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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, November 21, 1968
Lawrence grid star ends prep career this Friday
Lawrence High School fullback Mike Cerne will finish his prep career tomorrow night at Haskell Stadium against Shawnee Mission South. When he does he should be swamped with college football offers Lawrence coach Al Woolard said.
Two weeks ago against Topeka High, Cerne was held to 20 yards on 10 carries but scored one touchdown on a 79-yard punt return and threw one pass—good for 25 yards and another touchdown.
Lawrence is the state's No. 1 team with a 7-0-1 record, and Cerne has had a big hand in those games.
Early in the season a national football magazine marked Cerne as one of the best prep backs in the country. Woolard has no less enthusiasm for his star player.
He has carried the ball 107 times for 657 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
"In't see it something though?" Woolard said after a victory early
this year. "He's one of the best football players I've ever seen."
football players I've ever seen. After Lawrence's first two games, Woolard was asked why Cerne was so highly regarded as a college prospect.
"He has great speed, ability and dedication. He is a good student and has a wonderful personality," Woolard said.
And before the season even started Woolard said, "Cerne will undoubtedly be one of the most sought after athletes in the United States after this season."
He was "courted" early in the season by two colleges, and they found out the hard way that they shouldn't have talked to him until after the season.
Two schools have already found out that any college who talks to Cerne before the end of the season (Saturday) will be put on a blacklist, and we will guarantee that he won't go to that school." Woolard emphasized.
Ex-coach objects to so many bowls
ATLANTA (UPI) — Bobby Dodd had 13 bowl teams during his 22 years as coach at Georgia Tech but he thinks the bowl market has become glutted.
"They should have quit when they added the Gator Bowl 1946," said Dodd. "Now, they've got so many that a lot of them really don't have any meaning."
"A lot of the players, really don't care that much about going to a bowl," Dodd continued. "Sure, the coaches get a lot of publicity and a pay raise, the schools make a lot of money, and the alumni are delighted."
"But about all the players get for missing their holiday at home is a wristwatch."
"I always let my players make the decision—and there are plenty of coaches who can't say that," said Dodd. "One year, they turned down a bowl offer because they had been the previous two years and didn't want to miss a third straight Christmas with their families.
Dodd, who gained a reputation for taking it easy on his players
prior to bowl games—and yet winning eight in a row, also pointed out that coaches often make it pretty rough on their players because of their great desire to win a bowl game.
"Some coaches make it no fun for their players at all," said Dodd. "It's work, work, with no time out to see the sights or do any of the things that players look forward to when they make a bowl trip.
"A bowl game should be considered sort of a reward that a team earns by having a good season. And, as such, they should be allowed to enjoy it."
Dodd pointed out that the large number of bowls creates a tremendous scramble for teams. "The Gator Bowl tries to figure out ahead of time who the Orange and Sugar bowls will pick and some of the other bowls try to outguess all three," he said.
Jayhawks, Tigers preparing for battle
COLUMBIA, Mo. (UPI)—Missouri's Tigers worked for nearly two hours in pads but without contact yesterday in preparation for their crucial Big Eight battle against Kansas Saturday.
"The end result is that deals, let's call them 'gentlemen's agreements,' are usually made weeks before the official announcements," said Dodd.
Coach Dan Devine said the squad was in good condition. He noted that sixth-ranked Kansas is the biggest team Missouri has faced since the 1964 Nebraska aggregation.
Devine also indicated he is concerned with the quickness of the high-scoring Jayhawks.
"Anybody who did not have spirit would have quit long ago," Rodgers said after yesterday's practice. "If a guy doesn't have spirit, he shouldn't be in this game, it's too hard," he added.
KU football coach Pepper Rodgers hopes his players are mentally ready for Saturday's clash with Missouri.
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The minor injuries that fullback John Riggins and middle linebacker Emery Hicks suffered
in the K-State game will not hamper their play this Saturday against Missouri, Rodgers said
Janice Mitchell in a bright and warm LONDON FOG Jacket.