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‘action. ij Hard, Soft and WD WK * ¥ 09 «7 77 “ Lg wai ly Page 10A-THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Thursday, February 23, 1995 i Photo by Dee Stewart ; North Carolina's Pat Sullivan gets ready to throw the ball inbounds after a thunderous standing ovation and an official welcome back from the Dean E. Smith Center message board in Thursday's ACC game with Clemson. The Tar Heels handed Clemson its 41st straight loss in Chapel Hill, 66-39. Another milestone for Dean CHAPEL HILL - During an amazing career which has brought him to within two years of becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history, North Carolina's Dean Smith has turned in some stellar per- formances on the sidelines. But, perhaps, his best coaching performance is tak- ing place this year. With just six scholarship players on his team - and one of those on the sidelines most of the year - Smith achieved his 25th consecutive 20-win season in Thursday's 66-39 blowout of Clemson's Tigers at the Smith Center. Smith, with an 822-233 mark in 34 seasons, is now just 54 wins shy of Kentucky legend Adolp Rupp's all- time record of 876. Rupp, incidentally, won 722 games in his first 34 seasons. After an early 23-5 run by the Tar Heels, there was never any doubt that they would hand the Tigers their 41st consecutive loss in Chapel Hill and their 10th in a row in the Dean Dome. The most exciting part of the game - at least from the fans' standpoint - came when forward Pat Sullivan made his first appearance of the season following back surgery and a lengthy rehabili- tation process. His entry into the game - and not the four points he scored - earned him a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 21,572. Donald Williams, hitting 9-of-12 field goals, includ- ing 6-of-9 from 3-point range, led the UNC assault with 24 points. Rasheed Wallace added 13 points and Seven rebounds, The only bright Spel Clemson was, Sullivan'S'retufn will probably’ not telégate Calabria to Greg Buckner who scored 15 points in 20 minutes of Ahi OR sof ern The victory would have catapulted the Tar Heels in- to first in the NCAA polls, but the Heels dropped a two-point decision to Virginia in Charlottesville Sunday as Harold Deane scored 28 points and hit the winning foul shots with 4.2 seconds remaining. That loss, however, did nothing other than to throw the race for first place into a momentary three-way tie and once again prove that the ACC is the most-bal- anced league in the land. The fact that UNC is among those three at top points out the excellent job Smith is doing this year. Even though he has a trio of super sophs, on paper Maryland and Virginia, and possibly even Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, are stronger. The Tar Heels have ac- complished their 20-3 record with little depth. Smith has gotten maximum effort from reserves such as 7-2 ii EE WITH CATAWBA - Kings Mountain High senior Christy Bridges signed play volleyball with GARY STEWART Editor Serge Zwikker, Morehead Scholar Pearce Landry, Ed Geth and freshman Shammond Williams to give super athletes such as Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McGinnis, Rasheed Wallace and Donald Williams brief periods of rest. Landry, who helped lead Greensboro Page to the 4- A state championship on the same night that Kings Mountain lost the 3-A state title game to D.H. Conley here in 1990, has progressed from a walk-on to one of the best sixth men in the country. His three-point field goal which Coach Bobby Cremins termed a "back breaker" sparked the Tar Heels to victory over Georgia Tech last Sunday. "Pearce has played well for us all year," says Coach Smith. "I don't know where we would be without him. He is an excellent defender, can shoot the ball and is also a good rebounder for his size." The loss of Sullivan in the preseason forced junior Dante Calabria into a starting role, and he has led the nation in 3-point accuracy most of the season. wa reserve role, but it will give the Tar Heels some more depth --and goed depth at that - as they face the stretch run of the conference season and NCAA tournament play. Zwikker, though not polished yet, gives Smith quali- ty minutes off the bench, especially in a rebounding role, and although they're not getting in a lot of min- utes now, Williams and Geth play valuable roles in the future. Smith's teams have advanced to post-season play 28 straight years, including 24 trips to the NCAA Tournament, and Carolinas has reached the NCAA Tournament 20 years in a row - all records. As each win is counted over the next two seasons, the Dean of NCAA coaches inches closer and closer to being crowned king of NCAA coaching legends. It could happen in the NCAA tournament - and if players like Wallace and Stackhouse stick around, it could happen in the championship game! H i Catawba College Wednesday. Looking on, seated, are Christy's stepfather Jim White, left, and her mother, Wanda White. Standing are KMHS volleyball coach Diana Bridges and athletic director Phil Weathers. Christy is also the daughter of Ned Bridges of Gastonia. from baseball Mountaineers Second-year Kings Mountain High baseball coach Nelson Connor says his Mountaineers can be much stronger than they were last year when they finished third in the Southwestern 3-A Conference and advanced to the state 3-A playoffs. Although most observers rate South Point as the team to beat be- cause of the pitching strength of Stephen Cowie, Connor says his Mountaineers are very talented and could be right in the thick of the battle. Connor has 10 players back off last year's 10-11 team, including All-Conference catcher Kevin Melton and All-Conference out- fielder Kenny Bridges. Connor agrees that Cowie is the best pitch- er in the SWC, but he is quick to add that the second, third and fourth best could be his mound staff. "Nine of our returning players are seniors,” noted Connor, "and I expect major contributions from at least six of