9B
tKIje Cljarlotte
SPORTS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1996
Time to make a statement
PHOTO/HERBERT L WHITE
Reggie Lawrence hurdles two Benedict defenders on his way to
a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown in Johnson C. Smith’s 36-
0 win. JCSU plays Virginia State Saturday.
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Johnson C. Smith can make its
football season Saturday.
The Golden Bulls, who play
Virginia State at 5 p.m. at
Memorial Stadium, are trying to
build on last week’s 36-0 win
over Benedict by taking out last
year’s CIAA champions and a
consensus choice to repeat. ’The
Trojans, still smarting over
being denied a spot in the NCAA
playoffs, beat Norfolk State 25-
14 last week.
“It’s a great test,” Bulls coach
Johnson C. Smith gets a stiff test Saturday
in 1995 CIAA champion Virginia State
Daryl McNeill said. “The CIAA
champs are coining in here, and
we want to set the tone for the
CIAA this year. This is the game
that’s going to do it.”
“It’s back to even more intensi
ty because they were the confer
ence champs last year,” line
backer Larcoy McRae said.
“We’ve got to step it up more
than we did (last week).”
Smith, which played the
Trojans tough for a half before
fading in a 28-12 loss last sea
son, is out to continue the
rebuilding program that has led
to three wins over the last four
games dating back to last sea
son. Virginia State, ranked No.
10 in, the latest NCAA Division
11 poll, will provide stiff competi
tion.
“We’re really looking forward
to that,” split end Reggie
Lawrence said. “We didn’t look
past Benedict, but we’re really
looking forward to Virginia State
because we should’ve beat them
last year. We’ve got a lot to
prove.”
Lawrence will need a big game
if Smith is to be successful.
Against Benedict, the senior
scored three touchdowns, two on
passes from Chuck Young and
another on a 66-yard punt
return.
“We’re looking for him to do
some greater things throughout
the season,” McNeill said. “He’s
definitely one of our go-to guys.”
Smith’s special teams, which
See BULLS on page 11B
Lions
loaded
again
By Eric Bozeman
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
There’s only one formula for
defending a state champi
onship and West Charlotte
Lions Coach Tom Knotts is
banking on it.
“The biggest thing is you can
hopefully refocus, and do it
again,’’ Knotts said.
“Everybody comes back satis
fied, and we don’t want to be
satisfied.”
The Lions began the 1996
season by trouncing Anson
_^County^43_-7 with a powerful
air attack that has West
Charlotte ranked as one of the
top teams in the nation.
“I think our offense is our
strong point,” Knotts said. We
lost some good skill people, but
everybody that we lost was
replaced by people who could
have stepped in last year and
done a fine job. I think we
throw the ball, that’s what we
do best, and we have big ol’
linemen to protect us.”
Some of the men in the
trenches, who buy time for the
Lions’ air game, are in Knotts
estimation, big time college
prospects. The most notable
are Jason Washington weigh
ing in at 300 pounds, Michael
Arecenaux at 290, and Louis
Patterson at 250.
“They’ve worked hard in the
weight room, they all bench
right around 300 pounds,”
Knotts said.
Although the Lions have a
mammoth line, Knotts still
needs to address the issue of a
signal caller, and he feels com
fortable leaving the quarter-
backing duties in the hands of
Keith Matkins. Haji Kromah
also got significant playing
time last week, but Knotts ■
refuses to open a quarterback
controversy. Matkins complet
ed completed 14-of-21 passes
for 270 yards and two touch
downs against Anson County,
while Kromah hit 5-of-7 for
111.
“I’ve told them both, I
reserve the right to take either
of them out...I’m going to be
hard on them, and I’m not
afraid to rotate them,” he said.
The Lions ofTense is rounded
out with Steve Shipp and Arjai
Jackson at the wideout posi
tions. Shipp, a 6-2 185 pounder
has been heavily recruited by
Notre Dame, Southern
California, Duke, and Texas.
“He’s probably our go to guy.
I don’t think he has great
speed, he has good speed. I
don't think he has great
hands, he has good hands, but
he just makes spectacular
catches,” Knotts said. “And
because of that, Arjai will
probably have a good year,
because in high school you
rarely see two good corners on
defense.”
See LIONS on page 12B
Prowling for two
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Carolina running back Tshimanga Blakabutuka is collared by Atlanta linebacker Cornelius Bennett after a short gain in the
Panthers’ 29-6 win last week. More on Biakabutuka’s first NFL game can be found on page 4D.
