The Modesto Bee from Modesto, California • 21

Eagles snap Raider win streak at 6 drive On the first play of the fourth quarter on first down at its own 14 Oakland struck with its big play Eagle cornerback Herman Edwards was supposed to cover Branch but Edwards instead followed a back out of the Raider backfield Branch was left wide open on the Philly 40 Branch caught pass took advantage of Bob block on Eagle safety Brenard Wilson near the 30 and went 86 yards for only touchdown of the game In just 14 seconds Oakland had erased three quarters of frustration that play had happened four years said Eagle linebacker John Bunting talking about the stablity Coach Dick Vermeil has created may not have recovered But this time we think about it for more than 15 The Eagles rebounded but not successfully They drove 57 yards to the Oakland 27 before tight end John Spagnola lost a fumble after catching a Jaworski pass The Raiders get a first down and punted away to Philly With first down on their own 29 Jaworski went back to pass barely ducked blitzing Raider linebacker Randy McClanahan and threw a 43-yard pass to Harris Seven plays after that Montgomery scored the winner missed McClanahan said just ducked under my arms I thought I had him for a second might have been the See Page C-2 RAIDERS McClatchy Newspapers Service PHILADELPHIA The Eagles and the Raiders put a lot of points on the board Sunday just a lot of welts on each other In a very vivid exhibition of tackle football the Eagles pounded out a 10-7 victory over Oakland never felt so said Eagle running back Wilbert Montgomery who scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter was one of the most brutal games I ever Montgomery scored on a three-yard run felt like a 100-yard he said For the Raiders the pounding of flesh was their consolation prize They saw their six-game winning streak snapped Once alone in first place in the AFC West the Raiders now are in a tie with San Diego Both teams have 8-4 records The Eagles meanwhile have the best record in football 1 1-1 think Philadelphia can score with San said Raider quarterback Jim Plunkett they play better defense than San Despite the low score there was much for the 68535 fans at Veterans Stadium to remember The Eagles winning their eighth game in a row the first time an Eagle team has done that in 31 years Philadelphia crossing mid-field only once in the first half The Eagles sacking Plunkett eight times in the game Kenny King the sixth best back in the AFC at rushing gaining only 29 yards in 12carries The Chris Bahr Oakland's Matt Millen is unable to stop Philadelphia's Wilbert Montgomery from scoring the winning TD After a scoreless first half the Tony Fanklin kicked a 51-yard field goal kick was not the finishing stroke of a powerful offensive surge It was only a seven-play 19-yard Defense! Sack-happy Niners blank Giants was for a touchdown Harris set one up both had one big said Oakland linebacker Matt Millen problem they had the field goal 49er Archie Reese jumps on Of all the moments in this game two will stand out There were two big plays of the game the Cliff Branch catching a pass and the Leroy Harris catching one blitz and I hollered to Joe because I knew it (the blitz) would free me I sure thinking touchdown though because I relaxed that way against Green Bay two weeks ago and fumbled I vowed if I ever got open like that again I let that The 49ers made it 9-0 with 6:42 left in the half when another rookie defensive right end Jim Stuckey plowed Simms from behind for a safety It came on first down with the Giants at their own eight New York safety Beasley Reece had just pilfered a Montana pass at the goal line was double-teamed and get said Stuckey I spun outside and it was clear sailing I really popped him the second best feeling ever The Niners got their final points with 1:38 left in the half when Ray Wersching ripped a 43-yard field goal Those three points were setup by Freddie 33-yard punt return to the Giant 35 But there much Niner celebrating The drive amounted to nine yards in 10 plays Four penalties during the series shot any chances of a 49er touchdown Blown opportunities plagued the Niners all afternoon And consequently the game was in doubt serious doubt until linebacker Bobby Leopold picked off a Simms pass with two minutes left in the game On the very first possession of the game DeBerg moved the team from its own 33 to the 2 But trying to pick his way into the end zone Don Woods had the ball squirt loose See Page C-2 49ers missing a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter the ball hitting the right upright Eagle quarterback Ron Jaworski completing only 14 passes Plunkett only 10 Inside Waller Payton cries foul after election Paoe C-3 Brian Sloe powers the Browns Paoe C-3 Buffalo blitzes the Steel-ers Paoe C-4 Jets throw Oilers a curve Paoe C-4 their first shutout since 1976 their first in 65 games bubbled tackle Archie Reese who had of them feel great just great about that It was a big defensive day for us and I hope and pray it a fluke that we can do the same next The 49ers obliterated the 3-9 Giants statistically