Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 15

Birmingham Post-llerald ft Wednesday December 11 1991 Baseball C3 Basketball C4 Comics C6 Business CIO Daniel at last to go for title i By Rubin Grant I Poat-HmM Reporter Glenn Daniel has finally made it In his 45th year as a high school football coach and 37th at Luverne High School Daniel is taking a team to a state championship game Tenth-ranked Luverne (12-2) plays host to No 3 Plainview (14-0) in the Class SA championship game at 7:30 pm Friday certainly is Daniel said Daniel the all-time win- ningest prep football coach with a record at 293-161-16 was beginning to wonder if he would coach a team in a championship game "IH tell you what in the last 10 years been beaten by the state champions four or five times 3 twice in the Daniel 5 said gotten beyond but the game Friday night got us over the -'J Luverne defeated LaFayette 31-0 Rating SEC coaches no easy basket The other day I rated the football coaches in the Southeastern Conference It easy but there were some obvious choices Attempting to do the same in basketball is for more difficult partly because of the number of relatively new coaches and the number of truly great coaches in the SEC Here is one opinion of the IS SEC basketball coaches ranked from best to worst: 1 Rick Pitlao (Kentucky) Some people are turned off for Pitino's flashy ways but Dick Vitale likes to say guy can flat-out Taking the 1987 Providence team to the Final Four was the culmination of a brilliant coaching Job The biggest knock on Pitino has been his inability to remain at one Job If he stays at Kentucky for an extended period it will not be good news for the rest of the conference 1 Wimp Sanderson (Alabama) string of success at Alabama is extraordinary The only knock has been his inability to get past the NCAA round of 16 Still his three consecutive SEC Tournament titles might never be surpassed 1 Dale Brown (LSU) Some people might be surprised by this ranking As a matter of fact many people will be shocked because of a common perception that Brown is a horrible coach But nothing could be further frmn the truth Brown is a great motivator and an extraordinary recruiter He often has struggled with great taint and is known as a better underdog coach Some people laugh at his SEC Tournament record However Brown always has downplayed the ithingne says will tournament something 1 in the semifinals on Friday to give I Daniel who turned 66 on Dec 3 a belated birthday gift Daniel began his coaching at the age of 30 at Pine Hill career High School which no longer exists He stayed there for eight years before moving in 1954 to Luverne in southeastern Alabama not many of them that have stayed in the game as long as I Daniel said good Lord 5 has blessed me with good health i got good support from the town has beei good players Just like it family been great and had There's somethina Keith BoyerPoet-Herald Senior outside linebacker Brian Moore right hae blocked a punt in each of two playoff games Moore sparkles on and off the field about fooling with kids I thoroughly enjoy nothing I do otherwise that comes During his career Daniel said the game has undergone many changes altogether he said I first started there were two base defenses and two base offenses There even a T-formation Everybody ran the Notre Dame box was no filming anything no weight training and no medical people You Just went out and played And when the game was over on Friday you go out and scout anybody You Just came back the next week and Throughout illustrious career he has an abundance of 3 memories 1 limit it to Daniel said get a top 20 When done this as long as I have 3 and coached so many kids and so many teams a lot are just special probably suspect coached 3 in more big games than any one around Ana when you beat some- body good a big accomplish- 3 ment Please tara to DANIEL page C5 By Cary Ectes Hoat-Ha-ald Reporter football players limply on special teams It usually is a task for newcomers and players buried on the depth chart But a rare few actually enjoy the Job They love the big-play potential ami ignore the fact that most kickoffs and punts are little more than organised chaos filled with the possibility of iqjury It takes somebody with a slightly different attitude Somebody who enjoys experiences too much to worry about the little things Enter Brian Moore Moore is a senior outside linebacker for the Samford Bulldogs He has been a starter at that position since his freshman year and has made 323 tackles and nine quarterback sacks during his i tolerate being KNTVCd The Bulldogs went on to score 17 consecutive points and hang on for a 34-21 victory was the turning point in the Samford coach Terry Bowden said