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Hage 6 Portland Observer
Thursday January 26, 1978
Sports Talk
Robinson adds another successful season
by Ron Syfcee
Sparta Editor
by (o llie J. Nicholsoo
Oregon Duck basketball appears to be
at it's lowest point since Dick Harter took
over the reins in the Eugene City.
Ironically it was almost a year ago
(January 13th) that Oregon lost four in a
row, losing to WSU. 4548; OSU. 52 53
and 53-64; and St. John's 51-61. But
Oregon came back strong to win seven of
its next ten games, to finish second in the
PAC-8 and earn a third straight spot in
the National Invitational Tourney. Dick
Harter's program has always been de
manding and not everyone can play for
the tough mentor. Harter has lost three
highly regarded players this year in Beau
McCloud, Gary Nelson and Joe Moreck.
Harter has proven through his career
that he is a winner and he said many-
times this year that he has to find five
guys that really want to play basketball.
Knowing Dick Harter...if it's humanly
possible...then believe he will.
Oregon's defense is not their problem.
It has continued to be tough limiting
opponents to 65 points a game. But the
offense has sputtered. During the OSU
loss last Saturday. 6248, it took Oregon
8:13 to score. And you don't win ball
games like that.
At times the Ducks seem too hesitant
to shoot...sure defense is fine but you still
have to put it thru the hoop to win games.
No one yet has emerged as the man
Oregon can turn to for consistent point
production or a lift in the clutch, in the
style it was provided by All-American
Greg Ballard and Ron I^ee in the imine
diate year;, past. This years leading
scorer, center Dan Hartshorne, is barely
in double figures hitting a paltry 10.4.
Saturday . Oregon takes on Cal-Davis
at McArthur Court. This could be the
first step on the long road back, or it
could also be a close encounter...with
disaster.
Portland University 67. California
Bears 66. Wow! Now who could believe
the Pilots would win over the PAC-8
Bears. Granted California is not one of
the PAC-8 powers but still figured to be
too strong for Coach Avina's men on the
Bluff. Jack Avina has said repeatedly
that his program is on the move...after
the victory over the Bears...we believe.
The battle of the P.IX. Division lead
ers Grant and Jeff was won by a lethargic
Demo squad 4846 last Friday in the
General Gym. This was to give bragging
rights to the winner...so the Demos can
now do the talking until they meet again.
The once highly regarded Jeffersonians,
but now lightly regarded, just might now
be readv to dominate.
"Free:' proves pressure-proof
game after he fired a court-record 44 at
Colorado State. As a junior, his consis
tency was amazing. In all but three of 27
games. ''Free" totaled more than 30
points; in 14 of 27 he was over 40.
Things didn't look quite so rosy a few
weeks ago, however. The Vikings got off
slowly, losing their first five. Playing an
unaccustomed “man" defense. PSU strug
gled offensively also. With the other team
setting the tempo, Freeman was averag
ing “only” 25.3 after six games. Coach
Ken Edwards dropped his team back into
a zone, started to press, the Vikings
started to run and dictate what happened
on the court. Freeman averaged 33 as
the Viks won seven out of eight.
The last four games have put Williams
back on top of the basketball world.
Hitting 49.45 percent from the field,
"Free” has averaged 50.7 points per game
to crank his average up to 34.3.
And the impressive thing about Wil
liams is that the competition matters not.
He has had some of his biggest games
against the big timers: 39 against Ken
tucky. 49 against USC, 48 and 44 against
St. Mary's, and 41 against Colorado State
this season; 43 against Nevada-Las Ve
gas, 46 against Utah State. 36 against
Arizona State, and 43 against Long Beach
State last year; and as a sophomore, 35
against Arizona. 33 against Nevada-Ve
gas, and 31 against New Mexico.
Williams has always shot well against
Oregon State, also. Including a sub-par 9
of 25 as a freshman and team-high 19
points. “Free” - in three games against
the Beavers - has hit 38 of 76 from the
field and 20 of 25 from the line. As a
sophomore, Williams scored 36, as a
junior he had 39.
It’s been a great show, a great trip for
PSU basketball fans, great exposure for
Portland State University. But admitted
ly. it may be a long time before Portland
State finds another Freeman Williams.
After all...one like him comes along only
five times in basketball history.
