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Western Carolinia Volume 47 Number 01 Fall Special Edition

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  • Sports /August 24, 1982 11: Tenn. Chattanooga, Furman Picked To Capture Southern Football Crown Defending champion furman University inaugurates practice on Saturday (Aug. 14). Appalachian State, Marshall, 1 ennessce-Chattanooga and Virginia Military Institute crank it up next Monday (Aug. 16), and The Citadel starts a day later (Aug. 17) as the bulk of the Southern Conference teams gear up for the 1982 championship season. Western Carolina began its conditioning schedule Monday (Aug. 10). while Last Tennessee State starts Thursday (Aug. 12). Davidson College waits until Aug. 22 to open its pre-season camp. Four non-league games open the Southern's 62nd football season Sept. 4. Marshall hosts Kent State, of the Mid-American Conference; East Tennessee travels to Tennessee Tech, of the Ohio Valley Conference; Furman is on the road at North Carolina State, and Western Carolina visits Wake Forest, both of the Atlantic Coast Conference. All are night games. Southern Conference members will play 26 night games during the 1982 football season. Eleven of the 26 league games are scheduled under the lights. Of the 46 non-conference games on the schedule, 12 will be played against NCAA Division I—A teams. The NCAA's realignment of football's Division 1—A last December saw some 40 schools reclassified to Division 1 AA, including the Southern, Ivy and Southland Conferences Division I A A membership currently stands at 90, and could reach 93. 1 he Southern Conference champion receives an automatic spot in the 12-team Division I AA playoff structure, which begins with first round games Nov. 27, and climaxes with the Pioneer Bowl Dec 18. Among the Division I A foes the Southern conference will face are 1981 national champion Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Virgiriia and Wake Forest (twice), from the Atlantic Coast Conference; Vanderbilt. from the Southeastern Conference, and independents East Carolina, Navy, South Carolina and Virginia Tech (twice). Following are the final results of pre-season polls conducted by the Southern Conference for the 1982 football season. The coaches publicists poll was conducted by telephone, and released at the league's 1982 football rouser on Aug. 3. The media poll was conducted at the rouser, and released Aug. 6. First place votes are in parentheses. Ronnie Mixon, a Pre-Season all Southern Conference Quarterback, Will lead the Cats Into Action This Year. COACHES/PUBLICISTS POI.I. Points 1. Ten'n.-Chattanooga(lO) 92 2. The Citadel(2) ....8 I 3. Furman(4) 79 4. Appalachian State 48 5. Western Carolina 48 6. VM1 47 7. Marshall 29 8. Fast Carolina State 24 WRITERS BROADCASTERS POLL Points 1. Furmanf 14) 262 2. Tenn.-Chattanooga(1 I) 254 3. The Citadel(7) 248 4. Appalachian State(4) 207 5. Western Carolina(2) 140 6. VM1(1 ) 136 7. Marshall 81 8. East Tennessee State 76 Carr's Career Apparently Finished Story Courtesy of Jim rtuker, Asheville Citizen Times ORANGEBURG, SC. - One day soon Ronrue Cart would like to take up the saxophone, or perhaps the piano. The guitar isn't out of the question, either And he's anticipating a return to the familiar campus life of Western /Carolina, where a senior year awaits pursuit of a marketing degree. Of more unmedta'e concern, CufJowhee's mountain setting promises some relief from the steamy July heat of his South Carolina home. Suet, tho 0v.!s are helping the former Cat." :'. basketball star make it through his 21st summer, a season that conjured up a bad dream, and left the ending on Can's doorstep Over a month after a Chapel Hill automobile accidei.t slashed a valve in his heart and battel ed an arm and an ankle, Carr is confronting the almost certain end of his competitive athletic Cartel. It's a new companion, but Carr has made his peace "It was one of those things that was detuned to happen I just feci for tunate to be alive, to have come Lhr M.th with the mjunes I had.'' Carr said Monday in his first irttefv,ew since the accident. "I had in. A g^jd things ha;;; *ii 0 me m mv career I won'', for get those" - Carr's serapbouk includes three winning seasons at WCL'. where his long-range shooting as a 6-3 guard produced averages of 17 4, 17 6 and 19 points per game. He was Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in 1979- 80 and an all-conference pick the next two seasons. Fittingly, he became the first collegian to convert a three point goal during his sophomore year, when the conference adopted the 21-foot shot, comfortably within Carr's range The line had been shortened to 19 feet for this coming season, and the Car; jut ,- ers were sure to rain But the con' 1 tions will have to be made In clifft vi.t ways now. "As far as the team is concerned, I want to be as much a c.:r\ of the tear, as if I was playing," said Carr. "But I know it won't be the same, come October 15 (the