Del Rio News Herald from Del Rio, Texas • Page 5

SPORTS Del Rio News-Herald Monday, January 4, 1999 HOI Queens Basketball Boosters to meet The Queens Basketball Boosters will meet Thursday, Jan. 7 at p.m. in the multi-purpose room. Pitching clinic set for Jan. 9 A pitching clinic by professional coach David Perez will be held Jan.

9 at the high school for ages 12-15. The cost is $40 and only 30 spots are currently available. For more information or to sign up, call Rams' coach Michael Perez at 775-9075. The Catch' revisited sinks Packers Babe Ruth sets sign up dates Del Rio Babe Ruth Baseball's board of directors has established four registration dates for the 1999 Babe Ruth baseball season. The four dates are Jan.

23 and 30, along with Feb. 3 and 6. These dates are three Saturdays and one Wednesday. The registration times on the Saturdays will be from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. On Wednesday, the time will be 6-9 p.m.

Registration will be in the Plaza del Sol Mall in front of J.C. Penney's. The registration fee will remain at $35. NO PLAYER WILL BE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE OR PLAY UNTIL ALL FEES HAVE BEEN PAID. This policy is required for insurance purposes and the league will stand firm on this policy.

For prospective managers, applications for all divisions should be available the first week in January and must be turned in by Jan. 20. The next Babe Ruth board meeting will be 7 p.m., Jan. 6 at The Bank and Trust. By DENNIS OEORGATOS AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A backpedaling quarterback, a desperate throw into the end zone with time running out and an incredible leaping catch.

Joe Montana and Dwight Clark teamed up 17 years ago to make that enduring Image. Steve Young and Terrell Owens brought it to life again. Young tripped after taking the snap and nearly went down, but recovered to throw a 25-yard pass to Owens with three seconds left. Owens soared over traffic at the goal line to make the grab, and the San Francisco 49ers emerged from with a 30-27 NFC wild-card victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. "The whole sidelines just erupted," said San Francisco tight end Greg Clark, who had two TD receptions earlier.

"It's a great thing, an emotional thing," Young said after beating the Packers for the first lime in nine tries. That play will be attached to 49ers' lore for a long time. I'll always remember it." The 49ers (13-4) travel to Atlanta next Saturday. The Falcons displaced the 49ers as NFC West champions. fashion reminiscent of Montana's drive and The Catch" by Clark that beat Dallas in the 1981 NFC championship game and sent the 49ers to the first of five Super Bowls, Young and Owens collaborated to reverse San Francisco's discouraging run against the Packers.

Green Bay had ended San Francisco's season in the playoffs in the previous three years. "They certainly felt they had our number but we battled them," said 49ers defensive end Chris Doleman. "It took us 59 minutes, 57 seconds into the game to figure out who wins this thing. That's about as tight as you can get it." And it was also a moment of redemption for Owens, who had a fumble and four drops earlier. Somehow, he hung on to make the game-winning catch despite being decked by three defenders the instant the ball hit his hands.

"I just looked at the clock and it was ticking, ticking, ticking," said Owens, who was in tears on the sideline hugging San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci after the catch. "I wanted to beat Green Bay so bad. Any time there's a chance for me to get the ball over the middle. I'm tough enough to take it. I was just happy that I caught the ball.

I had a rough day. I let the team down in the beginning, but they all encouraged me to keep my head up." Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren, a former 49ers offensive coordinator whose success against his old team led to lifts 49ers to win rumors he might be lured to San Francisco to replace Mariucci. declined to address his future with the Packers. He has said he might leave to become a coach- general manager elsewhere. If it was Holmgren's final game as Packers coach, he'll remember it as one of his most difficult defeats.

11 also cost Green Bay a chance at becoming the first NFC team to reach the Super Bowl in three straight years. The Super Bowl loss (to Denver) last year was very difficult but the way this one ended was startling," Holmgren said. "I don't know how they scored. 1 guess I'll look at the film some day. The ball goes down the middle and you don't think that ball is going to be caught, ever." The score capped a nine-play, 76-yard drive after Brett Favre put the Packers (11-6) up 27-23 on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman with 1:56 remaining.

