Rams get 10 football commitments for 1997 Football season
from B1
requirements. The group
includes three players who
played their high school football
in Forsyth County.
Brian Jones, a 6-3 1/2, 210
pound linebacker, and Lamar
Moore, a 6-3, 285-pound defen
sive tackle, played at Carver
High School. Travis Lemmons, a
6-1, 215-pound linebacker
played on Mount Tabor's Cen
tral Piedmont 4-A Conference
champion team that advanced to
the second round of the NCH
SAA playoffs.
The players who have com
mitted are expected to form the
nucleus for a solid 1997 recruit
ing class at WSSU. Included in
the group are several huge offen
sive linemen.
Ronald Pegues, a 6-4, 305
pound tackle from Dunn, N.C. is
one of the Rams' prized recruits.
Brian Andrews, a 6-3, 290
pound guard from Waccamaw,
N.C., is also expected to con
tribute early in his career for the
Rams.
Maurice Smith, a 6-4, 295
pounder, played both offense
and defense at Tarboro High. He
will be looked at on both sides
of the football at WSSU.
Jonathan Wilson, 6-3, 270,
isn't as big as the other linemen
recruited by the Rams, but is
noted for his quickness. Wilson
played at Fred T. Foard High in
Hickory.
WSSU picked up several tal
ented skill players, including
Thomas Littlejohn, a 6-0, 185
pound tailback from Asheville
High. Littlejohn has the break
away speed that the Rams covet.
Jai-Fanon Jackson, a 6-2,
235-pound linebacker from
Durham Riverside High and
tight cud Kyle King, a 6-4, 225
pound tight end from Fayet
teville's E.E. Smith High, round
out the Rams commitments.
Coach Kermit Blount of
WSSU said he was waiting to
here from several other players
who were close to making their
decisions at the Chronicle's
press deadline.
Bobcats' girls varsity keep championship hope alive
from B1
was a little down on herself
after her first couple of shots
didn't fall. But she has played
well for us in big games this
season and 1 expect her to
bounce back with a big game."
Glenn squared off against
Andrews on Tuesday at home
in a game which has far-reach
ing implications. The Bobcats'
win over Carver was their sixth
in a row. Their only loss in the
conference came at Andrews in
the conference opener.
"We felt like we really
played our worst game against
them the first time," Stanley
said. "We good defense, but we
just couldn't get anything going
on offense. We made only
about 25 percent of our shots." 1
Stanley said he likes his I
team's chances down the (
stretch run. <
"At this point in the season
I can't say that we're young l
because we played 18 games," !
he said. "Everybody knows <
their roles on the team. They !
know Tasha and Lashanta do
most of our scoring. They
I
know that we have have to get
four, six or eight points out of
everybody else. In that regard
everything is going well."
Harris and Johnson were
the Bobcats' only double-figure
scorers against Carver. Howev
er, Glenn had 11 players to
score in the game.
II
Tasha Harris (#23) tries to stop Carver's Nicole Perkins from penetrat
ing the Bobcats' defense. Harris led the Bobcats with 22 points.
Thank God for a second chance! ||
from B1
tough times."
Perhaps the most difficult
thing for him to accept was not
being able to play football last
fall. He fell 1/2 of a credit short of
meeting the eligibility require
ments and was not allowed to
enroll in summer school last sum
, mer.
Wagner, who started on the
varsity at tailback as a sophomore
and split time at tailback, receiver
and defensive back as a junior,
was hoping to put his troubles
behind him and do well enough
to earn a football scholarship.
Not being able to play foot
ball left a void in Wagner's life.
He had played football every fall
since he was 10 years old and not
being able to, play his senior sea
son was another tough blow.
But it made him look at life
differently.
"I learned a lot from it" he
says. "I had a lot of time think
and get my life together."
Despite the disappointment
of not being able to participate in
football last semester or wrestle
the first half of the season, Wagn
er was able to concentrate on his
studies. That resulted in his best
grades in quite a while.
"I think I did okay," he says.
"I passed all my classes and got
B's andC's."
He achieved the necessary
grades to get back on the
wrestling team. He was a little
shaky in his first match, but man
aged to come away with a win
against James Evans of Glenn. He
showed even more improvement
in his second match against High
Point Andrews. And last week he
turned in his best performance in
a 10-9 victory against Trinity that
helped the Mustangs earn the
North Piedmont 3-A title.
This week the Mustangs
began pursuit of the state duals
title. Wagner, says he's hoping to
showcase his talent and earn a
scholarship.
He has the credentials that
warrant consideration. As a fresh
man, at North Davidson High, he
won the 9th grade state champi
onship in the 125-pound class. As
a sophomore at Parkland, Wagner
posted a 32-5 overall record in the
135-pound division and helped
the team to its first-ever state
championship. Wagner went 32-8
as a junior in the 145-pound clas
sification last year and the Mus
tangs defended their state title.
