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Page 6A-THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Thursday, February 15, 1990
HUSTLING PLAY - Chris Broome makes a diving return of a
shot in fourth-fifth grade volleyball tournament action at Grover
School Friday afternoon. The fifth graders won the annual tourna-
ment.
Baseball
From Page 4-A
With that kind of talent on hand,
a lot of opposing coaches and fans
will be pointing to Kings Mountain
as the team to beat in the
Southwestern 3-A Conference, and
possibly even in the state.
But Coach Clark doesn't plan to
put that kind of pressure on his
players.
"I want the players to go out
there and have some fun this year,"
he said. "I'm not crazy enough to
predict that we'll win it all again. It
takes a lot of breaks to get where
we got to last year and those breaks
may not be there this year. I'm not
going to put that kind of pressure
on them. Just like last year, our
goal is going to be to finish in the
top three in the conference and
"hope to get in the state playoffs. If
‘hat happens we'll take our shot in
layoffs and see what hap-
irk admits, though, that his
has a lot of potential.
rybod is counting on us
ting ball club, and
should be," he
that is our strong point
ing to try to get even better
ng “the ball.
time in our pitchers and catchers,"
he went on. "We believe that to be
successful in high school you have
to have good pitchers and catch-
ers."
Clark will have a good mixture
of left and righthanders this year.
Of course, heading the list of
prospects is Allen, a senior south-
paw who has great control.
Another southpaw joining the staff
this year is junior Jeff Rogers, who
is playing high school ball for the
first time.
Twins Chris and Chad Plonk,
who are also heavy hitters, hope to
regain their pitching form after suf-
fering arm injuries last year and
righthander Tommy Payne, who
pitched for the junior high two
years ago but did not play baseball
last spring, has also joined the
staff.
"Allen is our only pitcher with
experience,” says Clark, "but all of
our pitchers have done a lot of
work in our weight program and
swimming program and all of them
are pretty decent pitchers.
"Chad and Chris Plonk went to a
* doctor in Charlotte who gave them
some exercises and right now both
of them are as good as they've ever
been,” Clark said. Tommy Payne
was a real good pitcher at the ju-
nior high level and we hope he can
help us out. Jeff Rogers has pitched
a lot of summer league ball and
he's a lefthander. Any time you.can
fourth quarter.
Carmen Smith led the KM
Bumgardner
From Page 4-A
wanted to help in any way I ccild.”
Bumgardner later coached junior
varsity football for several years
and assisted Steve Moffitt with the
KMHS wrestling program.
Gibson and Bumgardner made a
good combination for the
Mountaineer baseballers, leading
them to some of their finest mo-
ments on the diamond. They
coached the team to the
Southwestern 3-A Conference title
in 1975 and 1980 and went to the
state championship series in 1980,
losing to Greene Central.
“T guess that was my biggest dis-
appointment in sports,"
Bumgardner said. "We had great
talent but went down to Kinston
for the state championship and
many of our players got food poi-
son and couldn't play. We lost out
on Friday night and came back to
Kings Mountain and my father
died on Saturday.” Bumgardner's
father, Ed, was a big baseball fan
and was at every Mountaineer
game before his illness.
Gibson and Bumgardner also
coached together in legion ball,
and * Bumgardner and Bob
Mantooth of Bessemer City
coached the KM legion team one
year before the KM players be-
came a part of the BC program.
throw from the left side and get the
ball over the plate you can be suc-
cessful."
Clark said he Mountaineers this
year will put more emphasis on
base-running, especially with the
addition of speedsters like Darius
Ross and Petie McNeal. Those
two, along with Honeycutt, are on
the basketball team right now and
will be late joining the baseball
team. Henson, a second baseman
who hit .355 last spring, is in-
volved in the state wrestling tour-
naments and will also be late com-
ing out.
"Defensively, we'll have about
eight positions where we have
someone coming back that started
at one time or another last year,"
Clark noted. "We're just going to
try to solidify the defense and work
hard on our hitting and see what
happens."
Depth will also be a plus for the
Mountaineers. Fifteen of the 19
players are seniors.
"In the outfield, we'll ‘have six
players that probably would start at
any other high school," said Clark.
"That's going to be a good situation
for us because they'll all be push-
ing each other for a starting posi-
tion and it will make all of them
better players."
The Mountaineers will be shy on
depth at shortstop and second base.
Last year's backup shortstop, Kevin
Whittington, transferred to
Bessemer City and last year's start-
ing third baseman, Dale Greene,
graduated. Jon Reid, who started at
third as a sophomore, will take
over at the hot corner. Chris Plonk
Bumgardner assisted two years in
BC.
Bumgardner got out of high
school coaching for several years
after the 1980 baseball season but
still followed the Mountaineers.
His son, Rusty, now a rising senior
tackle at Wake Forest, was a star
football and baseball player at
KMHS.
"I was never interested in coach-
ing Rusty," he said. "It would have
been tough for both of us. The only
time I coached him was in legion
ball at Bessemer City."
