Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 11

DECATUR HERALD Decatur, Illinois, Monday, November 14, 1977 in Latta Scores in Last 3 Seconds ears By Bob Fallstrom Herald Sports Editor Chicago Remember how awful the Chicago Bears played in Houston a week ago? Remember how sickening it was to watch on TV as Houston won 47-0? It was more of the same in the first half Sunday in Soldier Field. The Bears trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 17-0. Then the Bears shed the role of bumbling incompetence with one stunning moment of perfect With 10 seconds remaining, quarterback Bob Avellini tossed a pass into the Kansas City end zone. Greg Latta caught it over his shoulder for a 37 yard touchdown play. Bob Thomas kicked the extra point.

The Bears won 28-27 in a National Football League thriller. It was an improbable finish. Like Bobby Thomson hitting a home run to give the New York Giants a baseball playoff victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Like Reggie Jackson hitting a third home run in the final World Series game last month. Many of the 49.543 customers missed the sweetest victory the Bears have claimed in a long while.

The fans began leaving when Ed Podolak scored on a 14-yard run with 24 seconds to go. It put Kansas City ahead 27-21. That should have been the clincher. Instead. Brian Baschnagel It seemed the Bears were in for another embarrassing drubbing.

"We didn't panic," Avellini stressed. So now the Bears have another chance to win or share the Central Division championship. With a 4-5 record, the Bears trail Minnesota by two games with Minnesota the opponent next Sunday. Minnesota without Fran Tar-kenton, injured in the victory over Cincinnati. There's always hope, you know.

Avellini and Latta proved it. Kansas City 14 3 0 10 77 Chicago 0 0 7 21 28 KC Livingston 1 run (Stenerud kick) kC- Podolak I run (Stenerud kick) KC FG Stenerua 37 Chi Payton. I run (Thomas kick) Cni Payton I run (Thomas kick) KC-FG Stenerud 21 Chi Payton 15 run (Thomas kick) KC-Pooolak 14 run (Stenerud k.cki Chi -Latta 37 pass trom Avellini Thomas kick A 4V 543 STATISTICS Ch ets Bears First downs Rushes yards Passing yarns Return yarcs Passes Punts umbles lost Penalties yards 24 24 45 14 49 247 181 IK4 A8 I 23 2 3 4j .1 1 81 1 27 2 5 4 1 1 3 INDIVIDUAL tEAOtHS RUSHING Kansas 'v Poor' Brock pgton 8 49. Bailey Cn Pavton 33 19; Earl 14 si PARSING Kansas t. Liv noston 162" 2.

185 Cn.cago. Aveii'n, 11 7j 7 1-3 RECEIVING- Kansas City vvn.te 7 J. Pooolak 4 83. Brockincnw 22 Ba iev Chicago. Scott 4 46 is.

r.nagel 3 48 Lar: 2 SO, Payton 1 29. Earl I 20 5r-. "s-' VTSa AP Laserphoto Greg Latta, with football, scores Bears' winning touchdown Bradshaw Lifts Stealers Past Cleveland 35-31 Raiders Overcome Houston 34-29 On Davis' Third-Quarter Score Overta returned the kickoff 22 yards to the Chicago 43. Avellini then passed to Robin Earl for 20 yards to the Kansas City 37. Time for one play.

Only a touchdown pass would do. So the Bears sent out wide receivers Brian Baschnagel and Bo Rather on the right side plus tight end Latta. Rather was to cut across the middle, Avellini explained. "I thought the coverage would be such that I would have to throw "to Rather." said Avellini. "Then I saw Latta in the open.

I had plenty of time. I let the ball go a little early and let him run under it. He made a great catch." Said Coach Jack Pardee: "I said a quick prayer when I saw Greg tLatta) break open." Pardee continued: "I'm proud of the team for not giving up. We had a lot of injuries going into the game and we had several opportunities to give up. The last pass play was Avellini's call.

We started calling the plays in the second half from the bench. To take some of the pressure off Bob (Avellini i. The last pass plav was Bob's call." Nothing to it. It was simple. Avellini threw the ball.

