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The State Port Pilot SPORTS George Cox Sports editor ! Duke is the cream of good ACC crop For the 99-and-44/100th-percent pure Atlantic Coast Conference fans, Duke’s Blue Devils arc "It" with a capital "I". Even though on the surface it seemingly matters to those folks which school they pull for, the current prestige of coach Mike Krzyzewski’s program overshadows school loyalties. North Carolina was "It" for such fans in 1957 when coach Frank McGuire’s Tar Heels won the national champiohship over Kansas and Wilt (the Stilt) Chamberlain by playing three overtimes in both the Final Four semifinals and finals. Duke and Wake Forest were the "It" teams in the early 1960s. North Carolina then took the spotlight in 1969 until the North Carolina State Wolfpack stole the show under coach Norm Sloan in 1973 and ’74, losing only one game in two years while breaking UCLA’s dynastic string of na tional championships and winning one of their own. The Tar Heels regained the loyalty of these pyrites in 1982 with another national championship with a team led by freshman Michael Jordan and forwards James Worthy and Sam Perkins. Not to be outdone, the Wolfpack came back the next season and with a team which lost ten regular season games went on a miraculous roll, pick ing up momentum with buzzer-beater after buzzer-beater to edge Houston on Lorenzo Charles’ last-second dunk to gain the national title and put it on Tobacco Road in consecutive seasons for the first time ever. First ACC school to win back-to-back And now Duke has captured the fancy of the ACC’s illustrious breed of fanatics by being the league’s first school to capture back-to-back national championships during the past couple seasons. Coach K’s team has estab lished some remarkable accomplishments and records during the past seven campaigns. The Blue Devils were the first team to win successive national championships since the UCLA dynasty. Legendary coach John Wooden’s Bruins were the last team to do that trick in 1972-73 before the Wolfpack broke up the party. And like the 1982 Tar Heels, Duke held the number-one ranking all sea son long in 1991-92 in both the AP and USA Today polls. And Krzyzewski’s club was only the third to participate in five straight Final Fours. Duke became only the second defending champion since 1973 to make it to the tide game the following year. Georgetown lost to Villanova 66-64 in the 1985 title game after winning the national title a year earlier. Duke has been to die Final Four five consecutive years and six times in the last seven. Over the past 12 seasons, ACC teams have placed an NCAA-high 13 teams in the Final Four. Since 1962, no more than two years has elapsed since the ACC has had a team in the Final Four. Since the NCAA expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been eight in stances of one conference placing four teams in the "Sweet 16". The ACC has accomplished this feat five of the eight times - in 1985, ’86, ’89, ’90 and ’92. Sure would be nice if the ACC could put four teams in the Final Four sometime soon. Duke-Michigan game makes TV history The most-watched basketball game in television history was last spring’s NCAA tide affair between Duke and Michigan. The Blue Devils won going away, 71-51, on April 6 before 50,379 at the Metrodome in Min neapolis. An esumated 53 million viewers took in some or all of the con test. Duke’s Christian Laettner was unanimous choice for national player of the year by AP, UPI, Sporting News, Naismith, Scripps Howard, USBWA, Wooden and Kodak. Point guard Bobby Hurley, who still anchors that position this season, was named MVP of the Final Four. Hurley had 35 points and 11 assists in 74 minutes of action in Final Four wins over Indiana and Michigan. Hurley’s pro stock goes up Hurley, who played for the hand-picked opponent of last summer’s Olympic "Dream Team", has improved his outside shot immensely and his build going into the opener Tuesday night against Canisius in Cameron In door Stadium. Pro scouts now say his stock has gone up and he will no doubt be drafted and play in the National Basketball Association. But before that happens, he will attempt to lead the Blue Devils to a third straight national championship. SPORTS BRIEFS Youth Sports plans meeting A special meeting of Southport-Oak Island Youth Sports, Inc., will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 2, at the Long Beach Recreation Center. Directors and team managers from the 1992 season of Dixie Youth baseball and Dixie Girls softball are urged to attend, and parents and others interested in the program are also invited. Youth basketball is planned Registration and practice for the Brunswick County Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball League will begin December S, at Shallotte Middle, South Brunswick Middle and Leland Middle schools from 9 to 11 a.m. Other registradon dates are December 12 and January 9,1993. Eligible ages are five to 13. For further information, persons should call Joe Rosselli, Brunswick County Parks and Recreation Department, at 253-4357 or 1-800-2224790. Trojans roll, 41-14 Top Farmville, reach eastern finals ly George Cox >ports Editor FARMVILLE - Holding a 21-14 idvantagc at halftime, West Bruns- . vick’s Trojans shut out previously inbcaicn Farmville Central in die ;ccond half Monday night to win ;oing away, 41-14, and advance to he North Carolina eastern 2A finals his Friday at home against unbeaten si. Pauls. The Trojans stand 9-3, having won seven of their last eight contests. West Brunswick’s vaunted ground utack continued its post-season ons aught, grinding out 460 yards while its defense scored once and kept die Jaguars air force at bay with just 73 yards passing. Junior runningback Steve Holmes rushed 19 limes for 210 yards and scored three first-half touchdowns while William Stanley came off the bench to rush nine times for 94 yards, scoring a second half touch down on an amazing 28-yard run that ultimately put Farmville Central out of the contest. The reliable senior fullback for coach Jim Brett’s team, Aaron But ler, rambled for 51 yards on 16 car ries and scored once late in the con test. Holmes has rushed for over 1,500 yards this season, Butler for more than 1,300. The Trojans ran out of their patented Wing-T offense and also mixed things up with a Power-1 ever so often to keep the