Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 6

6 Mattoon Journal Gazette Thuriiday, Nov. 1, 1973 Hosts Stephen Decatur Tln ill jf Tk fo "fiTh 150, Sr. carries. He barely mtesed Mack Morris' school record of Decatur leads in the all-time series with Mattoon 21-19. The Wave's victory in 1972 was its first over the Reds Since 1959.

The probable storting offensive lineups: Mattoon Left end Jon Spitz, 140, Jr. Left tackle Jim Burns, 190, Sr. quarterback Bob Paulos after Decatur's second touchdown to boost the Reds into a 14-0 lead. Paulos replaced Rick Moore at the key quarterback slot. Moore, the No.

6 ranking quarterback in the Big 12, was sidelined with an ankle injury. His status for Friday is unknown. Bess lists Stephen Decatur "a strong, physical team." He says, "They're a pretty good defensive ball club." Spearheading the guys tn Lincoln will give' the Green Wave a clear-cut crown. Fans at Gaines Field will be kept posted on the progress of the Lincoln-Danville clash. Lincoln has one more league game remaining after Danville.

The Railsplitters host Stephen Decatur next week and can gain a share of the title with two wins even if Mattoon enjoys success Friday. The Wave hosts Granite City North next week in its final game. Bess reports that his club is "willing and ready to go" against Stephen Decatur. "We're more healthy than we've been in a long time," he says. "Rick's (Moss) ankle is 100 per cent again and Jim Burns is in better shape after another week's work." Moss was slightly hobbled three weeks ago at Lincoln where Burns, a standout tackle, suffered a nasty gash Illinois.

They're shoo-ins for all-Big honors. They're responsible for-Mattoon's lofty first place position in Big 12 team scoring! The Green Wave has totaled 180, an average of 36 points-a-game against four conference foes. Champaign Central, a 44-28 victim of Mattoon's, is second in total points with 179 in four, games, but first in game average (44.71. In Stephen Decatur, Mattoon will, be facing the "surprise" team of the 1973 Big 12 season. The Reds, coached by former EIU assistant Frank Chizevsky were basement finishers in 1972.

They're currently 3-4-1 with the wins coming at the hands of Springfield Lanphier 26-6; Decatur Eisenhower 28-15 and Champaign Central 14-3. The losses were to Champaign Centennial 21-0; state-ranked Decatur MacArthur By JLM KIMBALL Sports Editor "Thesis kids were given Incentive by the Danville forfeit and they were given Incentive by the win' over Urbana. "But, the biggest incentive of all to do well comes when they play Stephen Decatur with a Big 12 Conference championship at stake," Mattoon grid -boss Bill Bess said in looking toward Friday's cruicial battle with the "Running Reds" on Gaines Field. Game time is 7:30 p.m. A Mattoon victory will assure the local club of a Big 12 title share its first since coach Chuck Oyler's Jim Proffitt-led team earned an outright crown in 1960.

Bess' guys currently lead with a 4-1 record. Lincoln is second at 3-1 followed by Stephen Decatur, 2-1-1. A Mattoon victory coupled with a Danville victory at 37-30; Danville 14-13 and Bloomington 27-20. The, 'Reds "and Springfield tied 14-14. Chizevsky lost the services of- six black players two weeks ago.

They walked out following a school protest involving a Homecoming queen contest. Four of the walkouts were starters, including the league's No. 2 pass-receiver Derail Despite these personnel losses the Reds managed to beat Champaign Central and led Bloomington 20-12 at halftime before fading in the second half. Stephen jPecatur is down to a 23-man squad. Included is 170-pounq junior end Rick Tate, son of former MHS all-state lineman and ex-Stephen Decatur coach Jim Tate.

Rick recovered a fumble last Friday on Bloomington's 28-yard line setting up a first quarter score. A two-way performer, Tate snared a PAT pass from Left guard Bill Wade, 180, Sr. Center Curt Devore, 195, Sr. Right guard Tom Ethington, 175, Sr. Right tackle Mark French, 178, Jr.

