THOMASVILLE TIMES
INSIDE TODAY
Jamie McMurray kisses the bricks
at Indianapolis after bringing home
the checkered Sunday.
Sports
TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2010
tvillesports@yahoo.com
Calendar
TODAY
CPL
Asheboro
@ HiToms
7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
CPL
Martinsville
@ HiToms
7 p.m.
THURSDAY
CPL
HiToms
@ Martinsville
7:20 p.m.
FRIDAY
CPL
Columbia
@ HiToms
7 p.m.
SUNDAY
CPL
Petersburg
@ HiToms
5 p.m.
MONDAY
CPL
Gastonia
@ HiToms
7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
CPL
Petitt Cup
First Round
TBA
THURSDAY
CPL
Petitt Cup
First Round
TBA
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tvillesports@yahoo.com
NCAA probe
takes center
stage at
media day
BY BRIANA GORMAN
Durham Herald-Sun
GREENSBORO — Be
fore North Carolina’s T.J.
Yates and Robert Quinn
sat down with the media
at the ACC Football Kick
off in Greensboro on Sun
day, a team spokesman
reminded the reporters
standing two-deep that
the Tar Heels were not
allowed to discuss the
ongoing Investigation as
mandated by the NCAA.
That didn’t stop the
players, however, from
being flooded with ques
tions about how the probe
was affecting the team.
It was the first oppor-
timity for UNC football
players to make public
comments since news
broke of the Investigation
on July 15, and it seemed
that every other question
during the one-hour, 15-
minute session was about
the controversy And even
though Yates and Quinn
couldn’t comment specifi
cally on the investigation
that allegedly is looking
into Improper contact be
tween players and agents,
both maintained the Tar
Heels wUl be focused on
football when they report
for training camp on Aug.
5.
'If you put too
much focus on
the other stuff
going on... I
think that'll
distract us from
what our goals
are...'
— T.J. Yates
UNC Quarterback
“We’re gomg into the
season as we’re going to
be full strength,” Yates
said. “We can’t be think
ing any other thing, be
cause we just don’t want
it to affect us. If you put
too much focus on the oth
er stuff going on m and
around [the program], 1
think that’U distract us
from what our goals are
as a team and distract
us going into training
camp.”
Yates admitted it has
been frustrating that the
preseason chatter around
the Tar Heels has shifted
from their on-fleld poten
tial to their off-field prob
lems, but he’s confident
UNC will be able to move
on from the controversy
“It is kind of a distrac
tion, but we kind of look
at it as we’ve already
taken our adversity for
the season,” Yates said.
“So once we get over this
little speed bump, we’U
be able to put it behind us
and go forward through
the season.”
Both Yates and Quinn
said news of the investi
gation initially surprised
them, but Yates said the
See PR(|pE, Page 9
TIMES PHOTO/LARRY MATHIS
HiToms Kyle Grieshaber gets the force out at first Sunday during the team's outing against Forest City. Despite
collecting 13 hits in the contest, the HiToms fell to the visiting Owls.
Missed Opportunities
HiToms fail to
convert hits to
runs in 7-4 loss
BYZACH KEPLEY
Sports Editor
Thomasvfile had the even num
bered innings covered Sunday af
ternoon in a Coastal Plain League
game with Forest City, but the first
three odd innings were enough to
dispose of the HiToms.
The Owls scored three runs in
the first and two each in the third
and fifth innings, as the visitors
left Finch Field again with the
'It has been the same
scenario over and over
again.'
— Tom Dorzweiler
HiToms Manager
victory by a 7-4 score.
There were plenty of opportuni
ties made available to the HiToms
who sprayed the baU throughout
the ballpark for 13 hits, but not
many of them were in succession
and with runners m scoring posi
tion.
“It has been the same scenario
over and over again,” said head
coach of the Tommies, Tom Dorz-
weUer. “It does not matter who we
face or who they pitch. We hit, we
hit, we hit and we hit. Today we
had 13 hits and four runs, and we
just can’t seem to string them to
gether to score runs.”
One out singles by the Owls in
the first put the defending CPL
champions in business during the
first frame, leaving starter Ben
Grisz in a world of trouble right
from the start. He bounced back
for a strikeout to record the sec
ond out, needing only to put down
Cade StaUmgs to escape. The
bomber from Louisville had a dif
ferent agenda, crushing a three-
run shot well over the wall in left
field for a 3-0 Owls lead.
See MISSED, Page 9
Myers, Fleming split wins at Bowman Gray
TIMES Staff Report
WINTON-SALEM — With a
fuU moon in the sky on Saturday,
fans were reminded why Bowman
Gray Stadium is nicknamed “the
Madhouse.”
For the first time ever, the Bill
Plemmons RV World Modified
Series competed m twin 50-lap
events - and Burt Myers of Wal
nut Cove grabbed the win for the
first race. It was his fifth victory
of the 2010 season.
Randy Butner of Pfafftown
qualified on the pole with Brian
Loftin of Lexington turning a
qualifying lap good enough for the
outside front row. Butner grabbed
the lead as the green flag fell and
looked to be in a strong position to
race his way to the checkered.
Unfortunately, mechanical is
sues forced Butner to pit after
only a few laps. Burt Myers, who
had moved up to second behind
Butner, took over the lead with
Loftin right behind him.
Double-file restarts forced My
ers to defend his lead against Lof-
tih and then later against Jona
than Brown of Winston-Salem.
The #1 car of Myers held on for
the first four double-file restarts,
but Jonathan Brown slammed the
gas to grab the lead during the
fifth restart. Loftin filed in right
behind Brown to claim second.
Brown’s lead was short-lived
after NASCAR officials black-
flagged Brown for accelerating too
early during the restart in which
he claimed the lead. Brown was
relegated to the rear, while Loftin
moved up to claim the top spot.
The tables were then turned
for Loftin and Myers, as Loftin
defended his lead against the out
side-row challenges from Myers,
Just like Myers, Loftin defended
his lead successfully four times in
a row - and then just like Myers,
the fifth challenge proved to be
one too many for Loftin, allowing
Myers to reclaim the lead.
With no more double-file restarts
appearing in the race, Myers held
on to the top spot in dominating
fashion, taking his fifth win of the
See WINS, Page 9
PHOTO/ERIC HYITON
Burt Myers collects his trophy Saturday night in the Winner's Circle after
winning the first Modified race of the night.