SportsWeek
Section B Also Religion, Obituaries, Classifieds ' m.hch 20, 2ooe
This will be the year
that I pick the champs
FROM THE
HUDDLE
Every year I participate in
several office pools during the
NCAA tournament. I even still
fill out a March Madness
bracket for the daily newspaper
that I used to work for in
Alabama.
I've never won. As a matter
of fact, I usually throw my
bracket away by the second
round. This year I think I'm
going to win it all. I must admit
that I make different picks on
each of the brackets. I try to
create more opportunities for
myself to be successful. One
thing that I think will be the
same on all brackets are my
Final Four picks. I usually
don't disclose my picks
because I am superstitious. I
feel like if I say something
before it happens then I will
somehow jinx myself. Not this
time. I'll tell anyone that lis
tens that this will be the first
year all number one seeds
make it to the Final Fpur. I will
go ahead and tell you that the
champs will come from the
East. It will either be Carolina
or Kansas. I have been saying
Kansas was going to win it all
year. But I have enough brack
ets filled out to win either way.
The tournament officially
begins today. Some of you are
watching games now. The
Final Four will take place April
5, in San Antonio, Tx. But
there's nothing like the first
Photo by David T Foster III/Charlottc Obscrver/MCT
UNC's Alex Stepheson defends Clemson's Trevor Booker dur
ing the first half of Sunday's ACC Championship game.
two rounds of the tournament.
That's when the most upsets
occur. Sure, you won't see a 16
seed beat a one. But you might
see a 12 seed defeat a five seed.
Mike Beasley and Kansas State
(No. 11 seed) might beat No. 6
seed USC (red by OJ. Mayo).
A 14 seed might even beat a
three seed. Some people think
No. 14 Georgia has a chance of
beating No. 3 Xavier in the
opening round. I am sure there
will be at least two upsets.
I find the different methods
of choosing a winner interest
ing sometimes. For instance, I
know people that pick the
higher seeds. I know people
that pick based on the school
conferences. I even know
someone that picks based on
mascots. That is crazy. But it's
true. I choose based on my
familiarity with the schools
See Hill on B2
Photo by Anthony Hill
Prep seniors and head coach Andre Gould pose with the championship trophy.
W-S Prep concludes
year with state crown
Phoenix win 1-A title in fourth year of operation
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE
CHAPEL HILL? If anyone would've told
Winston-Salem Prep's Marcus Wright, who was
on the first Phcfenix team, that he would be a part
of a state championship team his senior year after
his freshman campaign he probably would've
laughed.
Wright couldn't help but smile after he helped
his team achieve the seemingly impossible with a
73-42 victory over Pamlico High in the 1-A state
championship game in Chapel Hill last Saturday.
"This is a great feeling," Wright said. "Like
coach said, this is a feeling you can't explain. I
can't tell you how good this ltels. I think this
championship was well deserved. This is the best
ending you could ask for. We're going out on top.
I didn't imagine anything like this my ninth grade
year. We weren't that good back then. Then, I
talked J-Man (Calvin Gantt) into coming over
here. I knew him from AAU. Reggie came and
brought even more. It feels great to be rewarded
with the title after all the work we put into this
program."
Prep head coach Andre Gould added: "This is
something I dreamed about when I. walked in our
gym with seven freshmen basketball players four
years ago. Only about two or three of them could
really play the game. I walked around the gym and
wondered if I would be able to build a program.
To see it actually being done in four years actual
ly is a fairy tale ending. This definitely feels spe
cial."
The championship tilt began a little slow, with
both teams trying to get into gear. Reggie "Big
Reggie" Johnson, who finished with an amazing
See W-S Prep on B5
All Smiles
Photo by Anthony Hill
Bishop McGuinness play
ers Whitney Knight,
Brittany Cox, Erin
Thompson and Maggie
Ronan share a laugh with
Villains head coach Brian
Robinson after capturing
the school's third-straight
state championship.
Bishop McGuinness cap
tured the title after a 56-43
victory over Pender
County in Chapel Hill last
Saturday.
Lady Aggies fall in finals of the MEAC
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
After rolling through the
conference season winning
games by an average of more
than 20 points, all tournament
long the North Carolina A&T
women's basketball team (25-7)
had its character tested late in
games and each time they
passed with honors - even in
defeat.
Coppin State's veteran guard
Rashida Suber hit a game-win
ning floater in the lane with 3.8
seconds remaining to lead
Coppin State to a 72-70 win
over the Aggies in the champi
onship game of the MEAC
Toumament. The Eagles have
now won three out of the last
four MEAC conference tourna
ments, and will represent the
MEAC in this week's NCAA
Tournament.
Lamona Smalley, who made
the all-toumament team, led the
Aggies with 18 points.
Ta'Wuana Cook and Amber
Photo by Charles Watkins
N.C.A&T head coach Patricia Cage -Bibbs gets frustrated.
Bland had 10 points apiece.
Suber was named the tourna
ment's Most Outstanding Player
as she finished last Saturday's
game with 19 points and seven
assists. "They're an experienced
team. They have been here
before," said N.C. A&T head
coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "But
I felt like we had what it takes to
beat this team. There were sev
eral key plays down the stretch
where I thought our pressure
made them turn the ball over.
But what can you say other than
I thought my kids played hard?"
The Aggies will still be
going to the postseason. They
have a RPI of 81 which makes
them a bubble team for the
NCAA Tournament. A? the
MEAC regular-season champi
on, the Aggies received an auto
matic bid to the WNIT. It is a bid
that would have gone to Coppin
State as the No. 2 team if the
Aggies could have won. ?
The Aggies found them
See Aggie* on B4
Fight Night to
return March 29
Derek Edwards to continue his
march to the top
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Winston-Salem's next Ring of Dreams Fight Night is set for
Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m. at the Millennium Center.
Ring of Dreams is urging fans to come go enjoy Derek "The
Black Lion" Edwards, who is garnering an increasing amount of
national attention with his undefeated status rising to 21 wins. To
prepare for this fight, Edwards has been in intensive training for
weeks in Jacksonville, Florida. The Black Lion is at the threshold of
a huge break
through, according
to promoters. His
opponent will be
the tough William
Gill of New Jersey.
Also on the card
is a heavyweight
title fight between
the undefeated
Roberto White (3
0) and David
Saulsberry (5-2),
seen at previous
Fight Nights. Both
men will be taking
a first shot at the
UBC International
belt. North Carolina
female heavy
weights Yolanda
Fagan (2-0) of
Wilson and Tiffany
Woodard of Wilson
will be battling it
out in Woodard 's
debut. Several addi
tional local
File photo
Derek "Black Lion" Edwards.
favorites will be on the card, including Rodney Wallace (3-0). Iliere
will be at least seven bouts on the card. a
The official pre-event weigh-in will be at Dr. J's House of Soul
Food, located at 1527 Martin Luther King Blvd., on March 28,
between 5:30 and 8 p.m.. All of the fighters will be there.
A victory party will take place immediately following the fight,
also at Dr. J's, with admittance at half price with your ticket stub.
That will give fans a chance to get up close and personal with the
boxers, and get their autographs. Live entertainment will be provid
ed by well known jazz vocalist Cle Thompson.
Ticket prices are $40 in advance for general admission ($45 at
the door), and Ringside Reser\'e seats are $50 in advance ($60 at
the door). VIP tables are also available. Tickets can be purchased at
RingofDreams.com or by calling Kerry Smith at 336-201-0089,