Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 41

Sports TUESDAY, DEC. -ADVOCATE 18, 1979 D-1 Chargers turn out the lights with a power surge By JOHN MAFFEI T-A Sports Editor SAN DIEGO You can turn out the lights on the Denver Broncos because the San Diego Chargers turned on the power last night and surged to their first ever AFC Western Division title. And as they've done all season long, the Chargers won the title on the strong right arm of quarterback Dan Fouts and the clutch catches of wide receiver Charlie Joiner. It was Fouts and Joiner, who teammed up on a record setting 32- yard scoring strike early in the third quarter that staked San Diego to its first lead in the game. That score helped lead the team to: a 17-7 conquest of the Broncos and the AFC West title.

The win, which upped the Chargers' record to 12-4, means that the team will play either Houston or Miami on Dec. 29 in San Diego Stadium at 1 p.m., which was sold out by 9:39 a.m. It also means that should San Diego get past that game, it would host AFC Championship game in San Diego Stadium on Jan. 4. Denver, on the other hand, finished the regular season with an 11-5 record and goes into the National Football League playoffs as a "Wild Card" team.

The Broncos, who had won three straight AFC West titles, must travel to Houston for a game Sunday with the Oilers. If the Chargers had lost to Denver last night, they would have been forced to play the Oilers in the Astrodome on Sunday and that could have Dee-fense does it for Chargers By RON KENNEY Jr. T-A Sports Writer SAN DIEGO A great roar sounded from the crowd. A single word. Two syllables.

Deeeeee-fense! More than 50,000 strong, they chanted in unison, over and over as they waved their colors, creating a sea of yellow and blue. Their plea was clear. The opponent must not be allowed to score again. The burden, vicariously shared by each of the 51,906 fans, was placed squarely on the backs of 11 men the defensive unit of the San Diego Chargers. The defense heard the plea and responded.

They stood hard and fast. The opponent would not score again. San Diego's 17-7 victory over the Denver Broncos last night, giving the Chargers the AFC West championship, must be credited to the defense. Certainly the offense, again led by the passing of quarterback Dan Fouts, provided the needed points for victory, but it was the defense that stifled, even frustrated Denver, time and again. And, rightfully so, it appeared to be the defense doing most of the celebrating following the victory.

"How sweet it is," a gleeful Willie Buchanon shouted in between gulps of champagne. "This is what training camp and the pre-season were all about. Everything led to this." This, as Buchanon referred to so respectively, is the AFC West championship the team had geared itself for since the middle of last season. Don Coryell was brought in to coach the Chargers for the express reason of giving San Diego a chamPlease see D-3, Col. 5 been a disaster.

San Diego entered yesterday's game with the hope that injured wide receiver John Jefferson would be able to shake the affects of a rib injury suffered last week in New Orleans. Jefferson gave it a try in pre-game warm-ups, but decided he just couldn't play. That decision was almost costly to the Chargers because Joiner suffered a bruised left hip on the Chargers' first offensive series and was forced to leave the game. After a short time in the locker room, Joiner returned. He was in the game long enough to catch the 32-yard TD pass from Fouts, but on the next Charger offensive series Charlie received a gash over his right eye that required 12 stitches.

He was done for the night. "I think I set an NFL record for trips to the locker room in one game," Joiner said as he clutched at huge ice pack that was strapped to his But the record that really counted was the one Fouts and Joiner set with the TD pass. On that strike, Fouts went over 4,000 yards passing for the year and broke Joe Namath's longstanding record of 4,007. Fouts ended the night with 230 passing yards and the regular season with 4,082. "Naturally it's a great thrill to get the record," Fouts said, "but winning the title and making the playoffs is so much more important than records.

"We were very anxious to play this game. Maybe too anxious. I know Floyd was extremely nervous about his first start as a pro. At the start, we weren't as smooth as we have been, A MILLIAMS but I had no doubts we'd win all the way." The TD catch by Joiner put him over 1,000 yards for the year (1,008 to be exact). He and Jefferson are the first pair of AFC teammates to go over 1,000 yards receiving in the same season since 1968.

