.1971 Tliursday, December 2. 1971 THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD. KINGS MOUNTAIN. N. C. Page 3 O ♦J HERALD SPORTS By GARY STEWART Invitational Notes Notes and comments on the Kings Mountain Invita tional Basketball Tournament, coming up this weekend at Kings Mountain Community Center: Imagine how powerful a team you'd have if you could choose an all-star team from the four clubs participating in the KM Invitational. From all four teams combined the top ofiensive performers from last year are Gardner- Webb’s George Adams (27.8 scoring average), Elon’s Tom my Colo (23.2), St. Augustine’s Curtis Pritchett (20.9), B.trber-ScoL'ia’s John Steele (19.5) and Gardner-Webb’s Henry Boyd (18.6). . . Elon’s 6-9 junior center, Larry Trautwein, appears to be the deadliest shot in the tournament. The All-Carolinas Conference standout led the Carolinas Conference in field goal accuracy last year, hitting 60 percent of his shots. No oLhei player in the touiiiaiiieiH can niateh that mark, but St. Augustine’s Pritchett can come close. He hit 59 percent of his field goal efforts. . . As far as accuracy goes this year, however, no player • can compare with Gardner-Webb’s Adams, a Kings Moun tain High product. Adams is averaging 36 points per game and is hitting close to 70 pie-cent of his field goals. G-W Coach Eddie Holbrook says ine All-American is off to his best start ever. . . I ans attending the tournament are likely to recognize several of the participants. No less than si.x players played their high school 'oaskctball in this area. Gardner-Webb has Adams, Don Elliott of Dallas and A1 Graves of Oherry- ville, St. Augustine has Farley McGill of Gastonia and Barber-Scotia has Larry Garvin and Eidc Bynum of Gas tonia. . . One of the familiar faces in the crowd Friday night during the opening round will bo former Kings Mountain High coach Bobby Hussey. Hus.sey, now head coach at Belmont Abbey College, says he’ll bo on hand to scout Elon, which plays the Abbey twice this season. . . Trophies which will be presented following Saturday’s championship game are on display in the window of Wil lie’s Jewelry. Trophies will be presented to the champion- vhip (onm riinnnr-iip most va'nahle nlaver and fivo mem- ber.s of the all-tournament team. . . Four Unbeaten Teams Play In Invitational By GARY STEWART Herald Sports Editor Four undeleateJ college ba^et- ball teams, Including two that can Tommy Cole and 6-1) center averaging over 100 points per Larry Trautwein, delealed Lenoir lar.ie, edme to Kings Mountain’s U'liyne 86-74 in the fitials. ing won it.s cwn Civitan Turkey event underway Fridtty at 7 p.m. Classic last weekend, the Fight- The winner will meet the G-W ing Christians, led by All-Amen- St. Augustine winner Saturday at 9 p.m. for the tournament champ- ion.shv,;-. Tito two Friday lasers 3,000 seat community center this weekend lor the Kings Mountain Invitation il basketball tourna ment. Gardner-Webb, Elon, St. Augus tine and iBarbor-Seotia are enter- K.VI’.s Ada.m-t, who is averaging 3(> iXiinls jKT game .so far, will be honored between g.imes Fri day niglit. .Mayor Ja-hn .Mass has pr,',;laimcd Friday anti Stiturday as George Adams .Vcliicvcment ed in the event and all four iiave Days ami the mtiyor will make proved strong during eat iy-sea.son IcsU. Gardner-Webb, 3-0 and Bar ber Scotia 2-0. are 'scoring over too points per game and the Bull dogs led by Kings Mountain All- American George Adams, ere averaging 130 points per contest. Elen, thf 10th ranked NAIA team in the nation, is 2-0, hav- a .'iiecial prc.sonlation to the O-.'i .sensation prior to G-W's 9 o’cloek game against Ft. .Augu.stino. .411 tour participating coaglies agree tliat the Ic.uinamcnl is a wirie-f. cn tiiian. I he l-a.