Sports 1999
Arceneaux, Wildcats Hand Tar Heels lst-Ronnd Defeat
By Aaron Beard
Senior Writer
SEATTLE, MARCH 15 - [here
were 1.2 seconds to play. Ninety-four
feet stood between Brian Bersticker and
a final chance for North Carolina to
avoid the painful bite of the upset bug.
Weber State had led UNC through
out Thursday’s second half. And though
the Tar Heels were on their vintage
squeeze-every-last-drop-of-the-clock
comeback alert, the Wildcats tenuously
held a two-point lead.
With no timeouts, UNC’s only
chance was to chuck the ball the length
of the court and pray for a show-stop
ping finish. Instead, “The Show” fin
ished the Tar Heels.
After torching UNC for 36 points,
Wildcats forward Harold “The Show”
Arceneaux came up with the intercep-
Rumors Untrue: Torbush Keeps Job
By Brian Murphy
Sports Editor
NOV. 22 - Dick Baddour ended days of speculation with
a simple sentence.
“The University of North Carolina will retain Carl Torbush
as the head coach of the football program,” UNC’s director of
athletics said to open Monday’s press conference.
Following the statement, Torbush’s players, friends and fellow
coaches stood and applauded in the Koury Natatorium’s Bowles
Room. Such a scene seemed impossible Friday when many
local and national media reported that Torbush had been fired
and would coach his final game Saturday against Duke.
But the Tar Heels’ 38-0 victory and an impassioned plea
from players following the contest obviously had an impact
on the final decision, which Baddour said was made Sunday.
“I’ve been fired since Friday,” Torbush said. “You all sold
all those papers on Thursday and Friday. So this is probably
not going to be as exciting as it was on Thursday and Friday.”
But after the last few days, Torbush said he could live without
any excitement. ITie coach, who will still work under his origi
nal five-year contract, said he was taking the next five days off.
Torbush said that when he returned from the Thanksgiving
holiday he would begin critiquing his staff. He and Baddour said
the composition of Torbush’s stall next year was his decision.
Much of the talk concerning Torbush’s staff centers on
offensive coordinator Steve Marshall. But Torbush said the
entire staff would be examined.
“We’ll evaluate every part of the program, and we do that
every year,” Torbush said. “When the time comes to discuss
those tilings, I’ll be the first one to discuss it.”
Torbush and his staff have been under fire much of the
year. The Tar Heels began the season 1-1 and then dropped
seven games in a row.
After the season’s fifth game, an overtime loss to Georgia
Tech, Baddour issued the coaching staff a vote of confidence.
But embarrassing losses to Houston, Maryland and Division
I-AA Furman seemed to change Baddour’s mind. His official
stance became re-evaluation after the season.
“What Dicky did after five games showed a tremendous
amount of support, and if he would have said the same thing
later in the season, someone would have sent him to the funny
farm,” said Torbush, who called the year “frustrating.”
UNC dropped its next game, Homecoming, to Wake
Forest 19-3 before ending the seven-game skid with a dramatic
10-6 win against N.C. State.
But late last week it seemed that victory would not be enough
to get Torbush another season at UNC. The Associated Press
reported Thursday that Torbush would be fired, and other papers
picked up the story. Baddour did nothing to squelch the rumors
linked to members of the school’s Educational Foundation.
But Baddour defended the foundation Monday, saying
reports concerning the group had been inaccurate.
“The references that have been made about undue influences
on the Department are unfair and misguided,” Baddour said.
“The Educational Foundation has accomplished great things.”
Now Torbush can look forward to having those boosters
behind him - at least for next season. Baddour said that he and
Torbush needed to help generate excitement for the program.
And Torbush thinks he can. With the late improvement
and a bevy of talent coming back, Torbush said the program
was on solid footing.
“The last three days have been an emotional roller coaster
in a lot of ways,” Torbush said. “I will be a stronger coach
because of it, a stronger family member because of it, and more
than anything else, I’ll be a stronger person because of it."
Ford Arrested for DWI, Will Take Leave of Absence
By Evan Markfield
Assistant Sports Editor
SEPT. 27 - Durham police arrested
North Carolina assistant men’s basket
ball coach Phil Ford on Monday night
for driving while intoxicated.
Ford, who had a blood alcohol con
tent of .24- at the time of his arrest, was
pulled over at 9:37 p.m. after failing to
stop at a red light on U.S. 15-501,
according to police reports.
In the wake of Ford’s arrest, UNC
Sports Information issued a press release
stating that Ford would take an indefi
nite medical leave from his duties with
tion of Bersticker’s
heave and lifted
No. 14 seed Weber
State to a 76-74
shocker against
the third-seeded
Tar Heels in the
first round of the
NCAA
Tournament’s West
Region at Key
Arena.
“I told people
back home all
week we were
going to win,”
WSU guard Noel
Forward
Ademoia Okulaja
wrapped up his UNC
career with 17 points
and six rebounds
against the Wildcats.
Jackson said. “I don’t call it an upset.”
