The Choice for Africun-American Ycm thechronicu SportsWeek= ~ ~ ~ april 4 , 2002 pppp^?ppp?^ ?? "**????? Reynolds' Fulp towered above the pack BY SAM DAVIS 0 THE CHRONICLE During the 2001-2002 sea son Joe Fulp towered above all others when you look at junior varsity basketball players in Forsyth County. Though others might have had more impressive statistics, there weren't many who were as consistent as Fulp was throughout the entire sea son. With Fulp leading the way, R.J. Reynolds' junior varsity team finished the season with a 16-6 overall record and 8-2 mark in the Central Piedmont 4 A Conference. Fulp averaged 16.3 points and 10 rebounds per game during the season as the Demons finished one game behind West Forsyth in the league race. Fulp's play down the stretch run was the key. More impressively, Fulp scored 204 points in the Demons' kJJ-game conference season (20.4 average) after averaging 13 points in noncon ference play. A model of consis tency against conference foes, Fulp scored 20 or more points in all but three conference battles and never scored less than 17. "Joe is a special player," said Jeff Overby. the Demons' coach. "Midway through the season, he was averaging only about 13 points, but that was because we weren't getting the ball to him enough. When we started getting the ball to him. he took his game to another level." Fulp did his best work in big games. That included a season high 26-point effort against Oak Hill Academy and 20 points in the Demons' 62-59 victory in the championship game of the David Lash/Chronicle Tourna ment." "There's just so much that I could say about Joe," Overby said. "He has improved since he first came into this program on the freshman team last year. He grew about three inches and went from being a point guard to a pivotman for us. Next year he'll probably move out on the wing, and I expect him to be a special player on the next level." Opposing coaches also had good things to say about Fulp. "When you start thinking about the player of the year in the county. I think you have to go with Joe Fulp." said Tim Fuller, West Forsyth's coach. "He meant more to his team that any player in the county. With out him I don't think Reynolds would have had the type of year they had. He was nearly unstop pable inside for his team." Joe Fulp (U50) took the Most Valuable Player award in the Lash/Chronicle JV Tournament and The Chronicle's Junior Varsity Player of the Year honors for the 2001-2002 season. O 6 2001-2002 All-City/County Junior Varsity Team f T ?orth Forsyth -2 Guard/Forward 8.2 points per game "Ray was the guy that made things happen for us. HSWjd ; great job of leading the tearry." - Eddie Thigpen Tyler Boardman West Forsyth 6-2 Point Guard 14.9 points, 5.6 assists per game "Tyler was our floor leadi and the guy who we could depend on to get things done.' - Tim Fuller L Charles Jackson West Forsytl^^1 6-3 Forw^T 12.0adlnts, 9.0 assists per game Jcnarles didn't have any fantastic games, but he does th< tdfh things inside that you need done to win basketbal mes." J -Tim Fuller Derek Griffin Glenn 5-10 Point Guard ^ 18.3 points per game J* "JJerek xeiillj helpedus, oncehe came I mmrfPffln the var ltyTT^ominTi^^verage^iior^nar^npoints if he had leen with us all season." - John Fowler A banny Harris fe.J. Reynolds *5-11 Point Quard 110.2 points, assists per gartfe m "Danny was with fafetwjJ yeawTtWd he understood what % m we needed him to do. He primarily eould have scored more * M but sacrificed to help the tearr! ' M - Jeff Overby Tlrrance Ingram Era Forsyth I"! 5-^BGuard 13.