Fall 1982, Issue 1

Rain and mud can't stop team

Koalas 1-0 after win
by Chris Harrington. Koala Staff

It was hardly poetry in motion, but the UCSD Koala football team managed to win their season opener, 20-6 over the University of Imperial Valley. The game was played in a torrential desert downpour as 2,122 fans looked on in flooded El Centro Stadium last Saturday.

Down six love at halftime, Coach Phil Carrera rallied his troops as the Koalas eventually picked apart the aggressive Imperial defense. Tailback Alonzo Pie sacred on runs of nine and 27 yards, and quarterback Joe Golf completed his last nine pases in a row. The last toss in this streak, which left Golf with respectable statistics for the day, was a beautiful 45-yard zone-splitting bullet to freshman flanker David Lontine for a touchdown.

"It's a hard game to assess," stated Coach Carrera "I can't rate our offensive performance of the adverse conditions but I think our defense showed well.

After allowing a first quarter touchdown on a 33-yard flanker reverse the Koala defense was perfect. The defensive line lived up to their motto of "meeting each other at the quarterback" and recorded five sacks. The entire' defensive crew was aggressive, forcing three fumbles, and reserve tight-end Paul Body blocked a punt to set up a score.

The first Koala touchdown came midway through the third quarter following a well executed 88 yard drive. Short passes to tight end Joe Anderson and receivers Florian Weigand and Felipe Batista kept the ball rolling. With a third and goal from the three, Pie, whom they call "Scooter", sailed easily around the left end to give the Koalas the lead.

After a series in which Imperial quarterback Carlos Chavez was sacked three times, Body blocked the attempted punt. This set up a textbook, 27 yard trap play, Pie going in to the end zone untouched. The TD pass to Lontine carne after a miraculous catch for a 31-yard gain by his counterpart, Weigand. Golf hit Weigand on the same route that produced the Lontine score, only Weigand had to drive to secure the ball.

"It was tough to throw in that driving rain," said Golf, who completed only two of his first 11 passes. "We got on track some in the second half, but I think we’re capable of doing much better."

UCSD was denied another score when reserve halfback Ricky Hertz had his 66 yard punt return nullified due to a clipping call on linebacker Jim Davis. The Koalas now return home to host Apple Valley tomorrow at 1pm. Apple Valley defeated National University last week, 30-13 and is led by fullback David Billings (173 yards vs. National). The game will be played at Howard Hunt Stadium, Northeast of Central Library.