Cal State Fullerton Notebook / Robyn Norwood : May Bowl Is Not-So-Serious Business to These Titan Coaches

In Texas, the old joke goes, they have two major sports--football and spring football.

At Cal State Fullerton, they have their own classifications for the same games--football and slapstick football.

The intent, of course, is that all the slapstick should come in the spring, and for the most part it does, thanks to the now-traditional coaches of the spring intrasquad game known as the May Bowl.

To understand the spirit of the game, consider one of its standing rules: “Unethical trick plays meant to deceive the opposition are legal. Blatant cheating is not permitted unless you can get away with it.”

Outwardly, Lloyd and Hatter are alternately co-conspirators in various scams and plotters against each other. One is “Gasoline” to the other’s “Matches,” as sports information director Mel Franks put it.

Inwardly, they are among the best-informed on the inner workings of the athletic department, plus they daily perform two of its most basic but crucial duties. What would a team be without clean uniforms and well-taped ankles?

Coach Gene Murphy turned over the May Bowl coaching to Lloyd and Hatter in 1987, making the game their moment under the lights.

The focus this year is on Hatter’s rather odd tactics. After losing the first two games to Lloyd’s Boys, 21-17 and 17-7, the Mad Hatters are taking a decidedly low-key approach to Saturday’s game.

“Overconfidence on their side is part of our game plan,” Hatter said.

Given the option of a coin toss to decide who would choose first between the two supposedly even teams divided by the football staff, Hatter demurred, suggesting Lloyd take first choice.

“I don’t know, maybe he felt he’d let me outsmart myself,” Lloyd said. “Maybe I did, but I took the best team.”

That’s rather clear. The Lloyd’s Boys roster includes returning quarterback Dan Speltz, who threw for 1,924 yards last season, and his favorite target, receiver Rocky Palamara. Leading rusher Mike Pringle also is on the team, as well as defensive standouts Mike Schaffel (safety) and Chris Wright (outside linebacker).

Hatter’s team counters with backup quarterback Paul Schulte, a redshirt last year whom Murphy says had a fine spring, plus three-year letterman fullback Tim Byrnes, receivers Tony Dill and Mark Hill and outside linebacker Harold Jones.

Hatter says the pressure is all on Lloyd, and that’s the way he likes it.

“By all rights, if they don’t win by five touchdowns, they should be very disappointed,” Hatter said.

In keeping with the spirit around campus the past year or so, Hatter says he is emphasizing academics this year. With three days to whip his team into shape, Hatter says he might give the players Friday off “so they can go to all their classes and study.”

Lloyd, to whom academics is likewise important, is wary of such talk. Will Lloyd’s Boys be off on Friday in order to do some extra studying?

“Absolutely not,” Lloyd said. “As far as I know, Cliff’s team could go down to a park and work out. We’re going to stay within ourselves and prepare as we always do.”

Hatter thinks there’s a good chance that Lloyd will spend Friday installing an illegal play--illegal, that is, under the standard rules of football.

“That’s OK,” Hatter said. “That’s the kind of person he is. He’ll stoop to any level to win. Basically that’s because he’s an insecure person and has an ego problem.”

Lloyd refuses to be suckered in by Hatter’s approach.

“I still know Cliff well enough to know how competitive he is,” Lloyd said. “He may give that old song and dance about just being happy to be here. But you know when game time comes, he’ll be fired up.”

May Bowl IV begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Fullerton High School District Stadium. All tickets are $5 general admission.

Two returning senior lettermen, quarterback Carlos Siragusa and receiver Carlos Ward, have left the team in the face of limited playing time, Murphy said.

Tracy Tousley, a 5-foot-10 forward from Mesa High School in Mesa, Ariz., has signed a national letter of intent to play women’s basketball at Fullerton.

Tousley, who averaged 13 points and nine rebounds a game at Mesa this season, is the fifth player to sign with the Titans for next school year. Aggie Garcia and Cheryl Hightower, both of Reseda, Heidi James of Mesa and Stacy Oughton of West Covina signed with Fullerton in the fall.

“We are so happy to get (Tousley) in our program here at Cal State Fullerton because she will add class and fill the gap at our big forward position,” Fullerton Coach Maryalyce Jeremiah said. “Tracy is very smart and has a respectable work ethic. Her rebounding skills are outstanding.”

The Fullerton women finished with a 21-9 record last season, qualifying for the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament for the first time in the program’s history. The Titans lost to Montana in the first round.