European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 21, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday february 21, 1987 the stars and stripes Page commentary geriatric Falcons going for broke the Lions Den they Ikin you alive in Here. Always play you close always play you Lough Frankfurt coach Harold Brooks said while walking across inc descried Cambrai Fritch Cavern gym i Darmstadt wednesday night. The lights had been darkened just moments before after the curtain came Down on inc Falcons come from Schind 101-97 Victory Over the Darmstadt de Mons. On the Road threatened with being burned in the demons Den the Falcons Kepi heir Cool even when they fell 15 Points Down with 14 minutes left. It was a Victory that gave Frankfurt inc Edge for v corps Eastern Region title. Frankfurt is 7-3 defend ing Champion Hanau with Brooks Archac Macsis Roderick Roach coaching is one game Back a i-3, but while inc Falcons go sightseeing during a twin Bill exhibition matchup with Berlin this weekend the hornets have to play Ihrcke games in three Days. One Hornet loss and the Falcons will be roosting High in he title Irei that the Frankfurt Falcon Lucs who stayed at Cambrai to cheer their mates on have been perched on forever. The Victory Over Darmstadt has Brooks hoping his team can Spring from an Eastern Region title to a corps Crown and into the Usa eur tournament. Brooks thirsts for a Usa eur title the Way Bubba Smith and Dick bulks thirst for a Lite Beer. A Usa eur title definitely would taste great. Usa eur. A everybody knows Frankfurt makes Usa eur every year. But of course it s the women not the men who have made the Falcons nest title town. Dou Schlund. The Way things have been going the Falcons nest should have been re named inc Falconer pcs nest a Long time ago. But times change new players come in new coaches take the reins. And if you re going into the Lions Den. It s always Good to bring some warriors Long in the tooth who have been in a Light spot be fore. Brooks has them with an almost unheard of four players Over 30 years old. There s Luke Fencher a 32-year-old garbage Man rummaging for rebounds nobody else wants under Neath. I covered him when i was a cub reporter a fort Benning in 1979, and thought he might be on his last Hurrah. Here it is b years later and the Only thing that looks like it can Stop him from Hilling the boards again next year is if his wife does t let him play. There s Thomas Smith taking the tap from play ers 10 years his Junior while the geriatric guard Tan dem of Thomas Collier and Wayne Collins hobble the Ball up coun. The Falcons look like Lawrence Welk going base line George Burns posting at the lop of the key Ronald Reagan dribbling behind his Back while George Blanch connects on a hoops style held goal. But do All these Golden card bus riders worry Brooks nah he knows a Little about playing Ball Inich dirty 30s. You should have seen me in my heyday. I played until i was 36, for a lot of these Guys this is the last go around. They bring a lot of Ball knowledge with them on the court and it helps the younger players Brooks said. When you talk younger players for Frankfurt you can Call them Johnson. Or you can Call them John son. Or you can Call them Johnson. Brooks play three Johnsons Preston Jackie and Kent. If you Don t have a scorecard to set hem apart Jackie is usually the scorer posting about 10 feel out Preston prowls the Baseline until he explodes above the rim for a rebound and Kent is the shifty Ball handler who looks More like a Middle linebacker Tim Boivin 5&s photo by Lynda Sevli Luce f Escher 50 kept Cool in sins Darmstadt. Than a Point guard. Wednesday night against Darmstadt Jackie was held to nine Points. He just returned from a broke hand but luckily for the Falcons the injury occurred during the holidays and he missed Only four games. Frankfurt was 2-2 during his absence. Preston picked up the scoring Slack when the de Mons keyed on Jackie wednesday night. Preston poured in second and third chances off the rim to score 36 Points As inc demons did t Box out under Neath. Spectators thought this was the wrong John son to be tallying those kind of numbers. I be been keeping Preston on Hie Bench. I pick my spot when it comes to going to Preston Krook said. "1 want teams to know they can t just concen trate on Jackie unlike last