Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Oct. 26, 2006, edition 1 / Page 19
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3C SPORTS/S^e Charlotte $o$t Thursday, October 26, 2006 Gift of grab serves Belton J.C. Smith receiver on verge of rewriting school record book Continued from page 1C inake it up.” Said Belton: “I pride m5^df on just getting better every day I try to take that out on the team on the practice field to get my teammates better.” ! Belton was at his best last Iweek in a come fiom behind 10-7 -win against Fayetteville State. He caught three Carlton Richardson passes for 58 yards in the decisive fourth- quarter drive, including a SO-yarder on fourih-and-14. That connection has helped the Bulls become adept at rallying, with half of their wins coming in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime • “When me and Marquis get together, it’s fike we have a little connection,” JE?ichardson said. “He makes plays for us and I just give it to him. I should be seeing NFL scouts in the stands. He may be little and aU, but the small things he perfects, and that makes him a great receiva*.” Belton, a North Mecklenburg High gradu ate, drew interest finm sev eral Division I-A schools, including East Carolina, but woimd up at Smith when his test scores didn’t meet NCAA standards. At JCSU, he was the lone constant on teams that went 1-29 ov^ his first three seasons, earn ing all-CIAA in 2004. As the focal point in a revitalized offense, Belton has put together his most productive season, and so have the Bulls. T knew sooner or later we were going to hit a spurt,” he said. T didn’t know wh^, but we finally got it this year and I’m glad it was my senior year.” PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON Johnson C. Smith receiver Marquis Belton is the one Golden Bull opposing defenses must account for and teammates rally around. Cka3eston House on Tlie plaza A 1-ow Country Restaurant Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Dinner. 5:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m. 3128 The Plaza Charlotte, NC 28205 704-333-4441 l^ols of ^ool footl and Leverages! Wfeil feed' you til we fil 1' you up, fuVi true! Book youi ■2006 Event By Decemher 1, 2006 an d^et25% off Booh \bur: • Wedding Recepl ions * Rekearsal Dinners * • office Parlies * Family Reunions * 1^ .ailaLlc on premises and slmttle services otf premises Change in Pioneer Bowl selection process keeps Golden Bulls in mix Continued from page 1C bid wUl hinge on several fac tors, including fan support and the ability to genera-te interest and ticket sales for the Dec. 2 game at Memorial Stadium. Three East Division teams are eligible: Elizabeth City (7-1. 5-0), Virginia Union (6-2, 4-1, and Bo-wie State (4-4, 2-3). “There’s going to be a lot of factors,” McLeod said, “Any team on that list is still eligi ble.” Organizers of the game, between the CIAA and SIAC Kerry want to boost attendance at 24,000-seat Memorial Stadixim, which was less than half full last year. The game was moved from Mobile, Ala., when Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage to the G-ulf Coast region. Charlotte will host the game through 2008. JCSU would be a strong contender because of its local ties. Elizabeth City which leads the East, could be left home if the Vkings don’t advance to the playoffs. Charlotte is a seven-hour drive, but McLeod believes Vkrngs fans wiU. travd to back their team. “For any bowl game, whether it’s the Peach or the Orange Bowl, tickets are going to be a concern,” McLeod said. “But the Vkings have a large follow ing and their contingent has been very supportive this year.” The best scenario for the CIAA would be to get a cou ple of teams into the play offs, which McLeod said will boost Pioneer Bowl interest because of tlie league’s strength. N.C. Central and Elizabeth City are third and sixth, respectively, in this week’s Southeast Region pcdl. Smith is 12th. “Whoever gets to the (CIAA) championship game has to eam their way into it,” McLeod said. ‘With the bowl scenario, you have to eam your way too.” For Davidson’s Hubbards, football strengthens ties R. Hubbard Continued from page 1C “Jon’s a bruiser...a hard runner, tough to tackle. Then you have Ryan...he’ll make you miss in a phone booth,” Merritt said. “He’s fast. •Different types of players, but fun to watch.” On the field, the brothers are a major part of the offense. ‘Its