Let’s Hear It for Johnson High

A recent item on USA Today’s high school football ratings inspired a letter from Steve Wojciechowski of Playboy Enterprises, who was dismayed that the No. 2 team was listed simply as Huntsville, Ala.

“The name of the school is J.O. Johnson High School,” said Wojciechowski, “and it had the finest staff of teachers and the most wonderful students I’ve ever encountered. May I ask that you please give Johnson a mention in Morning Briefing.

“It is so rare that I ever see my hometown in the paper--rarer still my high school. Come on, do it for that old school spirit. I’ll even send a few copies to the school. I’ll even renew my subscription.”

Awright, already! Geez!

Said Bob Costas of NBC, after Ahmad Rashad proposed to actress Phylica Ayers-Allen of “The Cosby Show” at halftime Thursday: “Now that it is obvious we will do anything to boost our ratings, I can reveal that Pete Axthelm plans to be seen in a secluded grotto with Dr. Ruth Westheimer.”

For the Record: Dallas receiver Tony Hill did not play quarterback at Stanford, as Pat Summerall told the nation Thursday. He did play quarterback at Long Beach Poly High School. Another who took the same route from L.B. Poly to Stanford to the NFL was Gene Washington.

Trivia Time: When the Miami Dolphins went 17-0 in 1972, they used the revolutionary 53 defense. How did the defense get its name? (Answer below.)

A few readers have called to claim that Terry Baker should have been included among the Heisman Trophy winners who played running back for the Rams. OK, but he was drafted as a quarterback. When he couldn’t make it there, they tried him at running back.

Gary Pomerantz of the Washington Post, reviewing the decline of the Green Bay Packers, wrote: “The low point of the Dan Devine days was certainly the 1974 trade to acquire John Hadl, the sore-armed veteran quarterback of the Rams, in exchange for five top draft picks. It’s known to some cynics as the Lawrence Welk trade, since Green Bay gave up, they say, “A one, a two, and a one, two, three.

“Translation: Green Bay yielded the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in 1974, and the team’s top three picks in 1975.”

Wait a Minute: Said Walt Hazzard, after UCLA’s 107-70 loss to North Carolina: “Dean Smith had no mercy on us. I guess that was payback for the difficulties he had over the years with Coach (John) Wooden.”

Wooden and Smith met once, in the final game of the 1967-68 NCAA tournament. UCLA won, 78-55. In the semifinals, UCLA beat Houston, 101-69, avenging a 71-69 loss to the Cougars during the regular season at the Astrodome.

Said LSU basketball Coach Dale Brown, after Wednesday night’s 70-61 win over Washington: “This is really a big win. Washington is the best team we’ve played this year.”

It was LSU’s second game of the season.

Trivia Answer: It was the uniform number of linebacker Bob Matheson, who says: “Basically, it was a three-man line with four linebackers. I played the fourth lineman-linebacker, who could charge or drop back in pass protection. It created confusion.”

Quotebook

Tony Barone, new head basketball coach at Creighton University, addressing his fellow coaches at the Missouri Valley Conference tipoff banquet: “I’m asking you to pray for my team for two reasons. One, we need God’s help. Two, you need the practice.”