The Warren Record, Warren lor, North Carolina, Wedn
INSIDE
STUFF
DICK DEVENZIO
Tip Your Hat
To Cart Tacy
My hat is off to Carl Tacy and to the Wake Forest
Deacons (3-1 in the ACC). I picked them to end in a
tie for last in the conference, and they have sur
prised me. I didn't figure them to win three ACC
games all year. But anyway, let me explain why
they are winning, and why I am sticking with my
prediction.
First, 1 have the greatest respect for Carl Tacy.
He is a big reason why they are winning. He can
flat-out coach basketball. He has his people believ
ing they can win—which took a selling job. Second,
Tyrone Bogues is giving all the teams something
entirely new to think about with his hustling, where
the-hell-is-he-now'' defense which has thrown off the
rhythm of stars like Vince Hamilton and Johnny
Dawkins. Third, a theme I've hit on several times
before, Wake doesn't have a whole lot of great
players, and this is a plus in Wake's case, because it
means they look to get the ball to Kenny Green and
they play within their limitations. They exploit their
big positive, and when the opposing teams react to
stop Green, the perimeter shooters do their thing.
Both Delaney Rudd and Mark Cline are fine
shooters. In the big Duke upset, these three players
took 46 of Wake's 65 shots. Bogues often passes up
side open shots—it's great for a basketball team to
have people passing up shots—and Charlie Thomas
rarely looks to score. It makes sense that the best
shooters should take most of the shots.
By contrast, Duke's most consistent shooter,
Mark Alarie, managed just 9 of Duke's 71 shots in
that same game. The point is, people who are hit
ting 77% (Alarie hit 7 of 9) should be getting more
than 9 shots. But when a team has too many good
players, that often fails to happen.
Now, let me explain wny i am sucjung wiui ray
prediction, with the feeling that Wake will win only
two more ACC games.
Basketball teams are normally reluctant to
change what they are doing in response to what
some other team does. Sure, they scout their op
ponents to decide who should guard whom or to
know what defense will likely be most effective. But
they are hesitant to prepare a special offense or
defense just for one team. The feeling is that the
percentages favor executing what you work on all
year, as opposed to something you put in and work
on for just a few days. This makes sense, yet nearly
all teams will abandon this sense at special times,
and I think Wake has now created those special cir
cumstances. Up to this time, I think most ACC
coaches felt they could beat Wake just by playing
their regular game. Maybe they still can, but more
are going to be tempted now, in view of Wake's suc
cess, to respond particularly to Wake's weaknesses,
for example....
1. In the Duke game, three Duke players fouled
out, though none from Wake did. This is a travesty
when you consider the strength advantage that
Duke has inside. Look for Duke next time to throw
more passes (Duke had 37 possessions in the Wake
game where they threw 2 or less passes). Patient
passing will get the ball inside more and force Wake
to get in foul trouble. Duke was too content the first
time to shoot from outside.
2. Look for some gimmick defenses that play man
defense on Green, Cline and Rudd, while the people
guarding Bogues and Thomas just pack it in and
force them to take shots from outside.
3. Look for pressure one-on-one on Bogues to
make him do more things with the ball. Duke was
content to merely contain Bogues and let him run
the show, while Clemson wasted two people trying
to double-team him.
4. Look for some teams to begin "posting a guard
on the low box." That means putting the guard down
where the center usually plays so that he can get the
ball and shoot over Bogues.
With Wake's slim bench and frail starting five, a
"down" period could last a long time. And I am
guessing that will happen. Having seen Wake in an
early season practice, in a dismal first half against
Davidson, and in a slaughter by Temple, I have to
admit I didn't think they could win in the ACC. They
have already proven me wrong, and I hope I'm
wrong again, but I don't think Wake can win three of
the last ten even though they won three of the first
four. Six ACC wins will put Wake back in the
NCAA—and I sincerely hope they get there. In
deference to Carl Tacy, I'm making reservations
early, despite the prediction I'm stubbornly sticking
to.
Eagle scorer Jeffrey Hayes (30) beats his
Hurricane opponent, Charles Moody, to the basket
in Warren County High's Jan. 15 against
Northampton-West.
Thwarting an attempted Mock by a Northampton
West's Mark Bell (10), Warren County High's Mon
te Steverson (34) lobs the ball toward the goal. Stev
erson's 24 points were the game-high.
Sean Mosely (42) catches his Northampton-West
guard Charles Moody (12) off balance and takes
aim for two points in the Eagles' road game last
Tuesday. Monte Steverson (34) keeps close watch
over the opposition.
