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1 / 7 ■ t r >. STEVE GRADY . . . Catamount Linebacker BILL CURRIE Mouth of the South Non-Scholarship Athletes Back in the days when the Rover Boys ami Tom Swift were the unsullied heroes of every rosy-cheeked American boy, a coach would poet notice on the bulletin board announcing the be ginning of practice for a sport. Then he would sit back and wait to see how many kids showed up. If a boy could wrangle a pair of shoes he would hustle out to make the team. If he could not get any shoes, then he would go barefooted, and hope that he would be good enough for the coach to appeal to some kind soul to buy him some shoes. Everyone who came out for the team would get a fair chance to make it, and many unheard of folks did make it ever year. Now it’s an entirely different situation, par ticularly in college basketball. Not once in a blue moon does a walk-in make the team. Every high school player who is reasonably sound has been scouted, charted and classified so that it is vir tually beyond the realm of possibility that some one should simply go out for a team and make it. Yet it does happen. A1 Hartley is a case in point at N.C. State, and Dale Gipple made it at North Carolina, to name a couple of recent vint age. But these exceptions are rare. Usually 80 to 100 or more go out for freshman basketball at a Big Four school. The freshman coach is main ly concerned with developing the scholarship players who have been recruited. It is under standable, then, if his primary interest in the walk-ins is to find a few adequate ball players to run with those on scholarship. Cuts, of ne cessity, come swiftly and* en masse. Nobody can run a basketball practice with a hundred people out for the team. In some cases, certainly, a prospect is axed off the team, but generally those who remain are the best. There is a mighty leap between freshman and variety play. A good freshman often can not make the squad as a sophomore. Take a guy who can shoot outside as a freshman. He will encounter defense so much bigger and faster when he becomes a sopohomore that he can’t get the shot in the air. Notwithstanding the blase attitude of most kids nowadays, there are still broken hearts when the cut lists appear. Every one wants to be a winner, even a champion, but few are equipped. That, in essence, is why vic tory is so sweet; it is difficult to come by. Being dropped from a team is a traumatic experience which nobody is ever prepared for, and no one ever becomes used to. Professional athletes are subject to trade or release, and they fear it, just as you or I would not relish our boss giving us the heave-ho. But it is even worse for an athlete. If you are fired, the chances are that you can move on to another job, and in many cas es better yourself. But when an athlete gets the gate, he is in trouble. Professional athletes are put on waivers before they are fired. When waivers are asked, any other team in the league can claim the man in question by paying the waiver price to the club which owns him. If no body picks him up he can be traded or sold down, or he can be fired outright. Not to be picked up on waivers is a jolt. It means nobody thinks you are worth the nominal price. It makes a man examine his confidence in himself. Sometimes professional teams say they are giving a man his release so he can “make a deal for himself.” This does give the poor bloke a chance to sign up with another team, possibly, if not probably, at a better figure than he was making to start with. It also increases the likelihood that some other team will try him if they don’t have to pay anything for his contract. But as in college, rarely does anyone with winning ability just walk in. If you have the goods and the guts, go ahead and be a profession al ball player, or if you’re young, do it in college. But if nobody asked you to come out, be prepared for your career to last from three days down ward. Catamount Coach, Two Starters Are Clintonians PC Hosts Revenge-Seeking Western Saturday The Presbyterian College vs. Western Carolina game slated here Saturday night sounds like something con- coted by a wildly imaginative press agent. Here are some of the angles for the game which is slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Johnson Field: Last year, (1) Western Caro lina was breezing along with a 9-0 record and needed only a win over PC to advance to the national playoffs. The Blue Hose went up to Western and pulled off a 28-17 upset. West ern was ranked second na tionally at the time but the loss knocked them out of a playoff bowl bid. The Cata mounts undoubtedly would like to avenge that loss. (2) Western Carolina is coached by Bob Waters who was the star quarterback on PC’s 1959 Tangerine Bowl team. Waters also was a mem ber of the PC coaching staff after he ended his playing days with the professional San Fran cisco 49ers. (3) Two of Western’s de fensive starters are Clinton ians. Middle linebacker Steve Grady is a graduate of Clin ton High School and corner- back Maynard Pierce is a graduate of Thornwell High School. Pierce is the only freshman to crack Western’s starting lineup. (4) Western Carolina cur rently is