New Recruiting
Method
By KeiineOi Raymond
In an effort to slay within the boundaries
of Proposition 48, Ram Coach Bill Hayes
has implemented a new recruiting method
to be put in effect this spring.
Proposition 48 is a rule passed by the
NCAA last year. It declares that all incom
ing and student-athletes must have scored
at least 700 on the SAT and carry at least a
2.0 GPA. The rule has been in effect on the
Division One level and will be in effect on
the Division II level in January.
To meet the recruiting requirements,
Hayes intends to send a questionnaire to
every high school junior athlete. The ques
tionnaire will reveal information about his
academic strength as well as his athletic
ability. Once the form is completed and
returned, Hayes will know which rising
seniors will likely be eligible to play under
the restrictions.
Hayes said that it’s a quick and easy way
of finding out who will likely be eligible for
recruiting.
"Before sending out the questionnaire all
we would have is a name,” Hayes said.
“After getting them back we’d have the pro
spect’s height, weight, grade-point average
and intended major. We can also eliminate
those who look as if their GPA won’t be up to
par by graduation time.”
So far the recruiting-season isn’t as fruit
ful as Hayes would like it to be. Hayes says
he is primarily looking for cornerbacks and
isn’t having much success finding any that
can play the Ram defense.
“We’re primarily looking for corner
backs,” Hayes said, “Our defense requires
a lot of speed at that position and so far we
haven’t found many who can play it.” The
Rams have signed two defensive backs for
the ’87-’88 season, Craig Andrews from
Ahoskie High in Ahoskie, and Yancey
Thigpin from North East Edgecomb High in
Tarboro have joined the ranks of Ram
defenders. The Rams have also signed
Carver High standout Rodney McKoy.
Since the loss of All-CIAA strong safety
Derrick Beasley left a hole in the Ram
secondary that must be filled. Beasley has
been instrumental in the Rams’ ability to
achieve strong defensive standards, but the
Rams are determined to maintain and
uphold these standards next season.
Last season the Ram defense finished
third in overall defense in the conference
and third in scoring defense. They also had
a total of 19 interceptions and were fifth in
rushing defense.
Last year Hayes recruited one or two
players for each position but now he is
recruiting according to the team’s needs
and will move up the veterans in the lineup.
“Last year we recruited for every posi
tion,” Hayes said. “We’re going to ue those
guys and recruit according to our needs.”
Competition among schools for quality
athletes has always been tough. The larger
schools would almost assuredly come out
with a large number of good athletes and
the smaller school would also have a group
by which they could be proud.
Proposition 48 has narrowed the pool of
athletes able to play collegiate sports. The
smaller schools now find themselves in
competition with the larger schools.
Because of the increase in comp>etition,
Hayes believes that the quality of talent is
going to drop in smaller schools.
“A lot of schools are going to have to
recruit athletes of less quality when they
wouldn’t have before,” Hayes said. “The
quality is going to be much less.”
According to Hayes, other schools are
gathering as many good athletes as possible
before the ruling comes into effect.
“A lot of schools have begun stockpiling,”
Hayes said. “They’re bringing a lot of
recruits now to assure themselves of a
sound program by the time Proposition 48
comes into effect.”
Evans NFL
Attraction
By Kenneth Raymond
Ram Defensive End Donald Evans has
received much attention from NFL scouts
during the last several months.
Teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and
the Denver Broncos have shown great in
terest in the 240-pound Ram defensive stand
out.
Ram Coach Bill Hayes said, “Practically
every team in the NFL has called me to talk
about Evans. He’s getting a lot of atten
tion.”
Evans, who spent four days in late
January at the NFL’s National Blesto
Scouting Combine Workout Camp in In
dianapolis, Ind., is optomistic about his
chances of playing professional football.
“It’s always been a dream of mine,”
Evans said. “I’d lake advantage of any
chance I gel to play.”
The camp, held at the Hoosier Dome, is an
annual event sponsored by the NFL to get a
look at senior pro hopefuls. Out of 10,000
seniors, 300 are invited to attend.
At the camp, Evans, worked out at the
linebacker and defensive line positions. The
competition was stiff, but he held his own
among some of the nation’s best. He was
rated in the top 10 of the camp by the NFL
scouting service.
Evans had the opportunity of rubbing
shoulders with well-known player such as
Vinnie Testaverde, Danny Noonan, D.J.
Dozier, and Cornelius Brown. Each player
gave his all before the scouts and while in
competition with each other. Evans said
that Noonan was one of the most im
pressive.
“His overall athletic ability is great,”
Evans said. “He has great size, speed and
should do well in the pros.”
Evans felt that he had a lot to prove while
being among the big names. “I felt I had a
lot to prove,” Evans said. “Division II
players are underrated sometimes and I
believe we have great pro material in our
division.”
Evans also met with many NFL coaches.
He said that Miami Coach Don Shula “was a
big encouragement,” Evans said. “He
spent some time with us all and wishes me
good luck in the draft.”
Evans isn’t the only Ram receiving atten
tion from the pros. NFL scouts have visited
Winston-Salem State to observe All-CIAA
Derrick Beasley, wide receiver Masha
Paul, running back Leroy Wonsley and
linebacker Mark Wallace.
Boden Adds
Spark To
Wrestling Team
By Shelton Bullard
Danny Boden, a freshman Computer
Science major from Fayetteville, N.C., who
wrestles in the 142 weight class states that
he feels good about his position on the team.