Bumgardner trained horses,
raised cattle and continued to teach
welding during the eighties but in
1988 he had a series of health
problems which left him disabled.
He had surgery on his back three
times and had part of a lung re-
moved during an eight month peri-
od in 1988.
Last year, new KMHS baseball
coach Bruce Clark asked
Bumgardner to help him out and
Bumgardner agreed to do what he
could.
"I couldn't hit or anything like
that, but I'd bring a chair to prac-
tice and the games and more or less
advise them and offer tips to the
catchers,” he said. "I miss not be-
ing able to teach but maybe pid-
dling around out at the ball field
and doing what I can to help them
can help me keep my mind off
some other stuff."
will be tenth graders. We're going
to teach them the basic concepts
that we do on the varsity and just
try to get them some experience."
Clark said he'll assist
Funderburke with the junior varsity
as much as possible and junior
high coach Tommy Wease will
help out when he can.
Veteran Bud Bumgardner will
return as catching coach and for-
mer Mountaineer hurler David Ray
Robinson, who pitched for Western
Carolina's Catamounts, will join
the team as pitching coach.
The Mountaineers will scrim-
mage Chase on March 8 and West
Lincoln on March 9, both at home,
and will open their regular season
on March 15 at home against Crest.
The Mountaineers will host the
annual Gaston Neighbors
Tournament April 26-20 and will
host the semi-finals and finals of
the SWC tournament in May. All
regular season home games will be
played at night, weather permit-
ting.
THE SCHEDULE
MARCH
8 - Chase scrimmage, 4 p.m.
9 - West Lincoln scrimmage, 4
p.m.
15 - Crest (TBA)
17 - at Ashbrook, 1 p.m.
19 - at Huss, 4:30
20 - at Shelby (TBA)
23 - N. Gaston, 7:30
26 - Huss, 7:30
27 - at E. Ruth. (TBA)
30 - S. Point, 7:30
APRIL
3 - Burns, 7:30
Bumgardner said winning last
year's state championship was his
biggest thrill in sports. "You al-
ways want to win and you remem-
ber the good years, but during all
those other vears I helped ont we
had some super kids to work with.
I enjoyed all of them," he said.
Bumgardner loves to win but
doesn't pound winning into his
players.
"Everyone wants to win, that's
human nature,” he says. "But I
think the way kids react is the main
thing in sports. The players we
have in baseball think they're never
out of a game until the last ball is
thrown and that's the way it should
be. As long as you have kids like
that you don't want to give up ei-
ther."
Bumgardner's friendly personali-
ty makes him a hit with players and
fans, and even umpires.
"That's my nature,” he says.
"Nowadays you try to get your
point across any way you can. My
nature is talking to kids and if it's
something I can help them with, it
will not only help them but it will
help me. If it means being a little
loose with them, I can be loose.
Sometimes a head coach can't do it
that way."
Bumgardner says what coaching
knowledge he has, he owes to
Barry Gibson.
"He was a super guy to work
with," Bumgardner said. "Over the
years we began to accuse one an-
other of thinking alike. I don't
know if that was good or bad. He
rally taught me what the funda-
me nial Is of baseball were all about.
Hig | shilosophy was not just to be a
moo, baseball player but to be a
good | person, That's what Bruce
Clark trying to do 100."
Bu gardner looks forward to a
big year this spring and hopes to
‘see the) Mountaineers go to the
state playoffs again.
"In spdrts everybody’ s after the
number one man,” he said. "All the
teams will\be out to whip us this
year. It wil{ be a long, hard road
and we 4 take anything for’
granted. But \ve've got a lot of po-
tential "
Although Bhan coach-
ing time will Be limited, he says
he'll do what he gan to help contin-
ue the Mountaingers' winning tra-
dition. \
"I'll just go out\there and get a
chair and sit in it\for maybe an
hour and then leave," he says. "It
beats having to sit ‘at home. It's
something I enjoy. Kus wish I
Looking back over
volunteer coach, A said
* could be more active init.’
hig years as a
he wouldn't change a thing,
"I don't feel like at any time I've
wasted my time doing this," he
says. "I like kids and 1 especially
Steve Moffitt, Bob Jones,
Brooks, Bruce Clark and De
Hicks have all helped me a lof
think the time I've spent with the
has been very beneficial to me.’ \
LIBBY'S MOTORCOACH TRAVELS |
Jean E. (Libby) Spires
(704) 739-8707
Specializing in Group Tours
P.O. Box 1156
-presents-
‘KENTUCKY DERBY FEVER"
3 Days/2 nights
Fri., Sat. and Sunday
April 27, 28 and 29
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
Hey! It's Derby Week. The tulips are already blooming, the scent of mint
\is in the air, and the opinions already abound as to who will be the
winner of the "116th Run For The Roses".
But, before all the crowds
arrive, let's YOU and | leisurely spend a few days enjoying the Southern
Hospitality of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its people. This is the
week-end PRIOR to the Derby itself.
