Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 9

"fMattoon (III) Journal Gazette Tuesday, August 15, 1995 Mantle funeral today B2 Penn St. thrives B3 Cards lose B4 Panther defense has a Price Cleveland steamrolls Chicag I if I (V I if, By BRIAN NIELSEN StaffWriter CHARLESTON No longer does Curtis Price need to be a nearby product to get media requests. Before playing one down for Eastern's football team, Price was interviewed as a freshman on media day because he was one of four Mattoon graduates on the roster. "It seems just yesterday Willie (High) and my brother (Kyle Price) and Jamie Pilson and I were here," Price said. "I still have that picture on my wall.

It reminds me of how quickly time passes." During that time Price has gone from a redshirt freshman and sideline stander to one of Eastern's defensive leaders. While High the other remaining Mattoon player from that foursome is the Panthers' marquee player, Price is starting to rate some spotlight, too. The thing is he's so versatile," EIU defensive coordinator John Smith said. "He's been starting at end and we're talking about moving him inside (to tackle). "He's going to have to play both." At one spot or the other, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound Price will carry plenty of responsibility.

"I hope he's ah all-conference player," Smith said. "He's active and quick. He's still a little light but he makes up for it with win the conference championship," he said. "I believe we have the guys who can do it. "People have said we don't have experience on the defensive line but guys like Kevin Ellison and Brian McGavock have played in earlier years so we have some experience." Without a Gateway championship so far, Price has some good feelings about Eastern football.

"Since Fve been here I feel I've improved a lot not only as a football player but as a person," he said. "These have probably been the best four or five years of my life." Eastern has been glad to have him. "He gives such a great effort playing," Smith said, "and he's a great kid, great to be around." And Price is not quite through with football or school yet. He plans to get his master's degree in math after graduation. While doing so he might look into serving as a graduate assistant coach to pass along some football advice.

"Coaching would be something I'd be interested in right now," Price said. Tm not sure I'd like to do for a career but there are a lot of coaches I admire like Larry Kane in high school and (former defensive line coach) Randy Melvin here. I have a lot of respect for them and would like to help someone the way those guys helped me." SO- CLEVEIAND(AP) EricZeier made the move to prime time without a hitch. The Cleveland rookie filled in brilliantly for ailing VinnyTes- taverde Monday night, directing the Browns during a 35-point first half as they routed the sloppy Chicago Bears 55-13. A third-round pick out of Geor-: gia, Zeier completed his last 13 passes while working against the Bears' No.

1 defense, affirming the excellent work he had done in the fourth quarter a week earlier against the bottom half of the New York Giants' depth chart Zeier completed 14-of-16 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown against the Bears. He also scram-j bled 7 yards for a score. In two games, he is 22-of-27 for 277 yards and three touchdowns two by air, one by land without an interception, for a quarterback rat-; ing of 134.1. Although Testaverde is en-' trenched as the inroads in the competition with free-agent pickup Jim McMahon for the backup job. Tm not sure.

I dont make those "My goal here is to get better every time I step on the field, and hopefully things will take care of themselves. Whatever role I'm in, the Nal objective is for this team to win football games." Lorenzo White and Ricky Pow-' ers each ran for two Cleveland touchdowns, White in the first half i and Powers in the second. The 55 points, which included a 29-point second quarter, were the serond-most ever for the BrownsQ-' 4) in an exhibition game, surpassed only by a 563oint game against the Los Angeles Rams in 1964. Cleveland outgained Chicago I Bears running back Lewis Tillman (27) is wrapped up by Cleveland's Pepper Johnson (52) and Mike Caldwell (56). 0 AP Photo lot to improve on.

The defense (in the NFL) is a lot faster, the holes dose up a lot, lot quicker and you don't have much time to dance around in the backfield. You've got to bit it and go Tes taverde, hospitalized since early last week because of an infection in his leg, was due to get out Tuesday. McMahon, signed by the Browns last week, did not play; Tom Tupa and Brad Goebel quarter-backed Qevelandmthe second half to heat or another last week and coach Rich Brooks, who thinks the adverse conditions will help whip the Rams into shape, finally said enough. "Loss of fluids is one thing, but when you have to check into the hospital and the emergency room with severe cramps, there's just no sense in it," Brooks said. "I just don't want to put anybody in the situation we were in last week." Myerscough par for summer Rams surrender 401yardsto226.

