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1B
SPORTS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1997
Tigers by the tail
Grambling football coach
Eddie Robinson is cleared of
NCAA rules violations, but
school is punished. Page 4B.
Frontcourt shows muscle
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Charlotte Sting coach MaryneU Meadors
knew she had good frontcourt players at
the start of the season.
Now they’re starting to play like it.
Rhonda Mapp, Vicky BuUett and Andrea
Congreaves make up Charlotte’s
revamped lineup, and their improved play
is a major factor in the Sting’s run toward
one of four WNBA playoff berths.
“They’re outstanding post players. We
knew that when we selected them,”
Meadors said. “We didn’t know they
would be the best in the league, but I real
ly truly believe that we’ve got three of the
finest post players.”
It took a while for the trio to pull its act
together. Mapp, a center, was in the start
ing lineup at the beginning of the season,
but was benched briefly when she strug
gled on offense. Congreaves was promoted
to the starting lineup just as Mapp’s pro
duction improved and Bullett reeled off a
string of solid games. Together, they’ve
helped push Charlotte into a battle with
Cleveland for second place in the Eastern
Conference.
“Putting Andrea and I in the starting
lineup, (has) had an impact on our team,”
Mapp said. “It was a matter of Andrea and
I having time to play so we can get our
flow. I don’t think we were getting it in the
beginning, but now we have it. I just feel
confident, especially when I’m playing
with Viclg^ and Andrea.”
“The chemistry is finally flowing and
See FRONT on page 2B
Rhonda Mapp has come on strong
of late for the Charlotte Sting, who
have improved its frontcourt piay.
Forget wanting to be like Mike.
What about being Hke Andrea or
Rhonda?
After attending a Charlotte Sting home
game, it’s obvious that Andrea Stinson,
Rhonda Mapp and their teammates have
more than chemistry. They have true fans,
something people who doubted the
WNBA’s existence here underestimated.
During the second half of last week’s
Charlotte-Sacramento Monarchs game at
the Charlotte Coliseum, the Sting played
with confidence, and it was evident these
women were taking no prisoners. The
crowd appreciated the home team’s effort
and showed their gratitude after each bas
ket by trying to raise the Coliseum roof
The faithful were at their hand-clappmg,
foot-stomping best, shouting words of
encouragement such as “Put it in,” “Way
to go,” and “One more time,” which is
what the Sting did.
With that kind of crowd support, it’s
hard to believe some people think thp
WNBA won’t last. Obviously the nay-say-
ers have not seen our women play. The.
Coliseum was an electric place Friday
night with fans yormg and old, male and
See STING on page 2B
Olympic
dream is
a kick
By Karl Petraroja
FOE THE CHARLOTTE POST
It’s never too early to start
dreaming about the Olympics.
For 9-year-old Arlysa Ferguson
of Charlotte, the karate competi
tion at the AAU Junior Olympics
is the first step toward reaHzing
that dream. She’s already won a
basket full of medals, including a
gold Tuesday and bronze at the
nationals in Orlando last month.
Not only does she compete against
older juniors, she regularly beats
boys, too.
“That’s one of the reasons I’m so
proud of her,” says Eloise
Ferguson, Arlysa’s grandmother.
“She wants to succeed and she
doesn’t disqualify herself because
she’s a girl. She’s hung in there
with the boys.”
While karate may not be the first
sport of choice of mostgirls, it’s
Arlysa’s favorite.
“I like a lot of sports, baskethaU,
softball, tennis, volleyball, soccer,
gymnastics,” sbe said. “My grand
mother says I’m too athletic but
karate is stiU my favorite.”
' Arlysa started practicing karate
when she was 6 years old because
she wanted to protect herself and
her grandparents.
“If a fire happens, I want to be
able to rescue them,” she said. “If
someone wants to kill my grand
mother, I want to save her.”
Arthur Ferguson, Arlysa’s
See KARATE on page 2B
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Arlysa Ferguson, 9, won gold in
the AAU Junior Oiympics at UNC
Chariotte.
Experimental model
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Waiter Rasby will play an expanded role in the Carolina Panthers offense as fuliback and tight
end.
Fullback shuffle puts Rasby into mix
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Walter Rasby never expected
to have a football formation
named after bim.
But if “Raz Regular” works
for the Carolina Panthers, the
fourth-year tight end will have
a place in the offensive termi
nology.
Rasby, who
played col
lege baU at
Wake Forest,
will be tried
at fuUback in
some run
ning situa
tions to take
advantage of
his blocking. After being all but
forgotten as a receiver in the
shadow of all-pro tight end
Wesley Walls, Rasby has a new
lease of NFL life.