It was the first NCAA appearance for
Weber State (25-7) since the Wildcats
upset third-seeded Michigan State in the
first round of the 1995 tournament.
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DTH FILE PHOTO
Senior center Ryan Carfley demonstrates his support for Coach Carl Torbush after the Tar Heels defeated Duke 38-0 on Nov. 20.
Contrary to a report by The Associated Press, Torbush was not fired after UNC wrapped up its 3-8 season in 1999.
Curry Done for Season After Achilles Tear
By T. Nolan Hayes
Sport Saturday Editor
ATLANTA, OCT. 9 - North Carolina’s
offense entered play Saturday against Georgia
Tech ranked seventh in the ACC, averaging
326.8 yards per game.
And now the Far Heels will have to play the
rest of the season without the man who was
responsible for 65.8 percent of that output.
Sophomore quarterback Ronald Curry went
down with a ruptured right Achilles tendon at
the 12:59 mark of the second quarter of UNC’s
31-24 loss to the Yellow Jackets.
Dr. Tim Taft, director of sports medicine at
UNC, performed surgery on Curry on Sunday
afternoon. Curry will likely be out six months,
meaning he’ll probably miss the basketball sea
son, said Steve Kirschner, director of media
relations for football and men’s basketball.
Curry spent the night at UNC Hospitals. His
right ankle, which will be immobilized for three
weeks, is in a splint but will be put into a cast
ft
m
the team.
“Coach Ford
certainly regrets
the incident and
the embarrass
ment it has caused
himself and the
University,” UNC
men’s basketball
head coach Bill
Guthridge stated
in the release.
“Obviously, I am
concerned about
Coach Ford’s
health and well
UNC assistant coach
Phil Ford
had a blood alcohol
content of .24 when
he was pulled over
on U.S. 15-501.
When time expired, a euphoric
Arceneaux - ball in hand - jumped into
the arms of guard Marc Lawson as
Wildcat players, fans and cheerleaders
horded at midcourt for a celebration.
It was a far different reaction for the
Tar Heels (24-10). When asked w hat went
through his mind after the horn sounded,
UNC’s Brendan Haywood responded,
“Nothing. Just total blankness.”
It was understandable that the Tar
Heel players were stupefied by the sce
nario. Not since 1980 had the Far Heels
gone winless in tourney play. That year
UNC lost in the second round to Texas
A&M after earning a first-round bye.
It had been 23 years since the Tar
Heels lost a first-round game.
“First round,” UNC senior forward
Ademoia Okulaja repeated to himself
afterward. “For me and my honor, that’s
mandatory. And it didn’t happen. I’m
in a couple of days,
Kirschner said.
“I’m all right emotion
ally,” Curry said after the
game. “I’m a strong
believer that everything
happens for a reason, and
maybe I need this ret. I
haven’t had a long res: in
a long time, and maybe
that’s what my body was
telling me.
“I can’t remember the
last time I had a decent
break. Unfortunately, this
is the way I’ve got to take
it. But things happen for a
reason, and I was always taught that. I didn’t
shed a tear. I’m still going to have my head up
high, and I’m fine.”
The injury occurred on UNC s third posses
sion. On second-and-six from the UNC 15-yard
line, Curry rolled to his right on a bootleg look-
being and will do what I can to support
him at this time.”
In the release, Ford stated he would
do all he could to continue to earn
respect and support from the University
and the men’s basketball program.
“That’s all I can really say right now,"
Ford said Tuesday in a telephone inter
view. “I was told not to talk about it.”
The 43-year-old assistant coach was
released from Durham County Jail on
Monday night after posting $2,400 bail,
an official at the jail said.
According to the release, Ford has
hired an attorney, who, along with Ford,
would deal with any legal issues involved.
truly hurt. We didn’t play to potential.”
No kidding. The Tar Heels shot 41
percent for the game and were com
pletely unable to establish their inside
outside game against a Weber State team
with no player taller than 6 foot-9.
And then there was Arceneaux, the
Big Sky Conference Player of the Year.
The 6-6 junior came into the game aver
aging 21.5 points but hit 14 of 26 shots
on the night, including five 3-pointers.
Behind Arceneaux, the Wildcats’
offense rolled. Weber State shot 52 per
cent in the second half and hit 7 of 10
3-point attempts. The Wildcats hit 14 of
26 from downtown for the night.
“I thought we’d go further,” Okulaja
said. “I really thought we had a legiti
mate chance at the Final Four. I thought
we’d surprise everybody.
“And we surprised everybody by los
ing today.”
UNC quarterback
Ronald Curry
passed for 682 yards
and three touchdowns
in the five games he
played in 1999.
Ford is scheduled to appear in Durham
County District Court on Oct. 21.
In the meantime, he will undergo a
full medical evaluation to determine
when he will return to his job with the
basketball team.
“It’s an indefinite leave of absence,”
said Steve Kirschner, UNC’s director of
media relations for football and men’s
basketball. “It could be a couple of days
or a couple of months.”
