2C
SPORTS/Olt ClarUtU $at
Thursday, October 20, 2005
ClAA toumament A homeconiing opportuniiv
jContinu^ from page 1C
*iure
(^Jhariotte will do a super
Stinson, a Chaiiotte native,
said having the toumament
in his liometown provides the
comforts of familiarity
“You really don’t have a
problem with the fan base
with the CIAA, so the fan
base is going to travel wher
ever this great toumament
goes,” he said. “It gives you an
opportunity with your family
and friends to be a part of
(activities) throughout the
week.”
Chariotte is also a recruit
ing tool for the league,
Stinson said. Fca* a week, the
conference will have prime
exposxire to athletes who may
not be familiar with CIAA
basketball in person or on
ESPN, which will televise the
toumament.
“It gives you a little bit more
motivation in that you need
to not only succeed but be
representative of your family
and institution,” he said. ‘It’s
a maiketing tool and it’s an
opportunity for other student
athletes in this area to see
one of the greatest tourna
ments in the world.”
Union and Smith are pre-
season picks to win their
respective divisions in the
(HAA. The Panthers (30-4,
11-4 CIAA) lost seven seniors,
including three starters, but
were a unanimous choice in
the East Division in voting by
coaches.
‘It’s an honor to be confer
ence champions and national
champions, but that was a
year ago,” Robbins said.
“People always play Virginia
Union hard. We’re used to
being the team everybody
gets up for. Usually when we
go to someone’s building, no
matter what kind of record
they have, they play us hard
er than they do other teams.”
Smith (16-13, 9-7) was
picked to lead the West ahead
of Winston-Salem State. The
(joldeai Bulls return all-CTAA
forwards Chaiies Clark and
John P\ilton as well as rookie
of the year Maurice Hooper, a
guard. Even with the addi
tion of Delaware State trans
fer Prince Parker (Butler
High) at guard.
“It’s very very competitive,”
Joyner said. “I think just
because you’re chosen No. 1
or chosen No. 6, doesn’t mean
you’re going to be in those
particular places at the end of
the year. You’re going to have
to work for it.”
Regardless of how the regu
lar season winds up, the tour
nament is what makes the
season. Robbins said
Chaiiotte will help the league
expand its fan base and repu
tation by hosting it.
“Wherever the toumament
is it’ll be a success because the
CIAA does such a great job,”
he said “Tm just very glad
and proud that the people of
Charlotte and the surround
ing communities will see
what a good product all the
schools in the CTAA are and
put on a fine performance, Tm
sure.”
Elast Division
Vrginia Union
Bowie State
Elizabeth CTty State
Vi^inia State
Shaw
St. Paul’s
West Division
Johnson C. Smith
WTnston-Salem State
St. Augustine’s
Fayetteville State
N.C. Central
Livingstone
Panthers still have fantastic four on defensive front line
Rucker
Continued from page 1C
defense with 2.9 yards per carry
and 62 jmxis per game.
The defensive fix)nt has neu
tralized some of the league’s pre
mier backs dead in their tracks.
New Ofleans Saints’ Duce
McAllister rushed for 64 yards
in the season opener, Corey
Dillon was shut down with 36
yards and punished Ahman
Green of Green Bay with 36
yards in a Monday night show
down.
Last week against Detroit, the
Panthers had their best overall
game, which included six sacks
in a 21-20 win.
Observers initially figured the
line would struggle after
Jenkins left the Saints game
with a knee iiyury that knocked
him out for the season
But the defensive fine has
responded quite well. Leading
the line is end Mike Rucker with
20 tackles and 3.5 sacks. His sec
ond sack of the season, which
came in the 32-29 victory
against Green Bay broke Kevin
Greene’s Panthers career record
with 42.
Also in the mix is end Julius
Peppers with 18 tackles, whom
critics say should be ahead of his
one sack and fiimble recovery
Panthers coaches, however,
def«id Peppers, insisting offens
es are sch^ning to get the ball
out of quarterbacks’ hands
faster, which negates a pass
rush.
The Panthers have a much
needed bye week to recover firom
iqjuries and the entire defensive
unit can regroup.
“We had a two game win
streak and we needed to get
something rolling and we got
something rolling. We have a
couple of guys nicked up so this
bye week came at a perfect time
so that guys can heal up and we
can get ready for the n^ game,”
said Rucker.
nh
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mmi^
PHOTO/OURTIS WILSON
Berry Academy, which has won three straight games after going winless its frist two sea
sons, takes on Harding High Friday in the inaugural Battle of Alleghany.