Right end Jerry Mintun, 155, Jr. Quarterback Rod Sink, 140, Jr. Left halfback Jim Lawrence, 205, Sr. Right halfback Mike On the By Jim Kimball recalls 1960 Big 12 title year JP5 f' it BIG 12's TOP RUSHER IN ACTION -t Mattoon's Rick picking up a portion of the 143 yards he gained on his nose which required five or six stitches and, forced him out of the Jineup for one game. Both are prominent figures in tht Mattoon scheme of things.

Moss leads the Big 12 in rushing with 921 yards (a sparkling 7.1 yards-per-carry average) and he's expected to go over the charmed 1,000 mark sometime during the first half Friday night. "The Rocket" is second in scoring with 74 points. Lincoln's pileSriving fullback Bill Yocius, like Moss a junior, leads with 76. Moss' talented running mate, left-halfback Jim Lawrence, a speedy 205-pounder, is second in Big 12 rushing with 730 yards. He needs only 270 yards in the final two games to reach 1,000.

It goes without saying, Moss and Lawrence form the best 1-2 running punch in the conference and downstate last Friday in the Green Wave's 22-14 win over Ur- teammate threw a key block on Urbana's Larry Algee to Merv Baker Hali of Fame three years ago. Waldrip has guided Cumberland to 335 wins and 175 losses during his 23 years at the Greenup-Toledo based school. He coached on a continious basis from 1946 through 1966 before stepping down. He returned in 1970 and is still at the helm. Cumberland reeled off eight consecutive E.

I. league regular season championships (1951-52 through 1958-591 at one time under Waldrip. During five years of that also 'taCketlVrf E.t. totrmev titles to "slam" league honors. The Pirates advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" in 1953-54 losing to Galesburg in their opening game.

A member of Ohio State and Illinois match! 4-0 conference records and share the Big Ten lead with Michigan. The Buckeyes are 6-0 and the lllini 5-2 for all giimes. "There's a lot of potential in this Illinois offense as Iowa (beaten 50-0) found out last week, Clausen said. It's a very, very mutiple, plicated, attack." com- Mervin Baker, Bill Waldrip Two nominated for honors Fullback Rick Moss, 160, Jr. S.

Decatur Left end Don Althoff, 170, Sr. Left tackle Joe Rainey, 195, Sr. Left guard Randy Bryant, 190, Sr. Center Scott Henderson, 165, Jr. Right guard Rockcy Brubaker, 200, Sr.

Right tackle Jim Anderson, 205, Jr. Right end Rick Tate, 170, Jr. Quarterback Bob Paulos 155, Jr. Left halfback Al Abbott, 165, Jr. Right halfback Joe Arganbright, 16S, Jr.

Fullback Brian Searfoss, 160, Jr. Game time: 7:30 p.m. Gaines Field. All-time series Stephen Decatur leads 21-19 in wins. hal i'i mm i TT1 I i mi Denny Burrell fast and talented," Burrell says.

Some tid-bits. about the 1960 season: and first game jitters gave Mattoon a shaky" but successful start on the path to glory in the 1960 football campaign Saturday as the Green Wave stunned University City High 13-0," according to the Journal Gazette. Tire trouble forced repairs shortly after the Green Wave bus left Mattoon at 8 a.m. The team did not arrive at St. Louis until 2 p.m.

for the kickoff. The game was delayed 30 minutes in starting so the Mattoon players could warm up Proffitt had 13 tackles in the 26-14 loss to Centralia. Art McGaskill. 170-pound fullback, rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns for Centralia. John Horn, 300-pound tackle, kicked off and wound up recovering a fumble and carrying it 20 yards in Mattoon's 25-0 win over Edwards County.