them. In any high school athletic competition that I've ever been associated with, I've found that you're as strong as your seniors. I have told them repeated- ly that we can be as good as we want to be." Connor says his players will be quick, very solid up the middle, and much improved defensively. "The potential is there," he says. "Joe Morgan said potential ‘means you haven't done anything yet and he's a Hall of Famer. But thus far in our workouts I have been extreme- ly pleased by the spirit, enthusiasm and work ethic. I sense‘a lot of dif- ference this year than last year when we had nobody coming back from the varsity who had played, and we had a new coach who was maybe too timid and indecisive at times. So I feel like I'm a'lot ‘more confident and encouraged than I was a year ago." Connor, who is being assisted by his former high school teammate, Tony Leigh, along with volunteers Danny Denton and Terry Bullock, says it will be hard to fill the shoes of departing seniors Sharee Hopper, Michael Bell, Duane Patterson, Chris Hutchins and "Nathan Champion. All five of them “were starters’'and Hopper dnd Bell were All-Conference. But this year's talent is just as good. » The mound staff will include southpaw Robert Wingo, a senior who pitched in the state champi- onship game his freshman year; Brian LeFevers, Bryan Leftwich, Cameron Falls and Sidney Bridges. Most - if not all - of them will be playing other positions when they're not on the mound. The return of Melton gives the Mountaineers the best catcher in the conference. He injured his shoulder in American Legion base- ball last. summer and it doesn't seem to be affecting him thus far. But, just in case, Connor says Chris Burns, Chris Henderson and Josh Turbyfill will be capable re- placements. Others expecting to see a lot of action include big Mike Cobb, who is a good hitter and has excellent leadership qualities; first baseman Timmy Harrelson, infielders Wes Bridges and Tommy Morrow, and outfielders Darren Putnam, Trip Roark, Jeff Moses, Jeremy Oliver, Justin Champion and Rick Stimson. Because of the recent weather, the Mountaineers have been able to practice outside only twice so Connor feels it will take a little longer for his hitting to come around. But when the Mountaineers open the season on March 14 at Crest, he said he defi- nitely wants the defense to be ready. "I always want my defense ready and my pitchers in shape," he said. "I believe baseball games at any level are won more on defense and pitching and capitalizing on other teams' mistakes. 1 had never thought about it before, but I was reading a book entitled 'A Stolen Season’ recently, and it made the OFFERING YOU COMPLETE EYE EXAM eo Wide Selection of Frames & Lenses Disposable Contact Lenses . ; es . . POOLE OPTOMETRIC First Baptist Church OF F ICES “Doing the King's Business in Kings Matai: 808 W. King Street, Kings Mountain, N Sung. ro Rit 3 & > P= od (for oy Shoes ho Ss, < oF > or WO Lyudy 1(704) 739-5581 Single’s Ministr aS) ? Se FL et Paine © % Sung ; 5 ¥%, PUnday Evening Worship A © . ocd Won” Ln pray sae 200° <° 2 oY dW 8 SV NS RC Q Oo 605 King Street ® Kings Mountain ¢ (704) 739-3651 & 12?” Mission Friends P. Wy, “ac 0 Sop Minis, Og: % % y % very interesting observation that baseball is the only game that the defense has the ball. I want our de- fense to take advantage of having that ball." Looking around the league, Connor says South Point, of course, is the team to beat but he expects Shelby and Burns to be much-improved also. "South Point is going to have a superlative team with the premier high school pitcher in the state," he said. "Stephen Cowie should be a joy to watch. We wish we were watching him in another confer- ence. "Burns could be fairly good, and Shelby always seems to leave themselves in position to be there at the end. They don't beat them- selves. "Looking back over last season, if I could go back and change sev- en innings - which is the equivalent of one game - and the mistakes that we made in those innings we would have won about 17 ball games. That's how important de- fense is." THE SCHEDULE MARCH 10 - North Mecklenburg (scrim- mage) 4:30; 14 - at Crest 4:30; 17 - W. Lincoln 4:30; 21 - Shelby 4:30; 24 - Hunter Huss 4:30; 28 - at Burns 7:30; 31 - North Gaston 4:30. APRIL 4 - at R-S Central 7:30; 7 - East Rutherford 7:30; 11 - at South Point 7:30; 14 - at Shelby 7;30; 17-21 - Observer Tournament at Bessemer City; 25 - at Huss 7 p.m.; 27 - Burns 7:30. MAY 1 - E. Gaston 7:30; 2 - at N. Gaston 7:30; 5 - R-S Central 7:30; 9 - at East Rutherford 7:30; 12 - South Point 7:30; 15-17-19 - SWC tournament (first round at top seed, semi-finals and fi- nals at KM). “ A Church for All Seasons” 10:00 am Church School ¢ 11:00 am Worship VISITORS WELCOME! The Key To Being Understood For Beginners - Learn WESTERN SQUARE DANCING FOR ADULT COUPLES * You will need a partner NEW CLASS now forming Dancing Classes every Friday Night FREE : First 4 Weeks Beginning Friday, March 3rd Kings Mountain “Parks & Recreation 734-0449 - Delores Professional Caller /Instructor PHIFER HARDWARE & GARDEN CENTER 110 S. Railroad Ave. Kings Mountain 739-4731 Howard Elmore (T/T We 110 S. Railroad Ave. 739-9156 Philip Bollinger Your Wedding Day is a Very Special Day in Your Life. Why should you have to settle for - borrowed or rented hand-me downs? SPECIAL Lizette Bridesmaid Dresses 15% Off You deserve to give yourself the best. You will find the Latest fashions the Best Prices and 1 Professional Service at Chadwick's. Our full service guarantee means when you purchase Your Wedding Gown you do not pay extra for alterations nor do you pay extra for pressing No-One Beats our Professional Services. Chadwick's Bridal and Formal Fashions 806 W. Warren Street, Shelby, NC 28150 744-487-0471 MC - Visa - Layaway Hrs. Mon-Sat. 9:30-5:30 Celebrating Eighteen Years of Bridal and Formal Experience j | ! : i
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Feb. 23, 1995, edition 1
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