year. I want it known i be got plays for the others and when Preston is in his rhythm he can score like that speaking of rhythm Kent Johnson keyed the fal cons comeback that broke the demons rhythm not to mention their Back. First the Supply sergeant requisitioned a Dan Marino style Fly pattern full court to pass Between three defenders to Andre Hutchin son for one fast break bucket. Then he Slickty Boyed the Ball inc demons next time Dow court and converted it into a Toup to pull the Falcons into an 88 88 tic Wilh 3 53 left. Although he finished with Only nine Points. Kent s finishing touches were two crucial free throws to Seal the Falcons Victory with 29 seconds left. That was after Darmstadt blew the front end of three Straig Tonc and once that could have Given them the Lead and probably the ballgame. That pass to mulch was the big turnaround. Even when we re Down we re Quick to come Back and 1 think we even play better when we have to come from behind Kent Johnson said. It was a Nice Way to pull out a win especially after the Falcons went 19-for-3 from the free throw line in losing to Wil Flecken just the week before before the Darmstadt game a ranks said we de served to lose 10 wild Flecken. We missed 12 free throws and lost by five Points. We just have to con Vert those Charity they did wednesday and rent Johnson said it was a Case of practice practice practice. We prac tired All Day on free throws after that Wil Flecken game. It was a big boost for us to come Back and win a game like that. Kent is one of Only four players returning from last year s team that won the Kaiser shiite tournament to cant a free trip to France. But the Falcons Chi their game on the champs Ely secs last year and finished Oul of the race for a Usa eur berth. I to does l think thai will happen again especially wit the Gray cards around to help out. Fencher and Collier were both All army. They know How to handle pressure and they talk to the Young Guys to keep them from getting a hot head he Lawton okla., native said. That helped wednesday against Darmstadt when the refs As it is known let pm play. The results were collisions conflicts and general confusion As to Halwas and was t a foul. Basically it came Down lot his if the crowd got on inc refs enough they d get defensive and Call a touch foul. If All was quiet it could look like the line of scrimmage Between the giant Sand bears out there. There was no consistency in the officiating but then again there was no favouritism. When Fencher went Down in a pileup with the demons David Flagg underneath late in the game. Flagg tried to Start a tussle while Fencher just tried Togel up. While flags who had a Tough game holding onto the Ball pleaded for a Call for some unseen foul the refs instead called a jump and Possession went to Frankfurt it would have been easy for Fencher to Bop Ragg Tor his grappling and griping but by walking away at a key juncture he kept the Ball in Frankfurt s hands. It s that kind of Heads lip cooled Down play that May Sec the Falcons join the Falco Peltcs at the Usa eur Ball this year. The pressure s off us now. With our exhibitions this weekend against Berlin we get a breather. It Stime for the other teams to prove they can slay in Contention with us instead of vice versa Kent Johnson said. The play of the Falcons this far is also a Point of Contention for Brooks to pick with me i told you atthe beginning of the year thai we d be there with Hanau in the end Brooks Suid and you just laughed. You did t believe with four old Guys and the Johnson Trio sitting in first place of v corps Eastern Region Tell you what i m not laughing anymore. Watching these Guys go into the Lions pen wednesday and skin Darmstadt alive. I gotta believe Brooks now. Pass the Craw please. I m hungry and the Falcons Are even hungrier for a spot in Usa eur. Flyers extend penguins wingless Streak from press dispatches Philadelphia Dave Poulin scored two third period goals to give the Philadelphia flyers a 4-4 nil tic wit Pittsburgh thursday night extending the penguins wingless Mycol to 36 games in Philadelphia the penguins have not won in Phila Delphia since january 1 1. 174. Since that Lime they have Gune 0-33-3 on the flyers Home ice. Poulin scored when he rebounded teammate Scott Mellanby s shot past Pittsburgh goaltender Pat Riggin who was drawn out of inc n
