Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 7, 1993, edition 1 / Page 12
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▼ / |Vn^Q| Bobcats Rushed Out of Chapel Hill L. Johnson Gains 147, C. Johnson Gains 144 in Win BY JOHN C. MANUEL SENIOR WRITER It was a rainy Labor Day weekend, and only 35,000 UNC football ticket-holders showed up for Saturday’s home opener against Ohio University. The Bobcats probably wish they had made other weekend plans, too. North Caro lina continued its ground assault of 1993, gaining 432 rushing yards and six Football UNC 44 Ohio 3 touchdowns en route to a 44-3 pasting of Ohio. UNC head coach Mack Brown prob ably put it best. “Unlike last year against Army and Navy (two non-conference also-rans which UNC struggled to beat, 22-9 and 28-14), One If By Land... Tar Heels Forget Air Attack for Rushing Game BY ADAM DAVIS ASSISTANT SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR If the Old North Church were stationed outside of Kenan Stadium rather than in Boston, there only would be a need for one lantern. The Tar Heels are definitely coming by land. This was supposed to be the year that, having lost Natrone Means, coach Mack Brown would open up the UNC offense. But as evidenced by the Tar Heels’ 432 yards rushing and 36 yards passing against Ohio U., the “Air Mack” attack is still taxiing down the runway. It’s just that the SHOOTING THE BULL S® 1 ' PP X -w tSS > ‘ Wtwmm , ■>*, . . SPECIAL TO THE DTH/JAMES JURKOVICH Kinston manager Dave Keller (left) reminisces with Durham's Leon Roberts after the final game at the DAP is cancelled. Volleyball Sweeps 3 State Foes in Opening Tourney BY MARC FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER The UNC volleyball team didn’t wait long to pull the welcome mat out from under the feet of the visiting teams compet ing in the UNC Volley Preview at Carmichael Auditorium this weekend. The Tar Heels won the two-day tourna- ment by virtue of their three match sweep of UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Asheville and UNC- Wilmington. The 49ers, Bull dogs and Seahawks all fin ished the round robin tourna- Volleyball UNC 3 UNC-Charlotte 1 UNC 3 UNC-Asheville 0 UNC 3 UNC-Wilmington...O ment with 1-2 records. Senior middle hitter Cindy Murray and junior outside hitter Katie Galloway repre sented UNC on the all-tournament team. WOMlirS SOCCER Page 9 And They're Off... UNC's record-breaking soccer squad started its quest for an eighth straight NCAA crown, blanking Maryland 7-0 Sunday. Senior Mia Hamm's first-half goal moved her into a tie atop the ACC career-goals-scored column. tonight the game was never in question.” The Tar Heels’ tailback combo of (Curtis) Johnson & (Leon) Johnson ran hither and thither o’er the Kenan Stadium turf. Leon took top honors this week, gain ing 147 yards on just 12 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Curtis Johnson, not to be outdone, gained 144 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. It was the first time UNC had two backs run for more than 140 yards since 1982, when Tyrone Anthony and Kelvin Bryant rushed for 179 and 142 yards against Wake Forest. UNC had three scoring runs of more than 50 yards, including one third-quarter score which epitomized the night for the Tar Heels: even when things went wrong, they went right. North Carolina led 24-0 with 11:57 left in the third when Mike Thomas replaced Jason Stanicek at quarterback. With the ballatUNC’s2B-yardline,Thomaspitched right to Leon Johnson, who picked one of the holes in the Bobcat defense and sprinted into the secondary. But Ohio wingback Brian Brison stripped Johnson of the ball, which flew into the air and into the waiting arms of Please See OHIO, Page 7 running game has been so good that Brown hasn’t needed to press the launch button. “We haven’t needed to pass,” Brown said. “We obviously have to continue to work on it, but we are very pleased with our running game, and if you can stop the run and run the ball, it gives you a chance to win every week.” UNC has had more than a chance, win ning its first two games 31 -9 and 44-3 while amassing 744 yards on the ground. Leading the way are tailbacks Leon Johnson and Curtis Johnson, who’ve rushed for 241 and 222 yards in the wins. This is one Johnson & Johnson product that cannot advertise “no more tears.” The UNC got off to a shaky start Friday night against UNC-C in the Tar Heels’ first home match of the season, dropping the first game of the best-of-five match 15-6. The Tar Heels didn’t lose another game the rest of the weekend, bouncing back to win three straight gajpes (15-7, 15-10, 15-11) against the 49ers~3-l. UNC head coach Joe Sagula attributed his team’s slow start to sloppy play and a lack of