Bobcats hitting stride as Lash/Chronicle Tourney begins;
By Sam Davit
Thi Chmmku. Soom Edaoc
After being away from high
school sports for nearly 20 years,
Robert Pulton got an early bap
tism when he took on the head
coaching position for Glenn's
junior varsity team.
Fulton, who had served as a
collegiate baseball coach for 13
years at Guilford College, saw his
team drop its first three games of
the season. But since then the team
has rallied to post two wins and
will bring a 2-3 record into the
Lash/Chronicle Tournament.
"We're certainly happy to have
a couple of wins going into the
tournament," Fulton says. "We're
in a tough bracket and the kids had
ahouit <A davc off <tin?- our layl .
The Bobcats will square off
against a North Forsyth team that
Olann Junior Vartify
defeated them by 14 points in their
Jirat encounter The oUh*.
Forsyth winner.
"North Forsyth has-a very
good team and Reynolds has to be
thy he*! teams, in. thjr city
I he key for the Bobcats will be
getting production from their
entire team, according to Fulton
"We play a lot of kids." Fulton
says. "We have 10 to 12 kids that
play regularly The team that plays
good defensc'is going to do well in
the tournament " ,
The Bobcats have two groups
of players who .play nearly an
equal amount of time. The offen
sive leaders thus far have been
Charles Sanders, Steve Nivens and
Mike Davis.
Davis and Sanders average IS
points each per game each. Nivens
isn't far back with a 12-point aver- *
age. Davis provides a good inside
outside threat, Sanders is a slasher
and Nivens is a consistent 3-point
threat.
Rayvon Squires, Delyin
Williams and Jeremy Wilkcrson
f ffaT Trio"a vefagbsr'i $rri TftfPwrantF *?
six rebounds per game, respectivc
.
ly- v ?
David C'oplin and A.J. CopJin
are the team's floor leaders.
Neither do much scoring, but lend
stability to the team.
Fulton. who served as an assis
tant to Coach Dion Shuler at
North Forsyth from 1974-78, has
n't seen a game in the
Lash/Chronicle Tournament, byit
says he realizes that it is a big tour
nament for his team.
"I went over to the breakfast
and the sponsors do a real go<)d
job." he says "I have talked with a
couple of the coaches around the
crty and they take this tournamebt
seriously." he says."
Making a strong showing in the
tournament is also important
because it marks the beginning 61
an important stretch of games l^r
the Bobcats. Following their p;?r
ticipation in the tournament the
team begins its conference seas<Jn
on Jan 6 against Carver.
?
Upstart Spartans rolling along after slow start
By Sam Davis
The Cheeonkle Sports Editor '
Admittedly,>^iount Tabor's junior varsity
team got off to a slow start.
Much of it had to do with the fact that the
school's football team participated in the State
4-A playoffs.
The lone two losses on the Spartans' slate
have come at the hands of North Forsyth. The
first came in the opener and the second in the
team's most recent game before the Christmas
holiday break.
In between were five consecutive victories.
CoacH*" Dennis Ring says his team's 5-2
record isn't bad, considering its youth.
"We don't have any players back from last
year's team," Ring says. "We have four or five
from the ninth grade team and that's really
helped us. We have a of players that are learn
ing the plays."
The key to the team's success thus far has
been based on the leadership of four sopho
mores who played on the ninth grade team last
year.
The quartet, Jon Land, Joel Justus, Sidney
Minter and Derrick Webster, have set a good
example for the team's younger players.
Either band, Justus or Minter has led the
team in scoring in each of its games thus far.
All three come into the tournament with 15
point plus scoring averages.
Ring has mixed in a few newcomers to make
the team strong. Anthony Scott, a 6-1 fresh
man, has stepped in and given the team a solid
inside scorer. He has also provided a strong
j>rpsence on the backboards with his rebound
ing.
Aaron Salley adds a dimension to the team
Mount Tabor Junior Vanity
that is often overlooked by outsiders, but not by
Ring. He has the defensive skills to shut down
the opponents top scorer.
"Aaron Is really the key out there," Ring
said. "He doesn't score many points, but he's a
key piece to the puzzle. He's not a zone-type
player. But when the game becomes man-to
man, he's a factor even if he doesn't score one
point. When he's in the game someone's going
to have a tough time scoring points."
