USD Football 1996

H Because You've Always

Been Curious About ...

Brandon Good catches a touchdown pass last season.

earning fourth place. Its big rival is national power Wittenberg, which beat the Fighting Scots, 56-0, last season. But its oldest rival is nearby Denison. Wooster's first three games ever (two in 1889, one in 1890) were all sizable victories over Denison (48-0, 50-0 and 58-0). In recent years, the schools have started a new tradition. They now play each year for the Red Lantern Trophy, symbolic of the lighting on trolleys which used to carry the teams to their games. Wooster has been nicknamed the Scots since 1931, after the name was suggested a few years earlier by Art Murray, a former coach and director of athletic publicity. Previously, the team was known as the Presbyterians. The name became Fighting Scots in 1950, when coach Phil Shipe thought his team needed to sound more aggressive. His inspiration was the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies, known in Philly as the "Fighting Phils," to the rest of the world as the "Whiz Kids." That tough image may help more in leaner seasons, when opposing fans salute Wooster's marching band by shouting that maybe the football team should be wearing the skirts. a THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER FACTS Location: Wooster, Ohio Founded: 1866 Enrollment: 1,700 Stadium: John P. Papp Stadium (4,500 seats; originally built in Athletics: The College of Wooster hosts 21 athletic programs (1 1 men's and 10 women's). It competes in NCAA Division 111, and is a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference. Alums include: Tim Smucker, Chairman of the jelly company; Stan Gault, CEO of Rubbermaid/ Goodyear; Vince Cellini, a sportscaster for CNN; Blake Moore, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. Where students go on a Friday or Saturday night: Digger's, The Olde Jaole, and Applebee's (all restaurant/bars); Matsos (a Greek/Italian restaurant); malls in Canton, Akron or Cleveland; the 10-screen movie theater just north of town. 1920, renovated in 1991) Nickname: Fighting Scots

n recent years, when times were lean, it was said that the best thing about College of Wooster football was the band at halftime. While the 120-piece band is

The Fighting Scots are inspired by the 1950 Phillies.

still excellent, and noteworthy because they perform in plaid kilts, now the football team is catching eyes as well. This year, the Fighting Scots have a legitimate shot at their first winning season since 1987, after finishing 5-5 last fall. The College of Wooster is located in Wooster, Ohio, about an hour south of Cleveland, 40 minutes west of Canton. The school is named after the town of about 27,000, which is named for a Revolutionary War general. But, says sports information director John Finn, "I don't think he spent much time here." Maybe that's confusing. What's also misleading is the spelling vis-a-vis the pronunciation. It looks like it should be WOO ster; in fact, it is pronounced WUH ster. The college was founded in 1866, and currently has about 1,700 students, fairly equally divided by gender. It is considered one of the finest liberal-arts colleges in America. Students most– ly earn degrees in biology, chemistry, computer science, geolo– gy, math and philosophy. The football team hasn't been in the headlines much recent– ly, but second-year coach Jim Barnes is off to a good start. His team won the close games last season: Three wins were by three points or fewer, while all five losses were lopsided. Quarterback Rich Judd passed for 1,432 yards last season, with wide receiver Brandon Good pulling in 41 passes for 483 yards and three touchdowns. The top running back is sopho– more Jeff Elser, who gained 660 yards. Senior linebacker Greg Lake led the team with 135 tackles, including four sacks. Wooster competes in the NCAA Division Ill North Coast Athletic Conference, and had a 5-3 league record last year,

MARK COHEN is a freelance writer based in Edgewood, Pa. This is his third year writing for Touchdown Illustrated.

BY MARK COHEN

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