firs! officii! day of pr** tice) "I've had a lot of emotions about it I've had a lot of time to think It's put things in a differc.it perspective I look out the window here, and if I could just wa'.k arou"d with ease I gue" ,t makes you more aware of thirds you've overlooked, taken for granted. T wanted to V aiur.e 'here for a while in the v -syra', but jj. the people — my family, Coach (Steve) CottreU, the players, everybody — they didn't leave me time to feel sorry for myself. Now, I can laugh about certain situations in the hospital I just feel good every day" Certainly, that wasn't the case for most of his month-long stay at North Carolina Memorial Hospital Carr entered the Chapel Hill facility June 19 in critical condition, injured in an early morning accident involving a Chapel Hill police car. Carr wishes not to discuss the accident, which occurred during his stint as an instructor at the University of North Carolina Baj-kitb.ti) Camp The eai'.y medical ci ncem wpic primarily of an otlboi-eobc na"ore Carr immediate1.) undetwt:l sura tv tore- pair tom ligaments in h.- left arils'.'" He now wears a cumN; -..me wj'V.ng cast, which wiM be r».-n • ed In two weeks Two days later, an orynj'. - w?~ conducted to rep.'ur two b: A. b«,:< • in his left wrist At this point he w.is fitted with a c?*t and suppo:'..-. jp to his elbo.v Soon, he'll N- fitted *.'h a tem por^ry spl.nl that sh.-'U'd >•'..»• ine discomfort Almost two weeks »rter tht? accident. Carr was reccen::* rjcv'y. He S " Ronnie, page 12 The Catamounts have an exciting schedule this season, with home games against Tennessee Tech(Sept. 11), Mars Hill(Sept. 18), Marshall(Oct.l6), Wofford(Oct.23),and The Citadel(Nov. 6).Cat foes on the road include defending NCAA champion Clemson, nnr\ Wat-P PrO-Pct Activities • Activities associated with the opening of WCU's fall semester include the annual "Meet the Cats Night" introduction of the 1982 Catamount football team Tuesday, Aug. 24; the annual Western Roundup program for new students. I hursday, Aug. 26. from 4:30 until 1 I pm: the quarterly board of trustees meeeting. scheduled for 10 am Thursday, Sept. 2; and the chancellor's reception on Sunday. Aug. 29. from 3 from 5 pm at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Robinson. The public is invited to "Meet the Cats Night" Tuesday at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. There will be a picnic supper between 5:30 and 6: supper between 5:30 and 6:30 pm ($3.50 for adults and $2 for children under 12 years of age), a pep rally at 6:30 ■ and scrimmage at 7 pm. Western Roundup activities will include a dinner, band and information fair on the university center lawn for new students. Waters Hopes Strong Finish Carries Over Bob Waters, who is engineering his fourteenth season as WCU's head football coach, is hoping the fact that his team will be first on the field will be an omen for the 1982 season. "We ended last season on a positive note after a poor start and we hope some of that momentum will carry over to this season," said Waters,the winningest coach in Western's 48 year football history. The Catamounts suffered through a horrendous first half of the 1981 season before rallying for three wins in the last four weeks to finish 4-7. WCU can open its pre-season camp earlier than the other conference shcools because of its academic schedule and its early season opener, September 4 at Wake Forest. The Catamounts will workout in light gear through Saturday before donning full equipment Saturday for a pair of contact sessions. Twice a day practices will continue until August 25, the first day of fall semester classes at WCU. Waters indicates he will run a "physically demanding" pre-season practice that will be the most difficult since he arrived in Cullowhee in 1969. He gives two reasons for the hardline approach to this year's pre season drills. "Our players must develop a tougher attitude than they had early last season and we are going to get several freshmen ready to play, both physically and mentally, in three weeks," he explained. "There will be no drop-the-hankie practices this year,"added Waters. Rookies are being counted on to become regulars on the offensive line as well as providing critical depth on the defensive line and at the wide receiver positions. The offensive line situation is the cause for much consternation in the Catamount camp. Only three lettermen from last season, including just two starters, sophomore center Steve Taylor and senior tackle Kurt Jolliff-are scheduled to return. Elsewhere on offense, the picture is much brighter with at least one letter winner listed at each position. Waters will have his most experienced backfield ever with quarterback Ronnie Mixon, a pre-season all-conference selection, leading the offense. Melvin Dorsey and Anthony James and Leonard Williams, all frequent starters at tailback in their careers, raise hopes for a balanced offense as all are proven runners.
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