The Bears' string of six straight exhibition victories ended, although there was one glimmer of hope: Rookie first-round pick Rashaan Salaam, the Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado, saw his first action and rushed for 60 yards on 14 second-half carries. "Hopefully I can do some of the things I did tonight against a first-team defense instead of a third team," Salaam said. Tve still got a through a half-hour walk-through Monday morning, when it was already 90 degrees with 60-percent humidity. "When you have 15-20 guys in there after practice getting IVs, you have to do something." A heat advisory was issued for St Louis and St. Louis County Monday, with the temperature expected to rise to 97 degrees.

At least a half-dozen players had to be administered fluids at one time ireadly 1 Curtis Price tremendous quickness." A second-team Gateway Conference All-Academic defensive end last year, Price is not emphasizing individual recognition as a major goal. The math major with a 3.16 grade point average does not talk about numbers when it comes to sacks or tackles. "I'm not too big into my own personal things," Price said. "If I don't have a sack or a tackle all year and we win that's fine with me." Price's goals for his team, however, are high. "Since this will be Eastern's last year in the Gateway and it's my last year playing, I'd like to week with the Illinois State Junior championship.

She topped a field of 78 for the overall title of girls ages 14-18 at Normal after earlier qualifying for the Unites States Golf Association Junior nationals. Tournament travels took up a combined month of the summer, Myerscough estimated. Her father Jerry has 38,000 miles on a van bought last year and none of those were used for a tourney at Florida when they flew. But the hectic pace is something Myerscough said she wants and enjoys. Sure, maybe when she becomes 16 in March and gets her drivers license she might spend some time being your typical teen-ager with car keys.

But Myerscough figures that might only give her more chances to hit the country clubs at either (lV .1. I AP Photo But Areola's strength is on the line, where several All Conference players will return for another season. Senior tackle Junior Gauna was a first team little Okaw selection fltoir secoimdl yeair wMa ST. LOUIS CAP) When the St. Louis Rams cried uncle and moved Monday's practice to 7 pm.

due to sweltering heat, nobody cheered louder than tight end Troy Drayton. Drayton collapsed of heat exhaustion last week and missed Saturday's 27-22 exhibition loss at Oakland. "I think hfsgood news for everybody," Drayton said after sweating JRSdeirs BYTODDESCHMAN Sports Writer ARCOLA Joe Marks met disappointment when he was hoping for a little hick. Marks stepped into the shadows of Areola legendary football coach Steve Thomas when he took over the reigns of the perennial Class 1A powerhouse a year ago. And for the first time in what eemed to be an eternity, the Pwv ple Riders did not make the play- ri By BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor CHARLESTON.

Twelve summer tournaments included trips to Florida, Kentucky and Massachusetts for Laura Myerscough. Any day without competition almost always meant practicing golf for Charleston's 15-year-old. "Except when I went to San Antonio with my Lutheran group Myerscough said: "You can't take your golf clubs on that trip. But then late at night I'd still be doing golf movements in front of the mirror because I didn't want to lose anything. "If I miss a day of practice I feel guilty." So while Charleston High School golf practice began Monday, this is anything but the start of golf season for Myerscough who capped a full summer season last 0 rj han returns to the backfield, this time as a fullback.

Junior Van Tripp is the probable starter at the tailback position, and Matt Ven-haus will split time between flanker and tailback. fit Charleston or Mattoon, both of which she is a member. "Actually, I think it will be better to have my license so I won't have to wait for my dad to take me out to play," Myerscough said. Nope, this kid does not sound close to being tired of fairways and greens. "A lot of people ask me if I get burned out," Myerscough said.

"I never really get burned out IfFm having a bad day Til look like I'm burned But I enjoy it too much to ever get burned out from it" The summer did include some bad days, but a lowpoint may have actually provided the impetus for more recent success. The trip to Florida was not all Myerscough had wanted as she finished 49th in a field of 68 qualifiers at the Optimist Junior Golf Continued on B4 Marks last season. Hell anchor a line which also welcomes back second team guard Jeremy Shonkwiler and second team center Casey Conlin. Senior John Vandeveer is the tentative starter at right guard and Tony Douglas is penciled in at the other tackle. John Foran, Alan Lathrop and Adam Whitson will compete for time at the tight end position.

"We've only been in pads for two days, so nothing is etched in stone," Marks said "The thing is, with our lack of depth in some positions, well have to be moving guys all around. Our fullback may also be ourNo.2guardandNo.2tightend. There really is no way of saying for sure who will be starting where. "We're going to find the 11 guys who like to hit and those will be the guys we put on the field Offensively, Marks has taken an "if it aint broke, dont fix it," approach. Ifll be another fall of ball control in Areola.

