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Proud and ashamed
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Central honors
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P6/C5
ffWiMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
—
March 19, 2003
Vol. 71, No. 11 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Perquimans
Weekly
Pirates No. 2 in state
Pirates coach Donald Stepney accepts the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-A state runner-up
plaque after a disappointing 75-61 loss to Thomasville in Reynold Coliseum at N.C. State University Saturday.
With Stepney are (left to right) J'Sean Wilkins, Jerrell Foreman and Titus Stepney, all seniors who dreamed of
coming back to Perquimans with the state title.
PQ falls short
in state title
game at NCSU
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The winds that propelled
the sails of the Pirate ship
suddenly calmed midway
through the fourth quarter
of the North Carolina High
School Athletic
Association 1-A state cham
pionship game Saturday in
Reynolds Coliseum at N.C.
State University.
Although Perquimans
never gave up and got looks
at the basket, the net just
seemd to stiffen and the
Pirates’ potent offense just
wouldn’t work.
An exciting game that
could have gone either way
turned toward Thomasville
in the final stanza, and the
Pirates took an enormously
disappointing 75-61 loss.
The highlight of the
game for Perquimans was
the play of Jerrell
Foreman, the Pirates’ 6’6”
senior. Foreman scored 22
points and grabbed 12
boards in the contest. The
center was up against a
tremendous player, but
never lost his composure or
focus during the contest.
Perquimans missed its
first 10 shots and fell
behind 10-0 before J’Sean
Wilkins hit two free throws
to jump-start the offense.
Thomasville held a 15-2
lead before the Pirates went
on a 10-2 run to close the
gap to seven at the end of
the first stanza. The Pirates
used four steals to boost its
offense.
The second quarter saw
the Pirates settle down and
chip away at the Bulldog
lead. At the half,
Thomasville lead by two.
In the third, the Pirates
appeared poised to pull off
the upset against a team
that has made four appear
ances in the state title game
over the last six years.
Perquimans outscored the
Perquimans senior Titus Stepney is congratulated by PCHS faculty member Betty
Byrum at a courthouse lawn celebration welcoming the East Region Champions
and state runners-up home Saturday night.
Dogs 14-7 to open the quar
ter and take the team’s only
lead of the game, 42-35.
But over the next
minute, Thomasville
scored 10 points to go back
on top.
Wilkins’ jumper at the
buzzer made it 50-46 in
Thomasville’s favor.
And then the shots
stopped falling.
Perquimans scored 15
points in the fourth frame,
but also missed 15 shots as
they began to scramble to
regain the lead.
The Pirates never
stopped trying to find their
footing, but the win was not
to be.
They had dreamed of a
celebration at the end of
the big game, but on
Saturday, red-rimmed eyes
and dropped heads left the
gym.
By Tuesday, head coach
Donald Stepney said he
thought that perhaps the
players were beginning to
heal from the loss and
appreciate what they had
accomplished.
“From Saturday until
yesterday (Monday), it was
beginning to be like ‘Okay,
we’re still champions.
We’re just the eastern
champions,”’ Stepney said.
“For the seniors, it was bit
ter because they dont’ get
another shot.”
StUl, Stepney said that
one loss cannot overshad
ow an outstanding season.
The Pirates were The Daily
Advance Holiday
Basketball Classic
chamions, won the regular
season title, came in second
in the conference tourna
ment where they played
without starting point
guard Titus Stepney, won
the sectional title, earned
the east region title and got
to play in a state champi
onship game.
“It was one of the most
exciting seasons I’ve ever
had,” said Stepney, himself
a former Pirate basketball
player. “Every game was
just special because very
rarely we played anybody
from behind. We always
controlled the tempo of the
Jerrell Foreman was
named East Region MVP
during the state champi
onship game Saturday.
like
game.
“It was just
Cinderella ride.”
PCHS Athletic Director
Susan Cox enlisted support
from school personnel and
the community to organize
a celebration on the court
house lawn for the team
Saturday night.
School siqiply
drive underway
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Public educaiton is free,
but the rising cost of
school supplies can make
it difficult for some fami
lies to provide those sup
plies needed by their
school-aged children.
In an effort to help
those families who may
have difficulty outfitting
their children with school
supplies. Communities in
Schools, Perquimans
County Social Services,
Holy Trinity Episcopal
Church, Frankie’s Cafe
and Courtesy Ford have
joined forces to provide
those supplies to county
students.
The project wUl kick off
on May 3 on the court
house lawn from 11 a.m.-
1p.m. Lunch wiU be avail
able for purchase and
entertainment wUl be pro
vided by local musicians.
Donations of school
supplies or money wUl be
accepted during the event.
There will also be drop
boxes and money jars in
various businesses
around the county during
May and June.
Other events are also
planned.
Applications for school
supplies will be taken at
social services during reg
ular business hours
throughout the month of
April. Supplies will be dis
tributed in July.
Contributions may be
made through social ser
vices or Communities in
Schools.
For information or to
donate, call Carlyn Brown
at 426-5478.
No DOPE
A canine unit from the Currituck County Sheriff's
Department assisted with a locker search at
Perquimans County High School recently. No drugs
were found during the search.
V-
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Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 70
Low; 54
Showers
Friday
High:74
Low: 48
Scattered T'storms
Saturday
High: 68
Low: 43
Partly Cloudy