News and Record from Greensboro, North Carolina • 21

Greensboro News Record Sports ootball Basketball Preps Sunday October 13 1991 Biics dismantled in 'Chop Shop' Twins rip Blue Jays C7 By WILT BROWNING Start Writer ATLANTA With former USPresident Jimmy Carter doing the chop from a VIP boxalong the first base line the Atlanta ZBraves crushed Pittsburgh 10 3 Sat urday afternoon a The victory gives Atlanta a 2 1 in the National League play offs with Brave veteran left hander 'Charlie Leibrandt (15 13) scheduledto start against Pittsburgh lefty Randy Tomlin (8 7) in the fourth tonight Until Saturday Atlanta had man aged a1 1 1 split with the Pirates despite anemic hitting that had pro duced just two runs in the first two games in Pittsburgh But all that went by the boards in the bottom of the first inning when the Braves scored four times in cluding a two run homer by Atlan iron man catcher Greg Olson It was a rally that had spoiled a dra matic start by the Pirates who got a homer off the first pitch of the game by Orlando Merced Despite the outburst by the Braves who belted out 11 hits against five Pittsburgh pitchers including loser John Smiley a 20 game winner this season the game still had its moments of dra ma The most dramatic came in the top of the eighth inning with the Braves owning a 7 3 lead Back to back singles by Pirate third baseman Steve Buechele and pinch hitter Don Slaught got it started and when pinch fitter Lloyd McClendon walked to load the bases with one out Merced again ap peared at the plate as the potential tying run But Alejandro Pena was waved in from the bullpen the fourth and last of the Braves pitch ers on the day On a 3 1 fastball he got Merced to pop up in foul territory Olson caught the ball perhaps four feet in front of the home plate screen Then Pena blew a third strike fast ball past Jay Bell who had arrived at the plate as the hottest Pirate hitter on the day with a single dou ble and solo homer to his credit When home plate umpire Dana De Muth stabbled at the air on the More about BRAVES C7 Browning column C7 POSTSEASON SCHEDULE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES American League Tuesday Minnesota 5 Toronto 4 a Wednesday: Toronto 5 Minnesota 2 riday: Minnesota 3 Toronto 2 Saturday: Minnesota 9 Toronto 3 a Today: Minnesota (Tapani 16 0) at Toronto (Candkxtl 13 13) 4:12 pm a Toronto at Minnesota 837 pm Toronto at Minnesota 837 pm National League a Wednaaday: Pittsburgh 5 Atlanta 1 a Thursday: Atlanta 1 Pittsburgh 0 a Saturday: Atlanta 10 Pittsburgh 3 a Tonight: Pittsburgh (Tomlin 8 7) at Atlanta (Leibrandt 15 13) 8:40 pm a Monday: Pittsburgh at Atlanta 308 pm a Atlanta at Pittsburgh 336 pm Atlanta at Pittsburgh 835 pm necessary (Games on channels 257) Syracuse 'V A Rattlers 41 19 A I a 4 41 lorida 19 4 Si 'MB More on C2 Game Statistics C9 A were also impressive winners C4 TT INSIDE SPORTS RICE PULLSUPSET Rice's football futility has been well documented but for at least one Saturday the Owls had the last laugh Rice shocked No 8 Baylor 20 17 and that win coupled with a 10 7 victory by Texas over No 6 Oklahoma gave the Southwest Conference's i much maligned football reputation a temporary boost Top ranked lorida State also won beating Virginia Tech 33 20 while No 2 Miami upended No 9 Penn State 1 IS 34 124 228 32 14 30 2 442 55 11 44 30:41 AAT 24 49 340 182 44 7 13 2 443 52 8 72 29:19 More about UNC C3 By CHARLIE ATKINSON Start Writer If there was ever any doubt North Carolina football team arrived as a legitimate MEAC powerhouse Saturday afternoon The Aggies scored four times in the second half and forced seven lorida turnovers to swamp the Rattlers 41 19 The win does several things: irst it extends record to 2 0 in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference and 5 1 overall Second it came against the defending champions and a team considered toughest opponent Third it erased memories of last 17 15 setback to AMU one that eventually cost the Aggies the league title And fourth it made domination of the Rattlers entered the game with a 30 5 4 series lead considerably easier to swallow time we have a great victory I say my coach Bill Hayes said his voice at times touched with emotion this has to be the most gratifying feeling had since been at I remember four years ago in the Orange Bowl when AMU beat us 58 7 And now four years later