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SPORTS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1996
Smith tries to stay incredi-BuU
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Johnson C. Smith has a firm
grasp on its first winning sea
son in 14 years.
Now, the Grolden Bulls are
looking to make a statement.
Smith, which travels to
Virginia Union Satiirday, ran
its record to 6-3, 4-3 CIAA by
beating N.C. Central 7-6 last
week in Durham. Not only was
it the first Bulls’ win in the
series since 1987, it was their
first road victory in 26 years.
In a season that has gone
beyond even the most hopeful
of expectations. Smith is in
position to record seven wins
for the first time since 1982
with a win over the Panthers
(1-6 CIAA, 2-7).
“Right now, we feel like we’re
on top,” Bulls coach Daryl
McNeill said. “We’re going to
have to be on top of our game.”
Smith’s defense is on top of
its game, limiting Central’s
CIAA-leading offense to six
points last week. Over the last
three games, the Bulls have
allowed only 19 points, offset
ting an offense that has sput
tered at times. Although
Smith gives up yards, oppo
nents are finding touchdowns
difficult to come by. Central,
which was No. 17 in Division
II, racked up 357 yards to 159
for the Bulls, Smith’s defense
and special teams were the dif
ference. Senior comerback Jay
Martin blocked and returned
an Eagles field goal attempt to
set up Clyde Wilson’s 2-yard
run to tie the score. Benjamin
Smith won it with an extra
point.
“It’s no big secret. Our
defense has done a great job
for us all year,” McNeill said.
“The main cliche in football is
defense wins games and
offense sells tickets.”
Although the Bulls haven’t
been lighting up scoreboards
recently, with 43 points over
the last three games, McNeill
isn’t panicking. Smith faced
two of the CIAA’s best defenses
in consecutive games -
Winston-Salem State and
Central - and points £u-e sup
posed to be rare. What’s impor
tant, he says, is that the BuUs,
led by quarterback De’Trell
Calloway (59-for-131, 722
yards, three touchdowns) and
running back Demetrius
Campbell (175 carries, 745
yards, seven scores) are doing
enough to win.
“We’ve done our part offen
sively,” McNeill said. “We just
haven’t done it as far as the
scoreboard is concerned.”
The Bulls could use more
points to reduce pressure on
the defense and special teams.
See BULLS on page 10B
A link to past, future
Curry is an anchor
for new Hornets
By Karl Petraroja
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
Dell Curry has seen all of the
Charlotte Hornets’ highs and
lows.
Curry, a 10-year NBA veter
an, and Muggsy Bogues are
the only original Hornets left,
the last links to the franchise’s
infancy and its glory days.
Charlotte was once dubbed
“the team of the ‘90s,” but gone
are stars like Alonzo
Mourning, Larry Johnson,
Kendall Gill and Hersey
Hawkins. The Hornets, who
w^nj^ 4:U41 Ipst season, are
rebuiI3ing and Curry admits
it’s frustrating to see all his old
friends in teal and purple now
draped in the colors of oppos
ing teams.
“You wonder why, well you
know why but you wonder how
it could happen but those
things are out of your control,
there’s nothing you can do,”
Curry said.
“You just hope that the guys
they bring in here, can live up
to their fold, their bill and we
can still develop and get back
to the team that we had.”
Curry, who scored a career
high 38-points in the season
opening 109-98 victory over
'Toronto, is optimistic they can.
By giving up Mourning and
Johnson and replacing them
with Vlade Divac and Anthony
Mason, Curry feels the
Hornets can get back to that
level. Adding second year cen
ter George Zidek and Matt
Geiger, who played well last
season, to the mix, Cvury sees
the Hornets as much bigger
and tougher.
“You can’t teach big bodies,
that’s something that you got
to bring in,” Curry said. “This
is definitely the biggest team
we’ve had since I’ve been here,
so it should help us defensive
ly-
“With Mason and Vlade and
coach (Dave) Cowens, it will
bring some toughness to our
See CURRY on page 10B
PHOTOA^JASON LAWS
Dell Curry has been a Charlotte Hornet since the team’s formation in 1988. He’s seen the
good and bad, including a slow start to this season.
Robinson takes flight with Central
PHOTO/N.C. CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
N.C. Central women’s basketball coach Jolie Robinson.
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Jolie Robinson thought she
botched the most important
interview of her life.
But to a search committee at
North Carolina Central,
Robinson was the perfect fit
for its women’s basketball
team.
“I was shocked when they
called, very shocked,” she said.
“After that last interview, I
thought they wouldn’t want
me. I just don’t think I did
well.”
PHOTO/JASON LAWS
J.C. Smith defender Arturah Givens (22) tries to pull down N.C.
Central quarterback Warren Bell in the Bulls’ 7-6 win Saturday.
Patriots ready
for season’s
biggest game
By Eric Bozeman
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
It wiU be cold. It will be for serious bragging rights. It wiU be a war.
For coach Rusty Jester and his Independence Patriots, they will
enter Memorial Stadium with whips and chairs, trjdng to tame the
Lions of West Charlotte. "lb even mention the task, the very thought of
trying to compete with the West Charlotte powerhouse is fiightening
enough to make many brave young men quiver in their cleats. Yet
Jester and the Patriots welcome the opportunity to face the No. 1 team
in the state.
“We’re taking one game at a time, and that’s how we’re taking this,”
Jester said. “We had a rule this summer that we weren’t going to talk
about West Charlotte.”
Speaking of a team that is not only ranked as the best in the state,
but among the best in the country. Independence, 10-0, has a lot of
questions that will need to be answered before kickoff Saturday.
West Charlotte, also 10-0, has a mammoth offensive line of out
standing pass protectors such as Jason Washington, Michael
Arcenaux, and Louis Patterson. 'The Lions are led by a quarterback
ing duo of Keith Matkins and Haji Kromah. Either of those two signal-
callers will have two deep threats to throw to when Steve Shipp and
Aijai Jackson line up at wide out. With that package of bona fide stars,
it stands to reason that the Lions also boast the state’s best offense.
See GAME on page 10B
For Carolina, Giants
game represents a
must-win situation
By Joe Macenka
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carolina Panthers coach Dom Capers doesn't like to put too much
emphasis on individual games in the middle of the season. Four loss
es in his team’s last four road games appear to have changed his
stance.
“Every game is critical,” Capers said Monday as he assessed the task
of the Panthers, whose road woes have dropped them to 5-4 heading
into Simday ni^fs home game against the New York Giants.
Linebacker Carlton Bailey said the Panthers, who are 4-0 at home
this season, want to use their latest game in Ericsson Stadium as a
positive boost to the stretch run of the season.
“We’ve got a chance to play on Sunday night, the only show at that
time, the only game at that time,” Bailey said. “We aU know what we
need to do finm here on out. And if you can’t get focused for that, then
I don’t know when you can.”
Fellow linebacker Lamar Lathon, Carolina’s sacks leader, said there
hasn’t been any finger-pointing in the Panthers’ locker room so far, and
See PANTHERS on page 11B
The former Charlotte
Catholic standout was named
coach of the Eagles this sum
mer.
Robinson inherits a strug
gling team that finished last in
the CIAA, compiling a 6-19
overall with only three wins in
the conference.
“We have to concentrate on
defense and conditioning,”
Robinson said. “We have to
develop the fundamentals.
There are a lot of areas we
have to work on.”
Conditioning is the key. Last
See ROBINSON on page 10B
PHOTO/JOE DANIELS
Carolina punt returner Winslow Oliver cuts through Atlanta’s
defense In Carolina’s 20-17 loss Sunday.