smarting under a 1-3 record after losing a 28-22 thriller last week to unde feated Wofford. Western ap parently had scored the winn ing touchdown with only about three minutes remaining in the game but the Terriers struck back quickly in three plays to snatch the victory from Western and stretch their own win streak to 14 straight. The week before, Wofford de feated PC 48-13. The Blue Hose, with a 2-3 overall recordand 2-0 in Caro lina Conference play, are fresh from a 35-6 triumph last Sat urday over Elon. “It was only the second time in eight years that I felt re laxed during a game,” Coach Gault commented of PC’s win over Elon. The Blue Hose had a 20-0 halftime lead and were clearly In command. PC’s younger players got a great deal of playing ex perience during the second half as Gault played his reserves freely. Quarterback Allen McNeill tossed a69-yardscoringaerial to Ken Lister the second time the Blue Hose had possession of the ball. The extra point was no good and PC had a 6-0 lead with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter. Linebacker Bobby Norris in tercepted an Eion pass at Elon’s 20 and raced in for a touchdown with 2:59 remain ing in the first quarter and PC had a 12-0 lead after a two- point conversion try failed. Elon mounted its most threatening drive in the se cond quarter driving to PC’s 35 in II plays but Norris re covered a fumble at the 25. With Tam Milton, DavidEck- stein and Johnny Jeselnik rip ping off yardage, PC drove 74 yards in 14 plays to score. Milton blasted over from the two with 2:15 remaining in the half. McNeill passed to Lynn Dreger for the two-point con version and PC had its 20-0 halftime lead. M 4 Thornwell Invades Jonesville Friday Thornwell High’s Saint visit Jonesville Friday night, hoping to boost their conference re- TOUCHDOWN — Clinton High School’s David Mangum (41) sprints into the end zone for the second of his three touchdowns against Mc Cormick. Also shown is CHS’ Billy Young (10) who scored Clinton’s other touchdown in the 27-0 win.— (Photo by Eddie McGee) Both iding Streaks CHS Visits Palmetto In Key Loop Game Clinton High’s Red Devils On the ensuing kickoff, Maa- visit Palmetto Friday night in what might be the “game of the year’ in the Midwestern STATISTICS CHS McCormick gum recovered a Chief fumble at the McCormick 30 and Clin ton was threatening again. Ray 3-A Conference. First Downs 12 1 Lowman scored it on a four- yard run. Patterson kicked the Both teams are undefeated Yards Rushing 250 8 extra point and Clinton had its in conference play and both Yards Passing 33 24 27-0 margin with 3:30 gone in are riding five-game win Total yardage 283 32 the second half. streaks. Palmetto has a slight Passes 308 2-7 edge in that the Mjstangs have Passes Intcp. 0 1 Clinton used its reserves not been defeated. They tied Punts 4-35 8-37 freely thereafter. 4-A Carolina 0-0 in a heavy Yds. Penalized 60 20 Kid Devils Open Grid Twin Bill Bell Street Boys Junior High dropped a 22-6 decision to un beaten Laurens Junior High School last Thursday. The Kid Devils have an open date this week but will play an intrasquad game at 6 p.m. tonight prior to the Clinton- Palmetto JV game at Wilder Field. Butch Brewington raced 60 yards on a crossbuck to put the Kid Devils on the score- board against Laurens. Brew- ington’s run cut Laurens’ mar gin to 14-6. Laurens scored again before halftime to lead 22-6. Laurens threatened several times in the second half but the Kid Devils recovered a fumble to stop one drive, threw Laurens back for big losses to thwart another and a field goal attempt was unsuccessful on another threat. cord above the .500 mark. The Saints dropped a 20-16 non-conference thriller to Cal houn Falls last Friday, bring ing their overall record to 2-4. In conference play, Thornwell has a 2-2 mark and Jonesville is 1-0. The Saints haven’t beat en JonesviUe since 1964. Kanada Roach scored two first half touchdowns plus a two-point conversion to give Thornwell a 16-12 halftime lead but a 25-yard scoring run by Calhoun Falls halfback Charles Moss gave the visitors the winning margin in the third quarter. Roach scored on a 25-yard run and on a short plunge which capped a drive sparked by full back Frank Bruyer. Thornwell Quarterback Don Lundkovsky scored Thornwell’s other two- point conversion. The Saints drove from their own 20 to Calhoun Falls’ 25 with 3:50 remaining in the game but a 15-yaxd penalty and a long loss on a pass attempt snuf fed out ThornweU's threat. Karen Robinson of Laurens a junior, was crowned Thorn well Homecoming Queen in halftime ceremonies. She was sponsored by the junior class. rain in the first game of the season. Clinton lost its open er 6-0 to Woodruff but has won five straight since then. The kickoff for the game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Pal metto is located near Pelzer. Clinton fans wiU take Highway 76 to Princeton and then High way 25 to Ware Place and from there to Pelzer. Clinton Coach Keith Rich ardson said, “Palmetto has a real good team. They start 10 seniors and a junior on defense. Their offensive line is composed entirely of sen iors and the backs are all juniors. They have good ex perience. They also have good