• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-10-15_Vol53_No10_09

Spoils The Western Carolinian Thursday, October , 1987 Western Rambles Past Mars Hill, 41-0 Cats Establish Running Game; Defense Manhandles Smaller Lions By STEVE ALMASY Sports Staff Western Carolina used a sparkling rushing performance by its tailbacks and got a solid defensive effort to crush Mars Hill, 41-0, Saturday night and push its home field winning streak to eight games. However, the victory proved costly for the Catamounts as several key players suffered In- uries. The most notable was to outhern Conference Jpdate Standings Last Saturday's Western Carolina App. St. UT-Chatt. Furman VMI ETSU Citadel Marshall 2-0-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 2-2-0 1-1-0 1-2-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 3-2-0 3-2-0 3-3-0 4-2-0 3-2-0 3-2-0 2-3-0 3-3-0 Games WCU 41 Mars Hill 0 App. St. 24 Liberty 6 Furman 24 ETSU 13 VMI 7 The Citadel 3 Marshall 34 Louisville 31 W. Ky. 10 UT-Chatt. 0 This Saturday's Games N.C. A&T at WCU App. St. at Furman The Citadel at UT-Chatt. ETSU at Marshall James Madison at VMI Saturday's contest with North Carolina A&T State. The bright spot In what coach Bob Waters called "an expensive victory" came from freshmen tailbacks Darryl Jackson and Preston Jones. Jackson darted his way past Lion defenders for 200 yards on 32 carries. The 200 yards is a freshman record and the fifth best ever performance by a Catamount. Meanwhile, Jones was rushing through holes In the Catamount offensive line for an Impressive I0l yards on only 16 carries. The two each had two touchdowns. C o t t r e I I ' s replacement.Mark Smith, com- The Catamounts were able to run at will, totaling 339 yards on 61 carries sophomore quarterback Todd Cottrell. He limped off the field late in the second quarter. Several other Catamount players were injured. Including defensive tackle > Chris Spach, who with a fractured wrist Is listed as possible for this pleted six of seven passes, including a nine-yard scoring strike to tight end Jon Reed. The Catamounts outman- ned the South Atlantic Conference representatives all night, outgaln- ing the Lions almost four yards to one. The Catamounts were able to run almost at will, totaling 339 yards on 61 carries. It was the first time since a 1978 game against The Citadel that Western had gone over 300 yards rushing In a game. Mars Hill was only able to manage 40 yards rushing and 86 yards through the air. Western dominated the game In terms of time of possession with nearly an eleven minute advantage. The Catamounts struggled early, getting only two Kirk Roach field goals before an 11 - play, 94-yard drive early in the Twenty-Nine Straight Senior wide receiver Vincent Nowell. has caught at least one pas* In 29 consecutive names «' 'all-time list for his position. Newel! is seventh-best on the Catamounts' second period set the tone for the rest of the evening. On that drive, Jackson rushed four times for 57 yards. Including a 40 yard burst. He also ended the drive, scoring the Catamounts first of five touchdowns on a two-yard plunge, A Roach conversion made It 13-0 and the Catamounts never looked back. see MARS HILL next page 111 Tidings on the Home Front One Week and Two Setbacks for WCU Fall and Winter Athletics Showers "Breaks Team Rules," Is Suspended Floyd Showers, a starter on Western Carolina's basketball teams forthe past two seasons, has been suspended from the team for the remainder .of the current semester. Steve Cottrell, WCU's head basketball coach, said the suspension was for" a violation of team rules.' The suspension wlfl cover the first six games on Western's 1987-83 schedule.Showers will be eligible to return to the team for the last 21 regular season games beginning with the Jan. 2 contest against Campbell University, according to Cottrell. Showers, a junior from Youngstown. Ohio, started in 39 games over the pasttwo seasons at the shooting guard position. He averaged 10.6 points per gameln the 1985-86 season and was named to the Southern conference all- see SHOWERS, next page Floyd Showers: Suspended Cottrell Injury Leaves Freshmen Vying For QB Spot "At first. I couldn't I shake him," Todd Cottrell said J of the Mars Hill defender who eventually put him out for the:' season. *| thought I could. I probably should have gone down easy." v Instead. Cottrell was slammed to the artificial turf of Bob Waters Field with 4 minutes and 29 seconds left In the first half of the Catamounts' 41-0 victory Saturday night, and he was helped off the field. "(heard something pop." Cottrell said. "It was a kind of a tingling feeling. Then ! couldn't get off the ground. I thought I had just turned the ankle over, sprained It' Cottrell was taken to the dressing room and spent the second half on the side- see FRESHMEN, nexi page Perennial l-AA Power N.C. A&T to Visit Cullowhee By CHRIS GEIS Sports Editor If you're interested in finding out how Western Carolina will adjust to life without Todd Cottrell. check back In about 10 days. By that time, we should know exactly how good the Catamounts can be without their quarterback, for the next two dates on the Catamounts' schedule are filled with two very good l-AA football teams. The Catamounts get their first test with freshman quarterback Mark Smith at the helm this Saturday afternoon when they host North Carolina A&T State In Whitmire Stadium. Klckoff time Is 1 o'clock. The following week will see Georgia Southern, the two-time defending national champion, visit Cullowhee. "We've never had to depend on a true freshman to start at quarterback sine I've been here," said Western Carolina coach Bob Waters. But, he said. In reference to Smith and another freshman quarterback, Mike Thomas, "We don't have any plans to change our