UNC Director of Athletics Dick
Baddour said Tuesday night that Ford
would be back from his leave of absence
in time for the start of basketball season,
and no replacement would be necessary.
* _ M' 1 9
9k P
Vi
—at m 1
DTH Fill PHOTO
The Tar Heels were despondent after their 76-74 loss to Weber State.
ing to pass. Finding no receivers open, he was
sacked by Tech defensive end Greg Gathers.
Taft said that the injury was reasonably com
mon for men around age 40 but that it was very
uncommon for athletes Curry’s age. Taft said
that he did not expect the injury to be career
threatening.
“The thing that he’ll probably lose is a little
bit of vertical-leap height,” Taft said. “I would
expect him to get his quickness and running
speed back."
Redshirt freshman Luke Huard replaced
Curry and saw the first significant playing time
of his career. Huard completed 7 of 15 passes
for 45 yards and one interception.
Curry’s injury was the second major blow to
the Far Heels this season. Senior linebacker
Brandon Spoon, a Butkus Award candidate,
was lost for the season Sept. 11 with a ruptured
biceps tendon in his left arm.
Spoon suffered the injury in the first quarter
of UNC’s second game of the season, a 42-30
victory against Indiana.
UNC opens its regular season Nov. 22.
Baddour said he would not comment
on whether granting a medical leave fol
lowing Ford’s arrest indicated that Ford
had an ongoing alcohol problem.
“We’re looking at this situation and
evaluating this situation as it applies to
the circumstances,” Baddour said.
Ford has been a UNC men’s basket
ball assistant since 1987. Asa point guard
for the Tar Heels, Ford earned National
Player of the Year honors in 1978.
Assistant Sports Editor Rachel Carter
and Sports Editor Brian Murphy
contributed to this article.
Gamble Pays Off
For Tar Heels
In Triple Jump
Nicole Gamble (left), one of the most
successful track and field athletes in
UNC history, won the triple jump in the
1999 indoor NCAA Championships with
a leap of 46 feet, 1 1/4 inches. Gamble's
victory was the lone individual national
title for a UNC athlete in 1999.
Tar Heels
Top Irish
For Title
The North Carolina women's
soccer team captured its
15th NCAA championship by
knocking off Notre Dame.
By Bret Strelow
Assistant Sports Editor
SAN JOSE, Calif., DEC. 5 - Few
people expected the Notre Dame
women’s soccer team to be squaring off
against 14-time NCAA champion North
Carolina in the final of the 1999
Women’s College Cup.
In the third round, a Stanford penal
ty kick that would have tied the match
hit both posts before Notre Dame
cleared it away, in the next round,
Notre Dame and Nebraska went to
penalty kicks, and Irish keeper
LaKeysia Beene stopped the final kick
to help her team advance. Friday
against Santa Clara, Notre Dame
advanced on Ali Lovelace’s goal in the
75th minute despite being dominated
from a statistical standpoint.
But the Tar Heels proved Sunday
that their dynasty wasn’t about to be
upstaged by destiny.
In front of 14,410 spectators, the
Irish’s luck ran out as UNC scored two
second-half goals en route to a 2-0 vic
tory against Notre Dame and its 15th
NCAA crown in the last 18 years.
“It was particularly satisfying in light
of our challenging season,” UNC coach
Anson Dorrance said. “I’m absolutely
thrilled to be sitting up here a national
champion.”
Junior forward Meredith Florance
scored the game-winning goal at 55:11,
taking a Kim Patrick feed to the middle
of the penalty box and bending it past
Beene into the right corner of the net.
About seven minutes earlier,
Florance had misplayed a Susan Bush
pass all alone in front of the Notre
Dame net and failed to get a shot off.
But she atoned for her mistake with her
second game-clinching score against the
Irish (21-4-1) this year. She scored in
double-overtime Sept. 3 to give UNC a
3-2 victory.
“I knew that chances weren’t going
to come that often - we have to finish
the ones we get,” Florance said. “I just
had to refocus and just remember the
next chance I got, I had to stick it.”
UNC’s lead swelled to two goals at
79:06. Bush dished to Raven McDonald
on the left flank, and McDonald drib
bled toward the near the post and fed
Beth Sheppard, who buried the ball past
Beene from five yards out.
The Tar Heels (24-2) outshot Notre
Dame 17-3, but the game mirrored the
Irish’s contest on Friday. Santa Clara
also outshot the Irish 17-3, but Lovelace
scored to lift the Irish. North Carolina
outshot Notre Dame 8-1 in the first half,
but Irish forward Jenny Streiffer got
behind the UNC wall of defense on
numerous occasions.
Though beaten, UNC’s defensive trio
of Danielle Borgman, Lome Fair and
Lindsay Stoecker hustled back to disrupt
Streiffer and keep the game scoreless.
Said Stoecker: “There’s nothing you
can do after the game - there’s no rea
son to let yourself down, let your team
mates down. There’s always a little bit
more you can give.”
12