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Instant
Classic
Aggies agree to battle
Jaguars in Las Vegas
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The chancellors at N.C.
A&T State University and
Southern University have offi
cially accepted the invitation
for their teams to battle in the
2003 Las Vegas Football Clas
sic. The game is scheduled to
be played on Sept. 13 at Uni
versity of
Nevada
L a s
Vegas
Sam
Boyd
Stadium.
"We
are excit
ed about
this
tremen
d o u s
opportunity to draw exposure to
Southern University in the
Western United States, and I am
strongly encouraging everyone
to make plans to attend the
2003 Las Vegas Football Clas
sic," Southern University
Chancellor Dr. Edward Jackson
said in a recent letter to South
ern University fans.
A&T Chancellor Dr. James
Renick added: "We can assure
you that the entire city of Las
Vegas, its businesses and com
munity leaders are solidly
behind making this an exciting
and well-run classic."
N.C. A&T and Southern
University have met four times
on the gridiron and the record
stands at two wins apiece. A&T
wop the first meeting in 1942.
Southern won the 1970 and
1971 matchups. The Aggies
won the last meeting, in the
1994 Heritage Bowl. 22-21.
The Las Vegas Football
Classic is a football classic for
See las Vegas on B3
Renick
Local boxers upset in Kernersville
Edwards, Gibson
and Sales lose
controversial bouts
BY ANTHONY HILL
! THE CHRONICLE
Three of the area's up-and
coming amateur boxers went
down in controversial bouts at
the Sportsplex in Kernersville
on Saturday.
The younger brother of light
heavyweight contender Derek
Edwards, Jeffrey Edwards, and
Kernersville slugger Tommy
Gibson were disqualified in their
fights, while Jason Sales lost in a
close battle to Wilson's Rodney
Green.
Both Edwards and Gibson
seemed to have their opponents
under the wraps for the most
part, but both were disqualified
due to ring violations. Edwards
lost to Thomas Biggs of Ft.
Bragg, while Gibson dropped a
match to Wilmington's William
Brown.
"I know that I won,
Edwards said while pacing after
the match. "When we were on
the ropes and I hit him with a
hook, that knocked him down.
That was" not a slip. Plus, they
cheated me when they said I was
hitting him with low blows. I
was hitting him in his abs (stom
ach). I know he felt it. I was
killing him with straight, right
hands to the body. I wasn't frus
trated. I was just trying to stay
focused, use my jab, and set him
up with my right hook."
Edwards seems focused on
taking out his loss on his next
opponent.
"Definitely." Edwards said.
"My next opponent is gonna feel
it. That's my word."
Gibson was disqualified for
hitting Brown in the back of the
head too many times. Gibson
didn't realize why he was dis
qualified after the fight.
"I really don't know what I
was doing," Gibson said. "I
guess, because I'm taller. I was
trying to hook around him. 1 did
n't think I was doing that. I like
fighting people who are taller
than me. I didn't see how I was
holding behind the head at all.
But I got disqualified somehow.
That's the first for me."
The main event of the night
was between Winston-Salem's
0
Jason Sales and Rodney Green
of Wilson. The two got together
for the second time. Green won
by a decision the first time the
two met.
"1 fought this man once
already, and he won by deci
sion," Sales said. "I felt like 1
was in better condition this
time."
Sales is a very determined
fighter who gained interest in the
sport after watching "Tough
Man" on television.
"1 watched 'Tough Man' one
time." Sales said. "After 1 saw
that I wanted to box. I started in
Wilkesboro. I came down here
tg get tougher. This is my second
year here (14th Street), and
things are going well. It takes a
lot of heart to be a boxer. It also
takes some conditioning to box.
I used to play football, and it
never got me into this kind of,
condition."
Sales began the fight with an
attack that seemed to take Green
by surprise. He was ducking and
dodging while connecting with
left and right hooks.
"I knew that he would come
See Boxing on B3
> Photo by Bruce Chapman
Winston-Salem boxer Jason Sales smashes a left hook to the face of Wilson's Rodney Green at Kernersville Sportsplex.
Kobe will be topic for a while
FROM THE
HUDDLE
Anthony
Hill
*
Just like all great stories in
sports, stories of great tragedy
are never ending. And that is
exactly what we have in the
story of Lakers star Kobe
Bryant and the trouble he's
found himself in.
Mark Hurlbert. district attor
ney of Eagle County, Colo.,
announced that Kobe Bryant
was charged with the sexual
assault ora 19-year-old woman.
Man. Kobe was letting all of his
emotions out during the news
conference too. Anyone with a
heart would've believed his
remarks of love for his wife and
the shame of his actions.
There's no doubt in most of
our minds that Kobe is innocent
and this girl is lying. Or is she?
Well, you have to admit that
when you first heard that some
woman had accused Kobe of
sexual assault, your first
thought was' obviously that this
must be some gold digger, try
ing to get in his pockets. After
all, we all know Kobe, and this
is totally out of character for
him. Isn't it?