Latta caught it. During the last 2:02 minutes, three touchdowns were scored. Walter Payton went in from the 15 to give the Bears a 21-20 advantage. Then Kansas Citv struck tied with American Denver for the Conference West lead Dan Pastorini's second touchdown pass, a 71 -yard bomb to Billy Johnson, sent Houston ahead 2V 24 in the third quarter. Then Pastor mi.

forced into the Oilers' kickoff job because of a hamstring injury suffered by Tom Fritsch in the first half. gae Oakland good field position. The Raiders drove 57 yards in eight plays, with Stabler hitting Mike Siani on passes of 10 and 12 yards on the drive that led to Davis' touchdown. Stabler threw two touch down passes earlier to Dave Casper and Fred Biletmkoff. and his passing allowed Oakland to hold the ball the final four minutes of the game.

Harry Combes 1967 Photo He also conducted classes in basketball coaching. Combes retired from his administrative post four years ago and remained in his Champaign home in ill health. Born in Monticello. he won seven high school athletic letters there. After graduation from Illinois, he coached at Champaign Central High School, "llis baseball teams were 102-41 and finished second in the state in 1940 ith a 20-2 record.

He was better known for building a basketball powerhouse that went 254-46 over nine years, winning the state championship in 1946 and runnerup in 1945 and 1947. The team appeared in seven state tournaments under Combes. Survivors include his widow, Rebecca Jane Austin Combes; his mother, Hester Milligan Combes of Monticello; a daughter, Jane Aus-termiller of Arlington Heights; a brother. Linden Combes of Monticello, and two grandchildren. I Oakland (AP) "Field position killed us," said Houston Oilers Coach Bum Phillips.

Four interceptions by the Oakland Raiders helped, too. as the Oilers fell 34-2V to the Super Bowl champions Sunday in one of the wildest National Football League games of the season. The Oilers operated during the second half without a bona fide placekicker. and Oakland took possession of the football at midfield on the last five kiekoffs by stand-ins for regular placekicker Tom Fritsch. The Raiders came from behind for the third time when Clarence Davis made a 3-ard touchdown run the third period, then held on for the victory that kept them back, climaxed by Podolak's touchdown run.

Setting the stage for the Avellini to Latta strike. Payton was fantastic once more, totaling 195 yards and three touchdowns. He now has rushed for 1,129 yards this season and is the first Bears player to go over the 1.000-yard mark in successive years. "Walter was running better than he did in Green Bay (205 yards)." said Noah Jackson, the offensive guard. "I blocked better for Walter, we all did." Payton also had a 29-yard pass reception which set up his 15-yard scoring run.

Along with Avellini, Latta and Payton, Baschnagel also was a hero. His 55-yard kick-off return to start the second half obviously fired ap the Bears. He had a 58-yard kick-off return in the first quarter mostly nullified because of a holding call on Don Rives. Oh, yes. that first quarter, Kansas City scored on drives of 60 yards and 7G yards, quarterback Mike Livingston going in from the one and Podolak also getting in from the one.

Jan Stenerud tacked on a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Bears failed to score from the one when Payton was stacked up. Bob Thomas missed a field goal try and an intercepted pass by Gary Barbaro short-circuited another Bears' scoring chance. nn i Ca- t' jr" Varn cc- fsc Js fr kKki C. fc)'l- Tn toil j-v Tor' bt.itiler V-c--e 't-i en STATISTICS VS Rd'J' IXl 48 'i 0 P- pass.nq 3 3' 3 jo 4 INDIVIDUAL UAOIRS ff'i- vi fc'tCt C.I'Wyr 5 4A.

jjr-on ".01 (jrtt e. i Ji. Rams Beat Packes 24-6 Milwaukee AP) Pat Haden passed for 14H yards, while Dave Elmendorf and Pat Thomas set up a touchdown and field goal with runbacks of turnovers, leading the Lris Angeles Rams to a 24-6 National Football League victory over the Green Bay Packers Sunday. The Packers lost starting quarterback Lynn Dickey for the season when he suffered a broken leg while being tackled on the final play of the game. Wendell Tyler scored on a 1-yard run and John Cappel-letti sparked a ball control offense with 74 yards in 20 carries for the Rams.