Dave Gribble. a 170-pound junior tackle, picked up an incomplete lateral on Mattoon's 20-yard line and raced 80 yards to score in the 26-13 win over Urbana. Proffitt snared four Selby passes for 125 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Proffitt averaged 11 1 yards-per-carry 15 carries, in the title-clinching win over Danville. Final 1960 Big 12 Conference standings: Team Won-lost GREEN WAVE 5-0-0 Champaign 4-1-0 Bloomington 4-1-0 S.

Decatur 2-2-1 Danville 2-30 Springfield 1-3-1 Urbana 1-4-0 Lincoln 0-5-0 Bill Bess, current Wave coach, was at Rloomington in 1960. "I remember we played Lincoln the final game and if we had won and Danville had beaten Mattoon we could have won the title. Someone had a radio on our sidelines keeping us posted but we lost 7-6 and of course Mattoon won Bloomington. under Bess, went on to win the championship in 1961 and again in 63. the trenches is nose warn.

Rocky Brubaker, a 200-poundv senior. "Abbott (165-pound junior) is a good runner and passer," Bess notes. Abbott ranks fifth in Big 12 rushing with a 4.5 average and 10th in scoring with 36 points. Mattoon handed the Reds a 24-12 loss last season. Jim Lawrence led the Wave assault with a 232-yard rushing performance off 26 Denny Burrell If Mattoon can beat Stephen Decatur Friday on Gaines Field it will be the Green Wave's first Big 12 Conference football championship since 1960.

Thirteen years ago, coach Chuck Oyler guided the local outfit to a perfect 5-0 loop mark and 7-2 overall showing. The losses came at the hands of Centralia, 26-14, and Lincoln of East St. Louis. 45-14, in the second and seventh games of the season. The conference wins came at the expense of: Sept.

Champaign Central 0. Oct. 14 MHS 21, Lincoln 13. Oct. 21 MHS 26, Springfield 0.

Nov. 4 MHS 26, Urbana 13. Nov. 10 MHS 21, Danville 14. The Wave topped University City High of St.

Louis 13-0 and Edwards County of Albion 25-0 in non-conference action to account for wins six and seven. The 1960 Wave team featured good size and an all-state halfback in Jim Proffitt. who starred later at Northwestern University. Denny Burrell. commercial manager at the Illinois Consolidated Telephone Co.

in Mattoon. a standout fullback on the team, recalled some of Proffitt's gridiron exploits, gridiron exploits. "He (Proffitt) was a great one," Burrell said. "He had real good speed (under 9.5 in the 100), strength and was elusive. "I'll never forget the long punt he returned for a touchdown against Champaign.

It was something else," Burrell said. According to the Journal Gazette account of that 68-yard return, "With 9:08 left in the first half. Jim Proffitt gathered a punt in on the MHS 32. "He reversed his field, couldn't find a blocker and was chased back to his own goal-line. He reversed his field again, picked up two key blocks and raced all the way for a touchdown." Burrell said, "I remember ten good hard blocks being Proffitt also came through with another unforgettable touchdown in the final game against Danville.

It provided the winning points in a 21-14 victory and assured MHS of a title. According to the Journal Gazette, "The Green Wave came storming back to score with 2:58 left in the game to down a stubborn Danville eleven 21-14. "The Vikings tied the score (14-14) on a 35-yard pass late in the game before Jim Proffitt broke off tackle on the first play for 61 yards to regain MHS the lead." Proffitt. now coaching at Gordon Tech High School in Chicago, finished with 15 season touchdowns (school record), including an punt return against Lincoln and a 94-yard kickoff return against Lincoln of East St. uHimuiMiimflnuun Parents to be honored af Friday's game Parents of the Mattoon High School football players, managers and cheerleaders will be honored at Friday's Green Wave-Stephen Decatur game on Gaines Field.

