first-place votes seven more than UCLA but only 1,091 points. UCLA replaced Memphis State as the No. 1 team after the Tigers were upended by Virginia Tech, 69- 4.