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Page 24 • PLAINDEALER HERALD. WEDNESDAY . DECEMBER 12.1984 Sports Chris Juzwik Sports Editor JS £.- The Bear tact is: they need a break It's very tragic what has happened to the Chicago Bears. From one moment -- that of hope and promise -- to the next -- one of in- Jury and despair -- it has been a long and drawn-out second half of the season for the NFL's answer to "One Day at a Time." But fear not. All is not lost. In fact, if the Bears' problems per­ sist, we may have an NFC champion on our hands. Before you look up the phone number at the Plaindealer-Herald or make me a reservation at the loony bin, let's look at a few things. FIRST -- MIKE DITKA. A determined, ornery, persistent, hard-nosed character if ever there was one. Ditka may not be the most cerebral of NFL coaches, and he certainly isn't the most gregarious. But one gets the idea if there's a way the Bears can win the upcoming playoff derby, Ditka will find it. Ditka's team is an extension of him. The Bears make blatant, dumb mistakes, as does their coach. But what they lack in in­ telligence and ability, they more than make up for in heart and tenacity. Trite, but true. / For every Rusty Lisch, there's a Walter Payton. For every Terry Schmidt, a Todd Bell. For every fumble or missed coverage the formers make, the latters cover their tracks with a long run or an interception. THE BEARS ARE a team In the truest sense. Newly-acquired Greg Landry noted, upon his arrival at practice last week, what a closely-knit group the Bears are. That's an intangible, but keep piling those up -- a good kicking game, solid special teams, black uniforms -- and a team suddenly has quite a bit going for it. The biggest plus for Ditka and his staff as they ready their em­ battled warriors for the playoffs is that nothing is expected of them. Ditka said he hopes the Bears can sneak up on some teams and win a couple games, a feat which would give the Bears a berth in the... well, never mind. We take you back to October of this year, to a city of warmth and compassion -- San Diego. The Bears' younger siblings returned home, to cry in their porridge and hibernate after the playoff debacle. WHY WERE THE Cubs so angry? Why were Cub fans seen poised at the top of tall buildings? Because they expected too much. Wasn't it enough that for the second straight year there was baseball in October in Chicago? Noooooo. The greedy Cubs and their followers wanted it all, and instead, they got nothing. There should have been legions of Cub faithful just happy and satisfied their boys of summer had done as well as they had. IN THIS YEAR OF success for Chicago, the idea is to take one step at a time. The Bears won the NFC Central. That's not akin to Jimmy the Greek making a correct prediction or anything, but for now, it'll do. A minor adjustment here, the return of Steve Fuller there, and perhaps the Bears can defeat their first-round playoff opponent, and take a shot at the mighty San Francisco 49ers, a probable en­ try in the NFC championship game. The Bears and their followers are taking the right approach. There was only a modicum of celebration after the team clinched the division title. No hanging from the pillars at Soldier Field, no live telecasts from Kowalski's End Zone Seats, nothing. There really is only one clinching worthy of that type of celebration. Un­ til then, you lay low -- like under a rug. REALISTICALLY, YOU can't foresee what will happen, this year or next. There won't be many major changes in next season's Bears. It's a young team, a hungry team. Win or lose in the post- Christmas affair, the Bears are back, to recoin a phrase. The entire league is turning itself around. Look at all the major records that were broken this season, by exciting players in major markets -- Marino in Miami, Dickerson in L.A., Payton in Chicago. The popularity of pro football is rising, and the Bears are a part of it -- and in the playoffs. And, as if that weren't enough, Phyllis George is leaving The NFL Today. Give the Bears a chance. They don't have anyi. ig to lose. Do you? Johnsburg wins game of 'foul play' JHS ayercomes poor free throw shooting, edges Marian Central for first NWSC win By Chris Juzwik PLaladealer-Herald iportt editor JOHNSBURG - Sophomore Frank Husak, playing way beyond his years, helped stave off a Marian Central rally Friday night, as the Skyhawks claimed their first conference victory of the season, 57-54. The win raised Johnsburg's record to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the Northwest Suburban. Marian is 2- 3,0-2. "It's great to get the first (conference) win," said a smiling Johnsburg coach Ben Beck. "It's especially nice to win at home. You have to win at home in this conference." But what was really especially nice was the play of Husak, who scored five points in the last 2:13 of the contest, including a key three-point play with 1:52 to go. WITH Johnsburg clinging to the slimmest of. leads', 