“I feel confident enough that I
can do it,” he said. “They’ve
been doing it the right way,
starting me off with base pla3^s
See RASBY on page 2B
Bell tolls for Central’s new quarterback
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
N.C. Central football coach
Larry Little remembers a meeting
he had with quarterback Warren
BeU during spring practice.
Bell insisted that no one could
feel a game’s pace Hke he. So BeU
gave Little a suggestion: Give him
more autonomy over the offense.
It didn’t reaUy surprise the coach,
who was amused by the sopho
more’s request. After aU, the
Eagles went 8-3 last season with
Little calling the shots.
“He wanted to caU his own
plays,” Little said with a chuckle.
“I told him he must’ve lost his
mind.”
BeU, a former Olympic High
standout, was serious. The
starter’s job is
his as faU drills
open, and no
one could be
happier about
leading an
offense that led
the CIAA in
scoring last
year. After a
successful stint
of limited play
ing time and a
spot on the aU-rookie team, BeU is
looking forward to a new role.
“It’s nothing I’m not ready for,”
Bell
said BeU, who completed 26 of 49
passes for 397 yards and a touch
down in 1996. “It’s something I’ve
been waiting for. I’m ready now.
It’s just getting out for myself
instead of watching somebody
else.”
BeU did weU when he substitut
ed for starter Brad McAdams, but
bis best attribute is a take-cbarge
attitude. No situation, it seems, is
too difficult to overcome.
“The thing I like most about
Warren is he is very confident,”
Little said. “He won’t do anything
to hurt us.”
NaturaUy, Bell would rather
have control over the offense
because it aUows him to make
Jamison glad
to be headed
back to school
By Karl Petraroja
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
PHOTOAVADE NASH
Antawn Jamison is happy being a coUege basketbaU player for now.
Jamison, a junior forward at North Carolina, said he has no regrets
about not entering the Jrme NBA
draft as an underclassman.
Though he admits it was tough
watching on TY he figures his day
wUI come.
“As a junior. I’m just going out
there playing hasketbaU and if the
opportunity is there next year you
never know,” he said. “But then
again, my mind set is four years,
so I just want to go out there and
play basketball and hopefidly get a
championship ring.”
One NBA veteran who’s eager to
see Jamison in the league is Pepsi
Bottling point guard Muggsy
Bogues. The Charlotte Hornet
feels Jamison would be good as a
professional.
“He’s a talented player,” Bogues
said. “I’m looking forward for him
to come in and do what he feels
he’s capable of doing. It’s going to
take him sometime but that’s how
young players do.”
The Pro-Am league vsTaps up its
season this weekend with the
semifinals Saturday at Queens
College, followed by tbe champi
onship final Sunday at 2 p.m.
Jamison, who plays for first place
5 Star Auto, is looking for another successful college season. Last sea
son he helped the Tar Heels advance to the Final Four before losing in
semifinals to eventual champion Arizona. He wouldn’t mind another
shot at the top.
“We learned a whole lot last year, not only against Arizona but a whole
lot of teams,” Jamison said. “But Arizona definitely taught us a whole
lot. We came in there kind of cocky. We knew we lost to them the first
game (of the season) and we thought we were going to just blow them
out, you know just continue playing the way we had been playing dur
ing that 16-game winning streak
“It was their destiny, they did everything right...we definitely want to
play Arizona again.”
The Tar Heels will be very good. The only significant loss is center
Serge Zwikker but the Heels could have their center of the future in 7-
foot Brendan Haywood of Greensboro Dudley High. Jamison expects an
even better season ahead.
“We pretty much got the same team coming back so we definitely
want to kind of build on what we had last year,” he said. “As long as we
go out there and work night in and night out, everyday in practice
before the season starts and get that team chemistry down, we should
be aU right.”
The man making sure the Tar Heels get everythiirg they can fi-om :
their talents is coach Dean Smith, who set the all-time record for wirrg
by a Division I coach, passing Adolph Rupp of Kentucky. Jarrrison was
See JAMISON on page 3B
Antawn Jamison (33) doesn’t
regret staying at North Carolina
for his junior season.
decisions according to the game’s
flow.
“It seems I can caU plays easier
because I can see what the defense
gives me,” he said. “I know what I
Hke to run better than anyone
else.”
BeU was a soHd quarterback at
Olympic, leading the Trojans to
the N.C. 4A playoffs in 1994. He
was recruited by James Madison
and several CIAA schools, but
after visiting Central and talkiirg
to his father, Warren Sr., decided
Durham was the best place for
him.
“A couple of schools told me I
corUd start as a fi-eshman, but my
See BELL on page 4B
FILE PHOTO
Former Olympic High standout Warren Beii Is entrenched as N.C.
Central’s starting quarterback. Despite limited playing time last
year, he was named to the ClAA’s all-rookie team.