South Mountaineer Volume 31, Issue 11

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Volume 31, Number 11
Bethlehem, Pa.
Grapplers hungry
for national rankings
By MEGAN CULHANE
South Mountaineer Editor
Never let it be said that the wrestling team doesn't have
guts.
With its first home dual meet against 1988 NCAA runner-
up Iowa, followed by road trips to No. 5 Penn State, Oklahoma (No. 8 nationally last year), No. 4 Oklahoma State and
No. 6 Michigan, the 1988-89 version of the Brown and White
boast backbone if they boast anything.
Coming off a 5-11 dual meet slate last year, Lehigh has
nowhere to go, but up. And with key personnel in captain John
Epperly and sophomores Matt Ruppel and Solomon Fleckman,
this year's squad could be the sleeper of the year in terms of
producing national talent.
"I think our schedule was really hard, but with all those
tough teams it's hard to come out with a good record,"
Epperly said of a 1987-88 season saturated with Top Ten
See GRAPPLERS page 2
Basketball hoping
for deja vu of 1985
By ADAM FENTON
Sports Information Intern
Players and coaches have used the word "rebuilding" in
reference to this year's basketball team so frequently that it has
become as common the three-pointer.
Fans and press are even less polite when describing the
1988-89 season, but coaches around the East Coast Conference
handed the team its lowest blow when they voted Lehigh last
in the preseason poll.
Not that these sentiments are without merit.
Losing four starters, and about 6,300 points, from the team
that made two trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last four
years, the Brown and White have much work to do.
Almost 4,700 of those points came from the two greatest
players in the school's history. Daren Queenan and Mike
Polaha turned around a basketball program that had managed
just five winning seasons in the last fifty years, and led them to
two conference championships. See DEJA VU page 3
Lady cagers expecting
By MEGAN CULHANE
South Mountaineer Editor
Head coach Anne Skutches is expecting big things of
the women's basketball team this year, not to mention just
plain expecting.
If things go as Skutches plans, the 1988-89 version of
the Brown and White (10-17 last year) will be in Towson, Md.
for the East Coast Conference finals on March 3. If things go
as Mother Nature plans, the second year coach will have two
more additions to this year's roster.
Twins.
See EXPECTING page 3
SMT photography
Erick Torain slips past a Husky defender. Torian rushed for 104 yards in Saturday's game.
Huskies take big bite
out of Lehigh, 33-26
By RON TICHO
Director of Sports Information
Lehigh Quarterback Jim Harris completed 23-of-36 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns
anu rushed for another TD in Lehigh's contest vs. Northeastern on Saturday.
By the numbers, it would seem Harris had a great day. But don't ask Harris-his thoughts are a
bit different.
"This has to be one of my worst games. The idea is to score more than the opponent and we
just didn't do that today." Harris explained following the Brown and White's 33-26 defeat at the
hands of the Huskies.
Lehigh's record dropped to 6-4, while the Huskies raised its slate to 4-6.
Despite the loss, Lehigh maintained its hold as one of the most potent offenses in Division I-
AA football. The Brown and White lead the nation in both pass and total offense.
Unfortunately four key Lehigh turnovers plagued the otherwise well-played contest by the
Brown and White. Three of those turnovers were interceptions thrown by Harris, including one late
in the fourth quarter in Northeastern territory.
"That last interception was the worst play of the game," Harris said. "It was a simple out-cut
and I just threw the ball too hard."
The ball floated into the hands of Matt Lanagan—his third interception of the day for the Huskies. Lehigh had to chance a drive later, but failed to convert on a fourth-and four on its own 24,
and Northeastern tookover.
Out of the wishbone offense, the Huskies rushed for 403 yards, including 200 yards by fullback
Harold Scott. The squad also passed for 173 yards (6-of-12 attempts) on the day. It was Northeast-
ern's passing which surprised both Lehigh head coach Hank Small and his players.
See FOOTBALL page 2