Warren County High's Derrick Alston (52) goes p
high for a two-pointer while teammate Sean Mosely 0
(42) positions himself for a rebound in a game 4
against Northampton-West on Tuesday, Jan. 15. ^
The Warren Eagles were defeated 78 to 63. ^
(Photos by Consherto Williams) (,
Warren Varsity Girls
Win Conference Game
By CONSHERTO
WILLIAMS
Sports Writer
Warren County High's
varsity girls defeated
Northampton-West on
Tuesday, Jan. 15, by a
score of 55 to 44. The win
gave the Lady Eagles a
four-and-one record in
the conference and
pushed the overall
record to nine-and
seven.
The Lady Eagles trail
ed at the end of the first
half, 19 to 24. The big
turnaround came early
in the third period when
the Lady Hurricanes
from Northampton
West began to get in foul
trouble. Fatima Craw
ford made one foul shot
to cut the lead to four
points, and Zenobia
Hopkins followed with a
three-point play to make
the score 24 to 23. Tracy
Evans then shot the field
goal that gave the Lady
Eagles the lead. Fatima
Crawford made the final
Eagle points of the
Lady Eagle Tracy Evans drives in for two points
In Warren Comity High's Jul IS victory over
Northampton-West (Photo by Consherto Williams)
period from the foul
line, shooting two for
two and ending the
period with the Eagles
on top, 36 to 32.
The Lady Eagles
maintained their lead
the entire fourth period
to come out with a 10
point victory. Coach
Shaw commented, "My
team played good
pressure defense,"
which drove the Lady
Hurricanes into foul
trouble. The Lady
Eagles made 19 of 33
from the foul line, and
the Lady Hurricanes
made eight of 15.
Zenobia Hopkins led
the Lady Eagles' line-up
with 19 points. Nicole
Tunstall connected on 14
points, and Fatima
Crawford contributed 10
points and the game
high 10 rebounds.
Northampton - West
was led by Nelson with
19 points and Ingram
with eight
Toy Train
On its steep, spiraling
descent via the so-called Ba
tasia Loop from Ghum, the
highest railway station on the
Indian subcontinent, the
famous narrow-gauge "toy
train" appears to tie itself in
a knot while whistling to dear
its own caboose out of the
way.
High Flying Club
Suffers Nosedive
By CONSHERTO
WILLIAMS
Sports Writer
The flying-high
Warren County Eagles
made a crash landing on
Tuesday, Jan. IS, at
Northampton • West,
when the Hurricanes
handed the Eagles their
first conference defeat
by a score of 78 to 63.
liie loss dropped the
Eagles' conference
record to four-and-one,
while they are island
three overall.
The first period was a
battle to the end, with
the Eagles and the
Hurricanes exchanging
a one-point lead
throughout. The first
quarter ended with the
Hurricanes on top, 16 to
15.
Three fouls commit
ted during the first quar
ter sent the Eagles' all
conference player, Mon
te Steverson, to the
bench for the entire sec
ond period. Sean
Mosely, another starter
for Warren, sat out the
second period also.
The Eagles connected
on 12 points during the
second quarter, while
the Hurricanes scored
17 and the period ended
with the Hurricanes in
the lead, 32 to 28.
Monte Steverson re
entered the game at the
beginning of the third
period and scored 10 of
the Eagles' 16 points.
The Hurricanes, how
ever, scored 20 points
and gained an eight
point lead to end the
quarter, 52 to 44.
The Eagles fought
hard during the final
period. With 6:15 left on
the clock, Monte Stever
son made a field goal
which cut the lead to two
points. Again, with 4:34
on the clock, Derrick
Alston connected to
bring the Eagles within
two points. From there,
however, the Hurri
canes moved away to
claim a 15-point victory,
tory.
In spite of one entire
period on the bench,
Monte Steveraon was
the high scorer at the
game, with 24 points.
Derrick Alston added 16
points and nine re
bounds. Other Eagle
scorers were Jeffrey
Hayes with 10 points,
Sylvester Davis with
four, and Sean Mosely,
Arnie Steverson and
Mark Taylor with two
points each.
Robert Sledge led the
Northampton - West at
tack with 20 points.
Mark Bell scored 17
points, Dassie Ranoon,
14, and Bernard Jonef
and Maud Ingram, 10.
Charles Moody added
seven.
Baby Eagles Drop
Cage Tilt, 65-60
The Warren County
Baby Eagles lost last
week's conference game
against Northampton
West by a final score
of 65 to 80. The loss
dropped the Babies'
record to one-and-four,
with a five-and-10 over
all record.
The first period of the
game ended in a tie at 15
points each, but the
Baby Eagles dropped
behind during the next
quarter, ending the half
with a score of 24 to 31.
Trailing again at the end
of the third period of
play, they ended the
game with a 15-point
deficit.
Fredrick Wilkins,
with 16 points, was the
top scorer for the
Eagles. Randy Jordan
followed with 14 points.
Other scorera were
Ronnie Durham, who
contributed eight,
James Howell, Jr., six,
and Alan Ellington,
four.