Haden. passing to Harold Jackson for 9 yards and to Lawrence McCutcheon for 27, marched the Rams 96 yards on the second series. Terry Nelson ran 18 yards to the 2 on a flanker reverse, and McCutcheon scored on the next play, as the Rams took the lead to stay at 7-0. Las Arvjolo 0 1074 Orfen Brfv 0 0 6 0 6 LA- WcCufchoon 2 run tSeptten LA Nel'jOn 6 pa (rom Hddt-n (Septan kKkl LA FG Seption GB-Odom 65 pass from Dickey iknk fiid) LA i rr A 35 vn run iSeptien kick) STATISTICS Rrims Packers irsf downs Bushes yards Passtng yards Upturn yards Passes Punts Fumbles lost Penalties yards 23 5 10 146 48 io 4 7 5 45 1 31 3 746 18 3 1 5 7 I 6S INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING- LOS Angnles. CappolleMi J074.

McCutcheon 16 37, t'aden li, Phii.ps 6 76 Green Bay V.iddletLn IS 36, Smitn II 37, Marrell 4 PASSING Los Angnli-s Hatter 10 17 0. 146 Gri-en hay Dickey 18 3 7 lf RECEIVING Los Angeles. MiCutcheon 3 77. Jackson 4 48. Waacw I 17 Green Bay.

Odom 4 115. Harrell 49. Smith 419. Smith 3 87 ass- i 't' Harry Combes Dies WALTER PAYTON scores the second ol his three touchdowns Sunday to help the Chicago Hears overcome the Kansas City (. hiets in National Football League action.

(AP Laserphoto) Tarkenton Out for Season Vikings Crush Bengals jumped into a tie with Cleveland atop the National Football League's American Conference Central Division. The Browns trailed 35-10 in the final quarter before backup quarterback Dave Mays combined with running back Larry Poole for three touchdown passes. Bradshaw hit 13 of 21 passes for a season-high of 283 yards despite a cast on the left wrist he fractured five weeks ago. He was helped to the sidelines in the last quarter when belted from the blind side by Cleveland linebacker Gerald Irons. Bradshaw injured his left shoulder on the play and lost a fumble, but he remained on the sideline the rest of the game.

Cleveland, which lost starting quarterback Brian Sipe in the second period with an injured shoulder, remained winless in eight games at Three Rivers Stadium. The Browns took a 3-0 first-quarter lead on a 45-yard field goal by Don Cockroft. Bradshaw erased that with a 27-yard pass to Lynn Swann to put Pittsburgh ahead to stay. Before halftime. Pittsburgh had a 28-3 edge with the help of three more touchdowns that came on a 2-yard run by Rocky Bleier.

a 38-yard pass from Bradshaw to John Stallworth and a 16-yard run by Franco Harris. Geo Miller ran 5 yards for a Cleveland touchdown in the third quarter. Bradshaw followed in the final period with a 9-yard scoring toss to Stallworth. Then Mays went to work, combining with Poole on touchdown passes of five, 12 and three yards. The last score came with less than a minute to go and an onside kick failed.

Cockroft's first-quarter field goal was set up by a 37-yard run by Greg Pruitt. Cleveland 3 0 7 21 -31 Pittsburgh 7 21 0 7-35 Oe-FG COCkrott 45 Pit-Swann 39 pass trom Bradshaw iGe reia kick) PiT-Bieier 2 run (Gere)a kick) Pit Stallworth 38 pass trom Bradshaw (Gereia kick) Pit-Harris 16 run tGereia kick) Cie-Miller 5 run iCocKrott kick) Pit-Stallworth 9 pass trom Braoshaw (Gereia kick) Cle-Poole 5 pass from. Mays (Cockrott kick) Cle-Poole 12 pass trom Mays (Cockrott kick) CI- Poole 3 pass trom Mays (Cockrott kick) A-47 05S STATISTICS Browns Steelers First downs Rushes yards Passing yards Return aros Passes Punts Fumbles lost Penalties yards 23 31 138 283 12 21 40 3 5 41 1 1 4 54 2S 4ft 171 249 53 IS 23 0 5 37 5 4 5 30 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING- Cleveland. Pruitt 19 108. Miller 18.