we catch up and pass them just a tremendously gratifying Unlike previous Aggie victories in which the defense dominated win was more of a group effort The defense limited the Rattlers and quarterback Tony Ezell to 228 yards passing shutting him down in the second half to the tune of 6 of 14 for 87 yards and two interceptions If not for kickoff returns of 99 and 90 yards by senior David Lucas the final score would have been more lopsided coach Mack Brown his of fense do anything A halftime ledger that registered just 28 yards rush ing in 23 car ries by Tar Heel backs was testament to his words Gerry Broom News Record CHAMPION LUNGE: Marianna Routh the winner in the Greensboro City Tennis Championships reaches for a shot Saturday or full report see C1 2 As it was the Rattlers suffered their worst beating since Bethune Cookman spanked them 25 0 in 1988 is a good football team got to give them AMU coach Ken Riley said played some good football teams and they rank right up there with some of the best" The Aggje offense had its best game of the season James White carried 14 times for 172 yards and quarterback Connell Maynor sore back and all completed 7 of 11 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns coaches did a great job all week and the line did a great job of White said line dominated the entire The Aggies accumulated 552 yards of total offense missing a 27 year old school record by 22 yards rushed for 130 of his 167 yards and both his touchdowns in the second half Jordan who rushed for 55 yards also made his mark as a re ceiver taking a Todd Burnett pass 44 yards for his first aerial score was the first time the offense really stepped it up to another lev Means said Of course up was the only way for the Tar Heels to go after the first 30 minutes Those scouts from the Independence and Peach bowls were probably wondering why they bothered to make the trip The win was fourth in five games and appeared particularly costly when quarterback Chuckie Burnette was sitting out the second half with bruised ribs and fingers But rays at nearby UNC Hospi tals showed no fractures and only a jammed middle finger on his throw ing hand that keep the Burlington Cummings product out of action long The Deacs now 1 4 are danger ously close to setting a dubious At lantic Coast Conference record for most league losses Georgia 16 straight is the standard last ACC win came 15 games and two years ago ironically in Cha pel Hill The loss Saturday overshadowed a gutsy performance by Wake quar terback Keith West who was benched during last loss to Appalachian State and in danger of losing his starting job But he re mained cool in the face of relentless ronment that NEVER ceases to stop GOT to slow this place down and do some serious Wheeler continued by now well into his third page constant incessant pressure on me and this place is a time concerns in his letter notwithstanding Smith 64 one of most prominent suc cessful track owners has not slowed down Today the multimillionaire owner of two speedways several car dealerships and insurance com pany and other properties is push ing forward at a faster pace Last month in the face of a $21 million divorce judgment he un veiled a lavish $75 million expansion project for Atlanta Motor Speed way which he bought last October And letter gleaned from divorce records in Mecklenburg County District Court in Charlotte is a rare glimpse into the private business world of Charlotte Motor Speedway and its flamboyant own er It graphically exemplifies the breakneck pace at the speedway and the unusual relationship be tween Wheeler and Smith that has helped make it most glamorous track Last weekend during a busy riday before the Sunday running of the Mello Yello 500 each agreed to an interview in the seventh floor executive offices of the gleaming Smith Tower a glass and steel office building that More about ROM Cl C2 By HELEN ROSS Staff Writer CHAPEL HILL Overcoming an offensive performance that would 4 have pleased Dr Jekyll or was it Mr Hyde North Carolina man aged to beat Wake orest 24 10 Sat rurday afternoon Only a strong second half keyed ft by the running of tailback Natrone Means prevented an upset by the Hgame but outmanned Deacons Be J' fore intermission according to UNC ACC OOTBALL Clemson entered its game against Virginia as a sizable favorite but almost left with