ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, December 8, 1995               TAG: 9512080066
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER 

SNOW WON'T PUT BOWL ON ICE WATER WORK KEEPS ALL SYSTEMS GO

The army fights fire with fire. The fire department fights fire with water. And then there's the Salem Fire Department.

It fights snow with water.

With six inches of snow caking the field and stands at Salem Stadium on Thursday morning, officials with the 23rd Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl had to figure out how to dig a lot of snow in a hurry. They did it by firing blasts of water from a hook and ladder truck's hose that was rigged up behind the grandstands.

One fireman was heard to say, ``If we keep the water going, we'll be trout fishing in this place.''

By 2 p.m., the seats were clean and the tarp was gleaming in the sun. The snow was piled behind the end zones and just as important, there wasn't a fishing rod in sight.

``We haven't let 'em down yet and we don't plan for this to be the first time,'' said John Saunders, Salem's assistant director for civic facilities.

Members of the NCAA Division III football committee, who have been keeping a close eye on the field all week, say they aren't worried. Three years of uncooperative weather hasn't soured them on Salem, which will host four different national championships in 1995-96.

``We want to allay any fears,'' said committee chairman Steve Bamford. ``Salem's the best, no question.''

Still, the snow was a surprise to many visitors, most of whom came in from the North.

``I want to apologize for packing 10 inches of snow in my suitcase,'' said Chris Palmer, the Gagliardi Trophy winner from Saint John's University in Minnesota.

``My first year at Saint John's, I always heard the weather was clear and still,'' said Palmer's coach, John Gagliardi, who has been at the Minnesota school for 47 years. ``It was always clear and still - clear up to your butt and still coming down.''

The two schools competing for the Stagg Bowl trophy, Rowan and Wisconsin-La Crosse, didn't seem bothered by the weather.

``Someone came to our room and told us there might be snow on the ground for the game,'' said Rowan coach K.C. Keeler. ``I said, `It's still for the championship isn't it? Then it doesn't matter, does it?'''

Rowan took 10 hours to get here by bus Wednesday night instead of the usual 6-7 hours. That wasn't a problem. The problem was when the defensive team's bus got stuck in the Sheraton parking lot.

Neither team could practice on the field Thursday, so Rowan went to the gym at Andrew Lewis Middle School and Wisconsin-La Crosse went to Salem High's gym. Wisconsin-La Crosse, however, moved outside to the parking lot.

``Our field was frozen the last few days, so it was just as hard as the parking lot,'' said Roger Harring, Wisconsin-La Crosse's coach.

LENGTH: Medium:   61 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. A Salem firefighter clears 
          snow off the seats at Salem Stadium on Thursday with a water hose. 
          Six inches of snow were on the ground at the stadium after 
          Thursday's early-morning snowfall. Graphic: logo.