PAGE 12
SCOREBOARD
BRANDON PARKER
GOT THE J-U-ICE
Childhood
refound
after game
Mike Imoh has got noth
ing on me.
Yeah, the Virginia
Tech tailback almost ran for a
school record with his 236 rush
ing yards, while reaching the
end zone twice against North
Carolina, But I’ve got the upper
hand on him.
Eleven years ago in our 9-
year-old youth basketball league
in Virginia, my 26.3 points per
game beat out the same Mike
Imoh’s 24.4 points per game
average, allowing me to snatch
the scoring title for that season.
After congratulating him on
Saturday’s win, I wasted no time
in bringing him back down to
earth by reminding him of our
childhood battle.
“You did your thing today in
football, and I’m glad because we
all know who was better in basket
ball between us,” I said jokingly.
“Come on, Brandon. You had
a better jump shot than me, but
you know I let you win that scor
ing title,” Imoh noted as a wide
grin stretched across his face.
A few minutes earlier, that
same face had been swarmed by
cameras, microphones and tape
recorders as he tolerantly fielded
questions from focused journalists
—one of whom was yours truly.
It’s hard to fathom that the
same two kids who used to play
countless hours of video games
together, engage in one-on-one
battles on the playground and
dream of being stars in the NBA
are now young men on the verge
of entering the profession that
had intertwined them from the
start sports.
Sports bring together children
from all walks of life and allow
kids to exert their never-ending
energy in a constructive manner.
Some make out like Imoh
by finding instant success and
deciding to pursue the game in
hopes of making it big on the
professional level.
Some discover that athleticism
is not one of their gifts but still
use sports as an infrequent means
of leisure among their buddies.
And some end up like me
realizing that while my athletic
skills had the potential for suc
cess, my love of all games brought
about a greater interest in the
related field of sports journalism.
“Man, it’s crazy with you asking
me questions and all in the locker
room because I’m thinking, ‘I just
grew up with this kid playing ball
and having fun,’” Imoh said dur
ing our moment of recollection.
The beauty of it all is to witness
this process evolving in front of
your eyes. And no matter the path
that is taken, sports always will
serve as the foundation for the
everlasting bond that surpasses
social and physical stratifications.
As the years roll on, it is
easy to get lost in the stresses
and demands of the real world.
But reminiscing about one’s
early days in sports allows for a
return to the carefree and joyful
moments that matter most in life.
So as I sat in the press room
after the game and watched my
childhood friend attempt to jug
gle the media circus created by
his career day, I couldn’t help but
crack a smile —and a joke.
“Mr. Imoh, can I have your
autograph?” I playfully asked
after the rest of the reporters left.
“Man, I just signed your game
box with 200-some yards rushing”
he responded in his typical playful
fashion. “But you’re still my boy.”
So as he tears up and down the
football field while inching closer
to his NFL dream, and I take my
spot in the press box covering
and writing articles about perfor
mances like his 236-yard effort,
“the boys” will forever be linked
through this common love and
start in sports.
Yeah, he might make more
money than I will. But he still
can’t outscore me.
Contact Brandon Parker
at bcparker@email.unc.edu.
Sports Monday
MEN'S SOCCER UNC 4 Clemson 1
COMING UP SHORT
(EBp : W Adi jl t
e jar , WBBSSBHBam Jh ** i ♦ -
if m MFBA k J.y,,, W
BISF iivb HP -A S V Sm tgflaMKjj
Bk\ HVK Bank j ■ ABF^w 1 3
wf* BY JH mSAdKSSNA n w.M wiZLrfl
'dk *' SfR A 111
f M[ A 1 M m jm V
§J| jWp M*’ I ,#J mk ' ' Vkl hbJ|
mk jßfc Vu aft/ ah
... . . T u . , , .... , . , . | , DTH/BRANDON SMITH
running back Mike Imoh (20) looks to escape a tackle by North Carolina linebacker Tommy Richardson (8) and charging linebacker Jeff Longhany (52). Imoh, a junior,
tallied 243 rushing yards Saturday, the highest rushing total that UNC has ever allowed in a game. The mark is also the highest single-game rushing total in Virginia Tech history.
BY DANIEL BLANK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Freshman Connor Barth was toeing the turf near midfield late in the fourth
quarter in what seemed like an instant replay of the scene the previous week
against Miami.
But this time, Barth was fining up for a game-tying field goal against Virginia
Tech, and the try was 12 yards farther away.
And this time, Barth’s 54-yard attempt got caught in a swirling wind that made the
ball die just short of the uprights. As the ball fell short so too did North Carolina’s upset
bid against Virginia Tech as the Hokies escaped Kenan Stadium with a thrilling 27-24
victory Saturday.
“Looking at it from that angle straight on, and
it was dead on, it looked like it was so good,” said
center Jason Brown. “And what was going through
my head was, (broadcaster Woody Durham) saying,
‘lt’s high enough, it’s long enough and it’s good,’ and
seeing the ref (make the signal). It hurt.”
Off the foot, Barth thought he had tied the game
as well.
“It felt fine,” Barth said. “I guess the wind up top
was a little bit harder than it was down on the field.
I thought it was in, and all of a sudden I just saw it
die down a little bit, and it fell a little short.”
