ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 9, 1996 TAG: 9612100047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
MOUNT UNION and Rowan face off for the Stagg Bowl title Saturday in Salem.
The 1993 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl finalists are coming back to Salem for the same reason.
Mount Union College and Rowan College went to the locker room at halftime of their NCAA Division III semifinal games Saturday in similar circumstances and with similar mind-sets. They both scored touchdowns in the final seconds of the first half. Those touchdowns were the biggest reasons they clinched berths in the 24th annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl this Saturday in Salem (ESPN cable).
``They sprinted into the locker room,'' Rowan coach K.C. Keeler said of his players on Sunday. ``You could see the enthusiasm.''
The Profs had the ball on Lycoming College's 19-yard line with six seconds left. They considered kicking a field goal, but at the end of a timeout, Keeler decided that part of the field was too muddy and instead called a pass play. Quarterback Greg Lister found Eugene Foster crossing over the middle for a 21-7 lead.
Mount Union was down 7-0 to Wisconsin-La Crosse, last year's Stagg Bowl champion, with 20 seconds left before halftime. The teams went to the locker room tied after Purple Raiders quarterback Bill Borchert threw the ball to Darrin Kershner in the back of the UW-L end zone.
Mount Union went on to win and avenge two previous playoff losses to the Eagles. Wisconsin-La Crosse coach Roger Harring told the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, ``That play was a big factor in how we played the rest of the game.''
Keeler can relate to Harring. In last year's Stagg Bowl, Harring's Eagles scored on Rowan with 16 seconds left before halftime by throwing an 85-yard touchdown pass. Keeler was upset about a previous call and said he was doing more talking to the referees than his team when the pass was thrown. Then he let the players get to the locker room and stew about the play before he arrived. Keeler said he still regrets those moments.
``I made the biggest coaching mistake of my life during that halftime last year,'' he said.
Wisconsin-La Crosse beat Rowan 36-7 for its second national championship since 1992, while the Profs lost their second Stagg Bowl in Salem. Rowan lost to Mount Union in the 1993 game 34-24. So while the Purple Raiders got their revenge Saturday by beating Wisconsin-La Crosse, Rowan hopes its is yet to come.
Tickets for the Stagg Bowl are available at the Salem Civic Center or by calling (800) 288-2122. Tickets are $8 in advance for adults and $5 for students and children. Tickets will be $10 the day of the game.
Tickets for pregame activities, beginning with the ``Fat Thursday'' Gala Reception, can be obtained by calling (540) 375-3004.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB