the Chronicle
SPORTSWEEKI^n^
Winston-Salem Greensboro Higfl Point
iiction B December 11, 1997
Rams finish more
important than start
The 6-2 start by Winston-Salem State doesn't look nearly
as impressive as the 8-0 record compiled at the beginning of
the 1996-97 season.
But when you consider the quality of competition and the
way the team has played, it might me a better omen for the
team's chances in the CIAA regular season race.
The Rams squared off with arch-rival North Carolina
A&T last night in what used to be a battle for bragging
rights. That game was nlaved after
The Chronicle's press deadline.
The outcome of that game could
figure into the equation, but regard
less of who wins the Rams appear to
be in position to contend in the
CIAA's Western Division tfrTS*sea
son. WSSU has shown that it can
compete with any team on its sched
ule. The Rams have been in position
to win each of their games this sea
son, but several deficiencies have
cost them at critical times.
But given the fact that this team
hasn't been playing together that is a
positive. Given time, it looks like the
team will be able to correct its ills.
That's what Coach Sam Hanger
believes. "We're 6-2 and I'm happy
to be 6-2," Hanger said. "But we
could be 8-0. Our missed free throws
hurt us in both losses."
The Rams two losses came at the hands of Virginia
Union and Washburn Univ. In both games WSSU had the
lead going down the stretch.
"We lost to Union in the last 35 seconds and then we lost
to Washburn in the last 14 seconds," Hanger said."
In addition to their poor free throw shooting, the Rams
have struggled to get rebounds in key situations. Last season,
with Darryl Hardy leading the way, the Rams led the CIAA
by out rebounding their opponents by an average of eight
rebounds per game. That hasn't been the case this time
around.
See RAMS on B3
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Haggins' 21 help Carver
hold off Mount Tabor
A Sophomore forward gets 14 in second
half to fuel Yellow jackets' comeback
By SAM DAVI^
The ChkoNIcU Sports hditor
Keegan Haggins scored 21
points jo lead Carver to a come
from-behind 64-56 victory in
Coach Ricky Holt's home debut
last Friday night.
Haggins' inside play helped the
Yellowjackets fight back from a
i 30-24 halftime deficit. Rashad
Davis also came through with six
points and some big rebounds in
the critical fourth quarter.
Haggins' and Davis helped
Carver nullify Mount Tabor's
inside strength. The Spartans
started a front line that consisted
of 6-6 Sam Lekwauwa, 6-5 Curtis
Moncus and 6-4 Craig Clark.
Lekwauwa scored 11 points before
fouling out of the game with 4:24
remaining.
Holt said the key to the game
was his team's defense. The
Yellowjackets went to full-court
pressure to mount their comeback
effort.
"Defensively we did a good job
in the second half," Holt said. "We
had to stretch our defense. At one
time the was a little race-horse, but
that favored us.
"We went to a 1-3-1 trap and on
our little floor that plays to our
advantage," Holt said.
Mount Tabor had the upper
hand in the first quarter, jumping
out to a 13-10 lead. The Spartans
stretched their advantage to 30-24
at the break on the strength of
their inside game.
But Carver came out with pres
sure in the second half and that
speeded up the tempo of the game."'
It also caused the Spartans to turn
the basketball over and allow
Carver to rally and take the lead.
Ryan Braham's 3-pointer with
seven seconds remaining in the
See HAGGINS on R3
Grambling turns its
reigns over to Williams
A Former Grambling, NFL standout
accepts job occupied by legendary coach
Doug Williams, a for
mer standout at
Grambling and a
former NFL quarterback was
named to replace his leg
endary coach.
Williams, who led the
Tigers team to the Black
College National
Championship under Coach
Eddie Robinson, accepted the
position late last week.
Robinson, college foot
ball's all-time winningest
coach stepped down from the
head post at Grambling fol
lowing his team's loss to
Southern in the Bayou Classic
on Nov. 28. Robinson
announced his resignation
prior to the start of the 1997
season. However, his replace
ment wasn't announced until
after the Tigers had completed
their season.
Williams, a former first-round pick of the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, led the Washington Redskins to the Super Bowl
championship in 1988. During that game, he set records for
pacing yardage. Williams has served in several coaching
positions since retiring from professional football. His most
recent position was as the head football coach at
Morehouse College in Atlanta. He led his team to a 3-8 sea
son in his first year at the helm.
Williams was sought out by Grambling because of his
name appeal and that might be advantageous to the pro
gram in the recruiting process. But Robert Piper, Grambling "
athletics director said Robinson was hired because of his
ability to coach.
"It's OK to be famous," Piper said. "But we were look
ing for a football coach first and foremost."
Robinson said he was happy to have one of his own
replace him. He said Williams' performance in the Super
Bowl was a highlight in his career.
"This man gave me the greatest moment that I've ever
received in football," Robinson said. "The great thrill was
when he crawled up and limped over and came back with
tlraffiO-yard bomb. It was the high point of what we had all
forked for."
, Williams said he looked forward to getting out on the
limiting trails and replenishing the stock of Grambling
football players.
"I will tell recruits that if they are looking for a degree,
they can get it here," Williams said. "I'll tell them that if
they're looking to play in the NFL, they can do that from
here. I'll tell them that we can do as much as any school in
tfrccountry and they can learn to survive in the world when
t^iey-leave here."
