Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 20, 1997, edition 1 / Page 12
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North Forsyth advances J from B1 "We're playing well and we've 1+-+. i ^ mii> ? really been blessed by the good Lord," Muse said. "The girls keep believing and we're not Members of North Forsyth Girls Basketball team celebrate their Western 4-A Regional Championship. giving up. Good things are hap pening to us." North Forsyth had to play some of their best basketball of the season to put itself in posi tion to win. The Vikings trailed by 11 points at the half after a sluggish first half. North scored only four points in the first quarter and found itself behind by a 10-4 score. The Vikings fared better in the second quarter, but still was outscored 17-12 and went to intermission with a 27-16 deficit. "1 told the girls that there was no way Greensboro Page could continue to play the way it had in the first half," Muse said. "They were shooting 65 percent from the floor even though we were playing good defense. Then we were getting good shots, but they just weren't going in. I told them if they would just hang in there and up the defensive inten sity we could come back. We just wanted to get the lead down to four or five points at the end of the third quarter." North did even better than that. With Guthrie leading the way. North outscored Page 15-5 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 32-31 at the end of the period. Defense, a staple of the Vikings' game all season, was the difference during the run. It was also key during the fourth quarter when Page scored only seven points. "We held them to only 12 points in the second half and we held Ashley Shipp to only 10 points in the game and only two in the second half," Muse said. "The thing about it was we didn't do anything different than what we've been doing all sea son. The girls just refused to lose. That's what happens when you have seven seniors and they work together." If the Vikings continue working the way they have thus far they could return from Chapel Hill with a championship trophy. North will take on an East Wake team that is very sim ilar to the Vikings. East Wake, 23-6, entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed from its conference. But the team has gathered steam as it has advanced in sectional and regional play. East Wake advanced to the state title game by defeating Wilmington Hog gard, which was ranked No. 1 ill the state and No. 6 in the nation.' "They are a young team with only two seniors on the team," Muse said. "Their guard play is what has been boosting them to where they are." North Forsyth has pre-sale tickets available for their battle on Saturday night. Tickets afe $6.00 if purchased at the school and $7.00 at the door in Chapel Hill. "We're just really proud to be representing North Forsyth the Metro Conference and thd Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System," Muse said. - ? t r f Charette Guthrie has played a major role in North Forsyth's run to State 4-A Final, By COURTNEY DANIEL ( hronide Staff Reporter North Forsyth's varsity girls ;basketball team is on its way to [Carmichael Auditorium, on the [campus of the University of [North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to play for the State 4-A Champi onship in large part due to the [play of Charette Guthrie. Guthrie's performance dur ing the Regionals garnered her [Most Valuable Player honors. Her highlights included scoring ; nearly half (18) of her teams 40 [points in the final. This is the second time she [has been named to the all-tourna ;ment team. As a sophomore, ?Guthrie's outstanding play ?gained her the same recognition. ? This time is even more sweet ?because she has succeeded in ? leading North into its first ever [appearance in the Championship .game, a feat she could not quite manage two-years ago. Guthrie says she is still in [disbelief about her team's chance [ to play for the State crbwn. "I still can't believe we won," [she candidly relates "I can't [believe we're going to Chapel [ Hill to play for the State Cham pionship. It's like a dream. I [probably won't believe it until [ Thursday or Friday." And while it is like a dream, ? Guthrie says that the realization of what her team has accom ? plished and the opportunity they ? have earned now keeps her up at ? night. "I can't sleep," she admits. "I sit up and think about the game." North capped a miraculous comeback against Greensboro ? Page, last Saturday afternoon ? when Nicole Soots hit both free ? throws, of a one-and-one attempt, > after time had expired. Guthrie '? says the State Championship ? game she scripts in her head is ? very similar to the Regional Final [ with one exception. I "The perfect game would be close all the way through... down to the final seconds," Guthrie says. "It comes down to a final shot and 1 take and hit it, or get fouled and hit the free throws." Many of those who watched the West Regional Final last Sat urday thought that Page had the game sewn up with four seconds left in the game. Page held a one point lead 39-38 and when Keta Broom tied up Guthrie for a jump ball the Lady Pirates of Greens boro Page gained possession. It