Ex-Chargers Lance Alworth and Gary Garrison turned in 1,312 and 1,103 yard seasons, respectively, that year as did Don Maynard (1,297) and George Sauer (1,141) of the New York Jets. "That TD catch was a slant and go," Joiner said as he tugged at the bandage over his right eye. 66 It's a play action pass and the play action froze the cornerback (Steve Foley) and the safety (Charlie West). Fouts did a great job on the fake and my job became very simple. All I had to do was split the defenders and catch the ball." But it wasn't that easy the entire night for Joiner because Denver tried to make his life miserable.

"The Broncos knew that Jefferson wasn't going to play and so they tried to belt me around and get me out of the game," Joiner said. "They weren't taking cheaps shots, I was just the victim of circumstances. It's part of football. I got beat up pretty good, though, and feel like I've been in the ring with someone. But being champions sure takes a lot of the pain away." Joiner was in so much pain after taking a lick from Bernard Jackson in the first quarter that the Charger rePlease see D-3, Col, 1 Associated Press Photo CHARGERS' MIKE WILLIAMS PICKED ONE OFF CHARG a Staff Photo by Jim Baird CHARLIE JOINER (18) WAS ESCORTED OFF THE FIELD BY DOCTOR E.

PAUL WOODWARD Broncos feel Chargers were presented early gift By TERRY MONAHAN the Broncos, who enjoyed most of the "When I left the field I said Merry T-A Sports Writer advantage the first 30 minutes, came Christmas to the referee (Chuck SAN DIEGO Mistakes. away without the lead, 7-7. Heberling). But we lost the game, not In the words of almost each and "We certainly had enough chanc- the referees. I still thought we outevery Denver Bronco, six bigger than es," mumbled Morton, who fired four played the Chargers.

No doubt we got life miscues ended the reign of the passes in all to Charger defenders be- down there often enough but couldn't 'Orange Crush' as champions the past fore the championship was sealed in get it that last few yards. three seasons in the American Foot- gold and blue. "The fans weren't a factor in that ball Conference West. "We jumped offsides too much, we regard at all. They were not even as That and, in head coach Red fumbled too much and we had too much of a factor as they are in other Miller's words, "some hellish calls many interceptions.

You cannot give stadiums around the league." from the referees," enabled the San a good team that many breaks. They The 51,906 fans, nevertheless, went Diego Chargers to claim a 17-7 victo- took advantage of them and that's home happy and exhausted. The ry, the championship and the home why they won." Broncos, their Crush turned to slush, field advantage throughout the The mood in the Bronco dressing went home to prepare for Sunday's playoffs. room, though one of sadness over the wild card playoff game at Houston One errant pass from quarterback departure of the crown they had worn against the Earl Campbell-led Oilers. Craig Morton in particular went a the past three seasons, was one of a San Diego has the week off to heal long way in swaying the momentum fellow who thought he'd been robbed.

its wounds. to the Chargers. Miller, normally a roll-with-the- "They're a finesse offense," lineMorton's intended pass for speedy punches type guy, was pressed into backer Tom Jackson stated. "They Rick Upchurch was intercepted by the open by the officiating. did well in the air.