-ni art so evenly malclied, il ap.neirs play for third place Saturday at 7 p.m. (fardner-Webb, the fifth-ranked .N'AI.4 team in the nation, hasn't h.ad to work up a go and t li e Fighting Ohrislian.s arc picked as tiic lop team in the again iliis year. Cldc was nanicsl I lie mast valua- hie pi lycT in the- t'arolinas loup la.st year and Miller won coaivli (>l tile year honors. Friday's (.jiciiing mind will )c T.chligi II d by .4dam.s inalduip Willi St. .Vugustinc'.s I’nlclaMI- Eolli arc regardid as being .iin ing lihe top 6-3 (ogers in llic country and liotli arc expected to gii liigli .11 next year's pro dra t. Tile dr.ors to tlic community center will open n: I'li nig.it- at 6 o'.lock. Tournament <;[iici,il.s urge fans to purclia.se tiicir tic- kcis in advance in irder to avoid •St inding in line at the dr. 11. la Is are on sali> in Kings Mountain at F.M D ug and Her man I’i.ilock Grocery. EDDIE HOLBROOK Mountaineers Lose Opener To Ba 25-55 Kings Mountain High School opened its 1971-72 basketaall campaign here Tuesday night, splilting a twinhill with Besse mer City of the Little Five Con ference. The KM girls won tlieir contest 38-27, but the Mountaineers were blown off the court, 75-55. Kings Mountain’s boys never led in losing their tliird straight game to the Ycll,.'.v Jac'Kets. EC won both contests over their 3-A foes last year. 'Reggie Wideman, a senior shai'pi;'h..otcr, led Coach .4ce Par ker’s club with 30 points and Lai ry Camp, a junior, added 16. Si-n- ior Thco .Fmilih, a lanky 6-1 standout scored only eight points but controlled both backboards. re:some.' City rushed to a 17-7 lead after the first period but K.M outscored the Yellow Jackets 20- Adams - Pritchett Battle Will Be Opening Night Highlight trailed by only 30-27 at inleimis- Local fans who have never seen Elon’s Tommy Cole sicn. • Mitchem Oreckett Cornwell perform are in for a real treat. The All-American guard i.s one of the finest outside shots anywhere and his coach, Bill M Her, tags him as a definite pro prospect. . . At least four players participating here are already being eyed by the pros. They are Adam.s, Cole, Pritchett, and Boyd. Gardner-Webb will have the only two seven- footers here, Boyd and freshman Ken Long. . . If there are those of you who think Gardner-Webb will lie up the creek when Adams graduates, you’re in for a surprise. Coach Holbrook has an outstanding group of freshmen recruits and one frosh, 6-9 Kirby Thurston of Florida, could very well be the next Adams. . . All-Americans Cole and Adams, along with ABA draft Ipick Pritchett will probably occupy the spotlight this Fwoekend but let's not fail to recognize four outstanding coaches who have agreed to bring their fine clubs here. G-W’s Holbrook, Elon’s Miller and St. Augustine’s Harvey Ifoartley have coach of the year awards galore to back them up and Barber Scotia’s A1 Coefield is certainly on H at halftime, the way to makinj a name for himself. He coached the Sabres to a 13-4 record last year and handed Gardner- Webb one of its four defeats. . . Although it would be hard to m.ake him admit it, G-W Coach Flolbrook might have his best team ever this year. 1'he Bulldogs, ranked fifth in the nation, have ran rough shod over their fi'-st three foes. Holbrook says he won’t ho happy with this season unless the Bulldogs win the District 26 championship and play in the national tourna ment. . . Gardner-Webb’s Tony Spagnola, who looks somewhat like Broadway Joe Namath, is undoubtedly one of the most underrated basketball players in the state. Spagnola doesn’t get too much publicity and he might not score a lot of points, but he’s always making the key plays that win basketball games. . . Elon’s Miller, a former standout basketball player at the University of North Carolina, is the onlv one of the K. Mtn. four head coaches who played professional basketball. Lovelace .Miller’s in his 12th sea.son as head coach of the Fighting Christians and has a 207-131 record. Miller’s assistant coach, Tony Radovich, who is in his second year at Elon, played on North Carolina’s undefeated national champion ship team in 1937. . . In Friday night’s opening games, look for a di.sciplin- ed offense from