"The parents will meet on the track at the northeast end of the football field between 7 and 7:20 p.m.," MHS athletic director Kermit a 0 reveals. "Approximately 10 minutes before game time they will be asked to line up on the west side of the football field. "The players, managers and cheerleaders will then be individually introduced and join his or her parents. After the introductions, the parents will return to their seats in the stands," Radloff added. Hot coffee and cake will be served to the parents in the the game.

Wave over S. Decatur By JIM KIMBALL JG Sports Editor Following are predictions for this weekend's prep football games in the Big 12, Apollo, Little lllini and Okaw Valley Conferences: Big 12 Mattoon over Stephen Decatur; Danville over Lincoln; Urbana over Bloomington; Champaign Central over Springfield. Apollo Newton over Charleston; Robinson over Mount Zion; Paris over Decatur Lakeview. Little lllini Casey over Martinsville; Oblong over Cumberland; Marshall over Palestine. Okaw Valley Tuscola over Areola; Monti 1 1 over Warrensburg Latham; Tolono Unity over St.

Joseph-Ogden: St. Teresa over Sullivan. v' Last week's results: 9 right: 5 wrong. Percentage: .643. Overall results after 8 weeks: 100 right; 41 wrong.

Percentage: .709. gffiiuiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihiiiiiiiiuiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilililllliliiiliiii MHS fall sports banquet slated for Nov. 12 The- .1973 High School Fan Sports Bamjuet wiU be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12.

in the Jefferson Junior High School cafeteria, it was announced today by athletic director Kermit Radloff. A pot-luck carry-in supper is planned. "The same format will be used this year as in the past," Radloff said. "Athletic teams, parents and fans together for the will be I banquet portion of the program "For the presentation of individual varsity letters and awards, the group will divide, with various teams (football, cross country, girls tennis) holding their own. award meetings." Sports fans and parents are invited to attend.

Those attending should bring a meat dish, one side dish and table according to Radloff. I By JIM KIMBALL JG Sports Editor Ex-Charleston coach Merv Baker along with Cumberland's Bill Waldrip and veteran Paris sportswriter Bud Wittick have been nominated as prospective members of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The announcement was made today by Mattoon cage coach Bob Avery, a member of the Hall of Fame screening committee to help select new members. "Their names will be submitted to a 22-man board who will vote via secret ballot to determine if they're accepted or not," Averj' said. The voting is expected later this month.

Olney coach Ron Herrin along with Joe Gubbins of Kankakee Eastridge serves on the screening committee with Avery. Baker, who has served as the school's athletic director since 1970. appears a shoo-in on the strength of his outstanding 535-221 record over a 27-year coaching career which spans four schools Findlay, Bradley, Dupo and Charleston. "Five-hundred victories almost assures a coach of a Kpla Avery says. It will mark the second similar honor for Baker if he's accepted.

He was inducted into the Illinois Amateur Softball Association helo soring the elusive Moss loose. Moss, a junior, in rushing with 921 yards (7.1 yards-per-carry average). 9 "i 11 i ,1 i Bill Waldrip that team was Terry Strain, now. a prominent Mattoon resident. Wittick is the dean of sports-writers in east-central Illinois.

The kindly gentleman, confined to a wheelchair, has covered the Paris Tiger sports scene since 1943. Ed Jennison. Paris Beacon- News publisher, says of Wittick: "Bud has demonstrated a remarkable ability to inspire the confidence and respect of succeeding generations of high school athletes. 4 "Wherever the sports action Is from the community standpoint you will find Bud Wittick always gracious, always knowledgeable but always loyal to the home team." ours: Hayes let it go at that," Hayes said. "This game is a real test," he continued.

"It's the first an- donlv game on natural sod fod us this season. Illinois has and ite ftftnc, X. Kea up considerablv week." Hayes said his learn came out of a 60-0 victory over Northwestern in pood shanp nhv.i- ar ir -1 at. rj AEh. t.ili&i-i& ') Jim Proffitt Louis.

fS" He wasn't the whole show. Burrell was a talented hard-driving fullback along with being a fine punter. Bill Selby was a standout quarterback who threw a touchdowT, pass as a freshman, according to Burrell. "Mattoon had a bunch of sickness one game and Selby got in the game. I remerfiber a newspaperman wrote "he has ice water in his veins." Larry Franks, presently in residency at Chicago studying to be a ncuro-surgeon, was a 205-pound halfback-end who wound up playing regularly at Northwestern.

