• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1985-09-05_Vol50_No04_11

CATAMOUNTS TO FACE DAVIDSON Steve White S.I.D. Western Carolina University's rebuilding football program opens its season Saturday afternoon (September 7) in a game that veteran head coach Bob Waters labels "a blind adventure." Waters takes his questionmark team to Davidson College for Saturday's 2:00 PM kickoff against an opponent he knows almost nothing about. In addition, Waters wishes he knew more about his own team as he will attempt to fill numerous voids in the Catamounts' lineups in the early part of the season. Eight all-Southern Conference players who helped WCU to 19 wins and a pairof nationally ranked finishes over the past two seasons are having to be replaced. Western defeated Davidson. 4513, last year in Cullowhee in the first football meeting ever between the Southern Conference schools. As was the case last year, the game will count in the conference standings for Davidson but will not count for WCU. Whereas Waters will begin his 17th season at Western Carolina, Davidson has a new coach in Vic Gatto who has a reputation for rebuilding football prgrams at Bates College in Maine and Tufts University in Massachusetts. Davidson has posted back-to-back 2-8 records. "We are going into this game blind in more ways than one," says Waters, who ranks ninth on the NCAA l-AA win list with 100 victories. "We don't know what to expect from our team in some areas. We have a "We don't know what to expect from our team in some areas. It is difficult to open the season against a team with a new coach. Wedon't know a thing about their new offense and defense and we understnad understand that many of the people we saw last year are playing new positions." "In addition," he continued,"we do not know what to expect form our team in some areas. We have a lot of unknowns and we have no idea how our people are going to react to certain situations." The posisiton receiving the most attention during Western's preseason camp has been quarterback as Waters and his staff attempt to replace Jeff Gilbert, the 1984 Southern Conference Player of the Year. Juniors Kenny Edwards and Willie Perkins ahve battled throughout the preseason for the starting job. Edwards was Gilbert's backup last season and saw action in seven games. Perkins played behind Gilbert in 1983, but missed allot last season after suffering a broken leg in the NCAA l-AA championship game. "Our quarterbck situation hasn't changed much since we started pre-season practice. Perkins and Edwards are virtually ded even as neither has claimed the starting spot. We would like for one of them to step forward," explained Waters. "We have been pleased with the way they have been throwing the football, but not with some of their decisions," he added. SPORTS AUDIBLES WINNING STREAKS Here are a few things to keep in mind as college football gets underway: since 1936, at least one college football team has gone through the regular season unbeaten. Defending National Champion Brigham Young, winner of 24 in a row, kept the streak alive last season. THE LION'S SHARE The last time Penn State had a losing season was before World War II. The Nittany Lions have had a winning or .500 season every year since 1938, an NCAA record. TOO MANY PEOPLE Who's got the mostfans? Well, Michigan does, at least on paper. The Wolerines have had at least 100,000 at thier home games on 60 consecutive occasions. YES, BUT CAN HE STRIKE A LICK? Texas Tech has a football player, Tyronne Thurmon, who is 5 feet 2% inches tall. A KICK IN THE GRASS Despite the fact that his team lost all 11 games in 1984, Tennessee Tech football coach Gary Darnell has a positive outlook. "Our kicker had one bad day last year," he says. "Saturday." Western faces Tennessee Tech next week in Cookeville. RESPECTABLE GENTLEMEN College football's three largest players, according to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: 1- Kevin (Max) Eggleston, Iowa State; 6'8", 339 pounds. 'Max' stands for maximum. 2- Marshall Land (Fill), Texas A&M; 67", 378 pounds. 3- Ben Jefferson, Maryland; 6'8", 301 pounds and only a freshman. Junior tailback Eddie Maddox led the conference in scoring last year with 13 TDs m 10 games rushed for 767 yards, and was a first team academic all-america selection with a 3.72 grade- point average. It's my great pleasure to introduce our readers to the 1985-86 Western Carolinian sports staff. Chris Geis,19, has five years of combined experience writing for the Charlotte Observer and Asheville Citizen newspapers. For three years Chris has been featured amongst the pages of the Observer, contributing numerous pieces, from obituaries to feature editorials. Forthe past two years he has served the Asheville Citizen as a sports correspondent, covering area high school athletics. Originally a native of the big apple, Chris now hails from Charlotte. Lloyd Rachels comes to us from Sand Hills community college, where heserved as an editorialist for the Behind the Pines. Lloyd was sports editor of his high school ; newspaper, and has already proven himself an asset despite the fact that hesi in adaae of ilove and therefore spends half his time walking into things. In addition, we expect many fine feature stories from Mr. Carl Brckman, who is a very talented scribe in his own right. Collectively, we lookforwardto bringingyou the very best in sports coverage during the upcoming year. Billy Graham Sports Editor Clyde (Serious Threat) Simmons, one of Western's pre-season all-america