Newspapers / Black Ink (Black Student … / Sept. 15, 1978, edition 1 / Page 8
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Page 8 SPORTS Tarheel backfield to be more explosive this season By J AMKS AI.KXANDKR, JR. Sports F^ditor When you’re sitting (on the edge of your seat) in the stands at Kenan this season, don’t be surprised if you happen to notice the strange new talent that is abound in the Carolina backfield. Last season, it was Amos Lawrence alone who chalked up the big yardage for the Tarheels out of the much despised power I formation, and although he’s expected to do just as well (if not better), he’s also destined to receive plenty of fine help from a very capable and eager corps of runningbacks. P’or starters, Ken Mack, a 5-11 pound senior from Cary will t>e very much in the picture as he will man the starting left halfback slot alongside of I^wxence Mack was sparingly used in his past three seasons here at Carolina, and only carried the pigskin once last season. Nevertheless, he had a terrific spring practice and the coaching staff is tickled to death over his abilities as back. Ken is finally getting his big chance to prove that he is a capable per former, and if he gets carried away in doing so, the show may be renamed the “Famous Amos Show, featuring the Big Mack Attack”. Not only this, but the Tarheels will be displaying some very fine hidden talent in reserves Terrance Burrell, Walter Sturdivant and power stalwart Billy Johnson. Burrell, a junior, has been little used in the past, but when given the chance he proved that he could definitely play. He will undoubtedly present a formidable challenge to the starters for playing time and will be heavily relied upon as a reserve at the very least. Sophomore Sturdivant didn’t even get assigned to last season’s varsity squad, and therefore had to battle it ECU injury riddled, but may still be tough JKFF FAL LKNKR Sports Writer Pirate football has been on an upswing every since East Carolina l.niversity left the Southern Con ference. I^st year the Pirates downed ACC rivals N.(!. State and Duke whilr uoing on to complete an 8-3 season At the bi'ginning of this season .uu h Pat Dye had hoped to better that mark, but he didn’t know that his starting half back Kddie Hicks -»-nior! would get hurt in the op‘ning uame. He also didn't think that his letense. one that didn’t allow more than three touchdowns in one game out on the jayvee unit. He was a very pleasant surprise during spring drills also, and once again is a perfect example of the amount of talent that was hidden in the backfield. This season he will be the no. 2 man at the right halfback slot, behind Lawrence. It’s going to be a very fast season in the backfield, isn’t it? Speaking of Black quarterbacks in major college football (of which there are few), don’t look past Duke’s Mike Dunn, who was the Blue Devil’s main offensive weapon last season. He’s obviously the top signal caller in the ACC, and if he plays his cards right could become a prime candidate for indiviual honors as well as some type of All-American recognition. Every grid expert acknowledges Doug Williams’ ability as an NFL quarterback after some sparkling years as a collegiate quarterback with Grambling, but the experts need to take a closer look at Dunn who also shows professional promise. If he could receive some type of significant support from other members of Duke’s cast of supporting players, Dunn and his Devils could stick their pitch forks in a few other ACC team’s behinds. Watch—the top Black collegiate quarterback in the nation could be right here in the ACC. Along with the Dick Crum staff comes Cleveland Bryant, an assistant whose jurisdiction will be quar terbacks and wide receivers. Bryant was a star quarterback in his days at Ohio University, where he graduated in 1970. There he lead his team to two conference titles. Bryant is a native of Canton, Ohio and is the lone Black on the new staff. would stifle. Yet the Pirates, experts say, are an explosive team. They also say that ECU plays its best against ACC op ponents. Coach Dye’s team will have its chance to play its best when the Pirate’s take on State and then Carolina in back to back weekends. The Pirates will have to hope that their defense toughens with the dif ficult scheduli- they face this year and since their backfield is vulnerable they'll have to rely on their aerial Utack, in hopes that a receiving corps that was untaunted last year, but riddled by graduation this year, comes through. Amos I^wxence: Top backfield returnee and ACC Rookie-of-the-Year last season. UiSC athletics gain recognition for last season Sports Inforniatioii Office It all started with a football defense as unyielding as F:t>ene/er Scrogge. It ended with some sensational IH-rformances by a never-say-die crew of bi(sel)all players and a golf team that saved its best effort for last There was the 1977 78 athletic year for the University of North Carolina, and a most remarkable year it was' Carolina was the only school in the country to have a representative in a fx>st sea>'in footbiill bowl game, a post-sea.-'on liasketball tournament and the N'’AA Baseball Tournament In addition, the Tar Heel golf and tennis teaiiv also were invited to their respective NCAA championship tournani*nt.'' Thus, of the eight sports in which l omplete squads are invited to post ■ on play, five Carolina team.s were m action The football team, with the best scoring defense in the nation, won the Atlantic (bast Conference cham pionship and dropped a narrow 21-17 decision to Nebraska in the Liberty Bowl. Carolina’s basketball squad swept the ACC regular-season title but was beaten in the ACC Tournament by Wake Forest and in the NCAA Tournament by San Francisco. In his first year as head coach, Mike Roberts guided the baseball team to a national third-place finish with a series of stirring come-from-behind victories. The Tar Heels finished 38-17 and lost to national champion Southern California, 3-2 in the College World Series semi-finals. The golf team, which had its problems early in the season, played its finest golf of the year when it counted as the Tar Heels finished fifth at the N('.-\A Tournament. The tennis squad, which tied for the ACC Championship, was eliminated in the NCAA meet by national runner-up UCLA. Carolina won state AlAW women’s championships in field hockey, volleyball, gymnasitics and swim ming. In addition, the tennis team won the first women’s ACC Tour nament in history. On the national level, the Tar Heel swimmers finished eighth in the AIAW meet, while the golfers placed 10th in the national tournament. Carolina had an overall winning percentage of 72.3 in its 13 men’s sports and 68.8 in its 12 women’s sports. There were several individual stars as well. Carolina was the only school in the nation to have a consensus first- team All-America in football, basketball and baseball. Those players were defensive tackle Dee Hardison of Newton Grove, N.C., basketball Player-of-the-Year Phil Ford of Rocky Mount, N.C.; and pitcher Greg Norris of Whiteville, N.C. Among the other top individual stars were golfer John McGough, who finished fourth at the NCAA Tour nament; All-American distanceman Ralph King; All-America swimmer Bonny Brown; football sensation Famous Amos Lawrence, who led the ACC in rushing as a freshman; and wrestler Jeff Reintgen, a three-time ACC champion. Carolina’s athletes weren’t the only ones to enjoy success and national accolades. The Tar Heel cheerleaders were selected first in the nation at the , National Cheerleading Cham pionships. Carolina bested squads from F'lorida. Kansas, Pittsburgh, and Southern California in the nationally-televised competition.
Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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Sept. 15, 1978, edition 1
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