The SportsMonday Column

T. J. Berka Teeing Off

Daily 10, State News 8

I can hear the jokes starting about how the Spartans couldn't beat the Wolverines until the last year of the milennium, but you can't dispute the fact that Sparty has had his way with Michigan this year.

In hockey, the Spartans came back to tie the Wolverines in East Lansing and beat Michigan outright at Joe Louis Arena. State also went to the Frozen Four while Michigan lost in the regionals for the first time in five years.

In basketball, not only did Michigan State crush the Wolverines in both games, it clinched the Big Ten title at Crisler Arena. The Spartans went to the Final Four, while Michigan went 12-19.

As for football, do I really have to talk about it?

But there is one thing that Michigan State could not beat Michigan at in 1999 - touch football.

On Friday evening, the night before the real football teams went to battle, the State News played The Michigan Daily in the annual and highly competitive game of two-handed touch football.

Played on the muddy quagmire of Munn Field, the Daily pulled off its third consecutive victory over the State News, beating the Spartan newspaper, 10 touchdowns to eight.

Junior wide receiver/sports editor Chris Duprey, after killing the State News all day with key receptions over the middle, caught a three-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback/sports writer Rick Harpster to seal the Daily's victory.

After falling behind the Spartans by two touchdowns early in the game, Harpster and the Wolverines stepped it up. Harpster kept the Spartans off balance with his strong arm and fleet feet.

Receiving some bone-jarring blocking up front by senior lineman/sports writer Jon "Nails" Zemke - who also had a touchdown while nursing a knee injury - Harpster spread the ball evenly to his cadre of wide receivers.

Sophomore sports writer Rohit Bhave started the Daily comeback with a touchdown reception to cut the Daily's deficit to one point.

After a clutch unassisted tackle by junior editorial writer Emily Achenbaum to stop a Spartan touchdown at the goal line, Harpster scrambled 50 yards down the sideline to tie the game up.

The State News quickly retook the lead, but the Daily's work was just beginning. After a few catches by sports editor Andy Latack to put the Wolverines in range, the Wolverines tied the game again when Harpster found news writer Adam Cohen in the end zone.

The defense, led by sports writer Dan Dingerson and hard-hitting news editor Katie Plona, stiffened, leaving enough room for the Daily to continue their reign of dominance over the State News.

Harpster picked apart the Spartans with ease, tossing touchdown passes to sports writer Kevin Rosenfield and managing sports editor Rick Freeman to give the Daily a cushion it would never relinquish - although Freeeman's touchdown dance left a little to be desired.

So the Daily did its part to keep Michigan athletic pride alive. Who knows, perhaps Lloyd Carr might have a spot for the likes of Duprey, Harpster, Latack, Plona and Zemke.

Greatest game of the century: After a whopping four emails in response to the Friday Focus, the students have decided that Saturday's game wasn't the greatest ever.

- T.J. Berka had three tackles in the spanking, but spent the postgame press conference at a local East Lansing bar. He can be reached at berkat@umich.edu

10-11-99