Newspapers / Grimsley High School Student … / Dec. 3, 1996, edition 1 / Page 11
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^%ceii^cCaie^, ^ecem^ert 3^ Whirlies hope to rebound from disappointing season By Scott Fischer Reporter Rebounding from an incredibly disappointing season will be a difficult task for the Whirlie Basketball team this year. The 5-18 record the team posted last year was definitely not a clear measure of their play during the 1995-96 season. There were four games in which the Whirlies lost by one point. The Whirlies also posted a 48-45 victory' over rival Page, greatly rebounding from a 64-45 romp earlier in the season. The Whirlies will be forced to take that same recovering mind set into the 96-97 season. They will have to deal with the loss of Lamont Michael, one of the most valuable players in the conference. In addition to tliis, the Whirlies will have to substitute for a lack of height. Last year, Alex Watson and Duane Ridge helped provide the essential size tlrat the Whirlies will be missing this year. ■■We'realreacfywoikingharder,butw'e’re still notveiy' big. Ourbiggestplayerisabout6’5", 230 pounds, and thenfrom there itjust drops off, you know, 6’3", 6'2", and that type of thing," said head coach BUI Walton. "I'm trying for the tlrird place spot which w ould mean we w oiUd get a spot m tire state play offs. WeVe beaten Page one game e^'ery year,andlthinkw'e can do it again. W e will liave to fight and scrap for ev'ery thing tliis year." Nonetheless, the players as weU as tire coaches remain\'ery optimistic about tlie coming season. ‘Tm excited about this season. We have bettertalent this year than we did last year. We have young players that should provide some size. We also have six or seven experienced kids. Wliirlie basketball players prepare Pendergrafiphoto to face off in a sciijiiinage. John Graham, WaUcer Holt, and Tim Leung all showed great leadeisltip skUls over the summer.'' said Coach Walton. “I feel really good about this year'steam,” Holt said." We don’t have a lot of heighf but hopefully our speed wUl make up for that. Defense will have to be one of our big strengths this year.” Holt started last year as a freshman, and should cer tainly provide leadership as weU as exp erience. Another leader of this year’s squad will be jimior, Tim Leung. Leung has worked extremely hard this sunmrer for the coming season. "I think the most demanding requirements for the teanr are com- ntitment, hard work, and detemtination. We’ll have to be a lot quicker, and run more. I think that if we all work together this year, we can win some games,” said Leung. Perhaps the great est combination of experience and talent will be provided by three year starter, Jolm Graham. In addition to being captain of this year’s basketball team, Graham also was captain and start ing wide receiver of this season’s football team. “John is an incredibleplayer defensively. I can put him on virtually any player in the cotfference and he can cover him. He’s very fast. Offensively Graham setx'es as an excellent outside jump shooter. He definitely lias afuture in college basketball,” said Coach Walton For the conting season. Holt and Coach Walton both said they would like to finish first in the metro conference as weO as earn a pot in the stateplayoffs. To accomplish tliese tilings would cer tainly be an mptessive comeback from tlie disppointing season tlie Whirlies endured last year, Antonio Graham contributed to this article. Swim team makes splash By Sarah Blackw ood Reporter Although it may be forty-five degrees outside, there are numerous half-naked wet people rumiing aroimd Grimsley ei ers' da>'. Where can these dedicated Whirlies be foimd'.’ Wh>', the Grimslei' swim ming pool, of course. Despite the fact that it is still early on. Coach Griffin has high hopes for Ms teams. He expects tliat Grimsiei’ will be conference cham pion e\ en though they lost 13 se niors from last year. The men’s team is doing remarkably well, but this year the number of swimmers has dwindled to 11. Some, such as Elizabetli Sheffield, arc of tlic opin ion that the women's team is pro gressing belter than it ivas last i car. Coach Griffin is cpecially enthusi astic about tlie w omen, whose team currently has about 30 members. Wh\ arc there so tnany out sw imming this year'.’ Katie Seel, a freshman. sa> s that being on the team "builds self-esteem as a sw im- mer and introduces you to new people." Many of tlie atliletes. such as Rachel Shockley and Jillian Gibson, enjoy swimmmg because it helps tiiem stay in shape, lerun new tilings, and be witii friends. Some people liai'e already set per sonal goals for die season Rcan Rubio, a sophomore, sai s "I want to get my endurance back up and be able to hold ni>' own." Wellsley Wallace, a senior swhiiming for the first time with tlie Wliirlies. sai-s tliat she wants tliis > ear to be "my best fust and last year on GHS’s swim team" Tlie men and women’s teams lia\ e been greath' aided by tlie leadership and outstanding perfomiances of swinuners such as Abbe Stalhvorlli. Megamie Raines. Kristin Dorko. Greg Osbonic. Scott Buscemi. and the captains. Brian Schiller and Sheffield. Man\' of tliese swimmers enhtmee tlieir skills by participating in \ ear-round programs, like GSA tuidYKfCA. Tlie sw im team is w orking h;ird and pnicticingtogetlicrei ciy da\. Moiidac through Frid;!). which isiiiorc tliaii sc\- cral otlicrtauiis Tlicy sw im longdis- Uuices for cndirancc, as well as \arious sprints, such as 50 meters In addition to tills tlie\’ also work on llieir technique raid strokes ec'ciy' day. Best of luck to our Whirlie swini- niingteam, and hopeflilly none of those coldwetlialf-nakedpeopiewill catch cold. iajl iriie^ dL // f oot j-or pla.i^oj^j-5 By Kelly Cirincione Reporter Teamwork, dedication and sports- maiisMp. TMs is the framew'ork for tliis year's w'onien’s basketball team at Grimsley. TlieWliirhesliavebeen working hard tow'ards a strong sea son and die players know tliat Miii - ing up to these three words, diey will be dribbling straight towards success. Last year, die Grimslei' team saw diree seniors graduate, and Kerri Campbell is the only senior player diis t ear. Coach Polk said. "With fi\'e freshman competing for l arsiti po sitions and one sophomore, we ;ire a \ en'. I'ery' yoiuig team.’' Coach Polk said diat diis year die young contribu tors to die tetmi plus the e.xperieiiccd guards are die strength of the team. Kerri Campbell. Cori Stci ens. and •’ Monica Mullins are diis year's re- ? iuniing guards. In addition jiuiior I Ai ciy Lutz is returning for herdiird consecutive \'e£irpla\ ing center raid postpositions. The women's basketball team practices even' day from 5:3(1 to 7:30. as well at Saturday moniings. After the players wann-up and stretch, tiieirpracdce consists of drills. discussmgplai’s, and a large amount ofrumting. Each practice concludes widi a scrimmage. Tlie Whirlies know diat dieirprac- tices will make diem a better team. Melody Fletcher, a 5'6" jimiorpost said. "Practices me tougfr but I diink in any practice \'ou should go out hand.” In addition to gii ing lOO'X) at practice, the Wliiili es know diat tliekei' to success is teamwork Sophomore Tif- fan>' Stewart, a 5’7" shooting guard, said, "Tlie most important role as a bas ketball player islia\ ing a good attitude on die court working hard, raid plat ing as a team plai er.’' Tliis follow s die ad\'ice diat Coach Polk gh’es herplayers. She said diat the way to ha\'e a successful season is to liai e team uiiin. In addition. Coach Polk e.xplains to die adiletes that ha\ ing unity off the court w ill carry' o\ er to success on die court. Tlie team establishes some unity by dressing up on graiie days raid going out to e;it together before games. "Sticking togedier is die most im portant thing," Coach Polk said. ■■ Wlien we woik together, w e’ve done our job. and it doesn’t matter whedier we win or lose.” Tlie players also try' to follow their coach’s advice and keep dieir focus. Tlie women’s team belic\'es that it is I’ital to remember dicir goals, raid diis will inproi e dicir basketball playing and dieir school- work. Piiere are seieral reasons w hy die Whirlie play ers enjoy being a piirt of die Grimsley team. Monica Mullins, a 5’4" point guard, is a sophomore who enjoys die challenge. Couitney Sniidi is a 5’7" freshman guard who likes being w idi her teammates, raid FI etcher appreciates die way die teran sticks togedier, cieii dirough die tough times. Tlie goal for die women’s team is to finish in one of die top four posi tions. In addition. Coach Polk and die players hope to see more specta tor support this year. Pie majority of die players agree diat women's basketball hasn't rcccii ed enough attention in die past. Piis could be e\'en more of a problem diis y air. The women's team is worried dial .spectators will go to sec die men's team, especially since last year the nia j ority of ^cctators came to see die men play. If die Whirlie women did have an audience other dian parent support, it was often simply be cause fans arrived early to see the men play. suuatchts IRONY SWISS' M A B FRIENDLY SHOPPiXG CENTER Shop. SMOOTHIES $.50 off one smoothie with this coupon Breakfast and Lunch weekdays ONLY 2146 Lawndale Drive , : , Lawndale shopping Center (910)275-3020
Grimsley High School Student Newspaper
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Dec. 3, 1996, edition 1
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