size, averaging about 205 pounds per man. “We think we can beat them but it’s going to take our very best effort Nothing less will do it’ The Red Devils had little trouble in dumping McCormick, 28-0 last week. The Red Devils held the Chiefs to only one first down and eight yards rushing. Tackle Charles Norman, playing across from the Mc Cormick captain who also is named Charles Norman, woo 'Player of the Week’ honors for his effort against McCor mick. A sophomore, he graded 86 per cent on his assignments, caused two fumbles and made eight Individual tackles. In defeating McCormick last Friday, Clinton sputtered to two first half touchdowns but packed two more into the first three minutes, 30 seconds of the second half to salt away the victory. David Mangum scored three touchdowns, recovered two fumbles and gained 123 yards rushing to pace the Red Devil offense. The Red Devils struck the first time they had possession of the ball. Billy Young receiv ed a McCormick punt on the 50 and, racing behind a wall of Clinton JVs Crush Newberry For 4th blockers, scooted to McCor mick’s one. Mangum punched it over on the next play. The extra point kick failed and Clinton had a 6-0 lead with only 2:15 elapsed in the game. A couple of other early Clin ton threats were nullified by penalties. Mangum shook loose on a 60 yard run late in the first quarter but it was wiped out by a penalty. In the second quarter, Clin ton drove from its own 42 to score with Mangum going over from the four to cap the 58- yard march. Runs by Young, Donnie White and a pass from White to Scott Hammett were big plays in the drive. Pat terson kicked the extra point for a 13-0 lead with four minu tes, 15 seconds gone in the se cond quarter. McCormick staged its most serious threat in the second quarter, recovering a Clinton fumble at the CHS 42. Mc Cormick moved to the 25 where Tim Prater recovered a Mc Cormick fumble on fourth down and 10. The first half ended 13-0. Clinton received the second half kickoff and started a drive from its own 43. Mangum broke up the middle from the 25 and scored with 1:55 elapsed in the second half. Otis Patterson kicked the extra point for a 20-0 lead. ‘PLAYER OF WEEK’— Sophomore tackle Charles Norman was named Clin ton High’s Tlayer of the Week’ for his efforts In die win over McCormick last Friday. Norman made eight individual tackles and caused two fumbles. Clinton High School’s junior varsity football team got back on the victory trail last Thurs day, crushing Newberry’s JVs 27-0. The Clinton JVs now have a 4-1 record for the season and will play host to Palmetto to night, Thursday, at Wilder Field. The local junior varsity rol led up 27 points In the first half and coasted in for the win with reserves playing most of the second half. George Bodie led off Clin ton’s scoring parade as he snagged a30-yardscoringpass from Quarterback Barry Saun ders in Clinton’s first series of plays from the opening kick off. Jimmy Armstrong kicked the extra point The second time Clinton had possession, Saunders hit Terry Heaton with a screen pass and! Heaton rolled 20 yards to score. Armstrong again kicked the extra point for a 14-0 lead. Armstrong scored from the eight after setting up Clinton’s third touchdown with a 60-yard gallop. He kicked the extra point and the margin was up to 21-0. The final Clinton score came when Saunders scooted into the end zone from the eight on a quarterback option play. An at tempt at a two-point conversion failed and Clinton had its final 27-0 edge. MAYNARD PIERCE In the third quarter, Larry Easterwood intercepted an Elon pass and returned it 30 yards to Elon’s 23. Three plays later, Jesselnik went four yards for the touchdown. Mc Neill passed to tight end Bill Caldwell for the two-point con version and it was 28-0 with five minutes remaLiing in the third quarter. Elon drove 30 yards in seven plays to score with 5:35 re maining. Freshman Halfback Bob Wills of Washington, Ga., took the ensuing kickoff and raced 43 yards before being brought down at Elon’s 40. Nine plays later, Wills scored from the one and Terry Chandler’s extra point kick made it 35-6 with 2:25 remaining in the game. * * * Bowling News L. Ben Howard, Southeastern regional representive, of the American Bowling Congress, met with the officers of the Laurens County Bowling As sociation. Mr. Howard covers the states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Miss issippi. The regional bead- quarters are in Greenville, S. C. He discussed recent rule changes of the American Bowl ing Congress and the organisa tion of the Junior Bowlingpro- gram. The Flat tops are leading the Textile League and the Bat men lead in the Industrial Lea gue. In the Textile League, Art Champy has rolled the high series a 646. The high game is by Hall King a 246. Jimmy Re vis has the high series of 621 and Jack Cumble and Frank Walker are tied with the high game 238. Thurs day night, October 8, the Bat men rolled a team series of 3214. Saturday morning, October 10, the Junior Bowling league was formed with four teams. For the boys, the high game was rolled by David Achesoo a 176 and the high series by Bill Ro land a 417. 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