I f
Page 8—MlRIIOR-HBRALl)—Tuesday, November SO, 1976
Cagers Open Secison
Against R~S Central
☆☆☆
☆☆☆
Kings Mountain High’s
basketballers open their
1978-77 Southwestern
Conference campaign
Wednesday nlg^t at home
against R-S Central.
Game time for the open
ing girls contest Is 6:30 p.
m.
Both R-S Central teams
will present tough tests for
the optimistic KMHS
chibs. Both the Hllltoppers
and Lady Hllltoppers are
regarded as SWC con
tenders.
KMHS remains at home
Friday night to host East
Gaston, another pair of
SWC contenders, In
Parents’ Night
The KMHS coaches,
John Blalock of the Moun
taineers and Kathy Bnxdcs
of the Mountalnettes, have
settled on a starting lineup
but both are expected to
play a lot of players.
Blalock says he’ll start
transfer student William
Lockhart at center,
veteran William ’Thomp
son and sophomore Glenn
Ellis at forwards, veteran
Eddie Ingram at the point
guard and newcomer
Larry Smith at the wing.
Smith, a Junior, has never
played varsity basketball
but la progressing well.
Coach Blalock, who feels
his club could surprise a lot
of people. Is coimtlng on
several other players. In
cluding Vernon Bell, Alan
Clonlnger, Steve Boggan
Jeff Prescott and Everett
Burris.
Bell, a sophomore, was
scheduled to be a starter
but has been nursing an In
jured knee and Is not back
to full strength.
”We feel we can go eight
or nine deep and not be
hurt,” says Blsdock. ”Our
strong point seems to be
our Inside game with Wil
liam Thompson. He’s
experienced there and
moves real good. We’re
expecting Bobby Odoms to
help out a lot In there.”
Blalock plans to go
mainly with the man-to-
man defense, switching
occasionally to the 1-8-1
zone.-
Blalock ssdd he’s eager
^PORT?
to get the season underway
suid tabs Shelby and Crest
as the teams to beat.
’’But,” he says, ”R-8
Central’s got everybody
back so they’ll be plenty
tough for us Wednesday
night. ’They had some of
the best players In the
conference last year but
Just couldn’t put It
together.”
Coach Brooks’ starting
lineup will Include three
returnees, one piut-tlme
starter from last year and
one player that played Isust
year with the Junlw high.
Leading scorer Susan
Mltchem returns for her
fourth year as a starter
and she’ll be Joined by last
year’s number two point
producer, Qayla Roberts,
last year’s leading
(Turn To Page S)
Bobby Jones
Third, Coach Of Year
Bruce Valentine
AUSWC Center-LB
— • HI
sj:
Keith Huffman, right, Leroy Blake
clerk in grocery store in their spare time
Local Gridders Help
Blacksburg Win Title
Kings Mountain football fans can lay some
claim to Blacksburg Hlg^ School’s championship
year on the gridiron this fall.
TVvo residents of the Dixon Community — my
neck of the woods — helped lead Coach Bob
Blanton’s Wildcats to the Conference Three 1-A
title.
And, come Friday nignt, the Wildcats can
add the state championship to their growing
list of honors when they host McCracken High
In an 8 p. m. contest.
’They copped the Upper State title last
Friday night, defeating a good North High
team, lB-18.
Keith Huffman, a Junior offensive tackle, Is one
of the tesun’s best blockers tmd senior defensive
end Leroy Blake Is one of Blanton’s top defenders.
Several other persons In the area have had a big
hand In the team’s success, also.
Flanker Robin Bolin, guard George Hardin,
end-defensive back Scott Love, guard Dean
Borders and halfback Randy Patterson — all of
Grover — have had outstanding seasons.
The Kings Mountain ties also go Into the
coaching and administration at Blacksburg.
Blanton, a former football standout at Gaffney
High School and McNee State College In
Louisiana Is married to a Kings Mountain girl,
Susie West. She was a standout guard on
Grover’s undefeated girls basketball team In 19B7.
’That team featured Francis Carroll, who
averaged 45 points per game and once scored 72
points In a single game.
Blacksbiu'g’s assistant principal, Jim Leigh, la
a former Kings Mountain High School and
American Legion baseball standout. He helped
lead the Moimtalneers to the Southwestern
Conference baseball crown In 1B63.
Blanton, who has been head coach at Blacks
burg for 18 years, says this Is one of his better
teams.