"I felt we had them," Favre said. Even before then, the Packers thought they had them. During San Francisco's last drive. Jerry Rice made his only catch of the game but his apparent fumble at the end of it wasn't called by the officials. They ruled his knee was down when Scott McGarrahan stripped the ball from him.

That was clearly a fumble. We clearly recovered. The game's over," Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. Green Bay safely LeRoy Buller echoed his general manager, saying officials blew iL and Rice'got lhe slar trealmenl. "But "Absolutely," he said, he's Jerry Rice and 1 can't ment on the referees, or I will get fined." Young said the officials made' the right call, and it wasn't even" close.

"It was clearly not a said.Young, who completed 18-." of-32 passes for 169 yards, 76 on the final drive. He also had touchdown passes of 1 and 8 yards to Clark, two interceptions. Favre was 20-for-35 for yards and had touchdowns of 2 and 15 yards to Freeman, also threw two interceptions, first postseason turnovers against the 49ers. Garrison Hearst, giving Saif VI Francisco a viable running gamq for the first time in its four play- off meetings with the Packers- gained 128 yards. Dorsey rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown for Green Bay, but 11 also had a costly fumble.

Green Bay also got field of 23 and 37 yards from Ryan Longwell and San Francisco got? I field goals of 34, 48 and 40 yards, from Wade Richey. L11C aLdl treaimeni. from Wade Richey Jaguars take care of Patriots 25-10 r-1 By EDDIE PELLS AP Sports Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Although the ankle is ailing, Mark Brunell's instinct remains perfectly, intact. He knows how important guys like Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith are as the Jacksonville Jaguars try to continue their playoff run.

Taylor rushed for J62 yards, and Smith beat Ty Law for a 37-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday as the Jaguars defeated lhe New England Patriots 25-10 in a wild-card playoff game. Those performances helped mask a rusty day for Brunell, who played for the first time in five weeks. They also gave him another week to get better as the Jaguars (12-5) prepare for a second- round game against the New York Jets. now," Brunell said of his high ankle sprain. "I don't think there will be any problems for next week.

But the whole team have to be sharper. Each week we have to get better and belter." He finished 14-for-34 for 161 yards and one louchdown. Scolt playing for the injured Drew -Bledsoe. finished with jusl 190 yards and an inlerceplion for Lhe Palri- ols (9-8). who lefl wondering if Ihey're nol lhe most unlucky team in lhe league.

In the pasl month, they've lost Bledsoe, receiver Terry Glenn and middle linebacker Ted Johnson to season-ending injuries. Against the Jaguars, the Patriots bat- lied from a 12-0 deficit to pull within 12-10, only to see lhe gamebreaker made against Law. a Pro Bowl cor-ner- back who is arguably their best defender. rt "He's a great player and he had an year, from the 'beginning of preseason all the way through." said Patriols coach Pele Carroll. "II was a greal Ihrow and a greal play by Iwo greal players on lhe olher side." Bolh and Smith said it was a perfect read on a fade patlern they've practiced hundreds of times over the last four years.

"II changed momenlum for us." Brunell said. "Il was a simple hand signal lo Jimmy to give him lhe go roule. II was jusl a check al the line of scrimmage. Anytime we get press with Jimmy Smith, we feel it's to our advaniage." Brunell had equal praise for Taylor, the rookie who has taken a big load off the passing game all season. "He's a fine running back who has a bright future." Brunell said.

"We're not a complete offense without Fred, without the running game he's provided." The victory was lhe first in the post- 1I1VC5 ail season for the Jaguars since their their upset over the Denver Broncos' in -Strength first meeting since between Jaguars coach Torn Coughlin and Parcells. Coughlin was an assistant to Parcells, Irom 1988-90 with the New York who won the Super Bowl in their final' season together. The New York Jets are an outstanding team and they're playing very well right now," Coughlin I'm going'- to try to enjoy this for a couple of days or at least until tomorrow before I get started on that." he does, his players expect to install a game plan centered on running the ball and stopping the run playoff football in the true Parcells ion. Taylor said that's the kind of game he likes and the kind the need r-S mm F5 Next Sunday's matchup will be lhe few plays" Vikings Randy MOSS gathers Woodson adds Defensive Offensive Rookie Of the Year Rookie of the Year to trophy case ByRONLESKO the media nc By RON LESKO AP Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Too bad about that ankle injury that slowed down Randy Moss this season. Just imagine what he could have done if he had been healthy.