They got the ball in safety Pete Shaw, subbing for the ill "We were outscored but certainly there when they had to. We knew they Glen Edwards, at the goal line with not outplayed in my opinion," said couldn't run on us." less than a minute remaining before Miller at first. "You betcha, the re- "Our offensive line, without a halftime. fereeing was suspect tonight and all doubt, outplayed them," offered tackInstead of a 14-7 intermission bulge, season long. Please see D-4, Col.1 Indiana gets a Holiday this year, perhaps a Rose next SAN DIEGO (AP) Nearly 12 an undefeated and very powerful known for his quick one-liners and years ago, former Indiana University Brigham Young team in the Holiday comic wit, is deadly serious when he football coach John Pont led his Cin- Bowl.

talks about his team's chances of derella team to a Big 10 Conference Brigham Young appears invincible besting the Cougars. title and a run for the Rose Bowl. in the wake of their scorching 63-14 "We're coming to San Diego to Since then, the Hoosiers have not win over San Diego State in a game win," Corso said. "We're doing everyreceived a bowl bid in a conference that determined the winner of the thing with one objective in mind to where the perennial winners have Western Athletic Conference. win the Holiday Bowl.

If we can do been Ohio State or Michigan. Still, Indiana is optimistic. They are that and have fun, more power to us. Now, the Hoosiers are back. Not as not in San Diego to let Brigham Young "From the middle of this season, the Big 10 titlists who sported a 9-2 make mincemeat out of them.

They from the Northwestern game on, we record going into the 1968 Rose Bowl. are in San Diego to waltz away with have been a great football team," And not as the Big 10 champions en- with the glass slipper, as their 1968 Corso said. route to Pasadena. predecessors were unable to do in a Youth is a key factor in Indiana's Instead, the Hoosiers are putting 14-3 Rose Bowl loss to the University surprising success. Defensively, the their 7-4 record and the power of the of Southern California.

Hoosiers start only one senior, two Big 10 on the line Friday night against Indiana coach Lee Corso, ordinarily juniors and eight sophomores. ARMEN KETEYIAN Monday Night Football's real direction is unseen SAN DIEGO For some 50 million Americans each week, the name Chet Forte is nothing more than a credit on the television screen of life. Every Monday night, after Frank, Howard and Dandy have decribed the whys and wherefors of National Football League wins, such as the San Diego Chargers pulled off against Denver last night, Forte's faceless name rolls by, somewhere between a yawn and a trip to the bathroom. Yet Forte is one of the behindthe-scenes reasons Monday Night Football is what it is today an American sports institution. Perhaps the reason.

For the last decade, 10 solid years, Forte has given arm-chair quarterbacks life in the NFL through pictures. He has done it with a style and grace unmatched in the world of sport. He has won an Emmy for his efforts. He has deserved it. And though his name will never be mentioned next to, say, a Bergman, Hawks, Hitchcock or Allen, Chet Forte is one very amazing man in one very visual medium.

It was 1957 when he began to open some eyes. At Columbia, this now thin-haired, olive-skinned man was third in the nation in scoring. He made an All-America basketball team that included Wilt Chamberlain and Hot Rod Hundley. Not bad for a 5-9 guard. In '58, he drove from the hoop and joined ABC sports.

Today, he is the most respected sports director in the business. Bar none. You will see his name at Lake Placid. You will see it in Moscow. I found out why yesterday afternoon, four hours before title time, as Forte, producer Dennis Lewin and many of the 75 people that occupy the two 18-wheel ABC trucks, pieced together Monday Night Football.

Forte and I had talked Friday on the phone from his home in New Jersey. He had consented to letting me watch him work. Work he does. "What, what do you mean they're not programmed," he began, as he sat, head set on, cramped into a room filled with 11 television monitors, Lewin, an assistant, and not much else. One quickly learns Forte is a demanding person.

He has to be. Live TV doesn't allow too much time to think. You have to react or you don't work for Chet Forte. "He's the best director I've ever worked with," said Lewin, who's been with Monday Night Football for seven of Forte's 10 years. "He's very demanding, Lewin never finished.

Forte was yelling at him. "I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to work with," said ABC's No. 1 director. "I want 100 percent attention all the time when I work. I'm always striving for the perfect telecast." In Forte's own words "believe it or not," after 10 years, he found perfection last week when Houston and Pittsburgh met for the AFC Central title, a game seen by 57 million fans, the second highest Please see D-4, Col.

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