Boden stated that he has beat everyone in
his weight class in the CIAA. He feels that if
you are going to do something give it your
best shot. This is just some of the advice
that Coach Melvin Fair gave the team.
Boden looks up to Coach Fair because,
“he not only tells us our mistakes, but
shows them to us by actually (wrestling)
with us.” Boden said, “If we had some of the
veterans back like Joel Shackleford, All
CIAA, Jimmy Hester and Victor Tate we
would not have any problems winning the
CIAA.”
When the team wrestled at Tennessee in a
tournament, there were four wrestlers from
WSSU to place. They are as follows: Henry
Byrd from Greensboro placed first in the
150 weight class and Danny Boden from
Fayetteville placed second in the 142 weight
class. Also there were two wrestlers that
placed third, James McLinnham of Fayet
teville in the 126 weight class and Benny
Carver of Greensboro in the 118 weight
class.
Hard Work
Paid Off
The Department of Physical Education
would like to congratulate Coach Melvin
Fair for being selected Wrestling Coach of
the Year in the CIAA. Winston-Salem State
placed second in the conference champion
ship with 73 1/2 points.
Four wrestlers from WSSU qualified to
participate in the NCAA Division II Na
tional Tournament March 4-7, 1987, in Ed-
wardsville, Illinois, hosted by Southern Il
linois University.
Participants in the NCAA Division II Na
tional Tournament, March 2-7, 1987:
Bennie Carver, Class-118, Record 16-1-1,
Grimsley High School, Greensboro, N.C.
James McLinnaham, Class-126, Record
21-9-1, E.E. Smith High School, Fayet
teville, North Carolina.
Denny Boden, Class-142, Record 22-10,
Seventy-First High, Fayetteville, N.C.
Henry Byrd, Class-150, Record 27-5, Page
High School, Greensboro, N.C.
Coach Stenson Conley and the Lady Rams
Basketball Team won their CIAA Tourna
ment, first round game by defeating Bowie
State, 86-67.
CIAA Results
Tennis Team
by Melanie Beatty
Virginia Union University won the 1987
CIAA Championship by beating Norfolk
State 79-73. This loss ended NSU’s 22-game
winning streak.
While the Panthers were celebrating a
victory, the WSSU Rams were feeling a
painful loss. The Rams lost to Virginia
Union in overtime by a score of 70-71. The
lost would of been well expected if it weren’t
for a questionable play in the last second of
the game. The question is, did Union’s Tony
Dallas travel just before the last shot was
made? This shot gave Virginia Union
another victory and a chance at a CIAA
Championship. No call was made by the of
ficials and this win placed Union in the
championship game against Norfolk State.
The Rams finished their season with a
record of 20-10. Players Alexander Hooper,
Charlie Spell and Gary Cromartie finished
their season with all CIAA awards.
Lady Rams
Softball Team
By Victor Coffey
The Winston-Salem State University Ten
nis Team is off and running for the season,
despite the lack of support from the student
body and school.
Those returning to the team are: David
Alston, captain, a senior from Boston
Mass., who has played for three years;
Owen Scoggins, captain, a senior from
Durham, N.C., who has played for four
years and Roy Johnson, a junior from High
Point, N.C., who has played for three years.
The new members of the team are Rick
Haniker, a freshman from Winston-Salem,
N.C., Joe Washington, a freshman from
Fayetteville, N.C., Jay Shoffner, a junior
from Greensboro, N.C., Tami Bell, a
freshman from Durham, N.C., and Brian
Little, a freshman from Taylorsville, N.C.
Coached by A1 Roseboro, the team looks
forward to a prosperous season, although
they have some new additions this year.
During the first matches of the season the
winners were Rick Haniker, Joe
Washington, and Roy Johnson. Keep up the
good work and good luck in the rest of the
1987 Wrestling
Tournaments
by Shelton Bullard
WSSU hosted the 1987 CIAA Wrestling
Tournament on Feb. 21, where the Rams
finished second in the tournament. So far
the Rams have won more individual titles
than the team champion Livingstone.
The Bears only had two champions
190-pounder Larry Bethel and heavyweight
Hugh Brown but that was enough to out
distance the Rams 95-73'2. Norfolk Slate
was third with 70'2, Virginia Stale fourth
with 42‘-2, Elizabeth City State finished with
19^/4. and St. Augustine’s sixth with eight
points.
Danny Boden 142 pounder from Fayet
teville was named the tournament’s most
valuable wrestler. He was joined to the win
ner’s circle with his fellow teammates Ben
nie Carver 118 from Greensboro, James
Mclinnham 126 from Fayetteville, and
Henry Byrd 150 from Greensboro. All four
are freshmen and they will go to Evansville,
Illinois for the NCAA Division II Champion
ship.
Lady Rams
Softball Team
by IMelanie Beatty
Winston-Salem State University’s
Women’s Softball team’s Coach Tim Grant
is aiming for a fourth championship title
this year. The team has lost experienced
players, such as Kenena Menefee who was
player of the year in Division 2 and led the
nation in homeruns and batting last year.
Coach Grant admits that he has some inex
perienced players but feels that speed,
defense and agressiveness wilJ overcome
this obstacle.
The Lady Rams began their season in
April in a game against Livingston College.