Page Four, THE HILLTOP. Friday, September 14
LIONS WIN OPENER 13-8
By ROBBY PARHAM
Sports Editor
The Mars Hill Lions opened
their 1984 Gridiron campaign with
a 13-8 victory over the Concord
Mountain Lions last Saturday at
Meares Stadium in Mars Hill.
The Lions won this game with
great defensive and specialty team
play. The Mars Hill defense held
the Concord rushing game to 12
yards. The defense and special
teams forced five Concord
fumbles. All three Mars Hill scores
came after fumble recoveries.
Punter Chris Pierpont kept con
cord bottled up in their own ter
ritory all afternoon booting 10
punts for an average of 46.7 yards
a punt, two of which were fumbled
by Concord’s Leon King and
recovered by Mars Hill’s Darrel
Saucier to set up David Shealy
field goals.
Mars Hill got on the scoreboard
first, midway through the second
quarter, with Todd Camp’s 1 yard
plunge for Mars Hill’s lone touch
down. Camp’s score culminated a
9 play, 43 yard drive that was set
up by a Tony Campagna fumble
recovery. Tony Garland set up
Camp’s run with a 19 yard jaunt.
On the first play of Mars Hill’s
next possession fullback Freddie
Biggers fumbled at the Lions own
26. Concord then moved the ball
inside the five before tailback Leon
King fumbled and Mars Hill re
covered on the seven, spoiling
Concord’s scoring chance with
5:02 remaining in the first half.
Mars Hill made the score 10-0 at
11:26 mark of the third quarter on
a 30 yard David Shealy field goal.
Shealy’s field goal was set up by
Darrel Saucier’s recovery of a
Concord fumble on a mishandled
punt return by Leon King on the
Concord 19 yard line.
Mars Hill’s final score came
with 3:04 remaining in the third
quarter on another David Shealy
field goal. Again the Lion scoring
drive was set up by Concord’s
Leon King fumble of a Pierpont
punt and Darrel Saucier’s
recovery.
The five play, 34 yard drive was
aided by a 12 yard Sean Bowles
run. Mars Hill was now up 13-0.
Concord then came right back
on the next possession moving the
ball to the Mars Hill 20 yard line
on a 75 yard Mark Ryhanych pass
to wide received Todd Baker. But
on the next play. Concord fullback
David Malay fumbled and Mars
Hill linebacked Todd Reeves
recovered.
Concord finally got on the
scoreboard with 3:20 remaining in
the game on an 11 yard Mark
Ryhanych pass to wide receiver
John Pate. Ryhanych then threw
to tight end Ed Zappi for the twc
point conversion. This finalized t
14 plan 80 yard drive that included
a roughing the punter and pass in
terference call against Mars Hill.
Concord stopped Mars Hill on
their next possession on four plays
and got the ball back at their own
32 after a 48 yard Chris Pierpont
punt with 2:12 left in the game.
Mars Hill then forced four Con
cord pass incompletions to get the
ball back and run the clock out.
GAME NOTES
Senior linebacker Todd Reeves
had an outstanding game, making
8 tackles, assisting 4 tackles, 1
sack, recovered a fumble and
broke-up four passes.. .Mars
Hill’s win was the 5th straight
season opening win... Mars Hill
quarterback Sean Bowles was
sacked five times for -39 yards,
while Concord’s quarterback
Mark Ryhanych was dropped three
times for -32 yards... After next
Saturday’s game against Catawba
the Lions go on the road for the
next three games... After Satur
day’s performance against Con
cord, punter Chris Pierpont has to
be considered an All-American
candidate.
i
8‘
-
I W
PHOTO BY DAVID WACHTBB
After a loss to UNC-A the week before, the MHC Booters came home to the Meares Soccer Stadium to
face Wingate. The Lions fell to Wingate 6-1 despite a tremendous effort by the defense. Above, defender
Jeff Morgan cuts-off a Wingate opponent, while below, goalie Chip Kiley makes a save.
'tm-
m
.1-
r V
MHC BOOTERS FALL IN OPENING TWO
By EMILY GILL
Sports Dept.
The Lion soccer team played the
Wingate College on September 7th
at 3:00 p.m. The score was 6
Wingate and 1 MHC. Two goals
slipped by the MHC defense in the
1st half, but play remained at
center field. The 1st half of the
game was predominated by
penalties for both teams.
Wingate scored 4 goals in the
2nd half, 2 on corner kicks.
Mars Hill’s big moment came in
the 2nd half when a hand ball was
called in the penalty box on a
Wingate player. Mars Hill striker
Jose Copa made a clean shot into
the corner of the goal.
All these statistics look
disheartening, but our soccer team
improves with every practice.
Coach Tom Coates and player-
coach Jose Copa work together to
bring skill and strength to our
rookie team. Coates says, “We
play with what we have, each of
our starters are important. Nine
seniors (on the team) will affect
our play next year.”