Admittedly, it may be a long time
before Portland State University finds
another Freeman Williams. The 6'4”
guard is the odds-on favorite to become
only the fifth college basketball player in
history to successfully defend an NCAA
scoring title. He is certain to become the
third player in NCAA history to score
over 3,000 points in a career. (He now
has 2.898.) He has already become one of
only nine players to ever score more than
1,000 points in one season; he holds the
fourth-highest scoring average in NCAA
history for a season. 38.846: and he ranks
third all-time for most points scored in
one game. 71.
“Free" was named to the Helms Foun
dation All-America team last season and
to the third team All-America squad by
both United Press and Associated Press.
He was named first team All-West in
both his sophomore and junior years by
United Press, joining such notables as
Richard Washington. Steve Puidokas.
Ronnie Lee. and Eddie Owens (Nevada
Vegasl as the only sophomore selected in
1975-76. then last year teamed writh Greg
Ballard. Bill Cartwright (USP). James
Edwards (Washington! and Marques
Johnson (you've heard of him), on UPl's
first five.
As a sophomore. Williams was picked
first team Independents' All-American
with people like Adrian Dantley of Notre
Dame. Earl Tatum of Marquette. Robert
Parrish of Centenary, and Cedrec Max
well of North Carolina-Charlotte. An
extra curricular honor, and perhaps the
most meaningful, was his selection to the
U.S. World University Games' team last
summer. Freeman, playing point guard,
was one of the key factors in the U.S.
winning the Gold Medal under Coach
Denny Crum of Louisville, who called
Williams "possibly" our best all-around
player.”
As a sophomore, his average never
dipped below 30 from the season's second
Demos
guidelines
The Democratic Party will hold a
hearing on its Delegate Selection and
Affirmative Action Policy on Sunday at
1:00 p.m. at the Gateway Branch of Far
West Federal Savings.
The purpose of the hearing is to
create a policy for selecting delegates to
the National Democratic Party's Midterm
Convention next December. The State
party is required to draw up guidelines
for selection that will insure participation
by minorities and other groups that have
been under-represented in party decision
making. National rules on affirmative
action are very strong but they have not
been converted into action in the state.
All persons are invited to attend and
participate in the hearing.
GRAMBLING |SPEC I A t] - Coach
Eddie Robinson scoffs at the notion that
he is reshaping the hero symbol of college
football.
Robinson, the veteran Grambling State
University mentor who has blended
athletic pragmatism with missionary
zeal, pursuing both with single minded
dedication, emphatically rejects this the
sis.
But the evidence is there for everyone
to see.
As almost anyone who followed the
college football scene will attest, the
gentile, mild mannered coach has become
a highly visible sociological phenomenon
in 36 seasons marked by remarkable
growth and progress.
Robinson has accomplished a rare feat
among coaching giants.
He has sent more than 160 players into
professional football - an achievement
that eluded every other member of his
peer group - while compiling a 264 86-11
won-loss record in a long and illustrious
career.
More than anything else, it is this
disproportionately high percentage of
successful professional athletes de
veloped that made him a dominant force
on the national football scene.
He has brought Grambling football to
full maturity, instilling self-confidence,
leadership, pride and competitive spirit
in his players.
Robinson's efforts have opened a route
upward for hundreds of youngsters out of
the ghetto through the development of
athletic excellence.
Robinson has achieved remarkable sue
cess against a myriad of problems that
plague Black schools. But he has been
widely exalted for the enormous in
fluence he has had on the game. In 1966.
the Football Writers of America cited
him as "the man who made the biggest
contribution to college-division football
during the last 25 years.
Only Paul “Bear" Bryant of the Univer
sity of Alabama, with a 274-75-16 career
standard, has scored more wins among
active coaches. Robinson is fourth on the
list of top college winners behind the late
Alonzo Staggs (315) and Pop Warner
(312).
Even skeptics who argue opposing
convictions dispassionately but persua
sively, admit that he is in a class by
himself...a master planner with zeal, total
dedication, intelligence and imagination.
He seems to improve his handicap each
year.
The past season represented a Methu
selan milestone for the veteran coach.
2 7 3 7 N.E. Union
282-2216
SH O P
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players like Tank Younger and Ernie
I «add. plus the success of Jackson State's
Walter Payton, the NCAA all time, all
division career scorer.
“Heading the list nevertheless, are the
facts - Williams' statistics are incredible
and his personal life and background rival
Campbell's.“ He makes 2.6 grades, will
graduate in June, lives in a dormitory,
has dated the same girl for three years
and makes frequent trips home to see his
father, a disabled veteran, and a mother,
a school luncnroom cook,
“In many ways statistically. Williams'
season was like Dennis Shaw's in 1969 -
San Diego State's first season as a major.
