CAPITAL TIMES, October 4, 1989
The men's soccer team in action in a recent twilight game
PSH teams fight for respect
Derrick Stokes
Capital Times Staff
In the athletic world, "winning is not
the most important thing; it's the only
thing."
However, the sports teams at Penn
State Harrisburg seem to come up short
on the scoreboard more often than not.
But proudly showcased in a glass trophy
case in the Capitol Union Building are
remnants of a time when "Were No. 1"
could've been the theme song.
In 1985 and 1986 the tennis team
won district championships. How's the
tennis team looking this year? They're
outta sight. What about that strong
cross country team. They're outta sight
too. (Translation: there is no tennis
team or cross country team.)
Although there has been interest in
tennis this year, athletic director Duane
Krider said academic schedules conflicted
with match schedules; making it difficult
to field a complete team for an entire
season. Lack of interest killed the cross
country team, he said.
Krider attributed the success of these
teams to the individual achievements of
outstanding athletes in individual sports.
In a team sport, like basketball, Krider
said teams need more than one
outstanding player to be successful.
"For us to be .500 in any sport is
excellent," Krider said. "(We) compete
against scholarship athletes." Penn
State Harrisburg does not offer athletic
scholarships.
"We don't have a policy that would
allow us to give scholarships," he said.
"If we had the money, we could give it,"
he added.
The National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) allows
participating schools to give out athletic
scholarships. Penn State Harrisburg
belongs to the NAIA District 19 and the
Keystone Athletic Conference (KAC).
Eight of the 14 teams in the district
belong to the KAC.
Because PSH coaches don't have
scholarships to lure top junior college
athletes here, they must induce students
to try out for teams.
photo by Richard Chiavetta
"The high emphasis on academics and
the shift to night class have an impact
on athletics," Krider said. "The kids
who do play varsity sports are special:"
Coaches are now looking toward the
Commonwealth campuses to supply
Penn State Harrisburg with quality
athletes.
"A consistently high influx of
juniors from Commonwealth campuses
would solidify a strong athletic
program," Krider said.
Although this year's soccer team and
the women's volleyball team will not
have any prize recruits on their roster,
they figure to challenge for district and
conference championships this season,
the athletic director said.
The soccer team won the Keystone
Athletic Conference two years ago and
the women's volleyball team qualified
for the KAC playoffs the past two
seasons. The women's volleyball team
is lead by last year's KAC Coach of the
Year David Hume.
"I think they're going to do quite
well," Krider said. He thinks it will take
a minimum of a .500 record to qualify
for the playoffs.
Unlike the soccer and the women's
volleyball, the basketball team will
receive the services of an athlete from a
commonwealth campus.
Ed Miller, a guard/forward from the
Altoona campus, was voted the Most
Valuable Player in the commonwealth
campuses last year. He will anchor a
lineup that will feature only one
returning player from last season's squad.
This year's team will have a new coach -
Brad Markey, a new look and a new
emphasis on academics.
Sweeping changes are indicative
PSH's two year Athletic programs. The
coaches of each team work on a part
time basis. Krider said the coaches have
full-time jobs.
Although the baseball team has
always done well, continuity remains
elusive for the rest of the athletic
program.
"Two year programs are very tough
There are breaks and declines," he said
SPORTS
Hank's pen rambles
Hank Rappokl
Capital Times Sports Editor
Across the nation in sports
Pro fotball is back and has welcomed
new Dallas coach, Jimmy Johnson, to
its ranks with
four losses...Mo Cheeks has been traded
away by the 76ers, another great trade
for Philly?... Becker beats Lendl in the
U.S. Open, not bad for a kid... Notre
Dame is still atop of the college
Football team posts
third straight win
Jeff Quinn
Capital Times Staff
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is the
tune that has echoed through Happy
Valley the past three weekends.