Farmvilie defense honest. West Brunswick led 6-0 with 1:32 left in the first quarter as Holmes ran to the end zone from seven yards out. The PAT was unsuccessful. After Farmville Central scored and kicked the PAT to lead 7-6, West Brunswick’s Holmes again capped a scoring drive (four plays, 65 yards) with a 41-yard scamper to paydirt at 7:35 prior to intermission. Holmes then ran for the two-point conver sion and West Brunswick regained the lead, 14-7. Farmville came right back and scored to tic the game at 14-all be fore West Brunswick gol possession at 5:27. Holmes ran 24 yards to score with just 52 seconds remain ing before halftime. Hawes kicked the PAT and West Brunswick led, 21-14, at intermission. Farmville failed to move the pigskin on its first possession of the third period and West Brunswick regained possession at its o') with 6:36 left in the quarter: Stanley ran for five yards and Holmes for 20 be fore Stanley displayed the season’s best balancing act to put six more See Trojans roll, next page Coach Don Millwood instructs his South Brunswick wrestlers in the derway at the school. Indoor track practice has also commenced and finer points of the game as the rollover from fall to winter sports is un- varsity basketball play will begin this week. Cougars open new era tonight Doane’s team small, very quick By George Cox Sports Editor South Brunswick’s basketball Cougars, sporting a completely new look after a three-year, 67-17 winning spree, hit the hardwood tonight (Wednes day), hosting Topsail’s Pirates at 8 p.m. Varsity girls and junior varsity ac tion precede coach Gene Doanc’s varsity boys contest. The Cougars remain home Friday night, hosting East Columbus, before hitting the road Tuesday night at 4A Wilmington New Hanover. A week from this Friday, South Brunswick hosts Lancy’s Buccaneers, another Port City 4A school. Doane’s Cougars will be playing their first game in three years without the services of 6-fooi-10 center Preston McGriff. Consequently, Doanc’s strategy will differ immensely from the past three campaigns. "It’s like starting over," Doanc, the fourth winningest coach in North Carolina prep basketball circles, said last week. "We’re gonna play a whole different style - one I played in Maryland but I haven’t used here. We’ve used parts of it, but never the whole thing." The Cougar mentor said it has been difficult to install the new style and he has been forced to employ two levels of scrimmages. "We are really short (compared to other teams)," Doanc continued. "But this will be the quickest team by far since I’ve been at South Brunswick." Heading that quickness will be senior point guard Josh White, who will have to elevate his game another notch because of McGriff’s absence, figuring opposing defenses will immediately begin concentrating on stop ping him exclusively. The key to White’s effectiveness will be the ability of his teammates to take the pressure off. The different style of play Doanc will employ is also designed to lake some of the load off the South Brunswick star. Another backcourt starter will be 5-foot-8 junior Antoine Johnson. They will team with 6-foot-1 junior Kevin Smith and two 6-foot-3 frontcourtcrs - Scooter Moore and Tyrcll Hcwctt. "Our big problem is that we tire not going to be very deep," Doanc sug gested while discussing his lineup and roster. Tony Parker, a 5-foot-8 guard, is expected to back up the starting back court. However, Doane said his true sixdi man, Jeff Simon (6-foot-") is going to be the best reserve lie’s had at South Brunswick. In Doanc’s sys tem, the sixth man is a key to the team’s success. Six-footer Lewis Vaught is also expected to contribute off the bench and provide defensive leadership. Newcomer O. J. Morris, South Brunswick’s super-soph running back this fall on coach Bill Hcwett’s football squad, is also available and will be used both inside and out. Others include Jerome James (6-foot-1), a guard and low-post performer, along with Oscar Robeson, who at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds could use his frame on the inside to steady things. "When Oscar is in the lineup we’ll have to do some different tilings. He can do a good job on the post. It’s just a matter of putting all of die pieces together." A year away is 6-foot-2 Brian Clemmons, an excellent shooter who Doane said holds a lot of promise. Scorps rally for 70-67 win over Pirates By George Cox Sports Editor It’s been quite a while since the North Brunswick basketball Scor pions have made much noise in die Waccamaw 2A Conference. Not Since the days of former Scorpions and N. C. State star Chucky Brown in the mid-1980s has North Bruns wick made a run at a high finish in the league’s regular season race. But coach Cliff Gibson, who restored North Brunswick basketball to prominence during the Chucky Brown era after taking over a pro gram which had hit bottom, is hoping that this season’s edition can gain a playoff spot "We are going to try and get in the playoffs," said Gibson. "That’s our goal for the season. We are going to forget what happened last year." What happened last year was a 6 15 season. "Just look around at our area last year,” the veteran coach explained. "Hoggard got five wins. Laney won six. We were 6-15. It’s a trend, The kids here have so many other things to do. The Scorpions got off to a good beginning last week with a 70-67 victory over Topsail on the road after trailing by eight points with just under three minutes left to play. That has Gibson and his team in spired. "This team is going to play good defense and rebound and push the ball up the floor. They have good work ethics and work harder than last year. If we gain a little more confidence and self-discipline, everything will be fine." ihc way his learn came back against Topsail should give his dub that renewed confidence. Gibson’s starting lineup includes junior Jeremy Child at point guard with wingmen Reddrick Johnson, a senior, and junior Torrence Shaw. Brent Elvington, a 6-foot-3 senior, and senior Ronnie Ballard, 6-foot-3, anchor the middle. Others include Angelo McKenzie, 6-foot-3 junior, and seniors Demetrius Bell and Adrian Black. Bell and Black are pure athletes, See Scorps open, next page
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
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Dec. 2, 1992, edition 1
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