I mean, come on now. These
have to be false accusations
about Kobe. We can't lose him
to this. There's only a handful
of wholesome, black athletes
out there, with no strikes against
them: Ray Allen, Emmitt Smith.
Tracy McGrady and, of course.
Tiger Woods.
The truth of the matter is no
matter how much we want to
believe Kobe didn't do any
thing. few of us REALLY know
the man. I've watched hundreds
of his games, commercials and
countless news conferences. I
also know that he has a lot of
Michael Jordan's mannerisms.
He speaks Italian and has a
beautiful wife. Oh yeah, and I
also know that he cheated on
her too. But I'll be the first to
tell you that I don't know the
man for real.
None of us knows Kobe's
sexual habits or how mad he can
get behind closed doors. None
of us knows what he's capable
of when no one is around. Heck,
most of us don't even really
know the people we work with
and around every day. Look
around your office or work sta
tion. What do you really know
about the people you come in
contact with every day? -Proba
bly, very little. There's no doubt
that all of us will find out more
about Bryant than we need to
know after all this court stuff
begins.
Oh yeah, I've already heard
reports that Kobe may not have
used a condom whilf* having
sex With the young girl. Well,
how else could investigators
have gotten DNA? Wow, how
stupid can you be. Kobe? First,
to cheat on your beautiful wife
months after having a baby girl.
Then, not bothering to put a
jimmie hat on.
Now. I don't think Kobe is
guilty of assaulting the girl. 1
have no idea what really hap
pened on that June night in Col
orado. But I do know that Kobe
made some really questionable
decisions. And ever since the
news of Bryant's arrest broke
two weeks ago. we've all been
searching for reasons to dis
credit this 19-year-old girl. So
far, it's been looking pretty bad
for her. Let's see. she tried out
for "American Idol." so she
must want to be famous. She
voluntarily walked to Kobe's
room, so she evidently wanted
something. And on top of all
that, she allegedly overdosed on
drugs a couple of months ago.
so she's unreliable and an
apparent drug user. And I'm
sure we're going to find out a
lot more about her and her fam
ily when the case begins next
month. Man. her life will never
be the same. She'll always be
the woman who pressed charges
against Kobe. And what if she
loses the case? Then she'll be
the chick that lied about Kobe.
I'm sorry. It's just hard for
me to believe that Kobe would
have to sexually assault any
woman. How many women
does he have to force himself
upon? Well, there probably
aren't many. She better make
her side of the story known
before her name gets dragged in
more mud puddles than she can
See Hill on B3
Photo b> Aurelia Ventura/ La Opinion
Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant declares his innocence during a news conference at the
Staples Center as his v/ife, Vanessa, looks on.
Football championship
game returns to Durham
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The CIAA Football Champi
onship Game will return to
Durham and N.C. Central Uni
versity. The game is scheduled
for Nov. 15. the Central Inter
collegiate Athletic Association
announced on July 16.
"We're excited about the
championship game returning to
Durham and North Carolina
Central University in Novem
ber." CIAA Commissioner Leon
Kerry said. "With the outstand
ing support the citizens of the
Triangle have given the CIAA.
we are looking forward to
another exciting and successful
championship game."
The championship game
was played at N.C. Central's
O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in
2000. when the event was resur
rected after a 10-year hiatus.
This will be the Tblirth time
since 1990 that the CIAA will
match the eastern and western
division champions Jo decide
the championship on the field.
"North Carolina Central
University is pleased to have the
opportu
nity to
show
case our
outstand
ing insti
tution by
serving
as host
of the
2 0 0 3 ^t
C I A A'
Football
Championship Game, said
NCCU Chancellor James H.
Ammons. "NCCU is looking
forward to welcoming the CIAA
and its fans to our campus and
the city of Durharp. As proud
S.5CIAA on B3
Kerry
Winston-Salem State adds
new coach to football staff
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Gilbert Wiggins has been
qHHaH tr?
the Ram
football
coaching
staff, the
Winston
Salem
State
Univer
sity
Office of
Sports
Informa
tion has announced.
Wiggins will officially
join the coaching staff on
Aug. 1 and will be responsi
ble for coaching the defensive
backs. He will join defensive
coordinator Gregory Richard
son in helping to continue the
tradition of dominating
WSSU defenses. >?
Wiggins played football at?.
Elizabeth City State Universi
ty and graduated in 1979. He
is no stranger to Kermit
Blount, current WSSU head
football coach, either. The
two squared off against each
other during their college
playing days.
Wiggins comes to WSSU
by way of N.C. Central Uni
versity. where he served as
the Eagles' defensive coordi
nator for two years after
spending eight years in the
same capacity at Livingstone
College.
Wiggins lives in Apex.
N.C.. with his wife. Judy, and
has two children, a daughter.
Tania (24), and a son. Coty
Sec WSSU on B8
Blount
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