picks, pressures ex-Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie. ONE HUNDRED PLUS Lloyd Rachels Sports Writer "The Waters Era...100 Wins and Counting" is the theme for Western Carolina's 1985 football season, which kicks off Saturday at Davidson. According to veteran coach Bob Waters, the Cats will be entering the "Undercat" role while playing in a season with many question marks. This will be our youngest team ever in the last four years, and we lost many team ever in the last four years and we lost too many good players to maintain the level we played on in the past two seasons," Waters said in evaluating his 17th team at WCU. The Catamounts this year include eight All- Southern Conference players along with 112 other players, many of whom are unknowns in how they will respond to the many different situations in the upcoming games. Most of the attention, in pre-season practice, has been centered around the position of quarterback. Juniors Kenny Edwards and Willie Perkins have battled throughout the pre-season trying to replace 1984 Southern-Conference player of the year, Jeff Gilbert. Edwards was Gilbert's backuplast year and saw some action in seven games. Asa result ofa broken leg sustained from the 1983 NCAA l-AA Championship Game, Perkins missed all of last season; however, in 1983, Perkins played behind Gilbert and gained valuable experience. "Our quarterback situation hasn't changed much since we started pre-season practice. Perkins and Edwards are dead even as neither has claimed the starting spot. We would like one of them to step forward," explained Waters. "We have been pleased with the way they have been throwing the football, but not with some of their decisions," he added. Elsewhere on offense, All-Conference tackle, Mike Herndon and four-year starters Charles Stephenson, a guard, and Marty Reagan, a tackle, lead the offensive line. Billy Ray Jones returns at fullback for his third season while Eddie Maddoxand Milton Beck fight it out for the tailback spot. Also, keep your eye on David Mayfield, who returns with 226 yards rushing and six touchdowns from last season. On the defensive side, Waters says that there are more holes to fill than that on the offensive line. "We are very thin up front, backed up by green linebackers. The strong point of this unit will be the secondary, where we could be as good as last season's team," Waters said. The backfield has either a starter or letterman returning to each of the five spots. Sophmore Greg O'Conner will be the strong safety(mover), while Stuart Lay returns as starter at bandit(walkaway end).Two starters, Miles Nicholson and Fred Davis, return on the corners, giving the Catamounts good hands. Key players to watch for this season in leadership will be All-Southern Conference tackle Mike Herndon and fellow tackle Marty Reagan; guard, Charles Stephenson; center, Tim Hill, and third year starter Billy Ray Jones at fullback. Tyron Delapp and Catback Vince Nowell are also key figures. Eddie Maddox, tailback, returns after leading the conference in scoring last season. Clyde Simmons is a preseason All-American at defensive end and will lead the defensive unit that was hit hard by graduation along with veteran cornerback Miles Nicholson. It is easy to see why Waters' face lights up when asked about the kicking game with two Ail-American kickers at his side. Steve Kornegay led the kicking kickers at his side. Steve Kornegay led the nation(l- AA) in punting with a 43.4 yard average and was a first team All-American selection. Kornegay has not averaged less than 40 yards a punt in his three seasons here at WCU. Kirk Roach was sensational as a freshman last season. He booted 16 fieldgoals.incliding a perfect 12of 12 from insidethe fieldgoals, including a perfect 12 of 12 from inside CATS BUILD TRADITION the 45-yardline. Added to this record is 24 ofd 24 extra points; also, 35 of his kickoffs were not returned. Punt and placement snapper Todd Jackson has also earned himself a respectable reputation. Western Carolina operates outside ofa multible- I offense that averaged 131.5 yards per game rushing and 239.1 yards passing last year. The Cats have a multible-44 defense that led the southern conference in pass defense and scoring defense last season. As far as injuries are concerned, Western expects to have every one on its Two-Deep to be healthy for the season opener against Davidson this weekend. A few "firsts" to be reached this upcoming season will be Bob Waters' search for his 101st coaching victory. Waters owns a 100-67-5 record during his past six-teen seasons. Western Carolina has two first team All-American players: Senior punter Steve Kornegay and sophmore placement specialist Kirk Roach were named to the 1984 Associated Press l-AA All-American team. Kornegay wasalso ranked first in l-AA punting last season with a 43.4 yard average. Finally, the Cats have threefirst team All-Southern Conference players returning: offensive tackle Mike Herndon, punter Kornegay and placement specialist Roach. The Cats have been picked to finish anywhere from first to seventh place this season, according to Southern Conference polls. SOUTHERN LIVING picked the Catamounts forthe number one position while FOOTBALL NEWS put the Cats in seventh. Many of the football publications have Western picked for a middle-of-the-pack finish. The Conference's coaches, sports information directors and media association members labled the Cats for a third-place season. As one might see it, the Catamounts are indeed in a questionable