great to be in a position where your team needs you to play well, and that goes for both of us,” said Jonathon. ‘It’s nice to be on the field and help him make a play, or him help me make a play,” said Ryan. While off the field, they are the best of fiiend’s. We realized we were best fiiends in hi^ school,” Ryan said. ‘We were so close., .and had the same inta^sts, and found ourselves in the same places very often. We’re so mudi alike, and it’s just been fun to be around [Jonathon].” Tbday the brothers not oiily play together, they live together, are members of Kappa Alpha Psi fi’atemity and hang out with J. Hubbard the same people. And though they don’t always see eye to eye, the extended time together hasn’t made them crazy “It’s been a blessing just to be around him. so much,”,said Ryan. “He’s gotten on my nerves since he was born,” joked Jonathon, as he went into a story about how his mother tricked him. “My brother’s birthday is Christmas Eve.” Seems Iris Hubbard told her oldest son that her newest child was Jonathon’s present for Christmas. ‘T had to be nice to him, cause he was mine,” laughed Jonathon. “Around 6 [years old] I figured out what she had done to me.” Despite realizing the “trick,” Jonathon, a the ater major, still looks out for his younger broth er, which sometimes makes life on the field hard. “Every time he catches the ball, I run over Drive to improve playoff seeding Continued from page 1C Myers Park. The loser slides further down the seeding lad der in the Southweston 4A. With Independence, Butler and East Meek at the top, neither the Mustangs or Panthers can afford another slip-up. RECOVERY UNIT West Charlotte took a thumping fixan North Mecklenburg last week in a MECA-6 4A battle, but the Lions don’t have much time to feel sorry for themselves. Central Cabarrus, which took a simi- lai' thiimping fi’om Vance, wfil try to spoil West Charlotte’s playoff drive. The Lions aren’t particularly deep, but are opportunistic and play like underdogs. That’s refi:eshing. Charlotte's ultimate source for HBCU sports. Cliarlotte ^0£it there,” said Jonathon. “He’s my teammate, but he’s my brother first. My heart skips a beat every time he catches one.” “Those bo3^ aren’t small out there,” contin ued Jonathon, who out weighs his younger brother by at least 50 poiuids. “He takes a cou ple of hard ones every once and a while and I definitely have to run over there and make sure everjrthing is everything.” On the flip side, Ryan, who is about three inches taller than Jonathon, shows his sense of humor, while discussing his “concern.” “My heart skips a beat when he touches the ball...he’s a little guy bring so short and every thing,” jokes Ryan. ‘T go over and make sure he’s OK.” Charlotte Christian’s former team MVP and all-conference defensive back obviously enjoy the situation they are in, but it won’t last for ever. TOth Jonathon being a senior, this is his last season playing football on the same field, the same team, with his brother. “It’s definitely going to be bittersweet to leave,” said Jonathon, last week’s Hammer of the Week. “Playing football at the college level for4 years...it wears on your body a little bit, so it wfil be nice to get a rest.” ■ “But, I’ve been playing since I was six, so it is definitely going to be hard to watch it slip away I gotta make the best of the last couple of opportunities,” Jonathon said. Ryan shared that one of his fondest college memories came during his fi^shman year, when his brother scored a touchdown, and he was the first person in the end zone to cele brate with him. The picture fix»m that moment sits in their parents’ home. The sociology and pre-med major has gone through the experi ence of not having Jonathon on the field, when his older brother graduated fix)m high school, ‘It’s a two-fold thing where [the team] misses him on the field and I miss him at home,” said Ryan. ‘Tt will be mostly bitter for me.” “But it wfil be good to be here on my own, and see what life is like. Ill definitely miss him on the field...and Fil have to find a new room mate,” added Ryan. TScunmii WE WORLD'S FAmiTE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE! ALL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FAMOUS FOR DISCOUNTS SINCE 1924! CHARLOHE RALEIGH 5533 West Park Drive 3131 Capital Blvd. (704) 522-9253 (919) 855-9581 wifiniif.samashmusic.coiii
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