The game’s biggest play, though, was the one
immediately preceding Barth’s potential game
tying field goal.
UNC women swim
to 2 easy victories
Mens team falls to No. 6 Minnesota
BY WILLIS ISLEY
STAFF WRITER
In a two-day meet at Koury
Natatorium, the North Carolina
swimming and diving women’s
team continued to look like
potential ACC champions, while
the men succumbed to sixth
ranked Minnesota.
The women’s team started the
meet off with a bang, taking first
place in seven straight races on
Friday night.
After losing its first meet to
Georgia, the women’s team was
able to pull out a 242-124 vic
tory against No. 24 Virginia
Tech. In the dual meet, the Tar
Heels also defeated Richmond
236 to 124.
The UNC women’s team won
all five relay races over the week
end. Both freshman Lindsey
Marck and junior Lizzy Bruce
added two individual event wins
each.
Marck won both the 100- and
200-yard butterfly, while Bruce
won the 100 and 200 breast
stroke. Both swimmers were
www.dthonline.coxn
VIRGINIA TECH 27 UNC 24
On 3rd-and-8 from the Virginia Tech 26-yard
line, quarterback Darian Durant dropped back to
pass but couldn’t find an open receiver before Jim
Davis tracked him down for an 11-yard sack.
“Huge play, great pressure by them,” said UNC
coach John Bunting. “Their defensive tackles got
some pressure on us, Darian was about ready to
throw downfield, then pulled off and was going to
throw out to Chad (Scott) and decided not to. Then,
he was hit. What are you going to say?”
From the start of the game, it was the two teams’
ground attacks that dominated.
Scott opened the scoring by breaking off a 48-
SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 9
also parts of the 200- and 400-
yard medley relays.
Helping out at the diving end
of the Natatorium, sophomore
Lauren Karatanevski won the
women’s 1-meter with a score of
250.95.
Meanwhile, the men’s squad
lost to Minnesota 239 to 127 and
defeated Virginia Tech 278.5 to
91.5.
Because Virginia Tech is one
of the tougher ACC opponents
that UNC will face, the men can
come away with a lot of confi
dence in the victory.
“We’re not complacent, and
I think we definitely have some
room for improvement, but we
feel good,” said Eddy Matkovic,
who was one of only two Tar
Heels to win a race during the
meet.
After UNC’s encouraging
win against Georgia earlier this
season, such domination by the
Gophers might have been unex
pected. But UNC coach Frank
SEE SWIMMING, PAGE 9
VOLLEYBALL Virginia Tech 3 UNC 2
UNC topples Rams in rout
BY BEN COUCH
SENIOR WRITER
The North Carolina men’s basketball team
jogged on to the Smith Center court Friday
sporting hooded powder blue warm ups.
Rashad McCants wore the hood up with only
the top two buttons done, leaving the warm up
flapping around him like a cape as he swooped
in for his turn in the layup line.
The image of a UNC player as the Grim
Reaper fit because the Tar Heels came playing
to kill.
In its exhibition opener,
North Carolina slaughtered
Division-II Winston-Salem
State, 113-54.
The Tar Heels exhibited
MEN'S
BASKETBALL
W-S State 54
UNC 113
a penchant for high-flying aerials and pretty
passes, though they came against a team fea
turing no starter taller than 6-foot-5. But even
with all the highlights, player after player men
tioned defensive intensity as the most signifi
cant aspect of the win.
“We just wanted to play defense and get our
offense started through our defense,” said guard
Melvin Scott. “If we can take that attitude and
have that mental frame of mind, we’ll be fine
no matter who we play.”
Coach Roy Williams did see plenty of room
for improvement, but he was impressed with
the play of UNC’s heralded freshmen, Quentin
Thomas and Marvin Williams.
SEE BASKETBALL, PAGE 9
WOMEN'S TENNIS SINGLES UNC 6 Winthrop 0
BY THE
NUMBERS
243
Total rushing
yards by Tech’s
Mike Imoh
19
Second-half
rushing yards
by UNC b ack
Chad Scott
2
Wins needed
for UNC to be
bowl eligible
UNC fails to
be consistent
BY BRANDON PARKER
SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR
North Carolina seemingly fielded two different
squads in against Virginia Tech on Saturday.
The first team began the game with great offen
sive firepower and intensity. UNC senior running
back Chad Scott led the attack with his 103 rushing
yards in the first half, including a 48-yard touch
down scamper on the game’s opening drive.
On the other side of the ball, the Tar Heel
defense surrendered 225 yards and allowed the
Hokies to enter the red zone four times three
of which resulted in a score.
The second UNC team played the game’s final
30 minutes as the offense and defense flipped the
dominant role, yielding very different results.
Scott was unable to find the same success he had
in the first half and managed just 19 rushing yards.
“It seemed like they stacked the box a little
SEE CONSISTENCY, PAGE 9
p*t‘
gill
DTH/LAURA MORTON
North Carolina freshman forward Marvin Williams (24)
dunks the ball over Winston-Salem State's Corey Parker
(33) and Darnell Gregory in UNC's 113-54 victory Friday.
She daily (Ear Bid
NOVEMBER 8, 2004