SportsWeek
section B Also Religion , Obituaries, Classifieds march 27, 2008
Bell:
Film
left out
, pioneers
I FROM THE I
HUDDLE
Before I get started I need to
make something clear. Last
week, a reader (who is obvious
ly unfamiliar with my column)
left me a message about my rec
ollection of "Black Magic,"
stating that I didn't mention
enough people in my column.
He wanted me to mention
Willard Coker.
This is my column, and I
a o n t
have to
mention
anything
or any
one that I
don't
want to. I
wasn't
trying to
mention
everyone
in the
documentary. I was simply stat
ing how much I enjoyed it. Most
people understood that Not this
guy. It's not a story. Information
in my column isn't the same as
a story. I am shocked to read
when adults don't know the dif
ference between a story and an
opinionated column. I had some
good feedback too. But this guy
simply afode me want tell him a
few things. Com?M)BBBfeO
brother. Moving on. ? .
I recently discus s?8 ~**BT4ck'
Magic," with one of my friends
? Harold Bell. He knows
enough about sports to come up
with several documentaries for
every sport. He was the radio
pioneer that told me how Earl
Lloyd was the first black to play
in the NBA, and how legendary
coach Red Auerbach helped the
former CIAA great get into the
hall of fame. He's also told me
countless stories about the many
athletes he's interviewed
throughout the years. He
emailed more of his thoughts
and opinions last week. I was
going to talk about some of the
information. Instead, I decided
to simply to include some of it
within my column. Read some
of the information that Bell sent
me last week
Bell's writing begins here:
ESPN's airing of "Black
Magic," chronicling the rich
history of black basketball in
America was a buzzer beating
jump shot to win and a contro
versial foul call at the end the
See Hill on B2
Bell
Sophomore
season is main
focus for Beatty
BY CHUCK CURTI
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
As a youngster, C.J. Beatty fell
in love with chess. It was offered as
an extracurricular activity at his
elementary school, and Beatty took
to it immediately, eventually
~i..u
UCCUIIllllg lilt V?1|C>> tiuu
president at Glenn High
School.
Anytime there was a
chess board lying ground,
Beatty went looking for a
game. It seemed to suit
him perfectly: The way to
win was to outwit the
opponent. If he could
decipher the next move
before it happened,
Beatty figured he could
win.
These days, he takes the same
approach to hitting a baseball.
Figure out what pitch is coming
before it gets to the plate, and he
wins. Early in the 2008 season,
Beatty, a sophomore outfielder at
North Carolina A&T, has earned
more than his share of checkmates
against opposing pitchers. Through
the Aggies' first 17 games, he hit
.433 (26 for 60) with five home
runs and 17 RBIs.
He's well on his way to eclips
ing the impressive numbers he put
up last year as a true freshman
(.313, 10 HR, 38 RBI). But while
Beatty got by on sheer talent in
2007, he's learned to become a
moreintelligent hitter this season.
^He's probably a better overall
hitter (this year)," said Aggies head
coach Keith Shumate. "He'll still
take his cuts and" still strike out
some, but you'll see him handle off
speed pitches and take the
ball the other way. His
approach in RBI situa
tions is more geared
toward the situation. With
a runner on third, he
won't just go up there and
try to pull, pull, pull. He
understands it's more
important to get the run
ner in."
Beatty added: "I real
ized that you have to
slow the game down. I make sure
that I get into hitting position early
enough so I can recognize the pitch
earlier. Last year, I was just jump
ing fastballs and taking off-speed
stuff because I couldn't see itp"
Beatty's raw talent has never
been an issue. He was a four-time
all-conference player at Glenn,
where he set a school record for
home runs in a season with 10 as a
senior. He also shares the school's
career home run record. In the sum
mer between his senior year of high
school and freshman year at A&T,
he played in the Carolina-Virginia
See Beatty on B5
Shumate
Photo by Charles Watkins
A&T's CJ. Beatty already has five home runs this season.
Coach Wilkes leaves Carver
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE "
?
Coach Keith Wilkes has contemplated
moving on to a new challenge in the coaching
^forldroHPhumber ofyewra
Last week, he macfthis move official when
he told Carver administrators and coaches that
he was leaving at the end of the year to coach
Shiloh High, which is located in Georgia.
Wilkes said announcing that he's leaving
/~i _ r .1 l <
carver was one 01 me lougnesi
decisions he's had to make in his
life.
"This was definitely one of the
biggest and hardest decisions I've
ever had to make," Wilkes said.