Poole 4 7. Pittsburgh. Harris 2S 99 Bleier 16 73 PASSING- Cleveland. Mays 17 32 2. 26, Sipe 4 8 1.

24 Pittsburgh. Bradshaw 13 210. 263. Gratt 2 2 0. minus 6 RECEIVING-Cleveland Poole 6 50.

Rocker 4 104. artieid 4 52. Pittsburgh. Stallworth ft 126, Swann 5 12 Pittsburgh AP i Terry Bradshaw passed for three touchdowns before he was knocked out ith a shoulder injury, and the Pittsburgh Steeler's held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Cleveland Browns 35-31 Sunday. It was a season-high point total for the Steelers.

who Atlanta Beats Lions First Time Atlanta (AP Ralph Ortega returned a fumble 14 yards for a touchdown and Robert Pennywell scored on a 20-yard interception return on two fourth-quarter defensive thunderbolts that gave the Atlanta Falcons a first National Football League victory over the Detroit Lions. 17-6. Sunday. The victory as sparked by a defense that has been the best against scbring this year. Detroit moved 59 yards for a touchdown on the first series, but did little else against a defense that recovered two fumbles to set up all Atlanta scoring.

Ortega's touchdown run came with 8:02 minutes to go and ended Detroit's nine-game wining streak over the Falcons. Moments before. Atlanta drove to the Detroit 7 before Reggie Pinkney intercepted a Steve Bartkowski pass in the end zone. Rick Kane, who scored Detroit's touchdown on an 11-yard run, was the victim of the fumble that Ortega returned for the first Falcons touchdown. Then, in the third quarter.

Detroit used two pass interference calls against Atlanta to reach the 18 where Rolland Lawrence recovered another Kane fumble and started a drive that ended with Fred Steinfort's 31-yard field goal that cut the Lions lead to 6-3 on the second play of the final quarter. Detroit 6 0 0 6 Atlanta 0 0 0 17-17 Det Kane II rDn (kick tailed) Atl FG Steintort 31 Atl-Ortega 14 tumble return iSfeintort kickl Atl Pennywell 20 pass interception (Steintort kick) A- 47,461 STATISTICS Lions Falcons First downs 12 13 Rushes varos 32 112 38 110 Passing yards 33 Return yards 30 Passes 5 14 2 Punts 37 Fumbles lost 3 2 Penalties yards 50 61 90 ft 16 3 5 38 00 ft 62 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING Detroit, Kane 30 81. King 11 Atlanta, Stanoack 17 52, Thompson 18 47 PASSING- Detroit, Landry 14 2, 59. At lanta, Bartkowski ft 16 3. 81 RECEIVING-Detroit.

JD Hill 3 28 Hill I 17. Payton I 14 Atlanta. Stanback 3 27, Jenkins 2 30 OfcSPW' f- quarter. Tarkenton completed a 23-yard pass to McClanahan and a 21-yarder to Ahmad Rashad to bring the ball to the Cincinnati 6. He rolled out on the next play and fired his 11th straight completion to Foreman in the end zone.

Fred Cox added his second extra point to put Minnesota ahead 14-0. The Vikings lost a third fumble in the second quarter when Sammy White dropped the ball after returning a kickoff 36 yards to the Minnesota 40. Cmc.nnati 0 0 0 10 Minnesota 7 7 7 21 42 Min Foreman 1 ni" (Co kick) Min -Foreman 6 pass trom Tarkenton (Co k.ck) Cm Brooks 94 pass trom Anderson (Bahr ku Cin FG Bahr 23 Mm -Foreman 1 run tCo kick) Mm McClanahan 6 pass trom Kramer (Co kick) Mm McClanahan 5 run (Co kick) Min Johnson 1 run iCox kick) A- 45 371 STATISTICS Bengals Vikings First downs Rushes yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles lost Penalties yards 13 201 187 30 49 207 216 35 24 21 0 4 45 4 3 14 32 12 1 7 41 2 I ft 42 6 40 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING Cincmnnati. Clark 9 34 El liotf 9 15, Minnesota. Foreman 29 133, McClanahan 10 S3 PASSING Cincinnati.