its second loss of the season The Tigers rallied from a 1 0 point deficit then got some hands on a last second Virginia field goal attempt to tie the Cavaliers 20 20 In other ACC action Georgia Tech got a major performance from Shawn Jones and whipped Maryland 34 1 0 Jones threw for three touchdown passes as the Yellow Jackets rolled up 308 yards 26 20 Notre Dame and Colorado inrougn me air uz Blake I I patience and keep a Carolina relaxes got to keep running once you feel somebody on your heels and got open field in front of Blake a senior said I got past the comer I saw one more guy who could stop me I saw that and said can score If one man can stop me better than Obviously he poise and ability to run play alive was the key to our ability to hold the ball and make things'happen in the fourth East Carolina Bill Lewis said had the opportunities and takeadvantage of Syracuse coach PaulJPasqualoni said cannot lose the third down defen sively We gave up too many third Pasqualoni said John Biskup the most accurate kicker in Syracuse histopr missed field goals of 27and 42 yards in the fourth period as the JOrangemen (4 2) lost for the second consecu tive week Blake threw for 324 yards completing 23 £of 43 passes to guide the Pirates (5 1) to £their fifth straight victory East on three of its first four possessions tin the second half to overcome a 20 10 defi cit Kicker Anthony Brenner missed a 23 field goal on the other possession lanker Dion Johnson who caught seven for 136 yards had a 102 yard kickofftouchdown return called back in the first quarter when the Pirates were flagged forholding and clipping By BOB ZELLER Start Writer One day about five years ago right after another hugely profitable and successful Coca Cola 600 NAS CAR race Charlotte Motor Speed way President and General Manag er HA Wheeler sat down and penned an intensely per sonal handwritten letter to his boss speedway Chairman Bru ton Smith is a very hard letter to he started Wheeler was about to take his boss to task But first he thanked Smith for the chance to work at the speedway bold ness and vi sion Wheeler wrote had been great But Wheeler man broke all records this week end in Wheeler wrote in the undated letter thinks CMS is the greatest I I have an empty The relentless pace of work at the speedway was burning out some of its executives and tearing their fam ilies apart he wrote The personal toll was fierce should be a fun place to letter said It is a PRESSURE fiUed envi I xL? A tei Means UNC led just 3 0 as the first 30minutes drew to a close escaping a tie when Mike 32 yard field goal from the left hashmark sailed ijwide to the right not that we try in the first Brown said just were entirely too The Tar Heels and their nearly 50000 fans in attendance were liable to relax a bit after halftime I though With Means and Randy Jor dan pounding it successfully up the field the Deacs grew visibly by the fourth quarter Means who drew his first career fc start against Wake last season leridaAtM 13 I I 4 17 Carolina 7 4 14 14 41 Duftey 32 run (Camron kick) Brown I run (Heath kick) Lucas 99 kickoff return (kick failed) Turner 23 pass from Maynor (kick failed) Turner 42 pass from Maynor (kick failed) Thompson 14 pass from Maynor (Williams run) Turner 1 run (Artis run) Lucas 90 kickoff return (pass failed) White 41 run (kick failed) A 9941 irst downs Rushes yards Passing Return Yards Comp Att Int Punts umbles Lost Penaltles Yards Time of Possession INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS lorida Duffey 1748 Reddick 4 37 Ezell 524 Carolina White 14 172 Turner 12 87 Artis 341 PASSI lorida Ezell 16 30 2 228 Caro lina Maynor 7 11 1 192 Russell 0 1 0 0 Starks 0 1 1 0 lorida Mickens 3 58 Duffey 331 Wynn 329 Carolina Thompson 3101 Turner 377 White 1 14 surprised by ECU The Associated Preu SYRACUSE NY Syracuse was mak ing things too hot for East Carolina quarter back Jeff Blake but it was the Orangemen Who ended up getting burned felt somebody at my heels what made me said Blake who turned abroken pass play into a 43 yard touchdown "(run in the fourth quarter to lift East Caroli na to a 23 20 upset of No 15 Syracuse Satur day Jerry Wolford News Record NO YOU Al Barnett knocks a pass away from Terry Mickens sail i JR wnips vvdKe Aggies take bite out of Smith was an unhappy Speedway owner lives in fast lane 1 wb Ji I INSIDE SPORTS.