"You won't see all of Randy until next year," Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green said last week. That's enough to put a lump in the throat of even the most fearless defensive back. Playing on a sore right ankle he says hasn't been 100 percent since he hurt it in a pickup basketball game last May, Moss led the NFL and set a rookie record with 17 touchdown catches. He provided the long-range threat that propelled the Vikings (15-1) to the league's best record and the most points ever scored in a season. That made Moss an easy winner of The Associated Press' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award announced Sunday.

Moss got 44 votes from a nationwide panel of 47 sports writers and broadcasters. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, the top overall pick in the 1998 draft, got two votes. The other vote went to Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor. Moss refused to be interviewed after learning 1 he won the award, continuing the mercurial relationship he has developed with the media. "I think we were expecting great things out of him," said Vikings receiver Cris Carter, who became an early mentor to Moss during grueling workouts in Florida last summer.

"It's hard to really tell what he's going to do. but we knew, especially with the offense that we have, we knew that he would put up numbers. There's certain things he might do on a certain play that might surprise us. But the overall output, the productivity, we're not surprised." Moss Is the fourth Minnesota player to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, the first since receiver Sammy White in 1976. But Moss was more than just an outstanding rookie this season.

He was one of the league's most dominant players. The Vikings were lucky to land Moss with the 21st pick in last April's draft. Most teams were scared off by his history of trouble as a teen-ager, but not the Vikings. He started the season with two long TD catches against Tampa Bay, then announced himself as a legitimate star with five catches for 190 yards and two TDs in a Monday night win at Green Bay on Oct. 5.

Moss added consecutive games'with three TD catches against Dallas and Chicago late in the season. Overall, his 10 TDs of at least 40 yards tied the NFL record set by Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch in 1951. "I think of the things we've done and the success we've had, we've had huge explosiveness," offensive coordinator Brian Billick said. "He's brought the offense to a critical mass. He's taken it from an offense that is one of the best in the league to challenging, maybe, the all-time best, based on points and yardage." It was about the time he devastated the Packers in that early season game that Moss started drawing comparisons to Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver ever.

Rice had a modest rookie season, with four TD catches, but he combined his talents with a relentless drive to blossom in the years that followed. Moss is more than just a downfield missile. He can beat a defender on nearly any route, his lanky 6-foot-4 frame and leaping ability he said he was trying to block a shot with his head when he hurt his ankle last spring to make catches all over the field. But the Vikings say he also has shown the work habits that will help him keep improving, especially once he's 100 percent healthy again. "If he's a precision route runner, like Jerry Rice, he'd probably be the most unstoppable player of all time.

Guaranteed," said Vikings cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock. By BARRY WILNER AP Football Writer From Heisman Trophy to Defensive Rookie of the Year. Not a bad parlay for Charles Woodson. The Oakland Raiders cornerback won a close race with Green Bay defensive end Vonnie Holliday in balloting by The Associated Press, announced today. Woodson, the fourth overall choice in the 1998 draft, received 24 votes from the nationwide panel of 47 sports writers and broadcasters.

Holliday, selected 19th overall 22, and Arizona end Andre Wadsworth, the third pick last April, got one. Woodson. the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman. was a starter from the first day of training camp for the Raiders. His tight coverage and sure tackling helped turn around Oakland's defense.

"I'd give myself a B-minus." Woodson said. played pretty good, but I didn't do a lot of the little things I could have done, as far as watching more film, doing a lot more studying. I pretty much played off athletic ability." That ability helped Woodson get a team-high five interceptions, tied with veteran Eric Allen; he ran one 46 yards for a touchdown. He did not return kickoffs or punts, as he did at Michigan, and did not take a snap on offense, which irked Woodson. "I made it known I wanted to play offense and it never happened," he said.