"Attitude has been the big key to our success,’’
he says. "AU the boys hustle and work hard.
’They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do.
’They have a lot of heart.”
,GN!V
?T€WN?T
The Blacksburg eleven peaked late In the
season, and Blanton said that’s been another big
key to their success.
“Our defense was our strong point during the
first half,” he noted. "Then our offensive line
came along during the last half and that caused
our offense to start moving.
"CJoaches always try to plan when to pesdc,’’ he
continued, “but a lot of times they don’t have any
control over It. We’ve improved every game.’’
Blanton calls Blake and Huffman two at his
better ballplayers.
"Blake has been a starter since his soidiomore
year,” recalled Blsmton. “He has a lot of desire
and a lot of natural ability. He’s strong, agile and
loves to hit. And he doeai’t mind playing Injured
He’s played his whole career with a bad knee and
a bad shoulder.”
Huffman, a 280-pounder, reminds some of the
older Blacksburg fans of his father, Clyde, who
was a standout lineman there In the BO’s.
“He’s real strong," noted Blanton, "especUlly
on one-and-one situations. He started the last
half of last year and all this year and has
developed Into one of our better linemen.”
Winning Is nothing new to the Wildcats and
Blanton, who served as assistant fOr one year at
. Blacksburg before taking over as head mentor. In
18 seasons under Blanton, they’ve won the con
ference championship three times and have been
runner-up el^t times.
But a victory Friday night would put the
clincher on the school’s best season ever.
>4
Kelly Land
AUSWC Guard
☆☆☆
☆☆☆
*, ‘ .'-i, ‘ .
David Gordon
AUSWC Tackle
☆☆☆ ☆☆☆
Valentine, Gordon,
Land All-Conference
Kings Mountain High
players won five positions
on the AU-Southwestem
Conference footbsdl team,
announced today by W. C.
Clary, executive secretary
of the Western N. C. High
Schools Activities
Association.
Bruce Valentine was the
leading vote getter for
offensive center and
defensive linebacker and
also finished second In
voting for iSayer of the
year. ’That honor went to
Chase’s Keith Oenshaw,
the only 1,000 yard rusher
In the SWC. Shelby’s
Anthony Webber and
David Devine tied for third
place.
David Gordon was
named at both offensive
and defensive tackle, and
KeUy Land was named to
the offendve team as a
guard.
KMHS coach, Bobby
Jones, who had his best
THE OFFENSE
FOST.-PLAYEB
SCHOOL
E—Steve Buff
Cherry.
E—Ricky Smith
E. Ruth.
E—Jerry Clubb
S. Point
T—David Devine
Shelby
T- DAVID GORDON
KMHS
Q-KELLY LAND
KBIH8
G—Kevin Oates
Bums
G—Kenneth Gregory
Chase
Q—Ricky Millwood
E.Ruth.
C-BRUCE VALENTINE
KMHS
QB—John Devine
Cherry.
()B—Ricky Ledbetter
RSC
HB—Keith Crenshaw
Chase
HB—Dennis Isles
S. Point
FB-Alan Burrus
Shelby
THE DEFENSE
FOS.-PLAYER
SCHOOL
E—’Timothy Orssne
Chase
E—Bryan Ferree
Shelby
T-DAVID GORDON
KMHS
T—David Devine
Shelby
G—Ronald King
Bums
LB-BRUCE VALENTINE
KMHS
LB—Jeffrey Yelton
RSC
LB—’Tony Greene
Chase
LB-Scott Padgett
E.Ruth.
HB—Keith Crenshaw
Chase
HB—Anthony Webber
Shelby
HB-Derlck Harris
Chase
HB—Steve Camp
E.Ruth.
season (S-S) ever hare,
finished third In voting for
coach of the year behind
Chase’a John Keeter and
Shelby’s Gerald Allan.
All three KMHS all-
SWC representatives are
Juniors and return next
year as the Mountaineers
and the other SWC schools
enter the North Carolina
High School Athletics
Aosoclatlon.
’The three KMHS
linemen were key figures
In the school’s success on
the gridiron. ’They helped
lead the Mountlas to the
top ranking defonsivaly In
the SWC untU the eighth
game of the ysar, and a
final ranking of third
among the 19 SWC schoob.
ValentliM served as co-
cs4>taln along with senior
quarterback Mika
Bumgarner and also was
the team’s placeklckar. He
hit on 18 polnts-aftar-
touchdown. ,