As mentioned. Williams 38 TD's passes is
second in history to Shaw's 39 that year.
Also, his 41 TD-responsible-for ranks
second to Shaw's 45 and his 9.34 yards
per attempted pass second to Shaw's
record 9.51 for passers with at least 300
attempts.
“But Williams threw for more yards -
3,286 to Shaw s 3,185 - and had 18 passes
intercepted to Shaw's 26,
"Williams set only one season record -
18.15 yards per completion, highest ever
for passers with at least 150 completions.
Besides ranking second to Shaw in the
three categories, he was third in three
others.
"Overall, a remarkable season for
Williams one record, three seconds and
three thirds in seven categories. No
player ever did so well in all seven
combined.
‘That serves to make one more point
about Williams his season high was only
378 passing, with seven more games
between 372 and 312 - amazing consis
tency. He was stopped only by Tennes
see State, at just 102 yards, but that 372
came against Jackson State the total-de
fense champion.
“On the career charts, Williams set
all-time, all-division NCAA records for
TD passes (93) and TDRs (96). ranked
No. 2 in both passing yards (8,411) and
total-offense yards (8,195) to Abeline
Christian’s Jim Lindsay. 8,521 and 8,385,
respectively, in 1967 70 (while throwing
228 more passes than Williams)."
The entire Grambling squad displayed
unusual consistency throughout the sea
son.
Coach Robinson did it with a
minimum of crunch and a maximum of
razzle-dazzle.
Grambling won the national scoring
title (42.0 points per game) and the punt
return wreath (16.9 yards average on 31
runbacks for 523 yards and four TDs).
Williams tormented the opposition to
annex the NCAA individual total offense
crown, and Robert Woods, a dazzling
speedster with a genial grin and the
On the threshold of a whole new era in
football, the Tigers dominated major
college statistics in 1977 and progressed
steadily upward on the strong right arm
of All-American Doug Williams.
Williams, the all-time Division I pass
ing standard bearer, completed 488 of
1,009 passes attempted for 8.411 yards
and 93 touchdowns in a brilliant four year
career.
He was named to the Associated Press,
The Sporting News. Walter Camp, Pitts
burgh Courier and Mutual Black Network
All American teams.
The NCAA Statistical Service Bulletin
lauded him in its summary of season
highlights, pointing out his predictable
flair for the dramatic.
According to the NCAA, Williams
belted the opposition with abandon.
“Since the No. 1 goal of every passer is
to put the ball in the end zone, you really
have to hand it to Grambling's Doug
Williams - his 93 career TD passes (in
forty games) are more than any college
player ever in any division, NCAA or
NAIA," the Bulletin pointed out. The
analyses continued.
“This season. Williams won the major
college total-offense championship and
finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy
voting (but drew more votes than any
other quarterback). En route, he threw
38 TD passes, just missing the record 39
by San Diego State's Dennis Shaw in
1969.
“Williams? Well, this was Grambling's
first season in Division I and coach Eddie
Robinson waged a determined campaign
to (1) make sure Williams was given the
same Heisman chance as players from
established majors like Stanford: and (2)
make it possible for Williams to enter pro
football as the first Black quarterback
whose skills and character are taken for
granted.
“So far, you’d have to give Robinson
high marks - and don't forget one of his
players. James Harris, regarded by Wil
iiams almost as a father figure. 'James
paved the way for the Black quarter
back.' says Williams (who was helped,
too. by Grambling's long line of great
i A
1
1
DOUG W IL L IA M S
instincts of a tiger shark, won the punt
return toga (25.4 yards per return).
Grambling left an indelible imprint in
other categories, finishing second in team
total offense (384.5 yards per game), and
second in passing offense (averaging
305.5 yards in 11 games).
Woods' effort in scoring (84 points),
all purpose running (147.7 yards per
game), and kick-off returns (26.1 yards)
were listed among national leaders.
The NCAA Bulletin paid him the
follov'ing tribute! “Punt return champion
Woods, a dangerous all around game
breaker like Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers
(the 1972 Heisman winner), averaged
18.9 yards per pass reception, 26.1 yards
per kick off return (8th nationally) and
4.6 per rush along with his 25.4 in punt
returns.
“The TD log for Woods reminds you of
Rodgers, too. He had punt return TDs of
72, 62 and 42 yards, and kick off-return
TDs of 97 and 87 and TD pass receptions
85. 68, 56 and 52 yards."
