LaShanta Johnson
Mary Laxmnby
Glenn girls eager to continue success
i
Bj SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle Sports Editor
? 1 ?.
#
Glenn began this season as the
favorite to capture the Piedmont
Triad 3-A Conference champi
onship.
But the Bobcats ran into a little
pre-season turbulence, falling to
surprising Reynolds in the semifi
nals of the Mary Garber Classic
last week.
Still, Glenn appears to be in
good shape. The Bobcats bounced
back from their loss to the
Demons to capture third place in
the tournament by defeating
North Forsyth to start the year
with a 2-1 record.
That's a better start than the
young Bobcats had in 1996-97
when they started slow and fin
ished strong, compiling a 20-9
record.
The two top players off last
year's squad are back this season
and with the addition of several
new players and the maturing of
others who were on the roster a
year ago, the prognosis for Coach
Marty Stanley's team is excellent.
"We've got the talent, I don't
know if we have the character and
heart yet, still being young, but
this team is talented enough to go
as far as it wants.
The Bobcats reaped the bene
fits of an excellent group of
underclassmen last year.
Competing for the first time in
high school, freshman forward
LaShanta Johnson led the team in
scoring with a 17-point average,
pulled down 8.6 rebounds and had
2.9 steals per game en route to
being named to the All-Northwest
team. With a year's experience
under her belt, Johnson will be
counted upon to step up her game
a notch.
So will point guard Tasha
Harris. Last season she averaged
12.5 points, 3.4 steals and 3.0
assists per game. She also estab
lished a school record with 35 3
point field goals.
Mary Lazenby, a 6-2 sopho
more, is is expected to be a threat
in the middle. Lazenby saw some
action last season in a reserve role,
but will be thrust into the starting
lineup this season.
Deidre Rifie will also move
into the starting lineup and
Stanley expects the senior to help
solidify the unit.
"1 think we're going to be
okay," Stanley said. "I think we'll
be better offensively for the the
simple fact that we have some peo
ple who can score. But our big
question mark is defense. The key
is playing defense."
Glenn High
Dec. - 2) West Forsyth; 5) @
Reynolds; 9) North Forsyth; 12)
East Forsyth; 19) @ East Forsyth;
26-27) South Stokes
Tourn.(G);26-29) Spencer Classic
(B);
Jan. - 2) Central Davidson(G);
6) @ Carver; 9) @ Dudley; 13)
Western Guilford; 14) @ North
Forsyth; 16) @ Smith; 20)
Parkland; 27) @ Southwest
Guilford; 30) Carver;
Feb. - 3) Dudley; 6) @ Western
Guilford; Smith; 13) @ Parkland;
20)Southwest Guilford; Feb. 23
28) Piedmont Triad 3-A Tourn. @
Dudley;
Mar 2-7) NCHSAA
Sectionals; Mar. 10-14) NCHSAA
Regionals
Admission $ 4.00
Boys(B) Girls(G)
7:30 6:00
Torita Allmn of Koynold* tquarot up for a jumpor in tho championship gamo of tho Mary
Oarbor Clot tit. Tho Domont' upitf Mount Tabor to oarn thior firtt tournmont c hampointhip.
Dudley looking for another banner year
? Young Greensboro Smith boys' hoping to bounce
back after dismal 5-18 finish in '96-97 season
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle Soortt Editor
Last season Greensboro Dudley
and Greensboro Smith were pro
grams headed in opposite direc
tions.
One year removed from a berth
in the state championship game, the
Smith Golden Eagles bumbled and
stumbled en route to a 5-18 record
and a sub^.500 finish in the Metro
4-A Conference.
Meanwhile, Dudley was on its
way to a 23-3 overall record and
Metro championship. That team
sent three players to Division I pro
grams. including Brendan
Haywood who is currently a mem
ber of North Carolina's team.
Coach David Price is hoping
Dudley can continue its success this
season, with the return of several
key players from a year ago. They
include Braxton Williams, who led
the team in scoring last season with ,
16 points per game. But Williams |
has not had an opportunity to show
his wares on the hardwood thus far.
The 6-3 senior has been the top
rusher on the Panthers' football
team, which has advanced to the
semifinal round of the State 3-A
playoffs and is one game away from
a berth in the championship game.
Another important returnee is 6
9 Jermaine Peebles Peebles' height
will be needed to compensate for
the loss of Haywood's inside scor
ing ahd rebounding. Peebles aver
aged 11 points and seven rebounds
for the Panthers last season.
Even though the losses were
great. Price said the outlook is good
for the Panthers.
"We won't be the same team as
last year, but we could be very
good," Price said. "The key is that
we'll have to have some young kids
step up. but I've been pleased with
what I've seen so far."
Price will look to several new
comers to help fill the void caused
by the losses they sustained.
They include Jeremy Warren,
Mentrel Abney and Chris
Ferguson. Warren (6-4) and
Ferguson (6-7) will be asked to sup
ply firepower in the backcourt,
while Abney (6-5) will provide
depth in the backcourt.
Smith has four starters returning
and that should bode well for the
Golden Eagles as they attempt to
bounce back from their lackluster
finish.