Anderson 1129 1. 227 Reaves. 1 3 0. 9 Minnesota, Tarkenton 17 1ft 0. 195 Kramer 4 6 0, 54 RECEIVING Cincinnati.

Brooks 7 H. Elliott 3 20 Minnesota. McClanahan 8 87, White 474. Foreman 5 30 "C--iuC Ic.ModMM rr i i i That score capped an ll-play. -yard drive after the second half kickoff.

Cincinnati's touchdown came when Anderson completed a 94 yard bomb to Billy Brooks, the wide receiver shook off a tackle by Jeff Wright on the Vikings' 18 and outraced defensive back Paul Krause 82 yards down the sidelines. It was the longest pass play in Bengals history. Tarkenton was replaced by rookie Tommy Kramer, who directed the last three Minnesota scoring marches. Minnesota's Brent McClanahan took a 6-yard scoring pass from Kramer and ran 5 yards for another as the Vikings rolled up their biggest scoring total since 1975. Sammy Johnson scored on 1-yard plunge in the final period.

The Vikings struck for a 14-0 lead but the Bengals battled back to trail by 14-10 at half-time. Tarkenton drove the Vikings 88 yards in 17 plays on their first possession with Foreman slanting over from the 1 for the score with 5:17 to go in the first quarter. The drive took more than eight minutes. Minnesota fumbled away its next two possessions but held on to the ball for an eight-play drive which covered 87 yards in the second Champaign APi Harry Combes, who coached Illinois to four Big Ten basketball championships and three national tournament appearances, died Sunday after an illness of several months. He was 02.

Combes, voted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974. was all-conference as an Illinois player in 1936 and 1937, scoring 363 points over three seasons, 154 of them in 1936, and winning the Conference Medal of Honor for proficiency in athletics and scholarship. As Illinois coach from 1947-67, he compiled a mark of 316-150. His teams won championships in 1949. 1951.

1952 and tied Ohio State for the championship in 1963. He coached Illinois to three national third-place finishes, beating Oregon State in 1949. Oklahoma in 1951 and losing to St. John's in 1952 only to boond back against Santa Clara. Combes resigned as Illinois coach March 19, 1967.

Also quitting at that time were football Coach Pete Elliott and assistant basketball Coach Howard Braun. Combes, Elliott and Braun were involved in a $21, 0(H) athletic slush fund scandal which rocked Illinois. The Big Ten ordered Illinois to fire the three coaches or face indefinite suspension. Illinois appealed this order. Dr.

David D. Henry-, then president of Illinois, called the penalty "too harsh." The appeal was denied. Then the coaches resigned. In August 1967. Combes was named administrative assistant in the university's physical plant department.

Bloomington. Minn. AP Fran Tarkenton ignited a long-sputtering offense and set a National Football league record by completing IT of 18 passes before he was injured Sunday, as the Minnesota ikings overpowered the Cincinnati Bengals 42-10. However. Tarkenton suffered a fractured Ixine in his right ankle in the third quarter and a Vikings spokesman said the quarterback will be out for the season.

A cast ill be placed on the lower right leg and Tarkenton will need crutches, the Vikings said. The 37-year old quarterback, who holds most of pro football's passing records, hurt his right ankle when he was sacked by Gary Burley with 3:34 to play in the third quarter. He left the game on a stretcher. Tarkenton had 195 yards passing and broke the accuracy record -set by Ken of Cincinnati, who completed 20 of 22 passes against Philadelphia in 1974. Minnesota's Chuck Foreman scored three touchdowns, two on short runs and the other on a 6-yard pass from Tarkenton.

He gained 133 yards in 29 carries for the 13th 100-yard rushing day of his five-year career. Foreman put Minnesota ahead 21-10 with his third touchdown on a 1-yard run..