Miracles are entirely too fleeting. The
triumphs and brilliant performances of
Williams, Woods, All Americans Carlos
Pennywell, Russell Halt. Mike Moore.
Charles Johnson. Wayne Price and all the
Tigers who made significant contribu
tions will become dim memories in
another campaign.
Grambling played its usual coast to
coast schedule, posted a sparkling 10-1
record and ended the season with its
second annual trek to Tokyo, Japan.
Robinson ended a remarkable year by
coaching the West squad to a 23 8 victory
in the prestigious East West Shrine game
in Palo Alto. California.
OMSI sets classes
A month-long series of Saturday class
es for youngsters begins February 4th at
the Oregon Museum of Science and
Industry. Course studies range from
rocks and fossils to breadmaking and
beginning chess. Classes are aimed at
many age groups, from pre-schoolers to
children in the upper grades.
For
information, call OMSI Classes, 248 5907.
Of interest to high school students and
adults are several evening classes at
OMSI. Courses range from rapid reading
to lapidary.
On Tuesday evenings, January 24th
through February 28th. 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.,
a La.iidary Lab will be offered for both
novice and intermediate rockhounds.
OMSI's well-equipped lab provides an
opportunity to practice the techniques of
cutting, grinding, and polishing. To re
gister, call OMSI Classes, 248 5907.
A special Get Acquainted W ith Astro
nomy class is scheduled at OMSI for
students grades seven through adult on
Saturday m ornings. February 4th
through March 4th. from 9:00 a.m. to
10:20 a.m. The program is designed for
those who want to look at the sky and
learn to recognize the familiar constella
tions and planets. A visit to the solar
observatory at Mt. Hood Community
College will be included in the class
activities. To register, call OMSI ('lasses.
248 5907.
Assembly language Programming I
American State Bank
while emphasizing his role in reshaping
the hero symbol.
Playing its first season in NCAA
Division I, Grambling demonstrated that
the Eddie Robinson mystique has lost
none of its luster.
Brad Pye, Jr., sports editor of the law
Angeles Sentinel, calls Robinson a dis
tinct reality. “He is like a long playing
record...an acknowledged titan who is
finally getting the full-beam national
spotlight."
will be offered for high school students
and adults on Mondays and Wednesdays.
January 16th through February 22ml.
7:00 to 9:00 p.m., in OMSI's Research
Center. The class will focus on machine
and assembly language and com piilcr
architecture.
Previous programming
experience is required.
Call OMSI.
248 5907.
PORTLAND
CLEANING WORKS
NO R TH A N.E. PORTLAND
ONE DAY SERVICE
Minor Repair* Ne Charge
Pick up A I tell very
282-8361
K N IT B LO CKING OUR SPECIALTY
3 9 6 6 N Williams Ave.
N. Alexander, Proprietor
Dwayne W hite and Chris Johnson
d e le tin g Dr. King's dream.
; »oster
Fenton ( am,»bell. Hugo Smith and Michael Johnson
were among the ,»artiei;»anls in celebration of Dr.
King's birthday.
St. Andrews hosts Martin Luther King celebration
Over 150 parents and students gather
cd in St. Andrew Community Center on
January 17th for a belated celebration of
Martin Luther King's birthday.
They joined in a pot-luck dinner and
enjoyed presentations from each class
about the life and impact of Dr. Martin
Luther King.
Such gatherings are part of the on
going parent involvement in St. Andrew
School. 9th and Alberta. In addition to an
eighth grade elementary school, there is
also after school tutoring Monday
through Thursday for high schisil stu
dents in the neighborhood and adult basic
education classes each Monday and Wed
nesday evening.
The fabulous
A family to help build a new life for a
Black girl, age 10. This youngster needs
personal attention and to be the youngest
member of an active family.
If interested, please contact Joe Cob
stro at Catholic Services for Children
228 6531.
The Agency will pay for the child’s care
and will also assume financial responsibi
lily for her clothing, school, medical and
dental needs.
Being a foster family is a very reward
ing experience.
'MB
W
Hflsum
GlOteTftOTTCRS
in person!
SUNDAY,
WANTED
Those interested in any of these pro
grams, should contact the school, 284
1620.
FEB. 5
2 30 PM
MEMORIAL COLISEUM
Adults S4 and $6
Students thru H S S3 and $4
TICKETS AT ALL
REGULAR TRAILBLAZER
OUTLETS
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