Williams said being a Grambling alumnus will help him
in the process of rebuilding the program.
. "When I came here I didn't have the best bed, I didn't
have the best
field, I didn't have the best of anything" Williams said. "I
did so much with so little that I learned I can do almost any
See DOUG on M
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I didn't have the best of
anything ... I did so
much with so little that I
learned I can do almost
anything with almost
nothing."
Doug Williams
Brown leads North Forsvth JV sirls to win
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle Sports Editor
The end result wasn't exactly
what Coach Dawn Walton hoped
it would be when her Parkland
jayvee team played host to North
Forsyth. Biit it was a far cry from
the previous outirig.
Parkland, coming off a
blowout in its season opener,.,
dropped the game to North
Forsyth by a 38-25 score. That
scored was much better than the
60-point loss the team sustained
its in its first game.
"That was a big turnaround
for us," Walton said. "I think
they're coming together and play
ing better every day."
Walton inherited a team that
returned only one player from last
season.
"Some of our girls were really
nervous," Walton said. "But now
they're starting to settle down and
play. We have a lot of ninth
graders. I'm still trying to find out
what some of them can do."
The Mustangs fell behind by
an 18-4 score in the first quarter.
Parkland was scoreless in the sec
ond quarter and North increased
its lead to 20-4 at the half.
Parkland got untracked in the
third quarter, scoring nine points,
bforth ateo scored nine points and
led 29-13 at the end of the period.
Parkland continued to play well in
the fourth quarter, outscoring
North 13-8 to cut the margin to
38-25 at the final margin.
Martise Brown led the way for
North with a game-high 22
points. Coach John Murphy said
his team played much better than
it did in its season-opening loss to
Reynolds.
"Today was a big improve
ment," Murphy said. "We're a
very young team, with 13 fresh
men and two sophomores. I think
we are getting better with experi
ence.
"We have to look to Martise to
score points," Murphy said.
See BROWN on 16
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Athletics, academics
remain balanced on
Otis Attucks' scale
By VINCE WOODY
The Chronicle Sports Intern 1
For many athletes, athletics is the key that
unlocks the door to a professional career in
sports.
For Otis Attucks, Winston-Salem. State's
senior point guard, athletics is the key that
unlocks the door to academic opportunity.
And it is one that seemed highly unlikely.
Attucks has had to overcome much adversity to
put himself in a position to succeed, both on and
off the basketball court.
Growing up in Piedmont Circle, one of
Winston-Salem's public housing developments,
Attucks had his share of opportunities to do the
wrong thing. But participation in a variety of
athletics and stern parental guidance kept
Attucks from being a part of that negativity.
"In the beginning athletics was a way for me to
stay out of trouble in my neighborhood," Attucks
says. "I always played some type of sport so I did
n't have time to get in trouble."
Basketball was the first sport Attucks played.
He was introduced to the sport around the age of
12 by his friends James and Tyrone Leach.
"We went into sports together," Attucks says.
"Tyrone was always very good in all sports. That
was how it started, we all just kept playing
together."
From his humble beginning at age 12 to the
present, Attucks has been a team leader and a
leader by example.
At Carver High School, he quietly led the
Yellowjackets to a conference basketball champi
onship and earned all-conference honors. He also
excelled in the classroom and was on the honor
roll throughout his career there.
His exploits have continued since being on the
national honor society in high school.
Since coming to WSSU, he has emerged as one
of the CIAA's most thorough point guards and
his teammates say he doesn't get the respect he
deserves.
Attucks has a consistent jumper and can take
his man to the whole. He's good at keeping his
defender in front of him and agitating the defend
er. He would like to perfect his jump shot to a
greater extent and hone his leadership skills.
"My role as team leader is just trying to keep
everybody focused, basically I'm like a coach on
the court," Attucks says.
He is well respected by his teammates.
"Otis Attucks is like the energizer bunny," says
Wesley Linzy, one of his teammates. "When the
rest of the team is tired he just keeps going and
going and going. Last year he played like 38 or 40
minutes of the CIAA tournament in both games,
and he's just an outstanding person. I think
everybody on the team should strive for his ath
leticism." "He's a steady point guard, he has min
imized turnovers and he gets the ball to people
who have the hot hand," says center Thad Young.
Although athletics plays a strong role in
Attucks college career, his greater goal is a career
in the field of microbiology.
Attucks is a consistent Dean's list student who
is carrying a 3.0 in biology, one of WSSU's
toughest fields.
He is a member of Project Strengthen and
works extensively in the Biology Department.
"Project Strengthen has really helped me a lot
as far as a graduate program," he says. "They
bring in professors to talk and give information
on how to get in professional schools. We have
workshops on what we have to do to get in our
fields."
Although most of his attention is focused on
finishing up strong academically at WSSU and
trying to lead the Rams to a CIAA champi
onship. Attucks has his long term sights on other
things.
Attucks has been looking at N.C. State, John
Hopkins University, Howard, UNC-Chapel Hill,
and Wake Forest as potential vehicles to further
his education. His main interest is in John
Hopkins University's medical program.
"I remember always being amazed by science
and loving it," he says. "In ten years I see myself
graduating with a degree in microbiology and
becoming a doctor."
He carries with him a burning desire to be suc
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