European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 11, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 21 pro Pickin s 1986-87, what kind of a year with the selection of Mannheim s Regina Nolan and Pitburg s Mike Tolbert As the respective girls and boys 1985-87 stars and stripes athletes of the year the curtain rings Down on another year of Dodds sports activities the 18th full season since prep Pickin s became the is High school sports editor. What kind of a year was it there were Many Good happenings Giessen continuing to do Good things in football and boys basketball in its second year As a dodos school International school of Brussels posting another perfect football Campaign the decision to stage ado dds Atlantic Region playoff game Between the . And Bennor football champions Heidelberg girls and Wuerzburg s boys retaining their big schools basketball titles a Brilliant Duel that erase the boys 800-meter record one of the oldest in Dodds from the Book that made the year exciting. Some of he happenings weren t so Good drop elimination of the Bennor Champion from the Small school football playoff picture. Giessen went undefeated in football and Basket Ball the football team was tied by osterholz in their a Central conference game and the two team shared the league championship. However a tie breaker Victory Cave the charges of Charlie Tot top seed in the Small schools playoff series. The Griffins humbled a South runner up Vilseck and osterholz lost to a sooth Champion Munich in the semifinals. Then Giessen edged Munich in the title game. That Victory gave the Griffins an 8-0-1 record for 1986 and a 16-1-1 record in the 2-year-old history of the High school the Only loss Giessen has sustained Over those Yean was to 1sb in the 198s Small schools championship game. Is rolled to another perfect Campaign last fan to stretch its undefeated skein to is. However the Small schools playoffs were limited to Ger Many teams last fall after several Yean of inter league showdown Garnet and the raiders possibly Thebes team in Dodds were left on the sidelines twiddling their thumbs. That wont happen in 1987 because a championship game has been scheduled Between the . And Bennor Champion for nov. 7 a Good Deci Sion. It Only makes Good sense that the two teams meet in championship strife because the . And Bennor divisions Are in the Atlantic Region. The . Teams have had a playoff among themselves the last two Yean but the new arrangement is much better. Croughton nudged London in the title Gam after Taylor Lewis fourth place bobcats stunned league Champion Woodbridge in a semifinal game. Ramstein toppled Pitburg in the big schools finale to avenge a regular season setback. Pitburg which finished in a five Way tie for second in Ger Many a got into the playoffs by the Luck of the draw. Actually it was by the Luck of the second draw because Baum older which was picked first was not allowed to participate by principal Shelly Rucke because of off the Field fisticuffs. The Barons with Tolbert playing a key role shocked aaa co Champion Kaiserslautern to reach the championship game. Aaa  second seeded because it lost its regular season game to Kaiser Lautem whipped a Champi on  s Jim Goodwin beat out Toth who waste 1985 is coach of the year by the narrowest of margins for 1986 laurels. Wiesbaden s Robert bar nes and Hanau s Tony Morton were declared Offen Sive and defensive players of the year  started the basketball season owning an eight game winning skein that included the 1986small schools championship. The Griffins finished undefeated by beating shape in the Small school finale 17 games later. The Griffins Tyrone Thomas beat out Wurz Burg s Mike Brown for boys player of the year. Toth received his second straight coach of the year certificate a feat never before achieved. It easily could have been four straight certificates. Brown led Wuerzburg to its second straight big schools title the wolves beat Stuttgart in the final Heidelberg s Iris made it two in a Row by conquer ing Frankfurt. The lady Lions Michelle Johnson snared girls player of the year accolades and Rich Bennett won coach of the year recognition. Baum older s Rick Jaster has coveted the 800-meter record the past two years. He already owned the 1,500 and 3,000 Marks and the 800 would have completed the distance running picture. Alas he did t get it. However Jaster was in on the action when one of the oldest records on the Dodds Book was erased. Eric Danelius of the Hague Mike Behrendt of Stuttgart and Jaster had posted the Best Marks in the event during the season and a torrid race was anticipated in the Central european finals at Munich s Dante stadium. The race quickly developed into a Duel betwee Danelius and Jaster with the latter leading most of the Way. However Danelius grabbed the Lead Dow the stretch and won in a bang bang finish lowering the record that George Jackson of Heidelberg set in1973 from 3 54.5 to 3 54.1. Jasler matched the Jack son Standard. The most negative aspect of the 1986-87 sports program has to be the decision Italy District superintendent Helen Centanni made to drop foot Ball. Three schools Aviano Naples and Vicenza played the game last year. Centanni said that after much consideration it was decided for All people concerned that dropping football was the Best course of action we could take Here in  True having Only three schools competing does