amassing 326 yards to a puny 126 for the guys from the Big Apple But when the Niners had the ball it was hold-your-breath clutch-your-hearttime The 49ers scored 12 points in the second quarter and then well sat on it Or fumbled with it Or tossed it away Fortunately the defense allowed them to get away with the carelessness The scoring anemic as it was came relatively rapid-fire Quarterback Joe Montana relieving off-the-mark starter Steve DeBerg flipped a swing pass to Earl Cooper 3:41 into the second period and the rookie from Rice sped 66 yards for the only touchdown was supposed to be a dow-nfield said Cooper who rushed for a career-high 86 yards on the day I saw the AP photo By BOB SLOCUM Bee staff writer SAN FRANCISCO They took a marathon hiatus between victories eight weeks to be exact but the 49ers finally finally sacked their fourth victory of the season Sunday at cold blustery Candlestick Park Oh yeah they sacked New York quarterback Phil Simms 10 times too That hurt the cause any It tied a 49er record It also trumpeted some team hope killed mused 49er Head Coach Bill Walsh after watching with a wrenched stomach as the Niners survived a 12-0 decision over the Giants It was a huge overstatement and Walsh knew it He could be excused though The 4-8 Niners had just scissored a malignant eight-game losing string that was threatening to kill off the second-year head coach is just so much easier when you Walsh said feel a little better about everything right It was a typically haphazard offensive day for the embattled Candlestick kids Though losing just one bobble they fumbled five times and tossed up a pair of interceptions They had drives repeatedly aborted because of penalties There were 10 of them on the day for the 49ers costing 95 yards But despite the bitter frustr- tion of eight successive losses the Niners found the strength to draw up a defensive masterpiece It was an effort that both startled and delighted the chilled gathering of 38574 (there were 9948 no-shows) not accustomed to such intensity from San Francisco football players The victory brought the 49ers Pirates Jim Stuckey after Stuckey tackled Phi! Simms for a safety top Merced a devilishly delightful treat -T--1 T- 1 1 folks The Pirates had a lot of on their side The MJC stands rocked with clapping and chants urging the Pirate offense on And the ovations when the defense came off the field after stopping Merced drives were positively thunderous was so noisy On the field you said Loyd not complaining a bit our special teams went out to warm up at 12: 15 thev even got a standing ovation At halftime the score was tied 13-all with Eddie last-second field goal knotting the score Going into the lockerrom at the intermission Loyd said really worried about the defense (which had given up its most See Page C-6 MJC Perhaps biggest edge over the Blue Devils was the mental toughness of the entire Pirate contingent you had Jimmy the chart of advantages and Loyd said thought character was one of our advantages just and maybe I say this that we had better quality kids They're family-oriented and well homegrown The offensive line is perhaps our best example of that Perhaps a sign of the Blue reaction to pressure was the 144 yards in penalties they were assessed Two 15- yarders and pass interference in the end zone were of direct benefit to MJC in three of its fourscores outquicked but they outfought I know how they did The Pirates have only six offensive linemen Jeff Rand Craig Fischer Jeff Lawrence Craig Edling Darrel Boyles and Mike Hogwood along with tight end Fran Boyles a converted tight end and Hogwood a former defensive tackle moreover are in their first season at their positions The line has been under the gun and has come through all year but its performance at Merced was a key to the win Quarterback Mike Sullivan who came off the bench to direct the MJC effort said felt like we could put points on the board That was the best game of the year I can't say enough about By LINDA CEARLEY Bee staff writer As the Modesto Junior College Pirates lingered on the Merced College football field Saturday savoring their 20-13 victory over the Blue Devils a jubilant Pirate fan surveyed the scene has to be the best JC game ever he said It definitely was right up there The contest had everything for the 4500-plus fans long scoring plays spectacular defensive plays and the unrelenting excitement that only the best games elicit The victory gave the Pirates the Central Valley Conference championship and a berth in the Valley-Metro Bowl Now MJC No 4 in the state and No 6 nationally needs only a win over Kings River for an undefeated season Meanwhile down in the southland the Metro Conference rac comes down to next showdown at Taft between Pasadena which beat Long Beach 27-7 and Taft which demolished LA Valley 40-0 Back at Stadium a disconsolate Blue Devil backer was heard to mutter if Modesto only had offensive line be Someone should point out to him that Modesto is unbeatean and with its own line thank you trade any of MJC coach Dick Loyd said Sunday reflecting on the performance of his troops were outweighed and.