SportsWeek
July 25, 2013
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
: Olympic
champ helps
Hchoff
competition
SPECIAL TO THE
CHRONICLE
4
Olympic gold medalist
Jackie Joyner-Kersee was
the special guest during
the Opening Ceremonies
of the 47th USATF
National Junior Olympic
Track & Field
Championships on
Tuesday. The competition
is being held from July
22-28 at N.C. A&T State
University in Greensboro.
Events begin daily at 8
a.m. and are open to the
general public. Many of
today's Olympic stars
began their track and field
careers competing in the
USATF National Junior
Olympic Track & Field
Championships. Other
current Olympic athletes
are also slated to make
guest appearances
throughout the week.
Up to 10.000 athletes
are expected to compete.
Entry for this event is
based on athlete perform
ances at the Preliminary,
Association and Regional
levels of the 2013 USATF
Junior Olympic Program.
Competition takes place in
six two-year divisions,
with athletes generally
falling between the ages
of 7-18.
With a seating capacity
of 20,000, A&T's Irwin
Belk Track hosted the
2006 USATF Youth
National Championships
and the 2009 Junior
Olympic Track & Field
Championships. The facil
ity is proving to be a pre
mier host for this year's
Junior Olympic competi
tion.
Tickets may be pur
chased online at
http://www. visit greens
boronc .com!usatf-ticket
sales.
Rams regrouping after
losing key players
BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE
FOR THE CHRONICLE
Over a two-year span, Winston-Salem
State has gone about as far as a team can go
in the Division II football playoffs without
winning a national championship.
The upcoming season, however, figures
to be an uphill climb for a program that lost
22 seniors from last year's team that lost to
Valdosta State (Ga.) in the national champi
onship game. Two seasons ago, the Rams
lost to Wayne State (Mich.) in the semifinal
round.
WSSU is 27-2 over the past two seasons,
and even though there
were heavy losses, the
Rams have a reputation
for reloading. So,
there's no question that
Coach Connell Maynor
will have his team
primed to make another
deep run in the postsea
son.
Based on the pre
season national polls,
it's evident that the
prognosticators view
WSSU as a solid choice to earn a bid to the
16-team playoff field. The Rams are ranked
sixth (Lindy's Football) and 11th (Sporting
News) in the Division II polls.
"Every year our goals are to go undefeat
ed in the CIAA, go to the playoffs and win
the national championship," said Maynor.
"So the question is whether we can achieve
that or not. We have a lot of work ahead of
us and there's so much to replace on offense.
But we'll find a way. I'm the head coach and
offensive coordinator, so it's up to me to fig
ure it out."
Making sustained playoff runs is not an
automatic - not even for the perennial
national title contenders. In 2011, Winston
Salem State, Wayne State, Pittsburg State
(Kan.) and Delta State (Miss.) made it to the
Final Four of Division II football. A year
ago. WSSU was the only team to make it
back to the national semis. The other Final
Four schools from two years ago didn't even
qualify for the 2012 playoffs.
Looking ahead to 2013, the Rams have
major gaps to fill. Kameron Smith, the best
quarterback in WSSU school history is gone,
and so is All-American center Markus
Lawrence. It doesn't help matters that three
big-play receivers (Jameze Massey, Jahuann
Butler and Jamal Williams) also finished
their careers last year. Those three combined
for 3.343 receiving yards and 39 touch
downs.
Anthony Carrothers, who served as
Smith's backup, is set to take charge.
Carrothers turned in stellar relief perform
ances late last season when Smith suffered a
shoulder injury during the first half of the
C1AA championship game. In Smith's
absence, Carrothers threw for 714 yards and
seven touchdowns.
While Carrothers has the inside track on
the starting job, it's hardly a lock. Redshirt
junior DeShean Townsend could push for
playing time.
"Anthony played well last season and he
has an edge with his experience," said
Maynor. "But he'll have to earn it. We don't
give starting jobs away. When practice starts,
all jobs are up for grabs."
The defense, spearheaded by All
American linebacker Carlos Fields (117
tackles) has the potential to maintain its sta
tus as one of the most formidable in the
country. All-American safety Malcolm Rowe
will be sorely missed, along with fellow
departing seniors Dominique Tate, Darryl
Puliiam and Justin Wilkerson.