make much of a sports program but a limited pro Gram certainly is better than nothing. Actually Avi Ano and Vicenza could have improved programs by permitting them to play Munich and  North in t nearly As far or As expensive As going South. It would be a Long and expensive Jour Ney Tor Naples or a German team going to Naples but it certainly in t unfeasible. The really exciting news is that football has Bee replaced by boys volleyball. Mediterranean sports authorities have corrected wrong that was inflicted upon the schedule last year. Cross country has been switched Back to a fall  year it was run in conjunction with the track and Field program. The coaches i talked to said i Twain t a Good arrangement because even though Cross country and distance running Are similar events there Are different training skills involved in each and running Over Hills and dells on Friday an around a track on saturday did t work. Over the years Fred Schultz has been one of Odds most successful football coaches. When school ended last june Schultz told Heidelberg officials that he d rather not coach football in the fall. It has been fun coaching Schultz said last sep tember. I have always enjoyed working with kids seeing them develop through their Contact wit sports into outstanding citizens and making important contributions in their adult  unsolicited coaching advice criticism of his coaching style fundamental no frills football Hay ing to worry about things he May have done or said instead of being Able to concentrate on getting ready for this week s game led to what Schultz la bleed burnout that caused him to relinquish his coaching reins. His Heidelberg teams compiled a 54-27-3  also had a 9-3 record in two Yean at Torr Jon Spain. Parents As Schultz and Many of his compatriots have discovered Over the years can be the worst people involved in High school sports. Dodds Germany athletic coordinator to Leblanc was handed a couple of unexpected jolts during the Small and big schools basketball tournaments some officials did t fulfil their commit ments. In the Small schools tournament at Munich Leb Lanc was told by two Kaiserslautern officials association representatives chosen to work the championship games that they would t be Able to because they had to return Home to work regular season 21stsupport come league games that saturday. After much discussion the officials said that replacements had beep found for them by the Koa and they could remain in Munich. That was nothing compared to the big school fiasco. One official showed up the first Day. And never again was seen or heard from. One told Leb Lanc Friday night that he would t be around for saturday s games and another told him after working saturday game that he was going Home right then to attend a general s reception. He had been chosen to work the girls championship game and his departure left me in deep Trou ble Leblanc said. His departure created havoc because at that late Date i was unable to get any replacements and one official had to wort three games that  it was a Long Tough grind but Ai Fontaine who was put in that unenviable position turned in an impressive performance to save the Day. What a change from the Good old Days when Bill Mallon was officiating. He was chosen to work 12 Dodds tournaments and he worked 10 class a title games and one Gass b finale. It was considered an Honor to be selected to work the High school tournaments Mallon said. And getting the championship game assignment that Wasa big thrill a really big  so another Dodds sports year comes to a conclusion. It had Many Good happenings As i said it had some not so Good. But All in All the Good probably outweighed the bad. The athletes got to do their things and All the championships were deter mined All obstacles were overcome. Prep Pickin s wishes All the graduating athlete Sand departing coaches and teachers the very Best. I look Forward to next year for the returnees to continue in the Dodds program keep improving on everything making the Good even better and eliminating the bad. Tow Sura mid Sklom Colts losing injured Mcmillan for 87 season Timonium my. A Randy Mcmillan the Indianapolis Colts injured running Back expects to sit out the 1987 nil season with a broken leg. Mcmillan 28, who was recuperating at his Home from injuries sustained when he was hit by a car april 26, told the Baltimore Sun tuesday that a rays indicated the leg was coming along real  however he said that on the advice of or. Robert Trumback he Felt it was est to sit out a season. I m pretty sure i will sit out the season Mcmillan said. I think i m pretty solid on that. He sold me on that Mcmillan the fifth leading Rush Erin Colts history said that despite the Colts decision to Rule him out for the season he had been hoping to return for his seventh season with me Colts. I love the game. I la miss this year. It s going to be very hard on me he said. He Hopes to get on crutches when steel screws Are removed from his leg in two weeks. Bob Irsay the Colts owner has told Mcmillan he won t pay his $320,000 salary this season and he does t want him working out at the team s Indiana Polis Complex. But Mcmillan told the newspaper hews thinking about working for an Indianapolis radio station during the season. I Hope it works out he  does t run the state of Indi  Arn sports radio and television Aba finals los Angeles lakers at Boston celtics 3 an. Friday