SPORTS
Page 6 Section A
THE BIG SCOOP - Kings Mountain's Joseph Bell tries to’ scoop
the ball underneath South Point's Koren Robinson in Friday's
SWC tournament championship game at the KMHS gym. KM
won 70-62.
BUD’S SILKS & 2
5 FLORAL SUPPLIES
(Across from Flea Market)
3843 Dallas-High Shoals Highway
Dallas, N.C. 28034
Phone (704) 922-9010
Fax (704) 922-4525
BUDDY SMITH
Owner
Rates
* Medicare Supplements
e Long Term Care ¢ Group Insurance
» Disability e Life Insurance
Good
T.R. Davidson
:TR Davidson Insurance
739-0559 (9-5) =
You Know Your
Vision's Changing
Maybelt's Time
Your Lenses
Should Too.
When your vision begins to change, you may start having trouble read-
ing. Butwith Varilux Comfort lenses, you can see the way you always
have. AtDoctors Vision Center we offer the best in progressive no-line
lenses, Varilux Comfort. Its advanced design minimizes the distortion
and adaptation problems found in standard bifocal lenses. And now
it's available in a wide range of lens materials to fit any lifestyle.
Transitions III
Lenses that when you go from inside to outside
change from light to dark
Polarized
Lenses that provide you with unsurpassed glare reduction
High Index
Thin, lightweight, plastic lenses for enhanced comfort and appearance
Doctors \VisionCenter ©
We Put The Doctor In Vision Care.
Dr. James R. Mason & Dr J. Scott Mincey
410 W. King Street
739-8028
Kings Mountain Herald
Mountaineers win tournament,
play in Sectional at Kannapolis
With the Southwestern 3A
Conference regular season and
tournament championships tucked
away, Kings Mountain's
Mountaineers head north on I-85
Thursday to begin their quest for
the Sectional Championship and a
berth in the final eight in North
Carolina prep basketball.
Larry Sipe's Mountaineers de-
feated Burns 75-63 Thursday night
and South Point 70-62 Friday to
claim their first SWC tournament
crown since 1993.
The Mounties play at 8:30
Thursday at A.L. Brown in
Kannapolis against the winner of
~ Tuesday's game between Trinity
and Harding. A victory would put
KM in the Sectional championship
game Saturday at 8:30. The
Sectional champion advances to
the Western N.C. Regional
Tournament next week at Hickory
High School, and the winner there
goes to the State Championship
game in Chapel Hill.
Friday's victory over South Point
at the KMHS gym gave the
Mountaineers their first SWC regu-
lar season and SWC tournament ti-
tle in the same year under Sipe,
who is completing his 14th season
as head coach. But during those 14
years the Mountaineers have
claimed nine championships on the
conference, Sectional and Regional
level.
While Sipe has had some cham-
pionship teams with more impres-
sive won-lost records than this
year's 13-11 outfit, he has had few
teams to make as big a turnaround.
Heading into conference play the
Mountaineers had a 4-8 record
against strong non-conference op-
position.
"You couldn't ask more of a
team than what we've gotten," Sipe
said. "Our record wasn't that out-
standing but we really played some
excellent competition just to get
ready for the conference season.”
Sipe, who has always stressed
the team concept, said all 10 of his
players accepted their roles and
worked hard to achieve team suc-
cess.
LR
DRIVING FOR BASKET - Kings Mountain's Ke'lee Thompson
(40) drives through the South Point defense for a lay-up in
Friday's SWC tournament championship game at the KMHS
gym. KM won 70-62.
"We had a scorer (Marlon
Byers), and we developed a pretty
good rebounder (Tario Campbell),
and we came along defensively,"
he said. "And the kids that came
off the bench contributed. We
couldn't have won without them.
"Avery Bess and Kendrick Bell
have pretty much split playing time
at the point guard position, and
David Turner played exceptionally
well the last three weeks of the sea-
son. Against Burns in our first
tournament game, he came off the
bench and had 18 points. David
could have started on a lot of teams
in our conference. You always
have to have somebody come off
the bench and give the team a lift.
We also got good play from Seth
Denton and Kel.ee Thompson and
Cash Nixon coming off the bench.
"Qwenshon Goode came along
by leaps and bounds as a fresh-
man," he continued. "In the Burns
game he had 13 points and 15 re-
bounds, and that was a game we
needed for him to step up because
we were playing without Tario
Campbell."
Byers, who led the SWC in scor-
ing with better than 22 points per
game, also had a big night against
the Bulldogs with 31 points, and
Joseph Bell added nine points and
his usual fine floor game. Kings
Mountain grabbed the lead early
and sealed it at the foul line even
March 5, 1998
though the Bulldogs forced 10 KM
turnovers in the fourth period.
In the championship game
against South Point, the Mounties
started slow and didn't lead until
Turner's lay-up at the first quarter
buzzer gave them a 9-7 lead. They
never trailed after that but couldn't
break the game open against the
scrappy South Point five.