"Expectations are always high for us and
our fans," said Maynor. "We give our best
effort to live up to it and try to make it hap
pen (reach the national championship
game). It's a major challenge, but we're not
afraid of challenges. That's why we coach."
Smith
WSSU Photo by Garrett Garms
Coach Maynor leads his team to battle.
Deacs, Blue Devils victorious in rec league play
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
In week three of the Hanes Hosiery Community Center Summer
Basketball League, the Deacons defeated the Wolfpack 29-20 in the
6-10-year-olds division.
Josish Crosby led the Deacons with 13 points, while Noah
Marshall added 8 and Christian Suotton added 3. Reagan Wilder and
Calum Davis each contributed 2 points.
Cory Simons, scoring 6 points. and Kyndall Barr's 5 points led the
Wolfpack. The Wolfpack received additional help from Makhi Beard,
Dion Mcintosh, Jordan Mack-Perry and DJ Barkley.
In the division's second game, the Blue Devils defeated the
Tarheels 24-21. Jibril Caesar and Josiah Banks each scored 8 points
for the Blue Devils. They were aided by Donald Ray-Grier, Elijah
Horton, Jacob Brown and Gah'ques Ligons.
Zech Gibson scored 11 for the Heels, while Jerell Cohen con
tributed 7. Monay Galloway and Marcaveyon Twitty also contributed
> points.
Submitted Pbotc
The Blue Devils
Legends to be inducted into Hall
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Rock-n-Roll Express will be honored at the Wrestling Legends Fanfest in
Charlotte on Friday, Aug. 2 at Charlotte's Hilton University Place Hotel.
It's been 30 years since the Rock-n-Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
became The Beatles of the wrestling
scene, as they combined sex appeal
with high energy and talent in the
ring.
They arrived in the Carolinas in
1985 and, in an auspicious debut,
won the highly coveted NWA world
tag-team title their first night in by
defeating Ivan Koloff and Krusher
Khruschev in a Shelby match taped
for "Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling" television.
Over the course of a career, The
Rock-n-Roll Express would hold
dozens of regional and world tag
team titles. It was that first world tag
team title victory, however, that
Morton cherishes the most.
"That was a big deal," he said.
"Winning that first world tag-team
title was the greatest of all."
They still remember how
wrestling was when they first started
teaming in 1983.
"Everywhere we went, we broke
box office records," said Gibson. "It
was amazing."
If you're a longtime fan, you can
probably still remember the pulsat
mg chant - Kock and Koii! Kock ana Koii! Kock and Koii! - tnat reveroeratea on tne
walls of every building where Mid-Atlantic wrestling was held during the '80s.
? In addition to being inducted into the Hall, the duo will sign autographs and pose for
photos at Fanfest, which will be held from Aug. 1-4.
"I'm really looking forward to this. Being inducted is a great honor," said Gibson.
"It's a chance for us to give back to the fans. We've always put the fans first. It's good to
come back to the Carolinas and see old friends."
4
For more information on the event, visit NWALegends.com.
Press Photo
A 1980s photo of the Rock-n-Roll Express.
% '
* 'Vr'. ?,v
Submitted Photo
The team poses with coaches.
I Mavs reach national title
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem Mavericks 11U
AAU D3 Basketball team came up a lit
tle short in its bid for a national champi
onship in Hampton, Va. from July 4-8.
The Mavs won an opening pool
game against Maryland Rockets by 44 to
21. They lost their second game to the
Massachusetts Bailers, 40-37.
They got back on track in the third
game, beating the VA Allstar Hawks 25
22. After that victory, the team went on
a 4-0 winning streak in Bracket play,
beating Maryland's 6th Man Sports 42
31, the Richmond Swoosh 54-41, the
V-/
West Va. Rampage 41-36 and
Baltimore's Mt. Royal 33-29, a win that
put the Mavs in the national champi
onship game.
The team played the Washington,
DC Takeover for the title, losing 45-30.
The Mavericks 11U record for the year
is 33-7. The team finished second in the
national ranking.
The team is coached and owned by
Mike Gonzalez and Willie "BB" Patrick
Jr. The assistant coaches are Antonio
Wardlow and Nathen Belcher. The
Mavericks are sponsored by Top Priority
care Services, LLC and several other
local businesses and churches.