Western Carolina University WCU University of North Carolina Asheville UNCA

Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all
University of North Carolina Asheville (6) View all
WCU - Western Carolina University Publications

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

items 9 of 12 items
  • wcu_publications-5844.jpg
Copyright Download
Item 1 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5836.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_01
Item 2 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5837.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_02
Item 3 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5838.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_03
Item 4 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5839.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_04
Item 5 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5840.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_05
Item 6 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5841.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_06
Item 7 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5842.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_07
Item 8 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5843.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_08
wcu_publications-5844.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_09
Item 10 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5845.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_10
Item 11 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5846.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_11
Item 12 - Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24
wcu_publications-5847.jpg

Western Carolinian Volume 39 Number 24

HL_WesternCarolinian_1973-11-15_Vol39_No24_12
Item
?

Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • THE WESTERN CAROLINIAN Thursday November 15,1973 Page 9 VVESTEI^I EjU^dLMAH £ pOKT s Catamounts-Eagles: Old Rivalry Is Renewed Previews of the CATAMOUNT ground game that will end the 1973 season this Saturday at Memorial stadium. Saturday is the scheduled finale for both Western Carolina University's football sea son and its twenty-six year old stadium. Carson - Newman College is also scheduled to end its regular season, but if things go right for the visiting Eagles in their game with WCU, the season could be extended. At least one bowl still has eyes for Carson-Newman, despite its unexpected loss last week, and a win over the rejuvenated Catamounts would probably seal a bid. Western Carolina is finally performing up to its pre-sea- son expectations after spending September and October playing elevator football ~ up one week, down the next. However, the Catamounts waited a couple of weeks too late to play like a playoff or bowl aspirant, Last Show Is Season Highlight by Hank Komodowski "A super showing for WCU!" That is how Paul Jones, cross country coach at Western Carolina University, summed up his team's performance this Saturday in the NCAA Division II national championship meet. Coach Jones had good reason for his enthusiasm as the Western runners finished 20th in the nation in the tournament which included fifty schools and over 250 runners. Leading the WCU runners as he has all year was Randy Helderman, only a junior, who finished 60th individually with a very fine time of 25:38. Freshman sensation Joe Richi turned in his best time of the season, finishing second for the Cat runners and 93rd in the meet with a clocking of 26:32. Running in his last cross country event for WCU was senior Mike Prozialeck who finished in 27:07 and also recorded his best time of the year. John Reichl and Rick Gehle, both freshmen came in next with marks of 27:28 and 27:53, respectively. This year's site of the championships was Wheaton College, which hosted the impressive field on its own five mile course. According to Coach Jones, the teams that flocked to the Chicago school were "Division II in name only, and actually contain some of the best runners in the country." Taking first place in the meet was a powerful team from South Dakota State, Looking at the overall standings, however, Western Carolina and Southeastern Louisiana (17th) were the only teams from the South to finish in the country's top twenty. Commenting on the performance of his team this year, Jones could only repeat, "Super! This was our last showing of the season and it was also our highlight. You try to CONTINUED Page 10 . . , .. Jerry Siler Proves He's A Superstar Recruiting Jerry Siler after the 1971 prep football season was a long, tedious affair for Western Carolina University's coaching staff. And as of two months ago, the WCU coaches were beginning to wonder if their efforts in signing the super all-every- thing running back from Siler City's Jordan-Matthews High had been a bad investment, All doubts in the minds of Western's head coach Bob Waters and his top assistant Don Denning, who was in charge of that particular recruiting project, were completely erased last Saturday when Siler turned in his third consecutive solid performance. As a freshman last fall, the stringy 6-1, 177 