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Cougar Cagers Luxuriating ·In

Rare Four-Game Hot Streak

By Robert Buttitta
"We've proven we can play with The second half was much the
everyone in our league and I'm same, COC leading by as much as 27
confident we will have a shot at the points at one time. Using a zone
play-offs." defense and fast breaking the much
slower West LA team, COC literally
That is the opinion of COC
basketball coach Lee Smelser when ran them out of the gym.
asked for his evaluation of the first COC was led in scoring by Reed
half of the '78-'79 season. who had 16, Steve Borden added 12
and hit the boards very well, while
The Cougars ended the first half Skeeter added 10 points and 10
of league play with a 4-4 mark rebounds.
including victories in their last two Every Cougar played and every
games. In those games against player scored.
Ventura and West LA, COC played
some of its best ball of the year. Smelser feels his team is ready to
Smelser said the team was glad to hit its peak heading into the second
get the two wins on the road and half of the season. He feels if his
added, "I think we are playing with Cougars can use their zone defense
tremendous enthusiasm and have effectively while getting their fast
great moral." break going, they can cause prob-
lems for a lot of teams. The team,
Against Ventura there were which survived eligibility problems Steve Borden (34) takes an outside jumper against the Cougars' third straight
several keys to the Cougar's suc- earlier this year and still played victim, Hancock, as Robert Skinner (33) positions him.sell for the rebound. The
cess. After trailing at half 40-36, good ball, may indeed have enough Cougars are now on a four-game winning streak and are looking good for a
Jerry Tucker led\& second half surge class to make the playoffs. playoff berth.
as the Cougars came out on top
92-82. Tucker scored a career high
21 points and was helped by Mark
(Skywalker) Reed, who scored 23, COC's Football Squad Earns More Athletic
and by Bob Skeeter, who added 22.

The Cougars shot 52 per cent Scholarships Than Any Previous Cougar Team
from the floor, which according to
Smelser, "was just what we needed
to shoot to win." The big key to the By Bob Buttitta
win, however, may have been
COC's free throw shooting. The What do UCLA, Colorado State "We had a lot of Sophomores on this year's captains, received a full
Cougars shot an incredible 83 per and the University of Kansas all the team this year so there were ride scholarship to UCLA. Riley
cent from the charity stripe. They have in common? The answer is that more chances for kids to get was the "Most Valuable Line-
were 34-41, an incredible per- each will have a member of the '78 recruited. However, just because backer" both years he played at
centage. Cougar football team on its roster you have plenty of kids eligible, COC. He may step right into the
this coming season. Sixteen COC does not necessarily mean a lot of shoes of UCLA's All-American
When COC traveled to West LA, Sophomores from last year's squad recruiting. We had an exceptional Jerry Robinson, who is graduating
the Cougars faced a team on a three- received full scholarships to other amount of talent this season." this year.
game winning streak. universities or colleges. The Cougar squad, which finished Stanley Gardner, another defen-
COC came out firing, shooting According to head coach Larry second in the league, certainly was sive standout, chose Kansas as his
again 52 per cent from the floor and Reisbig, there are two reasons for unusually talented. future school. Gardner, who was
led at half 32-18. the record number of scholarships. Linebacker Avon Riley, one of both "Most Valuable Lineman" and
"Most Valuable Player", should help
Kansas win more than the one game
it won last year.
McGonigal, Ex-UTEP Women's Athletic Director, lineman also received grants. Paul
Two of Gardner's fellow defensive
Little will continue to plague
Heads COC's Female Basketball Program quarterbacks at the University of
Kentucky, while Jim Cathey will
terrorize teams for Tulane. Both
will be missed by COC next year.
By Martha Graeber
Former Canyon great Bill Heins
After four years as women's After two years at Wayland, will take his talents to West Texas
athletic coordinator at the Uni- McGonigal transferred to Texas State. Heins improved his game
versity of Texas, El Paso, Carol Women's college to concentrate on tremendously last season, taking a
McGonigal has joined the COC staff track. After graduating with a starting job away from Terry Love.
as women's basketball coach. Business degree, she moved to Love, however, was still able to
McGonigal began the first UTEP, where she received her grab a scholarship from Murray
women's basketball program at master's in education and headed State in Kentucky. Love is very
UTEP which had two winning the women's athletic department. quick and should see a lot ~f playing
seasons during her four-year stay, Now that McGonigal's "play to time.
but was forced to come west when win, and do the best you can" All-State cornerback Jeff Tracy,
her husband's new job demanded it. philosophy has come to COC, how who finished second to USC's
Although she accepted the job does she feel her team will do? Charles White in the balloting for
with little knowledge of her new 'Tm not sure. I don't know the Best College Player in the San
team's abilities or that of opponents, abilities of any of our opponents, but Fernando Valley, will compete at
McGonigal should have little trouble I'm told we are going to have more Pacific University. Tracy anchored
in forming a competitive squad. Her height and more people than last the Cougar secondary, leading the
basketball background dates back to year," she said. squad with eight interceptions.
high school where she played well The female Cougar cagers will CSUN grabbed three Cougars for
enough to receive a scholarship begin their season against Los its squad. Linebacker Tom Palmer,
from Wayland Baptist college in Angeles Baptist College at 3 p.m. defensive end Jim Van Housen, and
Plainview, Tex., on a team named Feb. 20, in the Mustang's gym. defensive end Bob Rodriguez will
Carol McGonigal
the "Hutchinson Flying Queens," help the Matadors next year.
(Cont'd on Page 8)