Alleghany rivals meet for
bragging rights and trophy
By David D. Dawson
77/f CUARLOTir. POST
The heated rivalry
between the Phillip 0. Berry
Academy Cardinals and
Harding University High’s
Rams will take center stage
on the football field Friday
The two teams will not
only play for bracing rights,
but also for the first annual
cup of the “Battle of
Allegany”
Since the two schools are
less thtin a mile away fium
each other, the rivalry has
taken off. Four Berry players
- Christian Bethtme,
Brandon Brown, Walter
Gallispie and Andrew
Gallispie (no relation) —
thought it would be fun for
the two schools to play for a
trophy
The athletes brou^t the
idea to Brown’s father,
Thomas Brown, who is
Berry’s Booster Club oflScer
of football operations.
Thomas ran the idea by
school officials who accepted
the idea with open arms.
NBA intro(iuces new dress code
By Dt)ug Feinberg
mt: 'lATED PRESS
NEW YORK - There will be no more dress
down days in the NBA. The league
annoxmced on Monday that a minimum dress
code will go into effect at the start of the reg
ular season on Nov. 1.
Players will be expected to wear business
casual attire whenever they participate in
team or league activities, including arriving
at games, leaving games, conducting inter
views and making promotional or other
appearances.
“If they’re trying to change the image of the
league, that’s cool,” Phoenix Suns forward
Shawn Marion said.
Some teams already have their own dress
code in place.
Portland TVail Blazers coach Nate
McMillian is known for his strict rules,
including bans on headbands and on cell
phones on the team bus.
“It’s important that the players understand
they have to respect the game,’ McMillian
said in August. 'They have to respect the
league. And they have to respect the fans. You
must be a professional at all times.’
Your source for
local sports
tlJjE Cljarlotte IPost
JCSU discovers some offense
Continued from page 1C
most productive day yet as a Bull, connecting
on ll-of-28 passes for 226 yards and running
for a score.
Junior receiver Marquis Belton, who had
been all but a non-factor earlier in the season,
had a breakout game with 189 yards receiv
ing on nine receptions and running backs
Andre Willi ama and Henry Willoughby com
bined for 119 yards and a couple of scores.
The Bulls win try to keep that momentum
going Saturday at ^Tnston-Salem State in
what will likely be the last meeting between
the schools. The Rams, who are leaving
Division 11 for the I-AA MEAC after this year,
haven’t lost to Smith since 1996, McNeill’s
second season vrith the BiiUs. WSSU (4-4, 4-1
CTAA), which lost a chance to win the West
Division outright with a 20-17 loss to N.C.
(!)^tral last week, is still alive for a first-place
tie if they win the next two games. Smith is
trying to win its first game of the season.
Lady Bulls young but ready
Continued from page 1C
fix>m the outside.”
Among the Golden Bulls
other returning players that
should make an impact on
the team are sophomore
Rochelle Bodie, who aver
aged 5.4 points and 6.0
rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard
Shemika Jones is another
weapon Smith plans to use
this season. Jones was
known as a shooter, but
improved defensively. She
had a career-hi^ four steals
against Allen.
The Bulls open their sea
son Nov. 18 in the Tlisculum
Tbumament in Greenville,
Tfenn.
The cup has a plaque at
the side of the base with the
schools’ mascots that read
the ‘'Battle of Allegany”
“This gives the kids some
excitement to the rivalry.
They can coxmect this to
what they see with histori
cally black schools and thedr
rivalries such as the ^gie-
Eagle Classic” between N.C.
A&T and N.C. Ontral, said
Thomas Brown.
If there’s a favorite. Berry
has won three straight, the
first in school history
m
Players will no longer be able to wear
• Slevdess shirts
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Chains, pendants, or medallions worn
over the player’s clothes.
• Sunglasses while indoors
• Headphones (other than on the team bus
or plane, or in the team locker room).
Players will also now be required to wear a
sport coat on the bench when they are not in
uniform.
‘T think it is appropriate, definitely, on the
bench,” Marion said. “I think you should be in
a nice shirt and slacks.’
Not all the players feel that the new dress
code is in the best image of the league.
“I understand they’re making it out to make
us look better to corporate and big business.
But we don't really sell to big business,” Utah
Jazz guard R^ja Bell said. “We seU to kids and
people who are into the NBA hip-hop world
They may be maiketing to the wrong people
with this.”
Commissioner David Stem is expected to
announce the penalty for dress code violations
next week
-sr.
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