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THURSDAY DECEMBER 1, 2005
SPORTS
Business 8C
Section
McFadden
cames
burden of
greatness
When Darrjd McFadden
was just 11 years old, his
father walked up to famed
Chaiiotte high-school football
coach Tbmmy Knotts and
made a bold prediction.
“Hey coach,” Darryl
McFadden Sr said, ‘Tve got
your next quarterback.”
The Independence coach
smiled poUtely and said,
“OK,” knowing that many
fathers aroimd here wanted
their sons to become the next
great quarter
back for the
Patriots, who
had the time
were starting
to become a
football power
of national pro
portions.
Fast-forward
five years - and
five consecu-
C. Jemal
Horton
tive state championships —
and guess who’s the starting
quarterback for
Independence High School?
Yup: Darrjd McFadden.
“When coach Knotts came
back here (afier a one-year
stint at Duke) and met
Darryl and me, he said, T
remember what you told me,’
McFadden Sr. said with a
broad smile.
“He didn’t remember
Darrjd, because Darrjd was
so young back when I said
that. But he remembered
that crazy guy who came up
to him and told him he had
his next quarterback.”
Then, McFadden Sr.
paused.
“Wahdiing Darrjd perform
out there, being successfiil,
for me, it’s almost like win
ning the lottery,” he said. ‘Tf
you know what Darrjd has
gone throu^...”
There are definite benefits
to being the quarterback at
Independence, ranked fourth
in USA Tbday’s national poll
heading into Friday’s N.C.
4AA semifinals against sur
prising Myers Park - especial
ly when you’re as good as
McFadden.
Only a junior, the 6-foot-2
1/2-inch, 210-povmd
McFadden already is receiv
ing notice fix)m mqjor college
programs such as Viiginia,
Notre Dame and Ohio State.
His father said “Notre Dame
is sending him lett^:^ every
week.”
The two previous starting
quarterbacks at
Independence - Chris Leak
and Joe Cox -have football
scholarships at Florida and
Geoigia, respectively, so the
McFaddep family knew that
among the many benefits of
quarterbacking the Patriots
was the possibility of earning
a big-time scholarship.
What they didn't anticipate,
however, was the weight of
the burden of replacing Leak
and Cox - and maintaining
the nation’s longest winning
streak (90 games).
McFadden’s performances
against West Charlotte eind
West Mecklenburg to start
the season made some
Independence fans nervous -
and irritable - even though
the Patriots won those games
by a combined 69-0.
Some students and adults
alike openly criticized
McFadden. wondering if he
was worthy of being the cov
eted Quarterback at
Independence. And many
pe^e did it right in fix)nt of
McFadden’s father and moth
er, Anita, who som^ow man
aged to keep fix)m shouting
back at the “fans.”
But that’s where this story
really gets special.
McFadden’s parents put
PIONEER BOWL VIII
VS. TUSKEGEE
Bulldogs,
Tigers take
to national
TV stage
NEWS & OBSERVERilSA LAUCK
Bowie State running back Isaac Redman (20) fends off N.C. Central’s Chris Curry during the CIAA
championship game in Durham. Redman, who rushed for 112 yards and a touchcdown against
NCCU, willTead the Bulldogs against Tuskegee in Pioneer Bowl VIII Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“Our kids love football, they love playing and they love
working. It won’t be hard getting up for it at all. ”
Bowie State football coach Mike Lynn
By Heihcrt L. White
herb.white§ thecharlonepostx'om
Pioneer Bowl VIII is Bowie State’s opportunity
for redemption.
The Bulldogs (8-3, 5-2 CIAA) play Thskegee (10-
1, 8-1 SIAC) Saturday at Memorial Stadium in
the only Division II postseason bowl game. Kickoff
is 2 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN
Classic.
“Our kids love football, they love playing and
they love working,” Bowie State coach Mike Lynn
said. ‘It won’t be hard getting up for it at all.”