seemed like a simple task for them to run the clock out. That's when North Forsyth head coach, Mike Muse, called a timeout and gave a speech that captured what Guthrie thinks makes him the catalyst for this team's run to the State Finals. "Coach Muse called the timeout and asked of if we believed we were going to win," she recalls. "We all said yes, because he has always taught us to believe we are going to win. Whatever he says we believe, and it always happens. Even when we were struggling earlier this year he told us to believe in ourselves and in each other and we have." Guthrie believes tat even with all her accolades that the success of the Lady Vikings is a team effort. "We don't have a superstar on this team," says Guthrie. "We just all work well together, and play together as a team." She accounts the success of that team game to the fact that the core of this team has matured together. "We know each other real well," Guthrie says of her team mates. "We've been together for about three years now. We just know how to play as a team now." When she can be persuaded to talk about herself and her tal ent as an individual, Guthrie points to her experience playing basketball since childhood. "I have been playing basket ball all my life," she states. "Either at the YMCA, or with kids in my neighborhood, or just playing on the goal at my house. I've just always been playing basketball." That consistent honing of her skills has made Guthrie a versa tile player. She plays three posi tions with great proficiency. She is an adept ball-handler and can run the point, has a deft touch from the floor and is comfortable at the off-guard spot. She also has the a repertoire of low post moves that makes her a formida ble force at the small forward position. "When other teams put a guard on me I can post them up," Guthrie explains. "When teams put a forward on my I can go by them with the dribble." Her multi-faceted game has made her a prize recruit with a number of colleges vying to sign her for their programs , includ ing: East Carolina, North Caroli na Central, Winston-Salem State, Fayetteville State, Pembroke I ' 1 State, Queens College, and 1 Meredith College. She jokes with her friends about how talented she is. " I tell people around school, that I'm going to skip college and go straight to the pros," laughs Guthrie. If you walk the halls of North Forsyth and hear that rumor be assured it is just a joke. Guthrie says honestly that has not even begun the process of select ing a school to play for next year. Her sights are squarely on the task at hand. That is not to say that Guthrie isn't serious about her future or serious about work ing to become a professional ath lete. "I would love the opportunity to play professionally," she says. She understands the hard work necessary to achieve her dreams and is certain that all the opportunities she will earn in the future, like the opportunity this opportunity to win the State title, will be the result of adherence to a sentiment her coach gave her... "keep believing." A) GET FIT FOR SUMMER AT THE WINSTON LAKE FAMILY YMCA Would you like to... ? Loose those Winter pounds I ? Shed those bulky coats & sweaters I ? Look good in your Spring outfits ? Get ready for the beach ?c Join during the Spring Membership Drive and receive a FREE T-Shirt or Water Bottle and get ready for summer Winston Lake Family YMCA 901 Waterworks Rd. ?? p'?^ ? Winston-Salem, NC 27101 (910)724-9205 A ) "Helping people reach their God-given potential in spirit, ming. and body." AUnited Way Agency Offer effective March IS-April 12. Ytfi i in ? ?Hi Warthogs Announce Spring iTraining Schedule for '97 season ; Winston-Salem Warthogs, the Class A affiliate to the Chicago ; White Sox, announce the 1997 Spring training schedule. The spring ; season began at the White Sox training complex in Sarasota, Fla. on * March 15 against the Lynchburgh Hillcats of the Carolina League. ; The preseason schedule includes a exhibition at Ernie Shore Field ;on April 1st against the Hickory Crawdads of the South Atlantic ;I League. In all the Hogs will play 14 games prior to the regular sea- . ;I son. The Warthogs will open their Carolina League season at home on C April 4 vs. the Lynchburgh Hillcats. Fans can purchase season tickets * and mini-plan by calling the Warthogs offices at 759-2233. Pate March 15 March 16 March 17 March 19 March 20 March LI March 23 March 24 March 25 March 27 March 28 March 29 April 1 April 2 Opponent Lynchburgh Hillcats Lynchburgh Hillcats Frederick Keys Charlotte Rangers Lynchburgh Hillcats Frederick Keys Lynchburgh Hillcats Lynchburgh Hillcats Frederick Keys Charlotte Rangers Lynchburgh Hillcats Frederick Keys Hickory Crawdads Hickory Crawdads Site Sarasota, Fla. Bradenton, Ra. Sarasota, Ra. Port Charlotte, Ra. Sarasota, Ra. Sarasota, Ra. Sarasota. Ra. Bradenton, Ra. Sarasota, Ra. Port Charlotte. Ra. Sarasota, Ra. Sarasota, Fla. Winston-Salem, N.C. Hickory, N.C. Living. 1 . ? Living Large. M > 'S ? .V I I ! ? ? ? ?* Those who appreciate quality enjoy it responsibly. 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Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 20, 1997, edition 1
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