"The relationships I've established
here at Carver through the years are
priceless. This has been a family
atmosphere. Everybody always
came together here, especially the
kids. There was no I in team. I'm
going to miss all of the coaches
too. I'm definitely going to miss the kids I've
established relationships with during the 20
something years I've been coaching."
'Wilkes seriously became interested in the
opening at Shiloh after attending a coaching
clinic in Georgia a little over a month ago.
Wilkes was talking with one of the coaches at
the clinic about some of the things he's done in
coaching. Before he knew it, the coach was
taking him to meet Shiloh administrators about
the opening at their school.
"That's kind of how it happened," Wilkes
said. "I was just talking with a guy about who
I was, and some of the things I've been able to
do with my program in Nbrth Carolina. I ended
up talking with the athletics director and prin
cipal while I was down there for the clinic.
They really became interested,"
Carver principal Carol Montague added: "I
really didn't know what to think when he fiJS*
told me that he might be leaving. Keith alwaff#
says that he might be leaving. He told me ne
talked with a principal, and they were thinking
about offering him a job. I didn't know it was
official until I talked with the princi
pal down there, but Keitn still wasn t
sure if he was going to take the job.
And, yesterday (Monday) he brought
his letter of resignation. We lost a
great coach that really cares about
kids. It's going to be hard to fill his
shoes. He's taken tlys program to
another level."
Wilkes' story began over 20 years
ago, when he was hired as an assistant
football coach and teacher at Carver.
In 1992, the story got even better after
Wilkes replaced Jim Bovender as the
Carver head football coach. More than 130
wins, two state championships, a couple coach
of the year awards and several playoff wins
later, Wilkes decided it was time to start a new
legacy, in a new state. He's compiled a record
of 139-62-1. The one tie was to Mt. Tabor.
Wilkes guided his Yellowjackets to state titles
in 1998 and 2002.
Wilkes said there's more to him leaving
than simply wanting to start a new path. His
mother also lives in Georgia. He wants more
than anything to be able to be there for her
See Wilkes on B2
Montague
Photo hv Charlie Pfaff
Coach Keith Wilkes has roamed the Carver sidelines for more
than 20 years.
File photo
Former West
Forsyth star
Chris Paul will
be among seven
new candidates
to be inducted
into the high
school hall of
fame. Here, Paul
elevates past for
mer Reynolds
star Reyshawn
Terry.
Paul , Jones among new inductees
Mt. Tabors Martha Land will also join 2008 class
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE
Winston-Salem Sportsmen Club
president Robert Wynn is excited
about the latest group of former high
school athletes, coaches and adminis
trators to be inducted into the Winston
Salem/ Forsyth County High School
Hall of Fame.
Wynn, who admits to being excited
before each ceremony, said this is
probably the youngest collective group
of hall of fame inductees. Among the
latest class of inductees are six former
high school athletes and one adminis
trator. Mt. Tabor principal Martha
Land is the lone administrator set to be
inducted. The student-athletes are
Jimmy Caldwell (Mt. Tabor), Paul
Cloud (Parkland), Chris Paul (West
Forsyth), Lashun Peoples (Carver),
LaQuanda Barksdale Quick (West
Forsyth) and Porsche Jones (Carver).
The latest class was announced by
Winston-Salem Sportsmen Club mem
bers earlier this week.
The banquet and induction ceremo
ny is scheduled for May 9, at 7 p.m. at
the Benton
Convention
Center.
"I'm very
excited about
this latest class
of hall of
famers," said
Wynn. "We
have one admin
istrator and six
student-athletes.
Each student
athlete came about at different times.
They were the best at their sports dur
ing the time they played. Martha Land
is the principal at Mt. Tabor, who's a
tremendous lady. She's made a com
mitment to mix academics and athlet'
ics. During her tenure, Mt. Tabor has
won several state championships and
has been named one of the top high
schools to attend in America (by U.S.
News and World Report)."
Land began a career in education
that spans nearly 37 years. She has
served as teacher, assistant principal
and principal in the W-S/ Forsyth
County Schools System. In 1992, she
assumed the principal ship of Mt.
Tabor High School. Under Land's
leadership, the Spartans have won 12
state titles, 35 regional championships,
two runner-up 4-A football titles. 10
Wachovia Cups and three state
Wachovia Cups. According to Mt
Tabor athletic director Steve Hayes.
Land believes in the three A's (acade
mics. arts and athletics.)
Jimmy Caldwell II, who's the son
of Indianapolis Colts assistant head
coach Jim Caldwell, was a three-sport
Sec Inductees on B5
Wymn