offense for our freshmen. We recruited them because we thought they could run our offense." The Catamounts (3-2), ranked 12th in this week's l-AA poll, have never met A&T, a sister state Institution from Greensboro, In football. The Aggies (3-2) won the Mid-Eastern Athletics Conference championship last year but were dispatched in the first round of the l-AA playoffs by Georgia Southern, 52-21. They finished 9- 3. They are not unfamiliar with Southern Conference opposition, however. In their final regular season game last year, they were beaten by Appalachian State, 55-9, after a flurry of turnovers piled up on them early. Waters says A&T Is a dangerous team. "North Carolina A&T has a lot of talented football players," he said. "They have players that we label 'big-play people.' They had a lot of success last season and appear to be headed In that same direction this season after a slow start." The Aggies' top performer is senior quarter- see A&T next page Lady Cats Fall to Akron Zips, Top Marshall Face Key Conference Matchups This Week Sports Information Release Western Carolina University's women's volleyball team split two road games last weekend to push Its record to 11-8 overall and 3-1 in Southern Conference play. The Lady Cats defeated Marshall University In Huntington, W. Va. , for their third conference victory of the year, but then dropped a four-game match to the University of Akron, giving them their eighth loss for the season. The Lady Cats, after winning only one match in their first seven contests, have now won 10 of their last 12 matches. This week Western was looking to move up in the conference standings and extend a 19-match home court winning streak as they faced two conference foes at home. On Tuesday, the Lady Cats took on league leader East Tennessee State. The Lady Bucs had an unblemished 6-0 conference record going In and already handed the Lady Cats an early season loss. East Tennessee State defeated Western Carolina three games to one in a Sept. 8 match-up in Johnson City, Tenn. On Thursday, Western was to face Furman University in another key conference contest. The Lady Paladins are currently 5-1 in conference play. WCU and Furman have met two times already this season In the UNC Charlotte Invitational Tournament. Furman defeated Western in pool play of the tournament, but Western claimed a victory in the rematch which earned Western the tournament championship. WCU will be on the road again next week as it will travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. on Monday to take on conference opponent UT- Chattanooga, and will face Georgia State University Tuesday in Atlanta. The Lady Cats will return home Friday, Oct. 23, to face Davidson College In a 7 p.m. contest. Two Time National Champs Loom on the Western Horizon Georgia Southern is the Team to Beat Geno Segers and Wayne Parker prepare to lay the lick on a Clemson ballcarrier. Far too few hits were made on that rainy Labor Day, but since then the Cats have been tough to penetrate, and have won three of four games. ■ file photo National l-AA Football Poll By CHRIS GEIS Sports Editor Quick, can you name the team that has won more college football games over the last three seasons than any other team In the country? The answer Is Georgia Southern, Western Carolina's Oct. 24 homecoming opponent. The Eagles have posted 13-2 seasons each of the last two years en route to winning back-to-back Division l-AA national championships. The Eagles are a little off this year. Heading into this Saturday's game at Northeast Louisiana, they are 4-2, with 17-14 losses to Florida A&M and East Carolina. They defeated Bethune- Cookman, 14-13, last Saturday night in the 1. Holy Cross (5-0) 2. North Texas State (5-1) 3. APPALACHIAN STATE (3-2) 4. Eastern Kentucky (4-1) 5. Jackson State (4-0-1) 6. (tie) James Madison (4-1) Northeast Louisiana <4-1) 8. Georgia Southern (4-2} 9. Western Illinois (5-1) 10. New Hampshire (3-1) 11. Nevada-Reno(3-2) 12. WESTERN CAROLINA (3-2) 13. Weber State (4-1) 14. Western Kentucky (3-2) 15. NichoHs State (4-1-1) 16. Delaware State (3-1) 17. Southern (4-1) 18. Northern Iowa (3-3) 19. Boise State (4-1) 20. Middle Tennessee State Gator Bowl, and are ranked eighth In this week's l-AA poll. For Georgia Southern, that should be only eighth. You see, the Eagles have put together the dominant I- AA program in the country over the last couple of years. "Home of Champions," the cover of their football media guide says. En route to their national titles, they went 26-4 In 1985 and 1986. Last year, they only lost to Florida, 38-14, and East Carolina, 35-33. And as they repeated their title performance last year, they scored over 35 points nine times; In four playoff games, they scored 52,55, 48 and 48 points, the latter against powerful Arkansas State in a 48-21 championship game victory. Their offense rolled up an average of 501 yards per game. Probably their most impressive performance was in the 1985 championship game. Down by 28-6 to Furman in the third quarter, they won, 44-42. They've had five all- America players over the last two years, including quarterback Tracy Ham, he of the "Hambone" offense, who was named the national offensive player of the year last season by Football News. They currently have five players in the National Football League and Ham in the Canadian Football League. And only six years ago they didn't even have a football team. The program had been dormant for four see SOUTHERN next page

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: 1987-10-15
  • Date digitized: 2019-04-11
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 15"
  • Pages: 12 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_1987-10-15_Vol53_No10
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library