Elon and run-and-shoot tactics from Bar ber-Scotia, Gardner-Webb and St. Augustine. Elon doesn’t freeze the ba'I but the Fighting Christians don’t take fool ish shots, either. . . St. Augustine Coach Heartley is the older brother of k former N. Cl. State guard A1 Heartley. Coach Heartley, in Jhis first year at the St. Augustine helm, won no less than 10 championships ns a high school coach and' he’s hoping his success will rub off on the Mighty Falcon.s. . . Tournament direciors urge fans entering the commun ity center Friday and Saturday to enter into the gym, rather than the downstairs doors. Fans who have advanc ed tickets will enter a separate door and wdll not have to stand in line. . . iiwMi® ^ cfmn youpal/ey... Culbertson. TignoiLead Bowling Loops Ronnie Culbertson’s 381 scries was the high mark in men’s bowling action Monday night and C hai'iliy Tignor’s 341 set led the ladies’ league on Tuesday. Culbertsen’s set, which inClud- rd a 144 game, led Cub’s Paint Co. to a 2-2 split with Alliert liiai'kett’:: team. Eii,?k Vincent led Eraekett’s ouf.'it with a 126 lino an-^ 349 set. Mull Ramsey’s 366 set led his team to three wins cvit Childer’s kRco.'ing. BTl Muliinax' hod a 123 ' fine and K-anny Blanton added a The Yellow Jackets started fa-t ‘again in the sixund half and leil l.ttle doubt a.< to whi'.h team was thcstrongei. The Jackets out.scor- ed K.M 11-2 in the first iJiree min utes, running their lead to 42-29. By the end of the third quarter it was 57-36 and the E(? lads cruised to victory in fTie final chaptc-r. Kings Mountain's top scorer was junior guard Mike'T'hci.mbs, wtho dropped in 21 points. Ben Brown was the only other .Moun- tainter in double figures with 10. Kings Mountain’s girls, playing fer the first dime under boys rules, got off to a slow start but finished strong., Be.sscmer City led by 4-2 at the quarter, and 12 During his high scliixil and rol- hgiatc ha.sketfc.ill career, Gard- iierWi lb Al'’-A.TiorJjan George Adam.s h.1-: faced and conquered man> louih thallenges. llu.s Friday at 9 p.m., when .'iardiK |■-V\l'.,l) b.ittl(>s 8l. .\ugu.s- 'me in tne opening round ol thc- .Gr.g.r. .Mounlain Invilalioiial, .4(l.ims will face .still ancjther t(/Ugh challenge. That’.s when ho goe.s into head-lo-liead battle wi.il .St. Augustine’s line 6-3 gun- m-.' Curtis Fiitchott. lilt .11.1, ,1 .sonioi from lilack- stene, Va., averaged over 20 points and 1.3 ro.iounds per game I'list year and he lias Hie hon.ir ot being the only player in the K.M Invilalionai Hvil ha.s boon -selocK'd hy a nroh'.svionaI ha.<- ketaall team. He was drafted in this year's AE.4 hardship draft. Adams a Kings .Mountain pri'p pr...lu( t, and his Gardner-W'i h'.i teammate.s ari' well aware of i’ril.'lu'll’.s ability on a basketball volua'ile player in tlie Carolina.s Coniereirve l,i.s| year. A Salur.iay gtme helwcen Gardnc r-Wi .h ancT Elon w,.ul.i certainly bo a liiriller as .Adam'-- w.,i!ld m.o.st likely go a-.ig;n.sl Elon’s fine 6-9 centei, l.aiiv 'liaulwein. I'.tiiMwein won Hie t aroLiias Conlereiiee field g lul title last yeai, liilling over 60 |.er.-em c. bis sbot.s. An Eloii-Gardner-Vteli'j game would ala, i.it two former all- .star teammates togethi-i. Cole and Ad.am.s lieloed lead the West liign .s ho il all stars to a victory ovei tiip Ea.sl squad in Greens- hir.) their .'eiHor ycar.s in high s: :k, ,1. Ci l. . itti identally was H-,.‘ m vaiua. le player in that giiaii. Til kel- lo." the tournament arc eti stile ill Kings .Mi uiilain at K.M Drug and Herman Blalock Gro-; Rey.l fill .sop'iom'Ore, wa,- alro named t) till' team an.I Dennis Di'taiii'- Te'-e's f- r the Iniifparcent are I .s, .3-! I gu.ard. wo-i tin lie i Continue J on Ptt;;c Four iContinacd Ou page I-our/ > Adams Wins Most Valuable Player Award Second Time At Asheville For Hie seconil lime in three liiit lie di.ln'l clierLsh tile win for years. George Adam.s rd Gardner long. We liaie an even tough- Wei h won the most valua.ile er tournament coming up this . ... player award in last weekend’s weekend in King.s .Mountain,” he court. IriLhelt did lii.s thing once Asheville Optimist Tipolf tournii- said. ' We’ll face three teams that ment. native e.ri ;d win tlie Disiri,-I 26 HHe,” he .said oi Finn, .SI. Augustine and B.aihei .S.oti.a. Tile Kings .Mountain FCOii d 73 . jinl.; and liauled down ,32 rep.ounds to lead tlie .Adams and Henry Boyd of Bulldogs to Ihe lournamem rliam- 'iiardnei-Wel.ii, Jim Pheasant and pionsliip, Gardner Welvb whipped Mike N'anney til L’.N'C-.Asheville Vnihees liri-sj and I'X.'