Award
goes to
Bishop 's
Robinson
Varsity girls coach
one of eight recipients
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE
Bishop McGuinncss head
girl's varsity coach Brian
Robinson can add another
honor to his trophy case in a
few
weeks.
After
leading
his girl's
to a phe
nomenal
year on
the hard
w o o d
that was
Robinson capped
off by a
state championship, Robinson
is set to receive another honor
for his efforts.
Robinson will be one of
eight coaches that will receive
the Homer Thompson
Memorial. Eight Who Make a
Difference award at the
Fletcher Opera Theatre at the
Progress Energy Center for
Performing Arts in Raleigh on
May 14. The award was
named in honor of the late
Homer Thompson, who was a
longtime coach at Parkland
and is a member of the NCH
SAA Hall of Fame
"Obviously, this is a great
honor, especially since it is
named after coach
Thompson," said Robinson.
"I met coach Thompson once,
when 1 was a sophomore at
Reynolds high school in 1987
(Robinson gradnated from
Reynolds in 1990). "We were
playing JV basketball at
Parkland and the meeting was
very brief He said hello to
me, and that was it. He didn't
know who I was, but I knew of
him.
"I had heard many of my
coaches at Reynolds, espe
cially Mike Muse (who
coached me in both baseball
and basketball), talk about
what a great coach and person
he was at the time," Robinson
continued. "... and how he
tried to do things the right
way. So, for me to receive an
award named after a person
w ho exemplified these type of
qualities is a tremendous and
Haltering honor."
NCHSAA executive direc
tor Charlie Adams added: "It
is fitting that Homer
Thompson's name be affixed
to an award about coaches
who make a difference for
Homer certainly did make a
difference in the lives of many
and truly was an outstanding
role model."
Set Robinson on B3
Balancing the books and the ball
North junior places emphasis oji studies
BY ANTHONY HI1.L
THE CHRON1CTI *
North Forsylh junior quarterback Girard Miller know s a lot more
than signals and snap counts. The rising senior also know s a lot about
what he's learning in school, and places equal
emphasis on his academics as he does athletics.
The talented Viking presently has a cumu
lative grade point average of 4.0. He also
recently scored a 1540 on his SAT, in only his
first time taking the test.
"I figured that if I did well at football and
my academics it n ould better my chances of
getting a scholarship," Miller said. "It would
also make my life easier if I didn't quite get an
athletic scholarship. My dad (Girard Miller Sr.)
Oakley made me realise the importance of education
back when I was in the first grade."
Miller, who states math as his favorite subject, has made a few
grades lower than A's in school since he w as in the first grade. He has
n't made enough to dent his near-perfect grade point average, though
Miller seems to be everything a coach could want out of a quarterback.
He has a high IQ, and remarkable leadership ability ? to go along
with great athletic talent. Miller also gets on to his teammates that may
See Miller on B3
Photo b\ Ambon) Hill
North's rising senior quarterback Girard Miller Jr., has been nearly perfect in the classroom.
Pholo by Charlie PM1
AND I 's John Humphrey, aka Helicopter, soars for a dunk during an AND J game at the Joel last year.
Helicopter's
flying high
N.C. native making big
waves in Japan
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE
John Humphrey, also known as Helicopter, has come
a long way since playing at "The Center" in Beaufort,
N.C., near his hometown of Moorehead. He's even come
a long way from play ing junior college ball at Louisburg
College, before later moving on to Middle Tennessee
State University.
Now, Humphrey is a rising star on the AND1 circuit,
who's getting more popular by the week. He hasn't sim
ply settled for AND1 fame either. Just like most bailers,
or athletes ? Humphrey , has aspirations of making it to
the NBA. So he uses his fundamental skills, as well as
his ridiculous, high-flying (42-inch vertical leap) talent
to increase his fan base and get more looks from NBA
scouts by playing in other leagues. For' the past three
years he's showcased some of his talent in the ABA. He
even recorded the second-highest game total in league
history when he scored 65 points against a Mary land
team last January.
"Ultimately every competitive basketball player
strives to play in the NBA," said Humphrey, who's 25
years old. "I'm still working hard to fulfill my goal of
making it to the NBA But if the NBA isn't for me I'd be
fine doing what I'm doing. I'm still getting paid to plav
basketball. I love playing with the AN1 team."
From the growing number of Helicopter fans
many spectators enjoy w atching the 6- 1 , 205-pound high
flyer do his thing on the court, with no restraints or con
trols. When Helicopter performs for AND1 he's usually
a carefree dunker that won't hesitate to dunk on anyone
When AND1 and Humphrey paid a visit to Winston
Salem last year, he finished the game w ith an amazing 33
points, which was a game high. He had 8 points off thun
derous dunks and 7 points on alley oops
Thai's basically how Humphrey was discovered by
AND1 a couple years ago ? dunking over competition
Well, actually he was first noticed after dunking without
any opponents on the court. A member of the AND1
team was so impressed with Humphrey 's dunks after
watching him win ESPN's 15th Annual College Slam
Dunk (2003) contest his senior year that he made it a
point to keep in touch. W hen Humphrey didn't get draft
ed by the NBA that following spring, he was then asked
to play in the Raleigh Open Run that following suinnict
by that AND 1 play er
"I killed it," Humphrey said of the the open run
"Then they (AND1) invited me to play in Europe, and
now I'm here (Japan) ."
He's presently in Japan playing professional basket "
See Helicopter on B5
Photo b> Anthony Hill
Former Mt. Tabor coach
Bob Sapp *>as honored
during a ceremony at Ml.
Tabor earlier this week.
Friends say 'goodbye'
to longtime coach Sapp
They say thai the best part about
being a coach is the press conference to
announce you after the hire is made
Well, a ceremony to
honor former Ml labor
head football coach Boh
Sapp was just as excit
ing on Monday. I was
one of the many people
that packed the Mt.
Tabor lunchroom on
Monday night to say bye
to coach Sapp. He's offi
cially retired as a foot
ball coach. Now he's set
to concentrate as the
enywiue ,hiii cuts uirtx
tor
I already knew that Sapp had quite a
following, but I had no idea what type
of following I was going to see once I
got to the event.
FROM THE
HUDDLE
Anthony
Hill
It was a wonderful scene, honest! >
There was a mixture of parents of pres
ent and past players, coaches of present
and past staffs and
several other support
ers at the event
Charlotte
Independence's head
football coach was
even there. The onl\
thing missing earlier
this wiek were the
cameras from ESPN
to broadcast the
event Dave Cioren
and W XII were there.
uiougn ineeeremo
ny was definitely long enough lo he on
television. (I'm smiling as I type this )
Some people definitely stood up and
spoke a lot longer than anyone wanted
Sec Hill tut 114
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