The Pendulum
Thursday, Nov. 18, 1982
Elon butts Rams
21-7 in last game
BLITZING CHRISTIAN DEFENDERS Kra Aagd [32] awl Staalcy Tootoo [46] prcfrare
Wlnstoa-Salciii State qaartcrtack Mike Wlnbush [1] in l^tarday night’s game. Photo by Ken
Lipsteia.
by David Temple
Staff Writer
Runningback Ray Dalton
rushed for 83 yards and two
touchdowns as the Elon
College Fightin’ Christians
closed out their 1982 regular
season with a 21-7 victory
over the Winston-Salem
State Rams last Saturday
in Burlington Memorial
Stadium.
Winston-Salem State and
penalties dominated the first
half of play. The Rams
scored early in the Hrst
quarter when Ronnie John
son scored from the eight-
yard line. But there was to
be no additional scoring in
the half as both teams saw
drives brought to an end by
End of an era?
Despite graduation losses, Anderson optimistic for ’83
This year’s edition ot Fightin’ Christian, under first-year
head coach Wright Anderson, started out this season as if
they would fulfill preseason predictions of a third national
charo{)ionship. After winning their Hrst three games,
including one over Carson-Newman now ranked third in the
NAIA, the Christians dropped three in a row to
Lenoir-Rhyne, Wofford and Presbyterian. They rallied to
fmish die j«ison 7-3.
While Anderson does not blame injuries solely for the
defeats, many of Elon’s starters were incapacitated by
injuries and he does acknowledge many of the injured
provided on-the-field leadership. Next year, many of these
leaders will be lost to graduation. Among those graduating
are 12 starters, including many very familiar names to Elon
football fans.
Quarterback John Bangley and his backup Boyd Byerly,
All-American linebacker Stanley Tootoo and his backup
Darrel Moore, defensive backs Jerry Hedrick, Keith Murrell
and Mike Edmonson, kicker Phil Renn, tight end Kelly
Stanley, offensive guards Alan Peters and John Murray,
defensive tackle Quinton Ballard, wide receiver Steve Vargas,
.defensive end Frank Hughes and center Clint York are
I among the many leaving.
Anderson said that the string of injuries that plagued
Bangley, Tootoo, Ballard, Hedrick, Murrell and other
starters may have helped the players who must fill their
positions next year by giving them badly needed experience.
“We’re just getting started on recruiting,” he said,
“Quarterback and linebacker are the biggest void areas we
will have to fill.”
“We have several good young quarterbacks on campus.”
“There are a lot of under classmen that have talent,” he
said, “what we will be losing is leadership.”
He said that eastern North Carolina, the Tidewater area of
Virginia and central North Carolina have all been good
recruitins erounds for Elon.
Whether or not Elon gets an opportimity to defend its
championship in the national playofh is still uncertain, but
Anderson said he thought the chances of getting a bid is
rather slim. Either way, he said Elon will still be considered
an excellent football school among colleges its size and
caliber.
numerous penalties and
turnovers. By the end of the
fu'st half nine penalties had
been called, totaling 8S
yards, and each team had
lost two fumbles.
The Fightin’ Christians
tied the score at the beginn
ing of the third quarter
when Mitch Ryan capped an
Elon drive with a 14-yaid
touchdown run.
Elon took the lead on its
next possession when Dalton
ran 15 yards for a touch
down.
The Fightin’ Christian
defense protected that lead
for the remainder of the
contest. Elon added an
insurance touchdown mid
way through the fourth
quarter as Dalton scored
from seven yards out.
Fightin’ Christian quarter
back John Bangley, closing
out a fine career here,
completed nine of 21 passes
for 118 yards. His favorite
target was Jessie Jones, who
netted 85 yards on five
catches.
Elon fmished the regular
season with a 7-3 overall
record and a 5-2 mark in
conference play. The Christ
ians’ slim playoff hopes
remained alive because not
all NAIA teams have con
cluded their season. Elon
would have to be ranked in
the top 12 in the final NAIA
national poll to return to the
playoffs.
YOHTRE
WENDTS
KIND OF
raoM£..
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& Cum-Park Plaza
BEACH NIGHT tonight 25' draft
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