Bertie High School • Bethel Assembly Christian Academy • Lawrence Academy • Bertie Middle School
C/5
Sports
WEDNESDAY • APRIL 26,2017
Inside:
I Golf tourney
■ Classifieds
Churc.h Briefs
David Friedman
LeBron
special
As we usually do
when we hang out,
1 was talking sports
with my best friend
this weekend when
LeBron James’ name
came up. He said
something that stuck
with me.
“You don’t have
to think that LeBron
James is the best play
er in the league, but if
you are talking about
the best players then
LeBron James should
be part of the conver
sation,” he said.
While 1 agree with
with him, 1 am pre
pared to take it even
further. You do not
have to think that LeB
ron James is the great
est player of all time,
but if you are having
a conversation about
the greatest players
then his name should
come up.
Don’t get me wrong,
I am not calling LeB
ron James the great
est player to ever
live. I am old enough
to have watched Mi
chael Jordan’s entire
career, and 1 doubt
anyone will take his
place in my mind as
the G.O.A.T.
1 never saw Wilt
Chamberlain or Oscar
Roberson play, but 1
know enough about
basketball that those
are other names that
should come up dur
ing any “greatest of all
time” conversations.
Having watched LeB
ron’s career from high
school to the pros, I
think he has earned
the right to be in the
conversation as well.
It is hard to believe
that James has been
in the NBA for 14 years
now. He was so hyped
up coming out of high
school that it seemed
impossible for him to
meet, nevertheless
exceed, expectations.
Somehow he managed
to do just that.
It took him four
short years in the NBA
to lead his hometown
Cleveland Cavaliers to
the NBA Finals against
the San Antonio Spurs.
While he caught some
flak for not winning
that series, it should
See FOURTH, B6
2017 TARBORO EASTER CLASSIC
Lawrence boys repeat
as tournament champs
Perfect
record
intact
From staff Reports
TARBORO - The run is
complete, and the per
fect record still intact.
Lawrence Academy’s
baseball team finished
3-0 and repeated as
champions of the Tar-
boro Easter Classic by
defeating the host team
17-7 in six innings Satur
day night.
In three games, the
Warriors (17-0 overall)
outscored their oppo
nents 26-12. They edged
Southwest Edgecombe
3-1 Thursday and Bertie
6-5 Friday to reach the
championship game.
Slade Cowan was
named the tourney’s
Most Valuable Player
with his second straight
three-hit game. He hom-
ered, also scored twice
and drove in three
runs.
Cowan wasn’t the
only offensive star for
the Warriors.
DaQuan Wilson went
2-for-2, drove in four
runs and scored three
runs, while Miller Trow-
ell added two hits, a run
scored and five RBIs.
Charles Atkins col
lected a pair of hits for
Lawrence, while Aus
tin Wynne added a hit,
drove in three runs and
scored once.
Cowan’s home run got
Lawrence on the board
in the top of the first in
ning.
Wilson’s RBI double
was part of a four-run
second inning, which
gave the Warriors a 6-0
lead.
Tarboro cut the defi
cit to one (6-5) with a
five-run bottom of the
third stanza, but Law
rence answered in a big
way, scoring seven runs
in the top of the fifth
frame on two walks, an
error and a double from
Miller Trowell, and then
added four more in the
sixth.
The Vikings added .
their final two runs in
the bottom of the sixth,
but still fell due to mer
cy rule.
Jarrett Harrell earned
the win on the mound.
From Staff Reports
See WARRIORS, B6
TARBORO - The final se
quence of the game was
a microcosm of the sea
son for the two Bertie
County high schools.
On one hand, there
was undefeated Law
rence Academy, des
perately trying to hold
on against a scrappy
Bertie baseball team in
the second round of the
Tarboro Easter Classic.
On the other side were
the Falcons who, with
just three wins to their
credit, haven’t seemed
to catch many breaks
this spring.
But in the words of
Warriors head coach
Jason Wynne, “In tense
situations like this, you
have to find a way to
win.”
Lawrence did just that
- retiring the potential
tying run at the plate for
the final out - and secur
ing a 6-5 triumph over
Bertie.
Just like that, the War
riors improved to 16-0
and then went on to re
peat as tourney champi
ons the next night.
Bertie, which fell to
3-15 overall, wondered
what could have been
- a common theme for
the Falcons this year -
after making the Class
2A state playoffs last
year.
'■c::
ANDRE ALFRED / 2nd Chance Productions
Warrior first baseman Slade Cowan was named the tourna
ment’s Most Valuable Player.
“We didn’t pitch well
enough to win,” said
Bertie head coach
Bobby Harmon. “Walks
killed us.”
The Warriors seem-
Victory
eludes
Falcons
From Staff Reports
ANDRE ALFRED / 2nd Chance Productions
Lawrence Academy catcher Jarrett Harrell tags Bertie’s Scoop Hoggard out at the plate to
seal the 6-5 triumph by the Warriors in the semifinals of the Tarboro Easter Classic Friday
Warriors survive rally
by Bertie in semifinals
TARBORO - Bertie was
on the verge of record
ing a win in the Tar
boro Easter Classic
Saturday.
The Falcons led
Southwest Edgecombe
6-2 with just two in
nings left to play.
But as was the case
in many of its losses
this season, Bertie
wasn’t able to hold it.
The Cougars rallied
with four runs in the
top of the sixth inning,
then added their final
three runs in the sev
enth to pull out a 9-6
victory.
Bertie, which lost
three games by a com
bined total of eight
runs (20-12), dropped
to 3-16 overall.
The culprit this
time for the Falcons?
Walks.
The Cougars took
advantage of six walks
in the sixth frame and
two walks - combined
with a hit and an error
in the seventh - com
pleted SouthWest’s
rally.
“1 thought we hit well
enough to win,” Ber
tie head coach Bobby
Harmon said. “We just
didn’t finish. We didn’t
pitch well enough - the
walks killed us.”
Bertie took a 3-0
lead in the bottom
of the third inning.
Alden Cottle walked
and Trenton White
reached on a fielder’s
choice. Scoop Hoggard
walked, and Brandon
Roberson singled in
Cottle and White. Hog
gard scored on Damo’s
groundnut.
Southwest scored
twice in the top of the
fourth inning, but the
Falcons matched that
with two of their own.
With one out, Cottle
singled, followed by
walks to White and
Hoggard.
Following a pitching
change, Cottle scored
on a walk to Brandon
Roberson, and White
crossed the plate on
Damo’s sacrifice fly to
right field.
The Falcons tacked
See SURVIVE, B5
See FALCONS, B6
Duck Thru Food Stores congratulates
this week’s Athlete of the Week.
Vj^OOD STORESy
lERNIGAN
VOIL & PROPANE
Athlete
of the
week
LA
Slade Cowan
Baseball
r