intensity. “We did not have the fire that we needed toplayonourhome court, and I think they turned that around just by that enthusiasm plus by their effort and their spirit, ” Sagula said. The Tar Heels had plenty of fire Satur day as they posted two 3-0 shutouts over UNC-A (16-14,15-5, 15-3) and UNC-W (15-6,15-11,15-6). The UNC offensive attack was sparked by the jump serve of junior outside hitter Colette Dingens, who had 11 service aces in nine games played. The intimidation factor of the speed on a jump serve can SPORTS TUESDAY (Tljp Daily (Tar UM npfei iter jfc, \ mfS mam y jgf jm DTCWDEBHE STENGEL UNC free safety Bracey Walker (27) wraps up Ohio's Lakarlos Townsend (8) and Carlton McClellan (83). UNC's defense stifled Ohio, holding it to a field goal. duo has left defenders crying for mercy. Leon Johnson had a particularly im pressive 62-yard touchdown against Ohio where he juked a Bobcat defender who had a clear shot at him. “I saw him coming down hard, and I was going to the sidelines pretty hard, so I kind of slowed up and gave him a little fake,” he said. “He fell for it, and I was cutting up the field—l slipped away from him, and I jumped behind Corey (Holliday), who made a good block.” Seeing his counterpart racing down the field made Curtis Johnson anxious to du plicate that feat, which he did with a 56- yard gallop in the fourth quarter. upset other teams, Sagula said Sagula was pleased to win the tourna ment, but added that there were other goals which his team accomplished this weekend. The Tar Heels wanted to play well at home and establish a home court advantage in Carmichael Auditorium, he said. The coach also used the tournament to evaluate his 13-player roster, which con sists of six freshmen. The freshmen need more playing experience, but Sagula says he’s happy with their progress. “They’re learning each match, they’re growing so much, some of them are just improving from just two weeks ago,” he said. “You can see them really develop ing.” The performance of the freshmen is creating competition at all of the positions. “We saw that we have a lot of depth, and I think that the freshmen are responding real well.” UNC’s lone senior, Murray, says the freshmen class is fitting into the program “I always want to play hard, and I want to have somebody compete with me,” he said. “I want to hang in there with them. I’m glad he kind of pushed me to keep running hard. That’s the whole key be tween two backs for one to push the other.” It’s been an amazing start for a sopho more (CJ) and a red-shirt freshman (LJ). But how do they compare to last year’s combo of Means and Randy Jordan? “I think very good but different in the style that Natrone was a big, physical guy that could carry the ball 35 times per game, and Randy was a speedster," Brown said. “These two guys are more alike. They both Moving at the Crack of the Bat Make the DAP Home to Young Players’ Dreams DURHAM Jim Coleman stands on the mud path along the third-base line and tests his reflexes. With each crack he moves a step to his left or his right. He doesn’t waste a second. That’s the problem with outfielders today, the 70-year-old center fielder will tell you. “Those guys don’t play like we used to play,” he says, shaking his head. “We played at the crack of the bat.” Coleman made his first visit to the Durham Athletic Park this weekend since he was cut from the 1947 Bulls. On Satur day, he watched as rain stopped the Bulls’ last game ever at the DAP in the bottom of the first inning. “This trip brought back a lot of memo ries,” the Norfolk, Va., resident says. He runs down a list of 1947 Bulls, pointing to their positions on the field. Turkey Tyson stretching his lanky arm at first. Mickey McPadden unloading a fastball. Manager Willie Duke barking from the dugout. Coleman isn’t part of the 1947 team nicely. “They’re vety eager to get going, they were just gung-ho all through pre season,” she said. “They want to work hard, they want to learn, and it’s going to pay off in the end.” Freshmen defensive specialist/outside hitter Ashley Powers said the weekend was a valuable learning experience for all the freshmen. “I think it went well, but I think it showed that we have a lot of work ahead of us, and that we can improve,” Powers said. The Tar Heels have another busy week end upcoming. North Carolina will host Purdue, Florida (ranked third in the nation last year) and Michigan starting Friday night. “This weekend is going to be probably one of the biggest weekends on our sched ule of the year,” Sagula said. “Not only is it home, but we’re playing three excellent teams. “It’s probably as big as any ACC week end for us for rankings in the South and for rankings nationally.” NFL Football Detroit 30 Green Bay 36 San Francisco 24 New Orleans. 