But Wagner says he doesn't
feel that his career will be com
plete unless he brings home the
145-pound title this season.
"It's my year," he says. "The
only thing that's going to beat me
is myself. I'm going to come back
home with the gold."
Wagner knows it won't be
easy. He has tired easily in his
first few matches. That can be
attributed to the lack of practice
time that he's had. He wasn't
allowed to practice with the team
until the end of the first semester.
He hopes to make up for it with a
lot of hard work and determina
tion.
"I'm focused on wrestling
this season," Wagner says.
"Everything that I've been
through has made me stronger. I
feel like I have a new life. Now I
don't even go anywhere or do
anything. I just come home and
do my homework and get my
rest."
Home is his sanctuary.
"My mom is really helping
me out a lot," he says. "Every
match I wrestle is for her. I feel if
1 lose, she loses. And after every- ~~
thing that I've put her through I
couldn't ever break her heart
again."
Steve Wagner had to come from behind to take a victory and keep his I
unbeaten streak alive. I
Rams get key win . i
from B1
play against people more his
size. He's not very big, but he
has a big heart and tonight he
had a big game."
Darryl Hardy had another
double-double for the Rams,
with 18 points - on seven of 11
shooting from the field- and a
game-high 13 rebounds.
Otis, Attucks, who has been
coming on strong in recent
games, also played well.
Attucks, the Rams point guard,
scored IS points and dished out
a game-high nine assists.
"Otis played a great game,"
Hanger said. "He runs this
team. When he plays well the
team plays well."
Dameon Foster came in to
relieve Attucks at the point and
that allowed Attucks to rest up
for the game's final minutes.
Foster's play midway
through the second half helped
get the Rams rolling after St.
Augustine's tried to put togeth
er a run of its own. WSSU led
59-57 when Foster came in and
sparked a 12-2 run by the Rams
for a 61-59 lead.
The Rams had their lead
cut to six, 84-78, at the 3:39
mark. But Broadnax, who
scored 14 points in the game,
came through with three key
plays. He delivered a dunk at
the 2:55 mark to make the
score 87-79. After a block by
Hardy, he came back with a
layup to increase the lead to
89-79. After a 3-point shot by
Chris Elliott of St. Augustine's,
Broadnax scored on another
layup to extend the Rams' lead
to 91-82 with 1:38 to play and
that sealed the Rams' win.
The victory improved the
Rams record to 9-10 overall
and 3-5 in the CIAA'S South
ern Division with two key
home battles approaching.
WSSU takes on North Carolina
Central tonight (Feb. 6) at Joel
Coliseum and Livingstone on
Saturday at the Gaines Center.
Hanger's team hasn't beat
en NCCU since he took over as
the Rams' coach, but he thinks
WSSU has a chance to knock
off the Eagles. NCCU current
ly sits atop the Southern Divi
sion standings.
"They're a good basketball
team and we've got to play well
to beat them," Hanger said.
"We've got to get out on their
shooters. We've got to know
where they are."
s ? ? ' L
1997 WINSTON LAKE LAKERS AAU TRYOUTS
The Winston Lake Lakers is one of the largest AAU Programs in North Carolina and is recognized
nationally for their success. The Lakers offer quality coaching and provide fundimental instruction at
the highest level.
Players need to bring a copy of their Birth Certificate and a copy of their last grade report
from school.
IWia DATE uMATM I a6e Itimes I date location I age 1 I
2:09-3:30 Feb. 9 YMCA 11 under 6:00-7:30 Mar. 3 YMCA 15 under
4:30-6:00 Feb. 8 YMCA 12 under 3:00-5 00 Mar. 3 YMCA 16 under
839*00 Feb. 9 YMCA 12 under 10-12 00 Mar. 8 YMCA 17 under
5:30-7:00 Feb. 16 YMCA 13 under 10-12:00 Mar. 15 YMCA 17 under
4:306:00 Feb. 22 YMCA 13 under 3:00-5:00 Mar. 15 YMCA 19 under
6:00-8:00 Feb. 24 'ATKINS 14 under 10-11:30 Mar 22 YMCA 19 under
6:00-8:00 Feb. 26 "ATKINS 14 under
"Atkins Middle School
MOTTO: "SERVING THE STUDENT ATHLETE
The Lakers are the Host of the 13-under AAU Boys State Regional Pool Tournament held April 4-6
and the 14-under AAU Boys State Regional Pool Tournament held April 11-13.
LOCATION: Winston Lake Family YMCA, 910 Water Works Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
TELEPHONE: (910) 724-9205 . ?
Why Let YourUDredit
Be THE REA^N Not
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HW1C1I^1 NETWORK
800 West Fourth Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(910) 722-4191 ? 1-800-842-9242
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