Page 6
The Pendulum
Thursday, Sept 17,l98i
Christians declaw Lions 8-0 in opener
The number one ranked
Elon Fightin’ Christians be
gan their defense of their
NAIA National Champion
ship Saturday evening with
an 8-0 win over Mars Hill
Lions, the NAIA’s number
seven ranked team.
Elon took the lead in the
first quarter when place
kicker Phil Rerm coimected
on a 37-yard field goal to
put Elon up 3-0.
The Fightin’ Christians in
creased their margin in the
second quarter when Mars
Hill’s punter saw the ball
sail over his head on a bad
snap and roll into the Elon
end zone for a safety.
Renn struck again in the
third quarter with a 32-yard
field goal to hand Elon its
wiiming margin.
The Fightin’ Christian de
fense held the Lions to just
100 yards of total offense
while Elon romped for 301.
Quarterback John Bangley
led the Elon offense with
158 yards passing on eleven
completions. Tailback Jerry
Hedrick, brother of former
All-American Elon tailback
Bobby Hedrick, galloped for
62 yards on 14 carries in his
debut in the Maroon and
Gold.
On defense, the Tootoo
b4
td
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MAB8 HILL DEFEATED — Fred Jordaa [dark Jersey] led the EkM ckmrgt
HID at last Saturday’s game. Photo by Soa Krappa.
Robertson: a down-to-earth man
by David Temple
For Elon tri-captain
Adrian Robertson, the mem
ories of the 1979 football
season are all too clear.
“We were coming off a
bid for the national cham
pionship that season, and a
lot of players on the team
began to get cocky,” re
members the 6-4, 255-pound
defensive tackle. “That com
placency was one of the
main reasons that we went
5-5 that season, so one of
the responsibilities of the
tri-captains this season is to
keep people from being
cocky. We can’t expect to
walk out on the field and
win just because we’re de
fending champions.”
Tri-captain is a role that
the Suffolk, Virginia, native
adapts to rather easily.
During his brilliant high
school career at Forest
Land, he served as captain
— a position that is gen
erally reserved for quarter
backs, linebackers and other
players whose names more
often appear in newspaper
print. As at Forest Land,
Robertson feels that he must
lead a young Elon squad by
example.
“Other players usually
play only as hard as the
captains do,” says Robert
son, who shares that respon
sibility with nose guard
Chris Worst and linebacker
Ernie Tootoo. “So we try to
work harder than everyone
else.”
Opposing quarterbacks are
quite familiar with the type
of “work” that Robertson
does. He teamed with Worst
to sack 37 quarterbacks a
year ago while contributing
38 solo tackles and 49
assists. Yet off the field
Robertson displays a temper-
ment that is quite different.
“I am about as down to
earth as they come,” says
Robertson with a toothy
grin. “The three things that
are most important in my
life are my wife, my house
and my dog. I just put
everything I have into what
ever I do.”
Robertson hopes to move
into pro ball after this
season. Yet despite the in
ability of former Elon stars
such as Joey Hackett and
Bobby Hedrick to achieve
pro status, Robertson re
mains optimistic.
“I think if I have a good
year I will have a shot at
it,” says Robertson. “I do
know that if the chance
comes to play professional
ball. I’ll be ready.”
brothers, Ernie and Stanley,
paced Elon. Stanley made 10
solo tackles and 7 assisted
tackles while Ernie made 4
solo hits and 8 assisted
tackles.
Elon will travel to
Guilford College this Satur
day for a 1:30 meeting with
the Quakers. Elon holds a
35-15-3 advantage in the
series between the two
colleges, but Guilford won
the last game played in 1975
17-6. Guilford is 2-0 thus far
Preview
in 1981 while Elon stands
1-0.
In other Elon sporti
action, the Elon soccer team
fell to Duke 6-0. This weel
the booters play at East
Carolina Thursday and Gui-
ford Saturday at 10 a.m
prior to the football game.
Coach Karen Carden’s
volleyball team is practicing
hard for its first match on
Wednesday, Sept. 23,
against High Point at home,
Elon to play Quakers
The number one ranked
Elon Fighting Christians will
travel to Guilford College
Saturday afternoon at 2
p.m. to take on the fifth
ranked Quakers under coach
Charles Forbes.
The Elon defense will
surely be tested by second-
year signal caller Keith
Miller, as well as running-
backs Jonathan Heard and
Tyrone Garces. Guilford al
so features a strong offensive
line and a receiving corps
that is headed by Jamie
Newton at tight end along
with wide receivers Tim
Goga and Greg Weaver.
The Quakers, 2-0, are led
defensively by defensive
tackles Eric Holsonback and
Steve Phelps while the
secondary is spearheaded by
Jon Hoots at defensive
back, who led the NAIA
District 26 last season in
interceptions.
However, both offensively
and defensively, Guilfotil
has suffered from the loss oi
16 veterans to graduation.
Quarterback John Banglty
will head an Elon ground
attack that features Fred
Jordan and Jerry Hedrick,
who combined for over 1(KI
yards rushing last Saturday
in Elon’s 8-0 win over Man
HiU.
The linebacking combii'
ation of Ernie and Stanley
Tootoo will team with a
solid defensive line in ai
attempt to thwart Guilford’s
offensive hopes. Kicker PM
Renn booted two field goals
last week against Mars Hill
to again establish himself as
one of Elon’s top scorers.
Elon will have to avoid
the costly turnovers thai
plagued them against Man
Hill while coach Jerry ToUe;
looks to the Fightini
Christians defense for a rt
play of its impressive per
formance versus Mars Hill.
roo B^L HOPES — Adrian Robertson, one of Qon’s
tn-captains, feels he must lead the young football squad by
example. Photo courtesy of sports information.