33 Atlanta 13 L.A. _... 13 Houston 21 Cleveland 27 Miami jft^L^Rakier|...24 Dallas at Cincinnati 14 Indianap01i5...20 Denver 26 Buffalo 38 N.Y/Giantsl....26 N.Y. Jets 20 New England 14| Chicago |.|... 20 (I*f 1 Aril Kansas City.... 27 Philadelphia-. 23 San Dte|qf.... 18 Tampa Bay 3 Phoenix 12 have great speed if we get them inside, and we have to continue to work hard on the up-inside running game.” While Brown sees the tandem as simi lar, Curtis Johnson sees a difference. “That’s the whole key, two backs run ning differently,” he said. “My style is like Ricky Ervins, Walter Payton. His is like an Eric Dickerson-type runner. Eric Dickerson has finesse skills, good juking ability. I have the power-running skills.” Of course, as good as they’ve been, CJ and LJ are not yet perfect, as evidenced by Leon’s two fumbles against Ohio. Leon, a quarterback last season, said he just needs to get used to carrying the ball differently. picture, but he has his own spot in minor league lore. Asa pinch hitter, he went 2-for-3 in the same inning of a 35-8 Bulls win. That’s the day he was cut. “Willie Duke, he wanted it to be s STEVE POLITI FLAGRANT FOUL 100-0,” Coleman remembers. Not even 13 hits, five walks, five doubles and a triple in one inning sufficed for the crotchety former major leaguer. After the game, Coleman walked into the lockerroom and found Duke beating the rosin, so to speak, out a young Bulls relief pitcher. “I pulled Willie off the guy, ” Coleman says. Duke took a swing at him. “I ducked and hit him in the chin, out cold.” Later that night, a messenger delivered his pink slip at his home. Fans in Durham for years wondered what had happened to Jim Coleman. “No one knew what hap pened. I let the truth out yesterday after 46 years.” After he left Durham, Coleman trav eled to several teams, playing in the Red Sox farm system. He made it to the majors but sat the bench. UNC Sports Schedule for This Week Wed., Sept 8 - Men’s Soccer East Carolina - 7 p.m. Fri., Sept 10 - Men's Golf: at Colorado/ Fox Acres Invitational - Red Feather Lakes, Col. Women's Golf: Lady Tar Heel Golf Tournament. Women's Soccer Portland - Raleigh - noon Volleyball: Purdue - 7:30 p.m. Set, Sept. 11 - Men's Cross Country: Tar Heel Invitational—TßA. Women's Cross Country: Tar Heel Invitational - TBA Field Hockey: at Temple Invitational (UNC vs. Villanova) - at Philadelphia. Football: Maryland -1:30 p.m. Men's Golf: at CU/Fox Acres Invite. Women's Golf: Lady Tar Heel Tourney. Volleyball: Florida - noon, Michigan - 7:30 p.m. Sun* Sept. 12 - Field Hockey: at Temple Invite (Consol./Champ.) -11:30 am or 1:30 p.m. Women's Golf: Lady Tar Heel Invitational. Men' Soccer Clemson - 2 p.m. Women's Soccer George Washington at Raleigh. - 2 p.m. All events at Chapel Hill unless otherwise specified Tuesday, September 7,1993 “I’ve got to work on handling the ball, because I’m used to just faking the pass and just tucking it under and taking off,” he said. “But now I’ve got more people hitting me, so I’ve got to learn to keep it in front of me more, instead of swinging it out.” But even dropping the ball isn’t always a bad idea. After Leon’s first fumble, tight end Greg DeLong grabbed the bouncing pigskin and slowly but determinedly ran 53 yards for a touchdown. “I turned around, and I saw 85 just wigglin’ down the field, and he went in for the score,” a laughing LJ said. “I thought he was going to get caught, but DeLong showed a little speed.” The DAP remains Coleman’s Field of Dreams, just substitute the cornfields with burnt-out factories. He got his start shag ging flies in the DAP’s lopsided outfield and legging out infield hits with his wife looking on, cradling their 4-month-old son. His son died in a bike accident at age 15. Inhismemory, Coleman purchased a brick thatwillbearhis name and forever become part of the new $lO million ballpark just down the road. “You’re gonna have a beautiful ballpark, but I don’t want this to die,” he says. “I wanna see this become the heart of Little League baseball. Chapel Hill, Durham let them feel this is their Little League ballpark.” There are still no concrete plans for the DAP. Planners figure they’ll build the new stadium first and then figure out what to do with the old one. They say they’ll never tear down the DAP. But without baseball, the distinctly Durham landmark will die just like the rest of its surroundings. Heck, it’s already fall ing down. Some people want the park to host base ball tournaments. While that should fill the stands, one week of baseball a year won’t keep the park alive. Others have suggested semi-pro base ball. But no one will drive to the old park to Pase See DAP, Page 12
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