But it is something the Bulldogs have come to expect from Moore He is their big-play guy with an attitude that perfectly suits playing on the special teams a great feeling to just dive out there and throw your body into the Moore said know where (the ball) is going to hit or where land I love it I even worry about it Bowden tells us before every game to dream about making a big play Ana I always dream about blocking a punt I love the chance to do it Every time I go out there I believe I can block that Such an attitude cannot be contained on the football field Bowden said Moore is one of the more vibrant interesting players on the team from his major (computer graphic design) to his car (a BMW) One of Bowden's favorite stories about Moore occurred two years ago at a place about as far away from football as one can get "Me and my wife decided we wanted to leave the kids at home and just get away from football for a Bowden recalled we go to the (Florida) Keys And having a great time walking around Key West We're thinking This is great away from football Nobody knows all of the sudden coming toward me is rls And he Just walks Brian Moore With two girls When reminded of the incident Moore Just flashes a sly smile was spring tweak and me and a couple of friends got together arid decided to go to the Moore said had no idea (Bowden) would be there It was a real freaky thing And when we got back (for spring practice) he told the Undoubtedly teammates shook their heads and laughed They know that is simply the way Moore is a treat to Bowden said is a very likeable guy His teachers really enjoy him his teammates like being around him He hustles and makes plays on the field and does his Job He seems to have fun no matter what Especially this year Not only is Moore having the best season of his career but he is leaving Samford with the team on top The Bulldogs already have exceeded their own expectations and now they are only one victory away from playing for a national championship goal at the beginning of the season was Just to make the Moore said really thinking about making it this far I mean who would have thought that be competing for the national championship? has been one of the best times I've ever had in my life really enjoyed this anybody be surprised? But Moore also has served double duty as a prised member of the special teams His specialty is blocking punts and in the first two weeks of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs nobody has done it better Moore has blocked a kick in both games of the playoffs helping the Bulldogs (12-1) reach semifinals where they will play Youngstown State (10-3) at llamCST at Stam-baugh Stadium in Youngstown Ohio In fact block against James Madison on Saturday almost single-handedly turned the game way The Dukes led 14-7 early the third quarter when Moore made the play airing the Bulldogs the ball at the JMU 15-yard line and setting up a Samford touchdown right by He never even i Moore vacations in the change this year in Birmingham You cannot scoff at two Final Four appearances four Final Eight visits and his appearances in 13 consecutive postseason tournaments 4 Nolan Richardson (Arkansas) Richardson has won everywhere been although last team fell short of expectations in the NCAA Tournament His program is struggling this year but it should pick up with the return of Todd Day A Final Four and two Final Eight 5 High Durham (Georgia) Basketball followers say few coaches can control a game better than Durham who has taken two teams to the Final Four He is a very good coach who seems to do better with lesser talent as shown by the 1983 Final Four team one year after Dominique Wilkins departed 6 Eddie Fogler (Vanderbilt) -He seems to be the perfect guy for Vanderbilt Some people will argue that he could have been ranked higher which Just goes to show how talented the SEC coaches are 7 Loa Kroger (Florida) Through Kruger is of to a slow start many people expect great things out (him He did a marvelous Job at Kansas State and should do the same at Florida 0 I Richard Williams (Mississippi State) Winning the SEC title at Mississippi State was quite an accomplishment But can Williams maintain it? Odds are against him 9 Tommy Joe Eagles (Auburn) Eagles help his future by having his program placed on NCAA probation Still he appears to be a good recruiter and a fairly solid coach But whether he can turn Auburn back into a championship contender remains to be seen On his best day he might be regarded as no better than the third best coach in the state behind Sanderson and Gene Bartow and in some i eyes perhaps even No 4 South Ronnie Arrow 19 Steve Newtoa (South Carolina) Newton is a solid coach and did a creditable Job at Murray