SEASON OPENER FRIDAY NIGHT
Returning Backcourt To Lead West Girls
BY DOUG RUTTER
The West Brunswick High School
girls' basketball team isn't real big
and it doesn't have many experi
enced players.
But Lady Trojan Coach Brenda
Council docs have something that a
lot of other coaches would love to
have? two guards who can handle
the ball and put points on the board.
Junior point guard Kaneka Gris
sett and sophomore shooting guard
Donicia Moody are the only return
ing starters this season. They will
need to play solid every night for
West to be competitive.
Grissett 's outside shooting and
Moody's ability to drive to the bas
ket should make things easier on
West Brunswick's three first-year
starters, which will include two
freshmen.
Council said last week cither ju
nior Michelle Long or senior Ma
donna Gause will start at center.
The Lady Trojans will start two
ninth-graders at forward, Gisella
Grissett and April Daniels.
"We're going to be very young
this year, but I feel I have a group of
girls out here who are willing to
learn," said Council, now in her
sixth year as West's head coach.
There are seven new faces on
West Brunswick's 12-person roster.
Besides Kaneka Grissett and
Moody, the only returning players
BRENDA COUNCIL (right) is entering
her sixth year as West Brunswick 's girls
basketball coach. The Lady Trojans have
been to the state playoffs four straight
years.
STAFf mOTOS BY DOUG KUTTM
are senior Amelia Hewett and soph
omores Vfarlena Hill and Tiffany
Lance. i
Newcomers to the team include
Gause, Long, Gisella Grissett,
Daniels, junior La'Shunda Freeman
and freshmen Celita Gause and Mat
eus Shannon.
"We have a long ways to go, but
they want to be out here and they're
eager to learn," said Council, whose
five-year record is 43-25 in confer
ence play and 67-53 overall.
The Lady Trojans tied for fourth
in the Waccamaw Conference last
season with a record of 5-7 and fin
ished with an overall mark of 8-17.
West Brunswick has been to the
state playoffs each of the last four
years. This season the Lady Trojans
will battle South Brunswick and
Pender for the Waccamaw Confer
ence's lone berth in the state 3 A
playoffs.
Council said she's not sure how
the Waccamaw Conference will
shake down this season.
"1 definitely know Whiteville is
going to be very strong. Hopefully
we'll be in the top three," she said.
After Friday night's season open
er at North Brunswick, the Lady
Trojans will face some stiff non
conference opponents in Hoggard
and Laney. "Hie Lady Trojans also
will compete in this year's South
Brunswick Holiday Tournament.
Preston Showing Great Improvement
After A Very Productive Off- Season
(Confined From Page 1-D)
head coach Jerry Wainwright.
"I think he's somebody who's try
ing too hard," Wainwright said after
the game. "Preston will be fine. He's
somebody who will continue to im
prove. He's going to be a fine play
er."
McGriff said he likes the new sys
tem installed by Wainwright, an as
sistant coach for the last nine years
at Wake Forest. It features fast
breaks and pressure defense.
"It fits better for me as far as run
ning up and down the court. I just
have to get used to it and once 1 get
used to it everything will start com
ing to me," McGriff said.
Wainwright replaced Kevin
Eastman, who left Wilmington in
May to take the head coaching job at
Washington State.
"This pace suits me a little bet
ter," McGriff said. "There was noth
ing wrong with Eastman's style. It
was a low-post style and halfcourt
style. Coach Wainwright has every
body spread out, just play your
game."
The junior center thinks Wain
wright's style will help the team.
"Instead of having two posts down
there for everyone to collapse on
there's just one post and four guys
spread out. It leaves opportunities
for the guards."
Wainwright says he's looking for
a lot out of McGriff this season, a lot
more than the five points and four
rebounds he put up in the first game.
"I think he potentially is a double
figure rebounder and could score 10
or 11 points a game," Wainwright
said Saturday. "1 expect him to be
one of the best big men in the
league."
In a backup role, McGriff aver
aged 12.2 minutes, 4.7 points and
3.5 rebounds per game last year. He
showed great improvement in the
off-season when he led UNCW in
scoring and rebounding during a
summer trip to France.
McGriff says he's a better player
after putting about 20 pounds of
muscle on his 6-foot- 11 -inch frame
in the off-season. He is the tallest
basketball player ever at UNCW.
With McGrifT and seven other
players back from last year's 18-10
squad, the Seahawks are expected to
challenge for the top spot in the
Colonial Athletic Association.
"We've got high goals. Every
team has high goals. Everybody
wants to reach the Big Dance
(NCAA Tournament)," said Mc
GrifT, a 20-year-old native of New
Brunswick, N.J.
"We've got to take it one game at
a time. We've got 27 more games to
go. It's a long way from here to the
conference tournament so anything
can happen," added McGriff, the all
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West Wrestlers
Off To Hard Start
time leading scorer at South Bruns
wick.
Wainwright said the one-point
win over Coastal Carolina should
give his Seahawks confidence, espe
cially since they didn't play well.
"These are the kinds of games
that can kick you in the stomach if
you lose them." he said. "I think
right now our kids fell pretty good
about themselves."
UNCW was scheduled to play
Tuesday night at Campbell Univer
sity. The Seahawks will host the
four-team USAir East Coast Classic
tournament this Friday and Satur
day.
(Confined From Page 1-D)
you have a lot of work to do." Noble
said. "We're going to be all right I
really feel like we're going to be all
"ght."
West Brunswick was scheduled to
wrestle Tuesday night at Hoggard
The Trojans will return to Wilming
ton this Saturday lor the l*aney
Invitational Tournament
In other upcoming matches. West
Brunswick travels to Socastcc. S.C..
on Dec 5 and visits Laney on Dec
6.
Results
103 pounds: Williams (L) pinned
Wcmyss, 1:06; 112: Johnvwi (1.)
won by forfeit; 119: Richcy (I.)
pinned K. Marlowe, 1:12; 12S:
Bonds (L) def. Stanley. 7-3; 130:
Jackson (WB) dcf. Bulchcr. 6-1;
?*, ? <? ? X s* a. ~ * .
135: Berry (L) def. Noble. 12-6;
140: Hoppough (L) pinned Hill,
2:22; 145: Johnson (WB) pinned
Parker. 1 :49; 152: Lewis (L) won hv
disqualification over J Gore; 160:
Murray (L) pinned Bland. 1:30;
171: Miller (L) pinned T. Marlowe.
45. 189: C. Gore (WB) def. Go rum,
10-6; Heavyweight: Holliday (L)
won by forfeit.
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