Panthers try to build on opening success
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
At least the Carolina
Panthers don’t have to worry
about getting off to a slow start
this season.
The Panthers, who lost their
first five games last year before
rallying for a 7-9 finish, will go
for their second win in as many
games Sunday against New
Orleans. Recalling the horror
story that started the 1995
season, Carolina went out and
whipped Atlanta 29-6 last
week, the Panthers’ first open
ing day win.
“That’s one of the things
coach (Dom) Capers said: ‘Let’s
not wait five games to come
together and start playing
hard,” strong safety Pat Terrell
said. ‘That’s the idea we went
into in train-
Terrell
a major
hand in the
Atlanta win,
causing the
Falcons’
vaunted Red Gun offense to
misfire in scoring territory. The
Panthers recorded seven
sacks, three from linebacker
Lamar Lathon. They also kept
the Falcons from scoring a
touchdown while keeping con
stant pressure on Atlanta
quarterback Jeff George.
“With Lamar Lathon and
See PANTHERS on page 11B
Mason puts
sting in the
Hornets
By Karl Petraroja
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
The future of the Charlotte
Hornets have taken a tough
turn.
With the acquisition of
Anthony Mason from the New
York Kiiick.-i, (‘hafiutle i.-. .•^.ly
ing good-bye to hof't and hello
to tough.
The 6-7, 250-pound Mason
adds a defensive presence the
Hornets have rarely had, espe
cially after the trade of center
Alonzo Mourning last season.
Mason comes with an attitude
- an attitude for winning.
“ A lot of people mistake my
attitude for winning as being a
bad attitude, but all I want to
do is win,” Mason said in his
first Charlotte appearance last
week. “It’s different when you
get beat on the court because
the team is better, but it’s dif
ferent when you just throw a
game away. I felt at times (in
New York) that we just gave
some opponents away and I
addressed that. I think as a
grown man in my profession
you should be able to say what
you feel like without it being
mistaken as a bad attitude.”
When the trade first came
down, Mason spoke out
against coming to Charlotte,
shocked that the Knicks would
deal him after telling him that
he would be part of their foun
dation. Now, he’s happy to be a
Hornet.
“At first it was like an insult,
but then I thought about it,”
he said. ‘You’re going some
where where the community
loves basketball and where
they wanted me 100 percent,
so I feel good about that. I also
frit there was a lot of talent on
this team that can be built on.”
Hornets owner George
Shinn, who has taken flak
from fans for signing former
Larry Johnson to an $84 mil
lion deal before shipping him
to New York in exchange for
Mason, said the former
Tennessee State star repre
sents a change in the team’s
attitude.
“Our fans have been asking
See MASON on page 11B
3-on-3 team eyes a basketball dynasty
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
A (juartet of Charlotte ath
letes are building a name
among three-on-three basket
ball teams.
Next Up - consisting of 16-
year-olds Michael Giles,
Lament Sherrill, Cedarrian
Jackson and Tony Henry - are
fixtures in street basketball
festivals like Hoop It Up and
Charlotte 3-on-3. the foursome
has won two straight
Charlotte 3-on-3 13-15 cham
pionships and added the under
6-foot title last month. They
qIso won Hoop It Up titles in
Fort Mill, S.C., and Eastland
Mall.
The thing that keeps the
fmrsome competitive is famil
iarity, says Henry, the team
captain. They started playing
at the urging of Andrea Henry,
Tony’s mother.
“It was my mom’s idea, and
we just gdt together,” Tony
said.
Now that school is in session,
the boys don’t get together as
often, getting together for an
occasional pick-up game
between competitions. Tony is
a student at West Charlotte;
Cousin Cedarrian attends
South Mecklenburg; Lament
and
goes to West Charlotte
Michael is at Garinger.
The foursome originally
played Anuit(‘ur Athletic
Union together as 10-year-
olds. From there, they starting
honing their skills on the
streets and built a champi
onship bond.
“The chemistry” is what
makes Next Up click, Tony
Henry said. “We’ve been play
ing together for the last six
years.”
Taking Next Up’s success to
the under 6-foot division
required some changes in their
playing style. Competing
See NEXT UP on page 11B
PHOTO/ANDREA HENRY
Next Up, a foursome of Charlotte athletes, are eyeing a berth in the
National Hoop It Up tournament in Kentucky.