Lamarvis Mitchell, a senior
point guard, heads the list of
returning players. Another vital cog
will be 6-3 forward Stewart
Mitchell. Junior guard Jamie
Cotton is the team's most athletic
player and should add speed and
quickness.
The spectrum between the two
former Metro neighbors shouldn't
be as broad this season. Dudley will
be hard pressed to match its 23-3
mark and Smith figures to finish
above its 5-18 mark of last season.
Butlers preparing to serve up top seasoif
? Senior point guard ready for business after signing with ASU ? j
i *
Jonathan Butlor
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle Sports Editor
The suspense about where
he'll play on the collegiate level
has been removed for Jonathan
Butler of North Forsyth.
Butler, a four-year starter at
guard for the Vikings, Butler
decided to sign a basketball grant
with Appalachian State during
the early signing period.
Now, Butler says all there is to
concentrate on is finishing up his
senior season with the Vikings.
"I wanted to get it over with,"
says Butler, who plays for his dad
Sonny Butler at North. "I didn't
want to wait until after the sea
son. I wanted to go to a good
school, someplace where I felt
comfortable and somewhere
where I felt I could play."
The business of the 1997-98
basketball season occupies
Butler's mind now. After a strong
finish, that ended with a second
round finish in the State 4-A
playoffs last season, the Vikings
are looking for bigger and better
things this time around.
"I think we can really do
something this season," he says.
"We feel that this is our year."
It very well could be in the
Metro 4-A Conference.
Greensboro Dudley, last year's
champion, is no longer in the 3-A
ranks or the conference.
Newcomers Northwest Guilford
and Southeast Guilford don't
appear to have the horses to com
pete in the league on a consisted S
basis. B
Butler, who averaged I fc
points last season, isn't the onl ;r
experienced player coming bac B
to the North lineup. Backcoui S
mate Eric Jones has starte 5
alongside Butler the last two seapP
sons. Steven Epps, who played *2
backup role in the back court i&?
also returning.
Inside, the Vikings look to Ji>C ,
Crompton, Shawn Shore. Adam j
Fox and D.J. Norman to provide "
the experience. Angelo Crowed,
who led the junior varsity in scor
ing and rebounding will have to
step up as well. *
Jason Carter, a 6-5 transfer^
from Texas should also help at*
several positions. Carter has
worked at the No. 3.4 and 5 posr-^
tions. J '
"We have some players who*
can get the job done." Butler
said. "This is probably the best
team I've been on since I've been "
here. We expect to go pretty far I
this season."
The Vikings began the season
with an impressive victory over
Mount Tabor. That win could h
serve as a springboard for the *
Vikings' season."
T)
Craig Clark
Anthony Mooro
Talented front court key to Spartans season 3
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle Sports Editor
Mount Tabor was a surprise
team, of sorts, last season when it
rolled to an 18-9 overall record -
and 7-5 record in the Central
Piedmont 4-A Conference.
This season the Spartans will
be more of a proven commodity
under third-year Coach Andy
Muse. Mount Tabor returns three
players who started at one point
during the 1997-98 season.
The Spartans' front court
might be the strength of the
team. Although they lost 6-8
Derrick Singleton, they return
two power players.
Sam Lekwauwa. a 6-6 wing
player, is drawing recruiting
interest from several Division I
programs.
Craig Clark, a 6-4 senior, is
the team's leading returning scor
er. Clark averaged 13.2 points per
game last season.
The other top returner is 6-2
swing man Perez Wardlow,
another senior. Wardlow can play
either the off-guard or small for
ward slot. He is the most athletic
of the players on the team.
Brian Gaither, a 6-2 junior,
came up from the jayvee team
last season and played in a lot of
quality minutes for the Spartans.
The Spartans will also be bol
stered by the addition of
Anthony Moore, a 6-5 junior.
Moore averaged 18 points and 11
rebounds per game on the junior
varsity last season and was
named The Chronicle's Player of
the Year.
If there is a question mark on
the Mount Tabor roster it is in
the backcourt, where the
Spartans lost Jimmy Caldwell
and Aaron Bailey. The success of
the Mount Tabor program could
very well rest on how well the
Spartans develop their backcourt
players.
Gaither and Wardlow will be
both be asked to shoulder much
of the responsibility at guard
until several youngsters develop.
MT. Tabor High Basketball
Schedule (Varsity)
Dec.2; @ Parkland) Dec.5; @
Carver) Dec.9; East) Dec. 10;
MT. Airy) Dec. 12; @ North)
Dec. 19; Parkland) Dec.26-30;
Frank Spencer Classic);
Jan.5; Smith) Jan.7; @ East)
Jan.9; @ MT.Airy) Jan. 16; South
Rowan) Jan.20; @ Reynolds)
Jan.23; @ South Stokes) Jan.27;
@ Davie^Co.) Jan.30; West);
Feb.3; @ South Rowan) Feb.6;
Reynolds) Feb. 10; South Stokes)
Feb.. 13; @ West) Feb. 17; Davie
Co.) Feb. 23-28; Conference.
Tour.);
Mar.2-7; State Sectional
Tournament) Mar.9-14; State
. 1
Regional Tournament) Mar.2l.},~)
State Finals
Girls Games 6:00 , k
Boys Games 7:30
- -4.
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