"I like being out there on the field. I don't like to come off. When I'm on the sideline, I kind of feel helpless." Coach Jon Gruden has promised Woodson will be used offensively in the future. "He can give either phase of your football team a jolt," Gruden said. "When he gets his hands on the ball, he knows where to go and how to get there." Holliday, who played at North Carolina, also became an immediate starter with the Packers.

Under the tutelage of star end Reggie White, Hol- iiday flourished quickly. He had eight sacks when he broke his right leg near the ankle on Nov. 22 at Minnesota and missed the last five games. That might have cost him the rookie award. "I thought I'd always be out there," Holliday said.

"Almost to the point where I felt I was invincible, things were going so well, and you know I felt I had a great chance to break the rookie sacks record and I guess be more of an impact player my rookie year." White has advised Holliday not to get too frustrated over the missed Lime, and to look to the luture. This kid's going to be great. I'm glad I came back this year and got a chance to. work with him," White said. "You can tell him what you think he needs to work on and he just does it," added All-Pro safety LeRoy Butler.

"Usually first-round picks think they know it all, i.e. Terrell Buckley, you know? This guy here says, well what do I need to work on?" Woodson is the first Raider to win the award. Last year's winner was Baltimore linebacker Peter Boulvvare. UConn still on top in AP women's top 25 poll By CHUCK SCHOFPNER nanel in remain i ix- I By CHUCK SCHOFPNER AP Sports Writer Two more one-sided victories kept Connecticut No. 1 today in The Associated Press women's basketball poll, which had newcomers for the first time in four weeks.

Ohio State and Boston College broke into the Top 25 after major upsets. It was the first ranking In four years for Ohio State, the first ever for Boston College. Connecticut received 37 of 40 Orst-nlare votes from the media panel to remain No. 1 for the seventh straight week. There also has been little movement recently right behind the Huskies (11-0).

No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Purdue have held those positions for five consecutive weeks. The top six stayed the same for the third week in a row. Connecticut returned to Big East play with two dominating performances, beating Villanova 74-43 and West Virginia 11671, the eighth time this season the Huskies have reached 1OO points.

They're averaging 101.5 points and have an average victory margin of 39. UConn had 997 points in the voting, Tennessee (11-1) had 963 and Purdue (9-1) 915. Tennessee, which has won 10 straight since its loss to Purdue, received the three other first- place votes. Georgia (12-0) remained fourth, Louisiana Tech (10-2) was fifth and North Carolina (16-1) sixth. North Carolina won three games in the past week to run Its winninc streak to 1O.

Texas Tech moved up one spot to seventh and was followed by Colorado State, Notre Dame and UCLA. Old Dominion jumped three places to lead the second 10 and Clemson fell two spots to 12th after suffering its first loss. 67-66 in overtime to Virginia. Duke Climbed four places to 13th and was followed by Virginia Tech, Rutgers. Iowa State, Penn State.

Alabama, Florida and Nebraska. Kansas, Virginia, Ohio State, held the final five spots. Ohio State (9-3). which has won eight of its last nine, sprung a 72-54 upset at Penn State in its Big Ten opener, then won at Michigan State before having Sunday's game with Purdue postponed by the snowstorm that socked the Midwest. The Buckeyes earned their first national ranking since Lhe week of Jan.

3, 1995, when Lhcy were 22nd the only Lime that season they were ranked. The last time Ohio State.spent any the 1993-94 season, when the'. Buckeyes were coming off their only Final Four appearance and were ranked the first 11 weeks. Boston College (10-1) cracked the Top 25 after not getting a single vote last week." The Eagles, off to their best-'' start ever, gained attention with a 78-65 victory over then-No. 7 Notre Dame.

Their only loss was at Miami. on Dec. 5. Santa Clara and George Washington, which held lhe final two spots last wrck..