Pao* 8 Portland Observar Thursday. February 8. 1878
Sports Talk
Alas and Alack . . . Ralph Millet's
Beavers fell short in their mission to
unseat the mighty Bruins. So what.
Perhaps the young Beavers were too
high for this game in the valley. 1
believe in the Beavers and with such
a young team, no seniors, they'U be
the team to reckon with for the next
couple years.
What hurt the Beavers some was
foul tro u b l:. Steve Johnson and
Dwayne Allen. Al'en, for sure, is
important for his leadership on the
floor. But his lack of offensive skills
has to hurt also as witnessed by Cliff
Robinson completely ignoring him
(Allen) on anything fifteen feet and
out.
This gave Robinson, USC’s 6*9”
All American forward a chance to
roam and help out wherever needed.
And that help caused OSU sharp
shooter, Mark Radford, to put up
only one shot the entire first half.
R adford, normally a fine
perimeter shooter simply found
nothing available against USC
scoring just once from the field in
four tries. But, again, the time will
come for the Beavers and all is not
lost for this season.
The NCAA Tournament will take
two and maybe three Pac-10 schools.
Oregon State, if they compile twenty
wins, should be among thos-' chosen.
Leonard William*. Pilots' all-time loading scorer, goes for the bucket.
Williams is completing requirements for teaching certificate.
Pilot star continues education
by Ullysses Tucker, Jr.
“ Growing up in the South was a
very intense experience,” said
Leonard Williams, the former
University of Portland cage star in a
recent interview.
Williams, a native of Birming
ham, Alabama came to Oregon in
1974 from one of the “ roughest”
neighborhoods in his hometown.
“ Nothing came easy for my family
and I. My parents had to really work
hard to support us," said the oldest
of six kids, “ but we survived.”
Williams at 23, can vividly recall
some of the violent demonstrations,
cross burnings, and hangings of
several individuals during the early
60’s when the Civil Rights Movement
was on the upswing.
“ There were times when we were
afraid to leave our home,” he said
softly. “ My parents and relatives
feared that our physical well-being
would be threatened.
“ Do you remember when the
church was bombed down there?”
Williams asked. “ Well, our church
was located only two blocks down
the street, that could have been me
and my friends sitting in Sunday
School that day.”
After matriculating at Glenn High
where they won the State AA Cham
pionship with a 31-0 record during
his senior year, Williams, a two-time
All-American, and All-State per
former looked for an alternative to
the social oppression he confronted
at home.
“ When I flew up to Portland on a
recruiting trip, I immediately
realized that it was far different than
the South,” he said. “ And it didn’t
take me long to decide whether or
not to attend.” Among the players
Williams competed against at Glenn
were T.R. Dunn of the NBA Blazers,
Leon Douglass of the Detroit
Pistons, and a host of fine athletes
who starred at “ Bama.”
In four years out on the bluff
Williams became the all-time leading
scorer, as well as the second leading
rebounder in the history of the insti
tution. Williams was also captain
and “ MVP” on the Pilots 19-8 team
during his senior year last season.
Like many college athletes who
fail to obtain their degree in four
years of undergraduate study,
Williams is no exception to the rule.
“ I can attribute most of my not
graduating on time to the adjustment
that I had to make academically at a
private. Catholic university,” he
said. “ 1 was not in tune to the know
ledge they had to offer, the first two
years were tough.”
Williams elected not to graduate
this past summer in order to tour
South America, ” 1 knew that the
opportunity to get a taste of some in
ternational flavor would come only
once in a lifetime, so I took advant
age,” he said.
“ H am ,” as he is called by his
peers averaged 43.6 per game with a
high of 58 on a team called
“ Seminario” which was based in
Costa Rica. The league was spon
sored by a group of American
businessmen, and ran from late May
to the e.id of December. Thus
enabling Williams to be back in Port
land in time to start classes leading to
graduation this spring.
“ The cultural encounter with the
native people was very beautiful,” he
said. ” 1 just wish that everyone
could get exposed to something out
side of their own culture. I can speak
good Spanish now, and that will aid
me greatly for the profession I’m in
to.”
To complete his graduation re
quirements in education, Williams is
currently student teaching at Colum
bia High School in Vancouver,
Washington. He is also graduate
assistant for Coach Avina this
season.
Williams noted that, “ Most of the
youngsters in Portland get frustrated
because this is basically a mellow
town with a small percentage of
Blacks — many have a burning
desire to leave just to be around
more Blacks.
But what they fail to realize is that
wherever you have a large congrega
tion of Blacks, there is less oppor
tunity, more unemployment, and not
much economic mobility. Many
students are so tripped out at Por-
land, Oregon that they do not see it’s
advantages. It’s a lot better than a
great many places in the U.S.,” he
analized.
‘ By me studying to be an
educator, I can enlighten them
through my experiences and what’s
happening around them,” he said.
Blazer Notes . . . . Lionel Hollins
has scored 370 points in his last
nineteen games for an average of
19.5 and has hit on 154 of 291 from
the floor for .529 shooting . . . he
now is shooting .473 for the season,
a career high pace . . . and Lionel's
improvement is due mainly to better
shot selection. In the last nineteen
games, Hollins has been 62-71 for
.873 from the foul line and now is
.816 for the season, another career
high . . . he has had sixteen steals in
his last six games and for the season
is now averaging 2.11a game, seventh
best record in the NBA . . . in his last
eight road games, Hollins has shot
.519 on 69-138 and has averaged 21
points a contest . . . in his last four
games, Hollins has scored 105 points
a contest.. .
