• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-10-29_Vol53_No11_11

Sports The Western Carolinian Thursday, October 29 Georgia Southern Gives Western Catamounts Top Aggies l^v . , _. . . «*•**# SMITH SHINES IN DEBUT. NOWELL SCORES Tr- a Generic Thrashing, 37-16 fumble on the first play of the second half. The Catamounts took over at the Southern 19. Three plays later, Jon Reed was hit as he caught the ball at the 17, and it was fourth and eight. Roach converted on the field goal, but the Catamounts had lost the momentum. "We needed to score," said Smith. "We needed seven right there." Southern took charge and ran the option the rest of the day, rolling up 212 yard on the ground in the second half. Western fell to 4-3 with the loss, but remains on top of the Southern Conference going into the heart of its schedule. Western will be on the road this Saturday to take on The Citadel in Charleston, SC. Eagles Tally 358 Rushing Yards Against WCU's Injury-Shattered Defense Bob Waters Field Winning Streak Ends By STEVE ALMASY Sports Staff Georgia Southern and Penn State's football teams have several things in common. Both teams are defending national champions In their divisions. Both teams wear generic blue-and-white uniforms. And both teams have struggled so far this season. Georgia Southern came into Saturday's contest against Western Carolina In what wasa must win position for the Eagles. They had been beaten at Northeast Louisiana and were 4-3 on the year. Because Georgia Southern is not a member of a conference, their chances of getting an at-large bid to the national play-offs hinged on a victory on Bob Waters Field on the Catamounts homecoming. The Eagles came away with a big 37-16 victory as the Catamounts disappointed an overflow crowd of 13,460. The Catamounts struggled to find a rhythm all afternoon as the Eagles literally ran away with the game, 37-16. Eagle quarterback, Raymond Gross, along with slotbacks Ernest Thompson and Joe Ross, rushed for a combined 272 yards and five touchdowns. Georgia Southern gained 358 of its total 4446 yards on the ground. The Catamounts were able to move the ball through the air at times, managing 298 yards. However, the Catamount running attack was rendered ineffective as Western ended the afternoon with only 13 yards rushing. Quarterback Mark Smith spent a large portion of the afternoon searching for a place to run, but was sacked seven times, including four times in the second quarter. Georgia Southern scored first after an Anthony Bare punt gave the Eagles the ball at the Catamount 37. Gross, a freshman, gave Catamount defenders a great fake off the option then found himself behind a Western Carolina @ The Citadel Saturday, October 31st Johnson Hagood Stadium (22,500) The Citadel (2-5-0, 0-3-0) Western Carolina (4-3-0, 2-0-0) BY CHRIS GEIS SPORTS EDITOR It's a shame that fall break had to fall on the weekend of Western Carolina's noncon- ference football game against North Carolina A&T State. The students who weren't able to see the Oct. 17 game §■■■■■■■■ missed quite a treat from the two football teams and from the reknowned A&T band. Against the backdrop of a warm and colorful fall Saturday afternoon that one might pick out of a Southern Living magazine < NOWEtL spread, the Catamounts and the Aggies went up and down the field and combined for 811 yards of total offense. Volleyball football, one might have called it. The crowd-pleasing performance went well with the A&T band, which arrived late, danced its way into the seats and turned in a standing-O performance at halftime. Finally, though, the Catamounts rode the wings of a young hand and a veteran hand, and had some plain old "fun," as coach Bob Waters called It, to beat a talented A&T team, 55-34, at Whitmire Stadium. Freshman quarterback Mark Smith struggled early but turned In a sensational 16-for-22 passing effort, throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns on the day. Three of those touchdown see AGGIES next page NATIONAL l-AA POLL 1. Holy Cross (7-0) 2. Appalachian State (5-2) 3. Jackson State (6-0-1) 4. James Madison (6-1) 5. North Texas State (5-2) 6. New Hampshire (5-1) 7. Weber State (6-1) 8. Western Kentucky (5-2) 9. Northeast Louisiana (5-2) 10. Northern Iowa (4-3) 11. Delaware State (5-1) 12. Idaho (6-2) 13. Eastern Kentucky (5-2) 14. Georgia Southern (5-3) 15. Arkansas State (5-2) 16. Western Illinois (6-2) 17. Richmond (5-3) 18. WESTERN CAROLINA (4-3) 19. Northern Arizona (5-2) 20. (tie) Howard (5-1) Middle Tennessee State (4-2-1) I "It was a bad loss lor us what with the big crowd, homecoming, the rankings... -Coach Bob Waters yard field goal, a Gross 22-yard run, and a 4-yard Thompson carry. Western was only able to manage Kirk Roach field goals of 55, 35, and 54 yards before Smith led the Catamounts on a 6-play, 75 yard trek that ended with a Darryl Jackson 2-yard plunge with 2:14 to go in what had been a long homecoming day. It was a case of very little much too late. "We played sorry football," Coach Bob Waters said. "We played awful across the field, offense and defense." Western's afternoon was filled with opportunities they did not take advantage of. Perhaps the key chance came after Derrick Harrison, starting in the place of the injured Chris Spach, recovered a wall of blockers with a clear path to the end zone. With the Tim Foley conversion, it was 7-0 defending champs with 6:20 remaining In the opening period. Georgia Southern scored again in the second quarter on a Ross 33-yard run. Southern used the trio as Gross, Ross, and Thompson moved the ball 80 yards in 10 plays. They also got scores