Last year, the Spartans lost to Carver in the
semifinals and defeated West Forsyth to cap
ture third place. The Spartans, who captured
the Central Piedmont 4-A championship and
posted a 20-3 overall mark, open up this year's
tournament with a matchup against conference
rival West Forsyth at 2:30 pn Friday (Jan. 2).
The winner of that game will face the
Carver-Parkland winner in the semifinal round.
REYNOLDS ,
from page B1
all of Reynolds'games have been
decided by seven points or less.
"Every game that we've played
in has been decided in the last five
minutes," King says. "The key for
us is we've made our free throws
and we've Been able to take good
shots. Those games could have
gone either way, but so far we've
been the team that's come out on
top."
The Demons have been led by
Teddy Petree, a 6-3 freshman,
Petree, the team's pivotman, is
averaging 20 points per game.
"Teddy is just so 'much more
stronger and physical than the kids
he's playing against," King says.
"He's a very mature player." ?"
. Derrele Mitchell is the team's
second-leading scorer. Mitchell, a
6-2, freshman guard is averaging
10 points per game. He had his
best outing of the seasqn against
Grimsley when he poured in 21 to
lead the Demons.
" * "He's the one I thought would
be a big-time scorer," Kings says.
"He hadn't shot the ball well until
we played Grimsley. but he has
makeup to be a big-time scorer. 1
hope he has confidence now and
that will carry over.
"Hopefully he can step up and
take some of burden off Teddy,"
King adds. "We need him to score
points for us. He's also a good
rebounder because he has long
M ? "
arms. .. ?
; Complimenting Petrte on the
inside are two players with similar
ability. Michael Brinkley, a 6-1,
^_
TOURNAMENT
Jrom page Bl
round.
Glenn finds itself in a similar
situation. The Bobcats have two
wins on their slate after knocking
off East Forsyth twice before the
break. They also have a first-year
coach in Robert Fulton, who will
also be in his first Lash/Chronicle
Tournament. The Bobcats play a
number of people and that could
play to their advantage in the tour
nament.
Parkland has had a tough slate
thus far, but Coach Toney Barnes
freshman and Trent McChessney,
a 6-1 sophomore.
Both players came out late after
helping the Reynolds varsity soc
cer team advance far into the state
playoffs.
"Trent is probably the most
steady player that I have," King .
says. "He doesn't do anything fan
tastic. But he can do a lot of things
very well. He takes the ball out of
bounds and guards the other
team's best offensive player."
Brinkley is also a very cerebral
player. ThcJreshman post player is
a straight A student.
"He's very unselfish," King
says. "Started slow, but he's been
coming on lately. He's not as much
of a ball-handler as Trent, but he's ;
very solid. He doesn't care whether .
he scores or not."
At the point, Kennard
Plummer and Mike Russell share '
the responsibility of running the
team. Plummer's biggest asset is
his quickness. 'y
"He has done a'good job,"
King says. "He's left-handed and
that gives him an advantage
against most defenders. His
responsibility is to get everyone in
the right position and get the ball
to the scorers."
Russell, on the' other hand, is
more of an offensive threat. The 5
9 freshman can valso play on the
wing where he gives the team a
solit 3-point threat.
"Mike knows how to score,"
King says. "He has that mentality.
With him coming in, it gives you
twov types of players at the point." i
As a whole, the team has a
strong bench. King isri't afraid to i
thinks the Mustangs will rise to the
occasion. Last year Barnes led the
Mustangs' ninth-grade team to a
championship. He has nearly the
same group that he guided a year
ago.
The ninth-grade bracket has
undergone some changes since
the pairings were announced.
Parkland, the defending champi
on, will not participate in the i
tournament. As of press time.
South Rowan had agreed to step
in and play Greensboro Smith in !
the opening round. That leaves ;
rivals Reynolds and Mount Tabor
to battle in the other semifinal.
go to it when needed. But the key
to the team's chances in the tour
nament is scoring points.
"{tight now we're only averag
ing about 58 points," King says.
"In the past we've averaged about
75 points."
When he looks at the rest 'of the
field. King says any of the eight
teams entered could walk away
with the championship.
"I think there are several team
that have a chance to win," he says.
"Whoever you're playing against
ist not going to be easy."
The Demons open the tourna
ment with a battle against East
- 1
Forsyth. The Eagles picked up
their first victory of the season
when they defeated Carver in their
last game (Dec. 19).
"I don't knQW muth about
East, but they beat Carver in their
last game out," King says. "I'm
sure that will give theni confi- .
dence."
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