Scholarships would certainly af
fect the level of play for our team.
but there have to be seasons of dis
appointment before the program is
stabilized.
Coates says, “They are playing
more as a team, the little ex
perience from last year is
showing.”
Coates and Copa work together
on skills and offensive-defensive
drills. They analyze the progress of
the team after each practice, and
sight areas for improvements.
“They enjoy playing, they
sacrifice their time, they endure
pain, they believe in the sport,”
says Coates.
raOTO BY DA'
Defensive tackle, Jeff Blanchard (#92), takes down a Concord back in last Saturday’s victory ovi
cord College. MHC’s defensive performance was instrumental in the 13-8 win for the Lions.
Mars Hill 13 Concord 8
Concord
Mars Hill
RUSHING -
Concord, Johnson 12-23,
King 4 - (-2)
Concord Mars Hill Mars Hill, Calhoun 11-4^^ D
MHC - Camp run (Shealy Kick)
7:48
MHC - Shealy 30 EG
11:26
MHC - Shealy 35 EG
3:04
- Pate 11 pass from
Ryhanych (Zappi pass
from Ryhanych)
3:20
CC
First Downs
Rushes-Yards
Passing Yardage
Return Yardage
Passes
Punts
Fumbles
Penalties
Camp 13-41, Garland 9-
PASSING -
Concord, Ryanych 33-14^^ T(
Mars Hill, Bowles 10-2-0
Garland l-O-l-O
RECEIVING -
Concord, Pate 3-45, Zap
Baker 4-113
Mars Hill, Similton 1-50,
Camp 1-11
Alph
^i Al]
whic
If lot£
Ite ir
Returning this year, quarterback Sean Bowies, the 1983 SAC-8 leading passer.
LION FOOTBALL ’84
PHOTO BY DAVID WACHTEB
By ROBBY PARHAM
Sports Editor
The Mars Hill Lions enter the
1984 football season very op
timistic. They look to improve on
last year’s 4-6-1 campaign and 5th
place finish in the South Atlantic
Conference.
There are, however, problems
facing the Lions this year. The of
fensive line will have to improve
for Mars Hill to be able to suc
cessfully move the football. Retur
ning to anchor the offensive front
is Tim Power at tackle, Jim Riner
at center, John Hensley at tackle,
and moving from starting
noseguard on defense to offensive
guard, Bernard Steadman.
Returning to direct the offense
will be the SAC 8 leading passer in
1983, Sean Bowles (1492 yards and
10 touchdowns). Joining Bowles in
the backfield will be Todd Camp
(306 yards, 4.9 avg. yards per
carry) at fullback and Tony
Garland (280 yards and 1
touchdown) at tailback. Also see
ing considerable playing time will
be Pete Calhoun at tailback and
Freddie Biggers at fullback.
The receiving corps welcomes
the return of flanker Dale Similton
who broke his leg midway through
last season. Before he was hurt,
Similton caught 10 passes for an
incredible 23 yards per catch
average and five touchdowns. Also
returning at flanker is Tracy King
(19 catches for 261 yards and 2
touchdowns) and split end Danny
Jordan (16 catches for 316 yards
and 1 touchdown). Filling the tight
end position will be newcomer
Lance Roland.
The Lions defense will again be
strong. Last year the defense was
third in the nation in pass defense.
All-Ameri n candidate Kevin
Barnette returns at safety, along
with rover Greg Bailey and corner-
backs Tony Campagna
Lambert and Kerry Engpror
The defensive front is i
Jonathan Williams a^*P3
Owens returning at the
end positions. Mike Croi
at defensive tackle an(
McNeely at noseguard.
Leading tackier last y&y
mea
men
Reeves returns at linebac'
with Mark Burch, who i^y>
back to linebacker aftei°^-|
rover in 1983.
The kicking game is vei
with punter Chris Pier*
placekicker David Shealj
ing. Pierpont tied for thi"
nation last year in puntin^^J
40.9 yard average per pui^),/ r
led Mars Hill in scoring!^
points. r*..
All-in-all, Lion footi^
should be an exciting seah^’'
one Mars Hill fans will nc“
6'
miss.
VOLLEYBALL SEASON OPENS
Id
By DENISE GROH
Managing Editor
The Mars Hill Lady Mountain
Lions Volleyball Team returns this
year with a strong line-up. Losing
only two graduates, the team is
largely composed of experienced
players. Those returning are:
seniors Kim Henson and Sandy
Robertson, juniors Denise Groh,
Robin Lucas, and Lavonda
Wagner, sophomores Sandy
Greene and Jackie Moody. Com
pleting the roster are sophomore
transfer Carol Loftin and
freshmc Cindy Hodge and Kim
Longhouser.
The combination of experienced
players and talented newcomers in
stills confidence, enthus^i^'
optimism in both team an
The season began Monda]"
at Gardner-Webb with a tl
of-five match. Thursday,'
travelled to another dual
Elon. Deadlines prohibi
printing of the scores at t~
but they will follow in
issue.