TOUR INCLUDES:
FRIDAY P.M. -SOUTHERN EVENING BUFFET and SING-A-LONG with
the "Mountain Dew Hillbillies". INCLUDES Hat, Songbook and your
choice of a Kentucky Mint Julep or non-alcoholic Mint Julep Punch in a
Derby Keepsake Glass.
Overnight in Historic Bardstown, Ky.
SAT. A.M. *Enroute to Louisville, Ky. - Derby City.
Board the RIVER QUEEN and enjoy a BRUNCH as we CRUISE on thg,
Ohio River.
SAT. PM.-AFTERNOON HORSE RACING at CHURCHILL DOWNS -
INCLUDED is your reserved seat and racing program.
Enroute to HILLBILLY HEAVEN where you will have a PRIME RIB
DINNER and DANCE to the sounds of the 40's and 50's by "The Jam
Session".
SUN. A.M.
«TOUR of KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM.
THE OLD STABLE, Bardstown-Farewell SOUTHERN
BREAKFAST BUFFET with OLD TIME GOSPEL MUSIC.
TOUR of MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME STATE SHRINE.
The cost of $249.00 Per Person, Double Occupancy includes: Deluxe
motorcoach transportation, 2 overnight accommodations, baggage
handling for 1 large bag per person and all of the above. A deposit of
$50.00 per person is required at time of booking to secure your
reservation. Balance of money is requested by March 17. Departs from
Eastridge Mall, Gastonia with pick-ups in Kings Mountain and Shelby.
4 - E. Lincoln, 7:30
6 - at R-S Central, 4:30
9 - at Crest, 4 p.m.
12 - Gaffney, 7:30
16-20 - Gaston Neighbors.
Tournament at KM
24 - at N. Gaston, 7:30
27 - E. Ruth. 7:30
MAY
1- at S. Point, 7:30
scoring with 21 points and Nicole
Barnes added 10.
orth
>| From Page 4-A
Siday, who scored 29 of her
game-high 31 points in the second
"half, canned a three-pointer with
4:23 left to knot the game at 41-all.
‘She intercepted a pass and scored
again to make it 43-41 with 4:07
ioft and it was all North Gaston the
returns at shortstop.
&
Because of the abundance of se-
niors on this year's team, the
Mountaineers plan to field a junior
varsity team which will be coached
by Ronny Funderburke. Most
members of the team will be ninth
graders.
"We plan to use the jayvee team
Tultex [ill Outlet
GIRLS GAME
KM (49) - Smith 21, Hardin 2,
Ruff 8, Feemster 6, Roseboro 2,
Barnes 10.
NG (52) - Best 4, Britton 2,
Hope 8, Friday 31, Huggins 2,
of test of the way. Dellinger 3, Rushing 2. fit 3 - at E. Lincoln, 7:30
{Rn in co AEE te
: vl r the first quarter and 25-11 at in- > : 8 - R-S Central 7:30
a Eis North Gaston cut the BOYS GAME the players to try to compare them- 10 - Shelby, 7:30 February 14 thru 17
selves to last year's team or this
year's varsity, just try to find their
.own identity.
"The kids we've. got were very
‘NG (72) - Jackson 6, Mintz 3, Successful at the junior high level,
Woods 19, Carter 21, Benton 18, but it's a step up in competition
Brooks 3. and they'll be playing a lot of teams
that the majority of their players
VALEN TINE’S DAY
BRIDAL GU WN SALE!
Discontinued Wedding Gowns
Y to 75% off
Sizes 4 to 20
¥ Select Wedding Gowns
$90
¥ All Discontinued Bridesmaids Gowns
Sage
¥ Large Selection Mother of Bride
and Prom/Party Formals
95
¥ Large Selection Bridal Veils & Hats
$20°°
KM (84) - Honeycutt 34,
Hollifield 8, Byers 10, Vaughn 7,
Ross 14, Smith 3, hager 4, McNeal
14-18 - Conference tournament
(First round game at site of higher
seeded teams; semi-finals and fi-
nals at KM.
22 - June 1 - state playoffs
JUNE
6-8 State championship series
| difference to 37-29 going into the
arker And Barrett
Vin Bowling Event
Janet Parker and Jack Barrett of
Kings Mountain, with 1,014 pins,
/ “pn the mixed doubles champi-
ip in the Tom Wilson
fiorial Duckpin Bowling
arnament last weekend in
urlington.
% Parker also won the women's
singles handicap with a 512 score.
A Several other KM bowlers fin-
‘shed high in the standings. Lib
and Jack Barrett were fourth
Winter
Clearance
Unto...
60"
Off Retail
of Ladies and
Men's Merchandise
Sealy Posturepedic
THE REAL MATTRESS SALE!
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# Complete with Bunkies *1 69
‘88 Twin Sat $1 1 9 Full Set
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Mon.-Sat. $00-5:30
(704) 487-0471
| Firm lrner-Spring Chadwick's KM Plaza
| FAGTORY MARES SALES All Sales Final Bridal & Formal Fashions Sale Begins Monday 2-12 Shelby Road
Kings ish gb No Exchange/Reiunds 806 W. Warren _St. Through Saturday 2-17 Hwy. 74 West
|