The defensive line averaged more than 185 pounds and was spearheaded by end Paul Hilgenberg. older brother of Jim Hilgenberg (a member of the current Wave team), Jim Ohm, John Horn, Jim Wells, Joe Branson, Mike Conville, Dave Gribble and Jim Johnson. Jim Handley was another standout. He alternated between end and halfback and also kicked the extra points. The Wave team had more than its share of injuries that season, but didn't let them stall its championship drive.

Hilgenberg suffered a cracked collarbone in the fourth game: Franks missed three games with pulled ligaments in a knee and Ohm sustained a shoulder separation. "We didn't go into the season necessarily thinking Burrell remembers. "It just sort of developed as we went along. "Proffitt. Selby and myself played op the 1958 championship team and it carried over into 1960." Burrell feels this year's Wave team is much like the 1960 group.

"The desire and enthusiasm are the same. They seem to be pulling together which is what we did." In another comparison. Burrell said, "Jim Lawrence (205-pound Wave fullback, reminds me a great deal of Franks. "Franks, about the same size as Lawrence but not as fast, didn't always need a hole to run through. He could make his own and still make three or four yards a crack.

"Rick Moss and Proffitt come out of the same mold Hp'11 trv tn pn nvpr thp -mark- Friday irk Friday icafur. (JG photo) Wednesday's sports in brief NEW YORK Oakland A's owner Charles O. Finley was placed on probation by Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for "conduct not in the best interests of baseball" during the 1973 World Series. PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Pirates traded reserve catcher Milt May to the Houston Astros for left-handed pitcher Jerry Reuss. SAN DIEGO (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers, who didn't want John Unitas in 1955.

sav they still don't want him. Thp San Charffprs who bought Unitas from Baltimore for $150,000 this year and signed him to a two-year contract reportedly worth $250,000 a season, offered the 40-year-old quarterback to the Steelers this week. The Steelers, who originally drafted Unitas in 1955 but released him before the season, replied, "we're not interested," a tsDurgn spoKesman said Wednesday. i Trojans, Eagles to roast 160 I foot hot dog NEWTON, 111. (AP) After football game between Newton and Charleston Friday I night, the two high --school teams will participate in roast' ing a sausage the promoters call the world's longest hot dog." A spokesman for the United Church of Christ, sponsors of the event they call the Fifth I Quarter, said Tuesday that the hot dog Is )60 feet long and will 'be made by a meat packing conspany in Indianapolis "Linebacker Mike Kolen of the Miami Dolphins is sending a yearLs Super Bo be shown at the Fifth Quar- ter.

the spokesman said. After last Friday's game the I teams helped eat what was termed the world's longest banana split 6 feet long. NBA Wednesday's Games Boston 128, Cleveland 110 New York 102, Houston 91 Detroit 114, Seattle 107 inois offense similiar to COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) It will be like looking in a mirror for top-ranked Ohio State when it visits Illinois Saturday in a showdown of Big Ten football co-leaders. "Tlu-. guts of the Illinois offense is very similar to ours," said Buckeye assistant coach Chuck Clausen, charged with scouting the lllini attack.

"They run their fullback inside and use their tailback inside and on sweeps," said Clausen of Illinois' I formation offense. "They're out of the same mold as we are." Woody Hayes said little about cnnv Onlv deep back Neal Col-the lllini at his weekly news zie. tne "Buckeyes' Defensive conference Monday. Player of the Week, will miss "We expect a real tough, any practice. Colzie has a rough Big Ten game and we'll slight hip pointer..