After a stunning 14-6 season opening
loss to the Cavaliers of Virginia, the
Penn State Nittany Lions have
rebounded to win their last three games
over Temple, Boston College and the
Texas Longhorns.
Trying to regain their lost spot in the
AP top 25, the Lions unleashed a
vicious attack against the then 0-2 Owls
from Temple.
On the first offensive play of the
game Penn State quarterback Tom Bill
connected with David Daniels on a 75-
yard pass play that resulted in a quick 7-
Nittany Lion lead.
On the first play of the second
quarter, Blair Thomas dove into the end
zone from the one yard line to cap off a
13 play, 77 yard drive. Later in the
quarter, a blocked punt by Andre Collins
set up the Bill-Daniels combination for
their second touchdown connection of
the game to give the Lions a 21-3 lead at
the half.
While Bill and Daniels were hooking
up in the air, Blair Thomas was quietly
gaining 138 yards on 21 carries with two
TDs; including a spinning and cutting
49 yard run that set up a Gerry Collins
20-yard score.
The Lions scored two more
touchdowns in the second half and the
defense held after allowing a 41-yard field
goal in the second quarter to make the
final score Penn State 42, Temple 3.
In their third game of the season the
Lions faced the challenge of overcoming
a stingy Boston College defense and the
wind and rain of Hurricane Hugo with a
new quarterback.
The new Lion quarterback was
sophomore Tony Sacca, who was
getting his first start because original
starter Tom Bill had been suspended
from the week.
Both the B.C. Eagles and the Penn
State Nittany Lions had trouble moving
offensively on the rain drenched turf at
Beaver Stadium.
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The Lion defense played extremely
football game... Baseball fans are now
awaiting the outcome of the upcoming
playoffs, which pit the Cubs vs. the
Giants in the National League and the
*A's and the Blue Jays in the
American... Hank picks the Cubs and the
A's in the series with the Cubs finally
winning it a 11... Back to Philly, the
Eagles are soaring high and hoping to
land in the Super Bowl this year. Can
this be Buddy Ball, finally? We'll have
to wait and see...
well limiting the Eagles to 141 yards
rushing. They gave up 168 yards in the
air but held B.C. to a lone field.
Blair Thomas had another one
hundred yard day as he rushed 118 yards
on 27 carries.
The strong, unyielding play of the
defense led to the last minute heroics of
the sputtering Penn State offense. With
3:50 left in the game, the Lions took
over possession at the B.C. 35 yard line
after a shanked punt.
After gaining a quick first down on
three carries by Blair Thomas, the
offense found themselves facing a fourth
down and seven at the the 21 yard line.
Sacca dropped back to pass but pulled
the ball down and took off under pressure
from the B.C. front line. Sacca eluded
three tacklers and gained 13 yards as he
was finally stopped and pushed out of
bounds at the the eight yard line.
After three attempts to score on the
ground via Blair Thomas the Lions lined
up at the one yard line facing fourth and
goal. A fake hand-off to Thomas and a
bootleg around the right side led Penn
State to its second victory in as many
weeks and its seventeenth victory out of
eighteen tries against the Eagles.
In the fourth game on their schedule
Penn State escaped with a victory thanks
to their special teams.
In the fourth quarter with 7:00 left in
the game linebacker Andre Collins swept
in from the right side and blocked a punt
just as he had done in the Temple game.
Leonard Humphries recovered the punt
and ran it four yards for a touchdown
which resulted in a 16-12 victory.
In the first quarter the Lions drew
first blood on a four play 80 yard drive
that ended with a Sacca-Daniels
connection for 33 yards. The ensuing
PAT was blocked breaking the longest
string of successful extra points in
Division I-A college football at 134.
The Longhorns fought back and went
ahead of the Lions on a 30 yard diving
catch in the end zone resulting in a two
point safety.
After the blocked punt, Texas had
three remaining tries to score but the
Penn State defense would not be denied.
Texas had run out of time as the Nivany
Lions upped their record to 3-1.
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