U Magazine, Fall 1987

s PORTS

ALCALA PARK

Huckleberry shines on field, in classroom By Die Douinanian

the credit for the Toreros' success . "Seamus has done a fantastic job of recruiting and coaching: We don't offer athletic scholarships, but we still can compete with good Division I teams and beat them." Good things are in store for the 1987 Toreros, Huckleberry believes. "I'm excited about this year. It's going to be harder because people wi ll be looking out for us. But we have the talent to go to the NCAA tournament." Huckleberry already is working on his plans for after graduation in the spring. He wants to land a job in the finance field, then study for his MBA degree. What memories will he take with him from his college experience? "I'll remember the education I received and the people," he answers. His coach thinks.the University should be proud of Huckleberry. Says McFadden, "Scott's a great kid, the kind of person you love to have in your program. I think he'll be a great reflection on the school and our program after he leaves." D Former backstop calling signals for K.C. Royals

"John was one of the more determined players to ever come through here," remembers USD baseball coach J ohn Cunningham. "He was a feisty competitor who hated to lose. He didn't have the awesome talent to make you say, 'hey, this is a big league player."' In 197 0, Wathan was an All– American pick whi le playing for the Toreros. He was chosen to play on a team that represented the United States in the World Amateur Baseball Tournament. A graduate of St. Augustine High School in San Diego, Wathan still is a big booster of the Toreros, according to Cunningham. D Torero Stadium: a "super" place for practice T hose grunts and groans emanating from Torero Stadium in late J anua1-y won't be the USD football squad practicing for post-season action . These sounds will be the clashing shoulder pads of players pursuing the NFL's ultimate goal - a Super Bowl v ictory. Yes, during the week leading up to January 31 's Super Bowl XXII to be played in San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, Torero Stadium will serve as the practice site for one of the game's participants. But don't expect to see any of the practices. Accord ing to Ji m Steeg, NFL director of special events, the sessions will be closed to the public. The fear of spies in the stands runs high. "Some teams would like to put a tent over their practice site," adds Tom Burke, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Helping the NFL does have its benefits, though. The league paid for a resodding ofTorero Stadium's turf. Locker rooms also wi ll be refurbished, courtesy of the NFL. And just think . If the players' strike is settled, USD's current gridders someday can tell their children about the time they played on the same field as Lawrence Taylor, Jim McMahon or one of the NFL's ot her brightest stars. D

T he USD men's soccer team ning far more than it loses. One big reason why is the play of goaltender Scott Huckleberry. At 6-4 and 19 5 pounds, Huckle– berry is an imposing figure in front of the net. Last season, he started every match for USD, helping the squad to its best season in history, 19-4-1. Huckleberry anchored the defense, registering 10 shutouts and holding opponents to an average of just 0. 97 goals a game . The Toreros' successes included a 1-0 win over Nevada-Las Vegas, at the time ranked among the top 10 teams in the country . "Our record last year reflects how mature Scott's become as a goalie," says coach Seamus McFadden. "He's definitely been a mainstay of our program." The Toreros already have regis– tered a big win in the young 19 87 season, beating Cal-Berkeley 1-0 as Huckleberry shutout a Golden Bear team that was one of four schools to defeat USD a year ago. But Huckleberry is more than just a vital cog in USD's soccer success. He's also a senior business admin is– tration major carrying a 3 . 9 grade point average . Why did Huckleberry choose to attend USD after graduating from Univers ity City High School/ "The school is academically perfect for what I need," he explains, "and I had a chance to start as a freshman because we were a fairly young program ." Huckleberry is quick to spread began the 19 87 season right whereitleftoffin 1986, win–

lolm Watlian '71 J ohn Wathan, a former standout Torero baseball player, was named manager of the Kansas City Royals in late August. Wathan, 37, has spent 17 years in the Royals' organization as a player, coach and minor league manager after being selected by Kansas City in the first round of the free agent draft inJanuary, 1971. A three-year performer with the USD baseball team, Wathan also played for the Torero basketball squad.