Newspapers / Crossroads (Belmont, N.C.) / Dec. 1, 1976, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Crossroads (Belmont, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
December, 1171 - CROSSROADS - Pafe Eight Four Booters On All-District 54 % Reggie Vattelle, freshman, goes high above the defense to put up a jumper in the season opener against J. C. Smith at the Chariotte Coiiseum. The Crusaders . won and their record to date is 2-2. Four members of the 1976 Belmont Abbey Soccer team made the All-District 26 team. The players receiving this honor are Belgassem Soussi, Randy Scham- bach, Khalid Khalifa, and Moore Asouzu. This makes the fourth straight year Soussi has received this honor. Besides this, he has been All South the past three years and a 1975 NAIA All-American. Soussi was also the District’s Most Valuable Player for the 1976 season. Soussi scored 39 goals this season and had 36 assists. He finished his four seasons at the Abbey with 123 goals, which places him as the all time leading scorer in Crusader soccer team history. McGuire Speaks At Tip-Off Former Belmont Abbey College basketball coach, A1 McGuire, was the principal speaker at the 1976 Belmont Abbey Athletic Foundation Tip- Off Dinner. McGuire, now the very successful head coach at Marquette University offered some keen insight into his years at the Abbey as well, as the fast pace large college and university coaching. “When I first came to Belmont Abbey College, I was arrogant and surly, and I thought I had all the answers. I was still New York oriented. I was still street minded.” These were McGuire’s reflections upon his first arrival at the campus. “Outside of being a: bartender, I got the best education of my life at' Belmont Abbey. I didn’t' understand the exchange of friendships before I came here. The true education I got in coaching was at Belmont' Abbey.” McGuire had no help in ‘ pampering his players, not having an assistant coach in his seven years at the Abbey. He had to accomplish this Tiimself.' This is the prime reason that he developed himself. into an expert at getting young ball players to perform at the top level in the heated college ranks. McGuire emphasizes that he hasn’t changed any since leaving the Abbey. “I act the same as I acted here. I should be smart enough to change, but I know I have the ability to put people in arenas. I know a lot of them dislike me, but I j would prefer they have that feeling than none at all.” McGuire does not have the dedication that others in his profession have. He has a type of love-hate relationship with basketball. The game also offers him fewer challenges that it once did. “I never ask anybody’ to do anything I haven’t done. I’m a hypocrite in a lot of ways, but I think a lot of your success is because of what you don’t see, a lot of the moun tains that I refuse to make mole hills out of. I ’ don’t get involved in the Mickey Mouse end of it,” said McGuire of his coaching attitudes. “I xlon’t get too close with coaches. I very seldotn talk basketball Basketball is a profession with me, not a pastime. It’s just a way to make a living.” McGuire doesn’t enjoy coaching at Marquette anymore. “I don’t really enjoy Marquette anymore. I’ve been offered maybe 12 pro jobs, but none of them has been a challenge.” McGuire also talked about his philosophy that he utilizes in coaching, “basketball is five people, becoming one. It’s like a family. I am not in the profession to hurt ballplayers. I’m not in the profession to con ballplayers. Young people are allowed to make mistakes. Old people are not allowed to make mistakes. The first thing I do is take away the jealousy and the soreness. You’ve got to learn to play together. We’re tough at Marquette because we’re like one person, and there’s a lot of dignity in that.” Summing it' all up, McGuire concluded “I’ve learned, though, to set my goals a little bit higher than I think they should be and then go do them.” (A1 McGuire was recently the subject of a feature article in Sports “It will be a long time until we have another player the caliber of Belgassem,” comments Abbey mentor, Stan Dudko. “Anytime a person scores over 100 goals in soccer, it is a great accomplishment. He is truly one of the finest players I have ever had and one of the top anywhere.” Schambach is also a senior. He was more of a defensive man and did not score the goals that most players do. ' “The things Randy did do not show up in the statistics,” said Dudko. “The goals he kept the other teams from scoring are what make a player like him so great. He was all over the field and continually stopped our opponents from scoring. He didn’t get the publicity the other guys got simply because he didn’t score the goals, but he is one of the best defensive players that I have ever had. I’ll miss him too.” Asouzu, a freshman, was second on the team in goals scored with 27. He also pitched in 18 assists, with most of the productivity coming in late in the season after he adjusted to the college grind. “It’s nice to know you are going to have someone like Moore around a few more years. He kept getting better every game. He adjusted very well and did a super job for us,” said Dudko of the freshman. “Anytime a freshman gets named to the All-District team, it says a great deal about his ability.”. Khalifa was the third leading scorer for the Crusaders. He pitched in 20 goals and had 19 assists in his third season at the Abbey. “Khalifa was injured part of the season, and that probably cost him a few goals. He missed some games, but that is all part of it. He recovered very well, and when he was healthy, he played some super games,” said Dudko. “He is another player who will be back next year.” Soussi, Asouzu, and Khalifa were also the top three NAIA National scoring leaders. “That’s not bad for one team. It says something about them. Here you have the nation’s top three scorers on one team,” said Dudko. “I’m really proud of them and proud to have coached them.” The four players helped lead the Abbey to a 17-5 overall record, the District 26 Cham pionship, and finally, one of the top sixteen NAIA teams in the nation. The bid for the National Championship ended in the Regional Cham pionships against the team from Huntsville, Alabama. “All in all, it was a good season” said Dudko. - “I’m real happy for all four of the guys. Anytime you have four players on the All District Team, you know you had a good season.” Jose Jimenez charges his opponent to get the ball in the soccer playoffs. Crusaders won the District Crown but were beaten by the University of Alabama - Huntsville In the Regional finals. For story, see page 7.
Crossroads (Belmont, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 1, 1976, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75