pounder displayed many of the moves and broken field speed that he had used to gain more than 3,000 yards for Coach Sonny Wil - burn's AA powerhouse. After only one series of plays, he was back on the sideline again with coach Waters, thanks to the same pair of slippery hands that had plagued him a year earlier. He had dropped the opening kickoff and then fumbled a pitch out a few- plays later that Murray State's defenders recovered at the WCU one. According to Waters, the only thing between Siler and a starting berth in the Catamounts' backfield at the start of the current season was his lack of ability to hold the football when running in traffic. A rash of injuries sidelined three WCU backs prior to the Murray State game earlier this season and Siler was forced into a starting rolc.his first as a collegian. "I was real tight and was trying so hard to do well that I was looking for a hole before I got the ball," the personable sophomore revealed. "All I could think of afterwards was would I get another chance." He got his chance three weeks ago in Omaha, Nebraska when Western's leading rusher and scorer, David Hackett, limped to the sidelines early in the third period. Siler led Western Carolina in a second half comeback as he scored twice and rushed for 88 yards in less than two quarters. That performance earned him a starting berth and since then WCU has not lost as he rushed for 85 yards in a 41-9 win over Florida A&M and had an even bigger day last weekend with 116 yards as the Catamounts downed Presbyterian 31-12. Last Saturday's showing leaves no doubt that Jerry Siler — high school superstar — has arrived as a college running back. Coach Waters says Siler does not possess the physique of a college running back. "He looks like a wide receiver or defensive back." "I've never coached a back that runs quite like Jerry. He is a reckless slasher that never appears to be looking for a hole, but is always heading up field and can smell the end- zone. He has all the speed and agility to be a great runner, and as soon as he becomes a bit more polished, he will be a great one..,.it is only a matter of time," offered Waters. Time and a little patience apparently have paid off for both the WCU coaches and Jerry Siler. Western Carolina and Carson-Newman are renewing a rivalry that began ;nl932. They have not played each other in the past two seasons. The series standings, which shows each team with fifteen wins each and a tie thrown in for good measure, is a true barometer of how closely the games have been played. The meetings have traditionally been decided by a touchdown or less, which has been the case in twenty of the thirty-one games, with many heart- stopping finishes and spiced with disagreements. Carson-Newman turned in a 9-1 record last year to earn a spot in the NAIA playoff. After edging Livingston in the semifinals, coach Dal Shealy's team lost a heartbreaker 21-18 , to East Texas State in the NAIA Championship Bowl, The Eagles set their goal on the NAIA crown this year and were well on their way until Elon and Morehead State ruined their dreams. Western's coach Bob Waters says he is expecting "a real head-knocker." He describes C-N as "a team that tries to wear you down physically." "They (C-N) play an agres- sive, gambling type defense that has forced most of their opponents into costly offensive mistakes." Also, 18 lettermen returned this season from last year's defense that caused an astounding 55 turnovers. As has been the case for the past three years, Jerry Gaines and Eagle Moss are catching everything thrown near them. Gaines, with just a few receiving records remaining without his name attached, has 40 receptions for 836 yards and five scores. Moss has caught 36 for 569 yards and four touchdowns. The Cats ground game has a new star in sophomore tailback Jerry Siler who has rushed for 116 yards in the PC game and has gained 291 yards in the past three games, David Hackett, the Cats leading rusher and scorer for the post two years, is now running from the fullback spot. He has 556 vards and nine touchdowns to date this season. Waters is just as impressed with the Eagles' stable of running backs. "They have the finest group of runners we have seen this year other than Western Kentucky," he said in reference to Vincent Dial, Van Fillingim, Skip Johns, Gary Roberts and Mike Simms. WCU will counter with an offense that has rolled up 944 yards in the past two weeks and a defense that has caused nine turnovers and yielded only 21 points in wins over Florida (A&M (41-9) and Presbyterian (31-12). The Catamounts passing game was almost unstoppable in those wins as sophomores quarterbacks Phil Dietz and Jeff Walker completed passes at a .666 percentage clip. Dietz has completed 20 of 25 in the last two games and 100 of 180 this season for 1565 yards. JERRY SILER
Object
?

Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).

Related items

Part of Collection

Western Carolina University Publications

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University’s student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolin...

View collection Read introduction
panzoom image
wcu_publications-5844.jpg