.A.she- and Pete .lohn.siin cf Vorhees ville 99-88 to claim their secind were named .to Hie all lourna- Htle in lhre<‘ years. merit team and Dennis De.Sanctis, The two victories gives tlic Bull- GAV's point man. won Hie sports- dogs a perferl .3-0 rccird head- m.'inship Iropli.v. ing into Hie King.s .Mo ntain In- Adam.s now has played in 10 vitaiiornl Fi iday and .Saturday tourn.imenls diirin’' his Gardner- ■al KM’s .3,(i'll) .seal community Wel-,1) t ireer and he's been .select- renter. The Biiidogs ate aierag- ed to Ihe all-tournament team in ing 1.30 poinl.s per game and every one. Adams is hilling 71) per cent of Gardner-Wei,ii will see ils first his field goal at.tempt.s. sAdams hit 11 of 20 shots trem the floor and seven • f eight from Hie linil line for .3.3 markers in .Saluiday’s ehampionsliip win over C.N'C-Aslieville. He a. om- piished Hie feat desnite getting into early foul trouble. Gardner'Wclb Coach Eddie Hnihr ok was elated w Ih liis a ' on in the KM Invitalinnal Fri day at 9 p. m. against .St. Au- gi.Stine, I-.liin and Bai'"',cr Scotia gel till' event under way at 7 p. m. T'ckets, wliiclt are .Sl.,30 for .students and 82.0') for adults, arc on sale in Kiiws .Mountain at KM Drug and Herman Bla lock Grocery. Tickets are al.so en sale at Boping .borings Dr g, Sultio’s Drug in Shelby and the team’s tournament championship .Sports Center in Gastonia. Till! two losers jilay for consola tion lionors Saturday at 7 and 'the winners play for tlie cliam- pionsliip at 9. Tliou,h a ehampionsliip match between Gaidiier-Webb and Klon would he ideal, noilhei coach Ed die Holbrook of the Bulldogs nor |..ill Miller of the Fighting Christians is looking past his opening night foe. "This i.s a big tournament,” says Hoi'hrook. "Any team is cap- a.lie of winning it and it’s going to sliow all of us e.\actly how we siaiul in District 26.” ‘Holhrook ha.s previously stal ed that Ills team’s goal is to win the District 26 title and play in Hie national tournament. Gaid- nerWelvh, Flon and Bather Sco tia played in the district tourney last season and are eyeing a re turn trip. Ihe liigliliglit of tliis w'eekenil’s tournament will he tlie appear ance of two All-American.s, Gard- nerAVei.li's George Adams and Elon’s Tommy Cole. Adams i.s a native of King.s Moentain and will be honored with a sTiecial presentation prior to Friday’s .game with St. Augu.sline. '.Many oilier jikiyers participat- in,g here won all-star lii.nors last year and several are being eyed by Hie pr;i,s. Gardner-Webli’s seven fool Homy iioyil. like Adams and Cole, is consiik'red a 00(1 pro prospeel. .St, Augustine's Curtis Pritcli- etl and William Fleming were I'.oth ail'Conferenre pp; formers last year ard I’ritclielt was se- le. ted In the ABA drart. Finn’s 6 9 center Larry Trautwein j- ined teammate Cole on the A!l-''aro- linas Conference team and Tra"t- wein led Ihe eonferenee in field goal accuracy. Bai'i''!' .‘t'oHa is led bv Hie P'-es «' J-i'in Sleeie. .Marvin ■Tart. Erie liyiium .and La-ry 'Garvin. Bynum .and Garvin are boHi f.-em Gas'onia. KINGS MOUNTAIN INVITATIOIKAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT DEC. 3 £ 4 7 £ 9 P.M. Community Centei Friday's Games: 7 P.M.—ELON Vs. BARBER SCOTIA 3 P.M. — GARDNER-WEBB Vs. ST. AUGUSTINE Saturday's Games: 7 P.M. — CONSOLATION GAME 9 P. M. — CHAMPICNSHI? GAME TICKETS S2.00 ADULTS Sl.SO STUDENTS TICKETS ON SALE AT KM DRUG AND HERMAN BLALOCK GROCERY