Elder's Sowers hopes By Bob Queenan Post staff reporter
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Each day Elder senior running back Brandon Sowers sits down on a bench and eases his leg into the arthrotron machine, he thinks of Sept. 27 and the date he and his Panther football teammates have with Moeller. The arthrotron requires a patient to sit and swing his foot forward with a weight attached. The device measures the strength regained in an injured knee, keeps the joint flexible and develops strength. It is a painful process.
But it will' be worth it if Sowers- a Post All-Metro selection last season who rushed for almost 1,100 yards, caught 28 passes and scored 20 touchdowns - is back from a knee injury in time for the Moeller game. Last Friday in Toledo when the Panthers lost to St. John's, 16-14, there was nothing Sowers, draped over a pair of crutches, could do but watch and agonize on the sidelines. "I was trying to fire up the guys, and it really hurt to watch," said Sowers, "because I kept thinking I might have
helped change the outcome." The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Sowers, who suffered a torn medial miniscus cartilage in.his left knee during the first quarter of Elder's season-opening victo· ry over Middletown, underwent arthroscopic surgery last Thursday at Good Samaritan Hospital. "They repaired the cartilage and flushed out the knee," said Sowers. "I'm going to work as hard as I can and try to come back in time for our game with Withrow on the 20th, but I'll definitely be back for Moeller."
to play Moeller Elder, Moeller tied up, on hold BY DAVE SCHUTTE Enquirer contributor
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Heavy rain and lightning at 8:35 p.m. led to the postponement of the football game between Elder at Moeller with the score tied 13-13. The game at Galbreath Field will resume at 7 p.m. today with 4:39 rem"aining before halftime: with Moeller in possession on its own 45, facing a second-and-8. · "The game was sold out and no· tickets will be available at tlie gate," athletic director Barry Bar-· man said. "T.icket stubs from Fiiday's game will be honored." . Moeller coach Steve Klonne had mixed emotions. "I've never been involved in ·a game when this 4appened in all the years I've been coaching," he said. "You can bet that both teams will take a look at the video of the game and make adjustments." When the officials informed Klonne of the decision to suspend· the game, he was very verbal.
Dave Dabbelt, Elder's athletic director, said the normal recovery from arthroscopic surgery as Sowers' is 14 days for a professional or college athlete. "We're hoping he might make it back in time for Moeller," said Elder football coach Tom Grippa. "After the swelling goes down and after he passes the tests, it will depend on him." How much do the Panthers miss Sowers? "He-had 40 yards on five carries and had caught one pass for 20 yards," said Grippa.
"At first I was upset because we hadn't seen the lightning;"· Klonne said. "I told the offidais, that let's see it before calling it. At that moment, there was a bolt and_ they made the right decision." Elder struck on its first posses-. sian. It drove 80 yards in 12 plays with quarterback Adam Ryan scoring on a 1-yard run with 5:1-3· remaining. The conversion snapwas mishandled, and Elder led 6-0 .. The Elder defense held for a· second time and the Panthers took over on their own 42. But, a Moel-· ler defensive lineman picked off a Ryan screen pass and returne~ it. 30 yards for a TD. The conversiOn· kick was blocked. Undaunted, Ryan then engineered a 62-yard, three-play drive with Pat Eagan scoring on a 10yard reception. The big play in the drive was a 45-yard run by Bran· don Sowers. Going against a strong wind in the second quarter, Ryan was picked off a second time. Mike Maupin intercepted a wobbly pass and returned it 58 yards for a' touchdown. Tom Pucke' s conversion made it 13-13.
Elder Moeller
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Sophomore Nick Papania rushed fat' 65 yards on 15 carries against Middle·-town and added 65 yards against St. John's as Sowers' backup. But he does not have Sowers' experience. "Face it, Brandon's a multipurpos~ . guy," said Grippa, "He's our best runner, one of the best receivers and our best return· man." Said Sowers, "I've talked to our guys and asked them to hang in and win · · · these next two games against Western·· Hills and Withrow. Then I can lead · · them against Moeller."
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E-Ryan 1 run (kick failed) M-Edwards 30 Interception return (kick blocked) E-Eagan 10 pass from Ryan (Defranco kick) M-Maupin 58 interception return (Pucke kick)