position. It has been said that all games are won and lost in the kicking game. This remains to be seen, but if this is the case, the Cats are on solid ground. As far as the quarterback situation is concerned, both quarterbacks have thrown well, according to Waters. Butthedecisdion on who will take the lead stepforward has still yet to be seen. As said before, the defense still has a few holes to fill, but some starters return to give the team experience. The Cats' schedule looks attractive to the fans and demanding for the team. An eight-game schedule Southern Conference schedule ison the board with five of those games being here at home in E.J. Whitmire Stadium. This Saturday, the Catamounts travel to Davidson to play the Davidson Wildcats. Other opponents this season will include Tennessee Tech, Furman, East Tennessee, Marshall, Georgia Tech, UT Chatanooga, the Citadel, Appalachian State, Florida State and VMI. Coach Waters feels that Furman and Tennessee-Chatanooga are the teams to beat in the conference race. The quarterback situation is the big question that prevents a solid answer on where WCU stands in the league race. The Citadel and East Tennessee say that they will be stronger this season. The strength of these teams in the fall will probably determine the Cat's finish this season. SOUTHERN CONFERENCE OUTLOOK Chris Ges Sports Writer WCU vs. Davidson Saturday 200 P. M. At Davidson One sunny Saturday afternoon about seven years ago I was sitting in Sirine Stadium in Greenville, S.C., watching Furman and Tennesee-Chattanooga play a Southern Conference football game. Tennesee- Chattanooga was the defending league co- champion, and so it was no surprise to antone that it champion, and so it was to no surprise to anyone that they won the game, 13-9. I look back at that game because it is a crucial piece One sunny Saturday afternoon about seven years ago I was sitting in Sirine Stadium in Greenville, S.C., watching Furman and Tennesse- Chatanooga play a Southern Conference football game. Tennessee-Chatanooga was the defending co-champion, and so it was to surprise to antone that they won the game, 13-9. I look back at that game because it is a crucial piece of history for the fans of Southern Conference football. And to prove it, I offer you this: No other team— not Western Carolina, not Appalacian State , not The Citadel— has earned a piece of the Southern Conference championship since. That's right. Since that year, 1978, when Furman and Chatanooga tied for the league title, the Mocs and the Paladins have dominated Southern Conference football. Chatanooga went on the next year to win another championship, a nd then Furman reeled off the Atlantic Coast Conference's Wake So there it is. The last eight championships have been won by two teams. Forget the fact that Western Carolina finished second in the nation in I— AAin 1983, or that The Citadel was in the I—AA top 20 last season, or that Appalacian knocked off the Atlantic Coast Conference's Wake Forest two years ago. When it comes down to winning championships, there are two teams that really matter in the Southern Conference. The story is the same this year. And that's why Western's Catamounts might be feeling pretty good about the upcoming conference season. Both the Cat's games against the Big Two are in Cullowhee. Western takes on Furman on Sept. 21 and Chatanooga on Oct. 26 in E.J. Whitmire stadium.usually a friendly place for the Catamounts. To add to that, Western's biggest rival, Appalachian, will take on the Cats in the battle for the mountains right here in cullowhee on Nov. 9. Western's other right here in Cullowhee on Nov. 9. Western's other home league games will be Sept. 28 against East Tennessee State and Nov. 23 against VMI. In addition, Western plays three road contests against conference opponents: Saturday vs. Davidson, Oct. 5 vs. Marshall, and Nov. 2 vs. The Citadel. The schedule is certainly a boost to the Catamounts'title chances, according to head coach Bob Waters. "It's always great to play Furman, Appalachian State and Chattanooga in Whitmire Stadium," he said in a pre-season interview. "The advantage comes from the fact that we practice on our field all the time and we have a feel for it. It's a psychological advantage with the familiar surroundings. . . The more friendly faces, the better." While Waters tries to figure out who he will start at quarterback this season — there's a heated battle between Willie Perkins and Kenny Edwards going on as we speak — let's take a look at the rest of the Southern Conference. Furman, as always under head coach Dick Sheridan, should be the cream of the league. Last year's club was 8-3 and defeated North Carolina State in Raleigh, and 17 of those starters are back to do it again in Raleigh (watch for Sept. 28) and this time win a league championship. The Paladins are blessed at tailback with senior Robbie Gardner, who with 1,232 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns was thekeyfigure in a big-time offense. Butthatisnotall that will keep the Paladins' motor humming. Quarterback Bobby Lamb, whothrew 19touchdown passes last year, is back for his senior season. see GEIS pg. 12

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 Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1985-09-05
  • Date digitized: 2019-02-28
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 15"
  • Pages: 16 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1985-09-05_Vol50_No04
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library