State winning the Ohio Valley Conference four consecutive years But he is no match for the top dogs of this brutal league 11 Wade Houstoo (Teaaessee) This was a bad hiring Houston had been a great recruiter for Louisville but he has shown nothing as a head coach How much longer can Tennessee put up with him? 11 Ed Murphy (Ole Miss) -With only one winning season in five at Ole buss how much longer can Murphy hold on? He is not a bad coach He Just good enough to CGpnpete for SEC championships Fight to survive gives Brandt strength to lead At a loss for fans Bandits lose GM Class 1A: Courtand (9-2) at McKenzie (13-0) Class 2A: Haziewood (12-1)atReettown(14-0) Class 3A: Plainview (14-0) at Luverne (12-2)'' Class 4A: Deshier (13-0) vs TR Mitler (13-0) at Brewton Class 5A: Gadsden (13-0) vs Blount (13-1) at Prichard FINAL Class 6A: Lee-Montgomery (12-1) vs CentraLTuscaloosa (11-2) at Legion Field 1 The team ranks last in the 17-team CBA in attendance averaging roughly 1200 fans per game Only 723 attended last 113-112 vie- tory over La Grasse The two previous games against undefeated Quad City and Oklahoma City drew only 614 and 714 respectively Team officials and fans have 3' pointed to a number of factors for the apathy toward the Ban- dits including the location of State Fair Arena the preference for football and a poor local marketing approach Tm sure part of his reason for re- signing was that he felt it was his re-sponsibility (to increase attendance) and he getting the McMillan said was obvious he happy with the way things I going Still Bandits officials said they 3 were suprised by the suddenness of departure McMillan said Goodman called him two nights ago to discuss the ides then formally resigned yester-i? PleaSS tan to BANDITS page 09 mean only Keith BoyerFost-HeraM Senior Chris Brandt's contributions be measure purely In statistics Should As a sophomore Brandt started all 31 games at power forward and on the team in re bounding and third in scoring Brandt spent the following offseason working to put on weight lis strength i pinched ne forced him working to put i and build up his strength but alT it got him was a pinched nerve in his shoulder that forced him to miss most of the preseason Brandt also found himself weighed down by the loss of his mother who' died that summer after a long bout with cancer While he played in all 39 games last season he never really got back on track until late in the season let everything get to Brandt said I came back I just really into the game at alL Finally when I got my act back together it was the end of the season but by then it was too Brandt went back to work in the spring and summer intending to make the most of his senior season He spent much time worrying about Wiley or Dent or three talented young post players: Aaron Swinson Cameron Booxer and Willie Jones That proved to be a smart move flease tan to BRANDT page C4 By Richard Scott PMMImld Report If Aubrey Wiley were healthy If Rodney Dent were eligible ft Chris Brandt were taller stronger or quicker ft ft ft If Brandt sat around and counted all of the if in his career he might not be starting at center for Auburn at 7:05 pm today against Troy State at Eaves Memorial Coliseum Instead Brandi 6-foot-6 senior continues to survive after four years of playing against bigger stronger quicker pLayert have been a Brandt said lot has happened to me but I feel like if I can survive through all of this I can survive when I get out in the real world thing that comes up is Just a test for me So far pretty much passed all of them Hopefully lean keep Brandt's ability to survive is something he learned the hard way in his career at Auburn He sat out his first season at Au- i after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left ankle andsufferea through a 9-19 season as redshirt freshman ByChetFossmai Foat-Hvild Reporter The Birmingham Bandits still in search of a solid fan base now are in search of a general manager Jim Goodman resigned the post yesterday The team already has implemented a search to find a Though Goodman said in a statement he was leaving to pursue business opportunities in his home state of Texas there is little doubt the dismal start at the box office prompted his departure he said he did all he knew how to team owner Tom McMUam said last nighL felt like it was time to give somebody else a chance and give the team new McMillan named Bandits coach Mo McHone interim general manager while adding additional duties to assistant GM Marty Owens McHone will handle all player transactions and contracts while Owens and the remainder of the Bandits staff will take over the rest of the day-HUy operations The Bandits moved to Birmingham thflf year from Pensacola Fla.