If one were to choose a most
valuable Blazer with these impressive
stats then Hollins would certainly be
a strong contender.
And the poor Oregon Ducks . . .
won’t they ever learn. They’re at the
bottom of the Pac-10 with a non-
impressive 3-8 record and still
haven’t learned that it takes speed in
the back court to win in the tough
Pac-10.
Oregon has continually played
John Murray and Rob Closs together
and since neither is possessed with
great speed . . . the team has been
hurting. Both are fine shooters . . .
granted . . . but speed is so necessary
at the guard position.
Rich Haney, Oregon head coach,
has been giving first year player
Barry Williams, the 6’1” flash from
San Bernadino more playing time
lately and that surely is a step in the
right direction.
Williams not only has the speed
for the position, but also plays with
the same venue Ronnie Lee brought
to Eugene a few years ago . . . and
that has to be good news.
700 N.E. Multnomah
Lloyd 700 Bid. «400
231-4725
Peggy Graves
Personal & Business Insurance
Thompson still must get his head
together and deflate that super ejo
some.
Remember earlier in the season
when young Thompson scored 29
against Elvin Hayes and said, “ Hey,
I’m just as good as this fellow."
Then the very next night got com
pletely outplayed by Denver’s all-star
forward. George McGinnis.
Well, it has happened again.
Thompson after supposedly shutting
off the irrepressible “ Dr. J” , when
in reality "the Dr.” scored 28 points
and w asn't stopped by anyone,
opened up again and stated, “ If I
Mychal Thompson, the nation’s
No. 1 draft choice from Minnesota,
leads Portland in blocked shots with
56, and is scoring 12.5 points a game.
But has Mychal impressed?
The jury is still out of course but
unless he gains some continuity in his
game the NBA road for the young
man from the Bahamas will be a
rocky one.
can play like that against Erving,
who is the best, then I must be pretty
good myself." Only one word to the
young rookie. Wait until you've been
around once or twice more, then if
you can still do i t . . , fine.
Bill Walton, the long lost Blazer
center, showed up Monday night at
the annual Hayward Banquet to ac
cept his award as O regon’s pro
athlete of the year. And did you
notice Bill’s speech? Well, this time
he flowed like a river, and did not
display his herky, jerky style as
before.
TOP LOOKING
<
UYTOMORROW'S SECURITY FOR
OUR FAMILY TODAY
New 3 and 4 bedroom homes with or without family rooms in Vancouver
close to 1-5 and 8 minutes from Interstate bridge. Include 2 baths, double
garage, brick fireplaces, range, dishwasher, garbage disposal, w /w car
pets. All are energy efficient with 10 year Home Owner's Warranty. Cash
price for 3 bedroom with 1036 sq. ft. would be $47,000, 9Vi% Annual Per
centage Rate with 360 monthly payments at $395.20 principal and interest
plus estimated taxes and insurance.
Veterans move-in for $100.00, FHA purchaser's move in approx. $2,650.00.
HERMITAGE REALTY, INC.
4716 St Johns Road
Vancouver Wash 98661
Vane 694 8577
Ptld 223 8229
y * ‘"T1
P lay Safeway
WSQQQQBUIGC
You Could Win Up To $1000
No Purchase Necessary
Pick up your number eoch
time you visit any of the
participating Oregon Safeway
Stores . . . Ontario A Milton-
Freewater excluded. Only
adults may be efigibte to win.
Scheduled termination date,
© S p arerib s
©Arm Roast
zxs;
»$1M
P o rk R oast
Blade Cut
Shoulder Roast
April 10, 1979.
© P o rk S teak • m .
©Rib Steak
$ 1 38
cut
Finatt Rork lb
(a a f Rib
Small End
g
178
*
Fresh Bread MD Tissue Orange Juice
Ovenjoy White or Wheat
22.5-ez.
Loaf
Assorted Colors . . . First 2
Bel-air Frozen Concentrate
68
28 ¿ 6 8
(Additional at regular p r u t)
© A p p le Juice
©Chow M e in D inners
© C rest Toothpaste
A tta rttd Varietrat
Dividar Rack 42-01.
Regular ar Mint 7-O«.
(Strfawoy 7 -a i. 74')
Diamond À Vegetable Sale
SUPER
W h o le K e rn e l e r Croom Corn
13" Color
TV
Oranges
Sunkin
Noval Orangos
Tawn Maat» or (aufltry Rur«
Finatt Quality
M - o t . Rt
ft Cut o r Sliced Beans
O u r G en era l O ffic e
has m o v e d to
by P on Sykes
Sports Editor
Pick Up Your
FREE KPAM
Coupon
Book
Now At
Setewoy
tbs
©Brussels Sprouts . 3 9 e
©Tom atoes
» 4 9e
Ad Prices Good thru Tuoo., Fob. 13 at all Portland Area Safeway Stores
Bohsei TV
Solid State
We like to see you often at Safeway