Tickets ai'e $10 for children and students (with
ID) and $15 for adults. Military are welcomed in
fi^ with proper military ID. Associations fike
Boys and Girls Club are admitted fi:^.
Bowie State, which won the CIAA East Division,
is playing to exorcise a 26-23 loss to N.C. Centi'al
in the league championship game Nov. 5. Beating
Tliskegee, which finished second in the SIAC and
is the winningest black college program of all time
(578-332-51), would be a fitting end.
‘It’s another opportunity to showcase, (the pro
gram), especially since it’s going to be on national
See P10NEER/2C
PHOTOS/CURTIS WILSON
Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers (90) and the rest of the Panthers defense will have to contain Atlanta quar
terback Michael Vick Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Vick has never lost to Carolina as a starter.
Start the stretch run
Atlanta next test in Carolina drive for playoff seeding
By David Dawson
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Coming oflf of a morale-boosting vic
tory against Buffalo, Carolina still has
work to do.
The first order of business is to stay
focused against NFC South nemesis
Atlanta at Bank of America Stadium
Sunday
The Panthers, who lead the division *
at 8-3, know that this is the latest of a
string of games that will determine
playoff seeding.
“The mood is we have the Atlanta
FalcxHis next. That’s what the mood is.
• Emotions are going to be hi^ It’s no
doubt there. It’s a team that has our
number. We know that. I’m sure
they’re going to be confident. But we
need to be ready to play” said Jake
Delhomme.
Atlanta leads the series 14-6.
Carolina is 1-6 against the Falcons
under Fox and that win came when
Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick
was out with an injury in 2003. Two of
the last three meetings ended in over
time losses when Atlanta picked off
Delhomme passes.
M^re will be on the line Sunday A
Carolina win puts the Panthers two
games ahead, while a Falcons victory
See STRETCH/2C
Clemmons
gets Kmnk
for ABA
audition
By Paula Young
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
Riclty Clemmons is making
a new name for himself with
the Charlotte Krunk
According to Krunk head
coach Robert Floyd, the for
mer University of Missouri
star brings talent and leader
ship to the Ameiican
Basketball Association team.
“Ricky is a good player but
you know Ricky is trying to
turn his game into a profes
sional game,” said Floyd.
‘You can’t really look at Ricky
for that, it’s the whole team.”
Clemmons, who declined to
be interviewed, was a college
basketball vagabond. He
played one season at
Missouri before he was
kicked off the team in 2003
after a conviction for domes
tic assault. He later did time
in jail after violating terms of
his probation when he
wrecked an ATV owned by
See CLEMMONS/3C
Hot Golden Bulls look to keep on streaking
Joyner
See PATRIOTS’/3C
By Herbert L. White
herb .white& thecharhtteposteom
It’s been a while since Johnson C.
Smith basketball has been this
strong at the start of a season
The Golden Bulls, who are 4-0 for
the first time since the 2000-01 sea-
sOTi (6-0), will try to extend the
streak Saturday against Augusta
State. Smith, which beat Belmont
Abbey 93-56 last Saturday at
Brayboy Gym, has succeeded by
finding open shooters and locking
down on the defensive end. Smith
handed out 20 assists against the
Crusaders, with John Fulton and
Prince Paiker accoimting for four
each
“We saw some good basketball
plays,” Bulls coach Steve Joyner
said. “I think they’re starting to
devel(^ some continuity with eadi
other, knowing how to move with
each other, look for each other, so
our assists were up.”
Smith’s fcamula has been an effec
tive mix of defense leading to a
timely running game. Against
Belmont Abbey, the Bulls pulled
away with defense, forcing 21
turnovers and limiting the
Crusaders to 28.6 percent shooting.
‘Yhey’re beginning to understand
their roles, they’re beginning to
assume responsibility for what they
do on the court,” Joyner said
PHOTCURTIS WILSON
Former Missouri standout
Ricky Clemmons has pro
vided a spark for the
Charlaotte Krunk of the
American Basketball
Association.