50-49, Husak was fouled by Marian's Mike Green. The 5-11 guard knocked down one of two free throws, upp- ing Johnsburg's lead to two. After Marian's Kurt Stevens nailed two free throws to tie the game, Husak took off on his game- winner. Johnsburg cleared the right side of the court, and Husak drove the lane, scoring and get­ ting fouled by Green in the pro­ cess. The basket counted, and the free throw put JHS up, 54-51, and ahead to stay. Husak hit another free throw with just over a minute left. "No, the play wasn't set up," Husak said. "It just worked out that wayfI just took it right in." "I told him all game he could take them," Beck said of Marian guards Green and Tom Will. "They're still recovering from the long football season." HUSAK'S heroics saved the Skyhawks from what would have been an embarrassing defeat. JHS led by 12 late in the third quarter, and essentially invited Marian back into the game by converting Pllfflfe •> ^ " < / . pill] B Marian Central forward Chris Brown is boxed in by Skyhawks Frank Husak (30) and Rick Easterling. Johnsburg's half-court trap kept Plalndealer-Herald photo by Chris Juzwik Marian at bay all evening long, as the hosts captured the Northwest Suburban Conference tut. SAVE 20 to 47% EARLY AMERICAN SOFA,LOVESEAT AND CHAIR |0DD| LOVESEATS ALL LAMPS ft ACCESSORIES •50%! LANE CEDAR CHEST SAVE 20% TO 40% SALE CHIRO-PCDIC MATTRESS STANDARD SUE REG $359.00 nm \ HERCUL0N. NYLON PRINT FROM HERCUL0N. NYLON PRINTS FROM SCOTCHQUARDED FABRICS REG 89900 # |SALE| FAMOUS BRAND MATTRESS oM FOUNDATION! WTAHDARD SIZE* |$£fi00l r Ovl •each piecb SALE 0RTH0TYPE MATTRESS F '228™ ( • SPECIAL | MISMATCHED PIECES 60 x 80 QUEEN SIZE 3 PIECE SET 2 BIG SHOPPING CENTERS NEXT TO FIRE STATION ON *T. 120 AT 3) (IIS)385-1800 on just six of 15 fourth quarter free throws. "We didn't shoot free throws very well," Beck said. "We have the ability to hit them, but we sure didn't show it tonight." Husak said he was a bit unnerv­ ed as he toed the free throw line in the game's crucial stages. "Yeah, I was a little bit nervous. But I put my mind to it, and buckl* ed down." It was lucky for the Skyhawks that he did. JHS LOOKED impressive in pulling out to a 14-8 first quarter advantage . Mar ian ' s Kurt Stevens, a 6-6 junior, kept his team in the game by scoring six first quarter points. Marian's achilles heel -- fouling -- popped up, as starting forward Brian Truckenbrod committed his fourth personal with over a m inute left in the first quarter "No, I didn't want to take Brian out," Marian coach Hans Rokus said. "Maybe later in the season I would have, but we didn't want to get blown out early. We wanted to go with our best." Johnsburg was in the bonus with 1:20 left in the first. But shooting free throws wasn't an asset for the 'Hawks -- it was a liability, as shown by their 2-for-6 from the charity stripe. JOHNSBURG pulled out to a 21- 12 lead as forward Rick Easterl­ ing tallied a three-point play with 5:49 left in the half. Marian was its own worst enemy in its effort to cut the gap, as the Hurricanes muffed three fast breaks on an errant pass, a traveling call and a missed lay-up. But MC scratched back to 27*22 at the break, on the strength of an Ai VanLanduyt hoop with two seconds left. "We felt at halftime that we needed more pressure. We made a defensive adjustment, and it worked for us. They (Marian) made a run, but we settled down," geek said v t "THEIR half-court trap did it to us," Rokus admitted. "You have to give them credit." Marian guard Tom Will took charge for the 'Canes as he scored six third-quarter points. Bu£ Johnsburg's Bill Dust had a hot hand of his own, scoring eight in the period, including a run of six straight. "He's a great shooter," Beck said of his junior forward. "He's very deceiving. He'll be quiet, and then all of a sudden, he'll score. We have to tell him to shoot." Junior guard Mike Toussaint put the 'Hawks ahead by 43-31, before Will and backcourt mate Bill Hartmann scored to cut the JHS lead to 43-35 after three quartos. Easterling's inside game kept his team ahead, but Marian peck­ ed away at the lead, as Will scored his eighth point of the fourth quarter with four minutes to play, edging MC to within 48-47, STEVENS' TWO free throws tied the contest at 51, the first tie since a 2-2 deadlock. Husak's three-point play put JHS up 54-51, and two more Stevens charity (Please turn to page 22) GUARANTEED DELIVERY ON EVERY ITEM IN OUR STORE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!! ON ALL RECLINERS CHOOSE FROM STRAT0L0UNGER, FLEXSTEEL, KR0£HLER, BERKLINE, FRANKUN & MORE STARTING $QQ00 AS LOW AS 90 IMPACT HARVEST MANOR •DRESSER • MIRROR •CHEST •HEADBOARD REG 11095 00 SLEEPER 100% HERCUL0N REG. $399.95 $248°° BUNK BED SPECIAL HONEY PINE COMPLETE W/BEDDING $10000 FROM 19w FLOOR SAMPLE ! ONLY •TABLE W/LEAF •4 SIDE CHAIRS •CHINA CABINET REG. $1495.00 7PIECE '687 00 90 DAYS SAME AS CASH WITH APPROVED CREDIT-MIN PUtCH. 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