The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 13

THE PANTAGRAPH, Tuedday, Dec. 15, 1987 B3 Bruce getting close to decision on Kansas Cardinals control playoff destiny A there are sufficient funds to hire a coaching he said. WBNS-TV In Columbus reported yesterday that Bruce would become the new coach at Kansas if an agreement could be reached on salaries for assistant coaches. Kansas Athletic Director Bob Frederick gave Bruce no deadline for deciding whether he wants the job, although the school wanted to hire its new coach last weekend. "I am under no pressure In that regard," Bruce said.

"Everyont knows I want to think this think through thoroughly. Bruce was fired Nov. 16 as head coach at Ohio State. He is seeking to replace Bob Valesente, fired after his second season at Kansas. Valesente was 4-17-1 in his two years.

Bruce compiled a record of 81-26-1 during his nine years at Ohio State, including a 64-1 mark in 1987. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Former Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce said yesterday he is close to deciding whether to take the heading coaching job at the University of Kansas. Wording of the contract appears to be the only unresolved issue, The Columbus Dispatch reported in today's editions. "It's getting close," Bruce said. The Dispatch said Bruce wants certain financial guarantees and obligations written into what probably will be a five-year contract.

Those guarantees were not Included in his three-year contract at Ohio State, which was permitted to fire him without giving a reason. Another sticking point to agreeing to take the job was whether there was enough money to pay for assistant coaches. Bruce said Kansas has met his requirments. "Let me put it this way, I think i yhsTi by virtue of its 27-24 victory over St. Louis.

"It's a long shot," linebacker E.J. Junior said. "The main thing is, we've got to win our last two games and finish with a winning record." The Cardinals, who last finished above .500 in 1984, played what may have been their home finale Sunday before 29,623 fans at Busch Stadium. Behind the scenes, an llth-hour offer from a group that includes Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft as well as local business and civic leaders is expected to be made sometime this week.

The offer to owner William V. Bidwill reportedly will include the construction of a new downtown multipurpose facility or the construction of a new downtown stadium. Bidwill yesterday had no comment on the latest possible development. It would be the first offer since Oct. 29, when Bidwill turned down a compromise open-air stadium in St.

Louis County. Bidwill had signed a non-binding letter of intent last March with County Executive Gene McNary to play in a proposed $160 million domed stadium, but that deal fell through because of financial difficulties and opposition from the city and environmentalists. 1 -TV Fast start aids North Park lead. Michael Starks contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds to the winning effort. St.

Francis was led by Jim Love with 23 points. JOLIET (AP) North Park got off to a fast start and defeated St. Francis 8061 behind the 25-point effort of Mike Barach last night. North Park led throughout the game and took a 43-33 halftime Warrensburg posts victory nament. Warrensburg-Latham dumped Cerro Gordo, 7149, and Niantic-Harristown defeated Blue Mound, 81-65.

AP MAROA Warrensburg-Latham and Niantic-Harristown high schools posted triumphs last night in opening round action of the Macon County Basketball Tour Banner thanked Cardinal football players after what could be their last appearance in Busch Stadium Sunday. ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Cardinals are making a move and this one has nothing to do with leaving town. The Cardinals, after defeating the Super Bowl champion New York Giants 27-24 on Sunday, are one of only four teams in the running for the final NFC wild-card playoff spot.

St. Louis has made the playoffs only three times since the club moved to this city 28 years ago. "We're in control of our destiny, and that's a great feeling," rookie tight end Robert Await said. "We're still in it," Coach Gene Stallings said. The Cardinals, 6-7, finish the regular season with road games at Tampa Bay, 4-9, and Dallas, be.

St. Louis executed fourth-quarter comebacks to defeat the Euc-caneers 31-28 Nov. 8 and the Cowboys 24-13 in the season opener Sept. 13. The Minnesota Vikings are the leading contender for the last wildcard spot with a 75 record, and the Los Angeles Rams, 6-7, and Green Bay Packers, 5-7-1, also are in contention.

The Vikings, who finish with a road game at Detroit and a home game against Washington, must lose at least once for the Cardinals to qualify. If Los Angeles, which closes against Dallas and San Francisco, finishes with the same record as the Cardinals, it would qualify Octavia falls at tourney HOOPESTON Stacey Schmidt scored 21 points to boost Morris Shabbona past Octavia, 39-28, in the Illinois Elementary School Association 8th Grade State Girls Basketball Tournament last night. Octavia bowed out of the tournament with an 8-1 record, while Morris moved on with a 20-0 mark. In other quarterfinal games last night, Springfield Washington downed Niles Gemini, 48-37, and Canton Ingersoll beat Rantoul Eater, 21-16. The fourth quarterfinal contest between Charleston and Jacksonville Turner was postponed until tonight because of inclement weather.

Amy Meiner led Octavia with 11 points, and Noelle Lee contributed 10. McGee traded to Sacramento SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The Sacramento Kings yesterday acquired Mike McGee of the Atlanta Hawks, giving up second-round NBA draft picks in 1991 and 1995. The Kings also put rookie Joe Arlauckas on waivers. McGee, 28, a seven-year NBA veteran from Michigan, has averaged 4.6 points per game this year with the Hawks, with a single-game high of 18 points.

McGee played for the Los Angeles Lakers before joining the Hawks. Kings bolster center position INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Kings acquired center Mike Allison from the Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday in exchange for right winger Sean McKenna in a straight player trade. BRIEFS Trans World Express makes it a lot easier to connect the dots. NHL honors goalie Philadelphia's Ron Hextall, who became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opposition's net, was named the league's Player of the Week yesterday.

Hextall, who led the Flyers to a 3-0 record last week, scored into an empty net late in the third period of the Flyers' 5-2 victory over Boston Dec. 8. Hextall had a 2.67 goals-against average during the week and a .908 save percentage. Toomey sets retirement Jim Toomey, the assistant to St. Louis Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill and a member of the organization for 38 years, announced yesterday that he will retire at end of the year.

Toomey, who will continue to serve as a consultant, joined the Cardinals as director of public relations in 1949. He was named assistant to the general manager in 1967. NBA picks Johnson Magic Johnson, who averaged 19.2 points, 13.2 assists and 7.5 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers last week, was named NBA Player of the Week yesterday. Johnson shot 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line as the Lakers won three of four games, including a 115-114 victory over the Boston Celtics on Johnson's bank shot at the buzzer. Fly from Bloomington to anywhere TWA flies.

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