The Purple Riders will run mostly out of an formation, passing tile ball about 10 percent of the time. "It'sthe same thing they've been doing here for 35 years," Marks said. It's really no secret In fart, ask any coach in the area and they'll tell you exactly what we're going to do." Defensively, Areola will switch between a 4-3 and 4-4 alignment depending on the situation and available personnel, Marks said. "I like the 4-4 because it leaves a little more open for us substitution-wise, but the 4-3 seems to fit our personnel a little better," he said. Up front the probable starters will be Conlin, Shonkwiler, Douglas and Vandeveer.

Foran, Monahan, Lathrop and Whitson make up the projected linebacking crew. Tripp and Venhaus will be in the secondary and may be joined by freshman Kolin Peterson. At some problems we would have to As for the starting 11, Marks is completely satisfied. Senior Barry Pullen will return at quarterback and Kevin Mona Areola head football coach Joe Maries welcomes 1 4 seniors to the 1 995 version of the Purple Riders team. The are, kneeling from left to right, Alan Lathrop, Jake Grant, Barry Pullen, Van Tripp, Jeremy Shonkwiler, Matt Venhaus, Casey Conlin.

Standing are Matt Murphy, Tony Douglas, Kevin Monahan, John Foran, Tony Gauna, John Vandeveer, and Valente Garcia. Not that it was any of Marks' fault After au, Areola won its last four games in a row to finish the season 6-3, which is usually good lencAighforaStoteplayoffljerth. "After we beat Casey, the phone was ringing off the hook with peo- pie wanted to know when the seed-; irigs were coming out," said Marks. "As it turned out, we didn't make the playoffs at all. Thirty-eight I playoff points weren't enough last year." But entering his second season at the Purple Rider's helm, Marks isn't sweatingit Because he knows he has two things on his side tradition and experience.

"Part of the Areola football tradition is that the playerB know that success in the fall means preparation during the summer months," he said. The guys showed up for the first day of practice in really good think we should put a pretty good football team on the field." Gone is fullback Brian Ozee, who led the team with 100 yards rushing last season. But Marks welcomes back 14 lettermen in-cluding nine starters. His kme concern, as the Purple Riders approach their Aug. 25 Areola has just two playera in its junior class.

"Every once inawhue, you have Aug. 25 at Columbia (12-21) Tony Douglas 5-11 235 BrtanHoK 5-6 185 Ken Douglas 5-1 130 SepLI at Oakland (484) John Foran 6-1 175 TE Cory Logan 5-7 135 OB Travts Drake 5-7 122 SepLS SHELBYVILLE (28-6) Valente Garcia 5-10 240 RyanMcNamar 5-6 185 Harry Gauna 6-2 Sept 15 ARTHUR (24-8) Junior Gauna 6-2 270 SophomonM WiBy Hudson 5-7 152 Sept 22 CERRO GORDO (12-35) Jacob Grant 5-10 150 Dustin Baker 5-11 190 OL HeathMadlem 5-2 122 Sept 29 at Tuscola (0-8) Alan Lathrop 6-0 165 TE Willie Manna 5-5 147 TB Adam Moves 5-3 150 Oct 6 VILLA GROVE (13-8) Kevin Monahan 6-3 180 FB Justin Miller 5-5 175 Kolin Peterson 6-0 170 Oct 13 atBement(27-12) Matt Murphy 5-8 222 Andy Petty 5-5 175 Brian Shoemake 5-4 120 Oct 20 CASEY (34-23) Barry Pullen 5-11 170 OB Brooks RarrJn 5-7 150 OB Justin Simpson 4-10 93 Jeremy Shonkwiler 190 Keith Stanley 5-6 168 OL Matt Stanley 60 165 ROSTER Van Tripp 5-10 165 TB AdamWhitson 6-1 165 FB JuanTravino 5-5 145 Nams Ht Wt Pos. JohnVandeveer 6-0 200 Freshmen Steve Wagoner 5-8 135 8tnkim Matt Venhaus 5-11 150 Curtis Conn 5-6 183 Craig Weech JohnConln 6-1 220 Juntos Mike Crist 5-6 124 JuanZendejas 5-7 156 a class like that I don't know if it's in the city water supply are what," Marks said. "We're just not very deep. I don't want to say an injury to one of our key players would be devastating, but it would cause.