1980_04 The Daily Collegian April 1980

              Page 10-the Daily Collegian-April 14,1980
us statistics crew
a close-knit family affair
byTony Stevens  .
When Debra Peseh attends a CSUF
basketball game, she usually gets so
caught up with what's going on out on
the court, she loses track of the score.
But unlike the average fan, Peach isn't
distracted as much by the overall excite¬
ment of the play—just the part she has
been assigned to keep close tabs on.
Sometimes it's rebounding, or maybe
individual scoring.      '     .
Peach is one of ten who comprise
CSUF's official statistics crew. She has
been s part of the crew for seven years
Sports
and really doesn't know if she will ever
give up the job. It's hard to blame her for
feeling that way, considering she is also
part of a family affair.
' Four of her co-workers just happen to
be blood relatives. Her father, Frank
Taylor, is the head of the organization,,
while her* mother, Shirley; her Uncle
Carton and cousin Vicki Chase share
duty as well.
Ever since Ron Langly, who used to
teach Stats while with the computer
center, gave up the head statistician
position 12 years ago, the Taylors have
been in charge. Along with the Taylors,
Ken Bradshaw, Joel Houser, Pete
. Simas, Bob Apple, and Leslie McBride
make up the crew.
Keeping the stats for games pays
about $5 a game. But the clan will never
get rich keeping score. They are all part
of the Bulldog Booster Foundation and
donate  their  earnings   to  the   CSUF
• athletic department. To them, it is volun¬
teer work and well worth the trouble.
"1 really enjoy it,* Pesch says. "You
are really very interactive right up there
in front."
Although she says they are as big fans
as anybody, the games can be a bit
frustrating because of their position.
Sitting on the sidelines, they are an
extension of the press snd therefore
obligated to remain somewhat objective.
'You can't clap, you can't show any
emotion,' she ssys, "but that hasn't
taken the enjoyment awsy completely."
One thing which sets the Taylor crew
apart from other schools' crews is the
communication they have. Tom Kane,
CSUF's sports information director,
admits befog so close off the job makes
the difference.
"They talk between themselves, they
are always aware of what the other is
doing. In the time I've been here, I've
never come across another family oper¬
ation. " Kane pointed ou 11 hat one school,
the University of Minnesota, has their
individual statisticians almost bury their
heads in their own particular assign¬
ments. Not so at CSUF. "They ire
always wondering, 'what is the other guy
doing,'" he said.
As testimony to their achievements,
Taylor and his crew were chosen by the
PCAA as the crew to work in  their
championships in Anaheim./,. ■
.'Pesch feels they are more''accurate
• r>Vi«5r»asWras^S»»»ee.e^«..«.et«et
and   professional  than   others,   partly
because they have so many on the crew.
While other schools have as little as
four or five covering'the games, they go
with seven—with three substitutes in
case one is unable to make the game.
"We're much more professional. We
go strictly by the book," Pesch ssid.
"Other, teams sometimes pad their
statistics. For example, if one player is
near a rebound or assist record, they
might give that player more than he
deserves. Here, we don't, even though it .
sometimes hurts the team.'
Actually, the statistics the Taylor crew
keeps are not used by the team, nor
rarely even looked at. -They are chiefly
for the benefit of Kane and the press.
But the books snd records they keep
affect the press, which in turn can affect
a player's chances at times.
"Sometimes a player may have better
credentials as a result of another schools
padding the stats. Here, they get what
they earn," Pesch ssid.
The coaches may not use the inform-,
ation they provide, but the media and
the officials do.
"We sre constantly conveying info to
the referees." she said. "Sometimes.they
aren't sure of the time-out situation, or'
how many fouls a player has, .so they
check with us."
Besides supplying the press with
records, Pesch occasionally got to flash
the TV announcers stats during some of
the televised home games this year.
Pesch and the rest do other sports
besides basketball, like football and
occasionally track. And they are selected
by Kane for special duty once in a while,
such as this May's regional Softball
tourney to be held at CSUF. But Pesch
firmly admits to roundball as being her
favorite sport.
"Basketball, definitely. Especially
since Boyd Grant has come. It's been
great. It's so fast it's a challenge to try
and keep up," she said.
In football she said, the crew is rele¬
gated to watching the game high above *
the field and has virtually  "no say."
Football   can   get   staid,   boring.    "In
continued on page 12
Badminton team champions
Terrie Hernandez, CSUF's no. 1 women's single player prepares to hit a
backhand shot in last Saturday's badminton match against UC Davis.
Fresno defeated Davis 11-4 on the way to a third consecutive NorCal champ¬
ionship. Boasting a perfect 4-0 conference mark this season, coach Ron
Deaver's Bulldog netters remain undeated for the last three seasons In
conference matches. This weekend Fresno hosts the conference champion¬
ships starting at noon Friday in the women's gym. Play will continue Satur¬
day utH a.m. Photo by Greg Trott
FFA finals chairmen chosen
. Contest chairmen have, been named
for the 20 competitive events that will
be held during the 32nd annual Future
Farmers of America Field Day at CSUF
Saturday.
Some 1,500 high school agriculture
students from thoughout the state'are
expected to compete in the field day
which will include state FFA finals
contests in grapevine judging, parlia¬
mentary procedure and selection of a
state FFA sweetheart.
Contest chairmen and their events
are Don Btohel of Madera, agriculture
mechanics, farm power and small
engines; Richard Spaunhurst of Dfouba,
agricultural pest control; Malcolm
Ricci of Fresno, agronomy; John Ver-
way of Caruthers, dairy cattle; Guy
Debbas of Lebanon, dairy products.
.".. Erik. Roget of U. Habra, farm records; *
Roberta Adams of Fresno, floriculture;
George Mstoian of Fowler, fruit trees;
Nick Dokoozlian, Jr., of Fresno, grape¬
vines; Kirk Lokka of Vfoeberg,. land;
Laura Harding of Yosemite, light horse;
Alex Franco of Maui, Hawaii, livestock;
Gary Wenter of Fresno, meats.
Kent Miller of Fresno, ornamental
horticulture; Carl Jenkins of Modesto,
parliamentary procedure; Betty Reese;
of San Jose, poultry; Larry Lemay of
Corcoran, sweetheart; and Bradley
Marchand of Fresno, vegetable crops.
The state finals in parliamentary
procedure is a new.addition to the field
day at CSUF. Other state FFA champ¬
ionship events held at the university du¬
ring the year are the cotton judging con¬
test snd the grapevine' snd fruit tree'
pruning competitions.   .,'... ,'.        . . , ,
Security Pacific National Bank will
join with the University's School of
Agriculture and Home Economics
fo co-sponsoring the field day, pro¬
viding lunch, numerous contest awards,
staff members and tabulation equipment
for the event.
The bank also sponsors the sweep- -
stakes trophy which goes to the school
with the best overall performance in
the individual contests. Woodland
High School is the defending sweep¬
stakes winner from 1979.
Field day activities will get underway;
with a brief opening ceremony and team 3
instructions at 8 a.m. fo front of the
Agriculture Building. Judging will be
held  from  8:30 to   1   p.m.   followed
by lunch, contest reviews and an awards,',
program that begins at 4 p.m. in the'-,
, CSUF Men '«Gymnasium.   > i i is t.i * •  '-