By Steve Almasy on a Foley 32 Sports Writer This pass play typified Western's loss last Saturday to Georgia Southern. Here, on a fourth quarter drive, Catamount tight end Jon Reed catches the ball, but is stopped just a few yards short of the end zone, ending the Cats' last major threat of the game. -Mark Haskett Photo WCU Tennis Classic Scheduled For This Weekend Entries are being accepted for this weekend's WCU Tennis Classic to be held at WCU. The tournament will be played this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct. 30, 31, and Nov. 1, on WCU's all-weather tennis courts below Reid Gymnasium. Proceeds from the entry fees will benefit WCU's intercollegiate men's and women's tennis programs. There will be three divisions of play - men's and women's open, men's and women's seniors (35 and over), and men's and women's B division. There will be singles and doubles competition in the open and senior divisions, but only singles play in the B division. To enter, or find information about the tournament, call Brice Bishop at 227-7332 or 293-3140. A Place Sane Catamounts Would Rather Not Be Western Carolina to Pocjjdn Charleston The Catamount Wounded SOUTHERN CONFERENCE UPDATE Appalachian State 3-0 5-2 Western Carolina 2-0 4-3 UT-Chattanooga Marshall 2-1 5-3 VMI I-2 3-4 furman 2-3 4-3 East Tennessee St. 2-3 3-3 Citadel 0-3 2-4 Davidson (ineligible for title) 1-7 Last Week's Results: Appalachian State 17, Tenn.-Chatt. 3 East Tennessee St. 24, Citadel 21 Marshall 42, VMI 7 Georgia Southern 3^, Western Carolina 17 Davidson 10, Wofford 0 This Week's Games: Appalachian State at East Tennessee St. Western Carolina at Citadel Davidson at Furman Marshall at Tenn.-Chattanooga VMI at William & Mary WCU has never won a Southern Conference football championship. The 1987 Catamounts looked headed toward a November 21 showdown with Appalachian State to determine this year's champion. However, injuries have hit the Catamounts hard and a loss to Georgia Southern on Homecoming has put Western in a familiar must win position this Saturday similar to the one Southern faced when it came to Cullowhee. This Saturday the Catamounts will travel to beautiful Charleston, SC to take of The Citadel in a 2 p.m. contest at Johnson Hagood Stadium, site of the 1983 and 1984 l-AA National Championship games The Catamounts come in with a 2-0 conference mark (4-3 overall) while the Bulldogs enter Saturday's contest with a 0-3 mark (2-5 overall) including a 24-21 loss at East Tennessee last week. However, the Bulldogs have lost those three conference games by a total of ten points and have a notorious history of giving the Catamounts trouble. The Citadel owns a 7-4 series lead and has won five of the last seven games. Last year the Catamounts trailed midway through the fourth quarter but managed to score 17 unanswered points to win 27-12. In that game Catamount tailbacks Milton Beck and David Mayfield combined for 198 yards while quarterback Willie Perkins passed for 164 more. The Catamounts defense limited the Bulldogs to 185 total yards and Billy Shepard and Charles Harrison had key interceptions. Injuries are a key as eight Catamounts are listed as being outfortheyear. Chris Spach is listed as possible for Saturday despite a fractured wrist while Scott Arant is listed as doubtful. Arant may become the ninth Catamount to be lost for theseason. The Citadel is led by quarterback Tommy Burris who directs the wishboneoffense. Already this season he hasaccounted for 1,040 The Citadel's running game appears to be as good or better than Georgia Southern's, and everyone knows how they ran through us last Saturday." —Coach Bob Waters yards total offense, 660 of those on the ground. "The Citadel's running game appears to be as good or better than Georgia Southern's," said coach Bob Waters, "and everyone knows how they ran through us last Saturday." Coach Charlie Taafe is in his first year at The Citadel after a six- year stint at Army as an assistant coach. His "Dogbone" offense comes into the game averaging 332 yards, 232 on the ground. The Bulldog defense is giving up 190 yards rushing, 152 yards passing per game. Considering the Injury factory and their previous lack of success against the Bulldogs, Western goes into the game season. But, as the Out for the year — Tailback David Mayfield, quarterback Todd Cottrell, inside linebacker Billy Shepard, outside linebacker Wayne Parker, kick returner Lee Shaw. Out indefinitely — Fullback David Jones, cor- nerback Kenny Peeples, defensive end Scott Arant, defensive tackle Chris Spach, All were starters. THE CITADEL SERIES: The Citadel Leads 7-4-0 1972: WCU 10, The Citadel 0 1977: The Citadel 20, WCU 0 1978: WCU 38, The Citadel 24 1979: The Citadel 21, WCU 19 1980: The Citadel 28, WCU 21 1981: The Citadel 12, WCU 3 1982: The Citadel 24, WCU 20 1983: WCU 44, The Citadel 17 1984: The Citadel 34, WCU 33 1985: The Citadel 10, WCU 3 198<>: WCU 27, The Citadel 12 youthful Catamounts step into starting roles, they will find that each week after will bring the same challenge. After freshman tailback Darryl Jackson turned In a big performanceagainst Mars Hill, another Western tailback, Carlton Terry.shown here, took his turn as the team's leading rusher against N.C. A&T, gaining 71 yards and this touchdown. . -Mark Haskett Photo

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: 1987-10-29
  • Date digitized: 2019-04-11
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 15"
  • Pages: 14 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_1987-10-29_Vol53_No11
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library