Byers again led the scoring with
29 points, with 22 of them coming
in the middle two periods.
Campbell had 18 points and 11 re-
bounds and Bell scored 14.
The regular season champi-
onship assured the Mountaineers of
a bye in the first round of the state
playoffs, which opened Tuesday at
various sites across the state. When
Sectional play begins Thursday,
there will be only 32 teams left
with a shot at the state title.
"Sometimes you don't know how
you'll react to a bye," Sipe said.
"Whether we play Trinity or
Harding they will already have a
game under their belt. They'll be
about like us. They've played good
competition and have been in
tough leagues. Harding finished
third in the regular season (South
Piedmont Conference) but knocked
off West Rowan (the state's #2
ranked 3A team) in their confer-
ence semifinals, so they've got a
good team. Trinity is around the
High Point/Greensboro area so you
know they've played good compe-
tition.
"But what we've accomplished
nobody can take away from us.
This is an exciting part of the year.
Now we're just going to see how
far we've come since November 1."
THURSDAY GAME
Burns (63) - Baxter 24, Jeter 12,
Phelps 7, Howell 7, Petty 4, Logan 5,
Bradshas 2, J. Geter 2.
KM (75) - Byers 31, Turner 18,
Goode 13, J. Bell 9, K. Bell 4.
FRIDAY GAME
South Point (62) - Blair 17, Beck
13, Robinson 7, Dye 6, Mitchell 6,
Thornton 4, Lowery 3, Hannon 2.
KM (70) - Byers 29, Campbell 18, J.
Bell 14, Turne r4, Bess 2, Thompson 2,
Goode 1.
Mountaineers to open baseball season
Kings Mountain High's baseball
team opens its regular season
Monday at 4:30 at Crest and will
probably be without the services of
its top pitcher, Hunter Suber.
Suber, who was looking for a
banner senior season after being
one of the team's top winners last
year, injured his knee over the
weekend and will be out indefinite-
ly.
Suber pitched the first two in-
nings in last Thursday's scrimmage
game at North Mecklenburg and
was very impressive. He didn't
give up a run, and the David Clark,
who pitched the last two innings,
gave up only one run.
But the Vikings got to KM's
middle men, juniors Eric Boyd and
Joey Proctor, for six runs and
scored a 7-5 victory over the
Mountaineers.
Kings Mountain will host
Canton Pisgah in a scrimmage
Saturday, with JV players taking
the field at 12 noon and the varsity
playing at 2 p.m.
"Hunter did a real good job at
North Mecklenburg, and David
Clark looked strong," said KM
Coach Tony Leigh. "North Meck
touched Eric and Joey for six runs,
but both of them worked hard and
got valuable experience."
Overall, Leigh said, he was not
pleased with the Mounties' perfor-
mance but he expects them to get
better.
ACCIDENTS ARE A PAIN.
errs Getting the proper care shouldn't be.
Head & Neck Pain:
Headache
Stiff Neck
Heaviness of head
Motion Restriction
Muscle Spasms
Tension
Anxiety :
Numbness of limbs {
Insomnia
Ears Ringing
Nausea
Loss of Balance
© © 0 0 0 0 o
«8
E
Q paw 7s
al
A
FIRS
| NEW PATIENT CERTIFICATE
I Present this certificate for a complete Chiropractic
Evaluation—Free! Your initial visit will include: Consultation with doctor, 2 x-
rays (if considered necessary) thorough spinal exam, explanation of treatment,
"IF YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE
confidential report of findings ($105.00 value).
MTWF
8:00am-Noon
| 2:00-6:00pm
THURS 8am -Noon
Dr. Reno is an expert in the identification and treatment of neck
and back injuries. More and more people are turning to Patients
First Chiropractic Center for relief. Give us an opportunity to
help you too. Like so many others, you'll be glad you did.
Chirop
Center
Call Us Today! (704)480-1700
1617 East Dixon Blvd. e Shelby, NC
(Hwy 74 By-pass, near Biglots)
ractic
Dr. Dennis Reno
ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS, YOU HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND WITHIN Chiropractic Physician
| THREE DAYS AND RECEIVE A REFUND." EXPIRES MARCH 31, 1998
| office Hours |We accept Medicare/Medicaid, BC/BS, Costwise, etc.
"I thought we did some good
things, but as far as being totally
satisfied, I was not," he said. "We
have to work a little harder defen-
sively."
Leigh said he was impressed
with several players.
"Joey Proctor did a good job in
centerfield and swung the bat real
well," he said. "He had a triple and
scored our first run.
"Robin Perkins, our leadoff man,
did his job. He was on base twice.
David Clark hit the ball well, Toby
Sims did a good job for us. We
moved Brandon Putnam to first
base since Andy (Leigh) was in-
jured, and he did a good job."
The Mountaineers have three
games next week, playing at Crest
Monday, at East Gaston Thursday
and at home against Shelby on
Friday. All games start at 4:30.
With Suber doubtful and south-
paw Seth Denton still involved
with the basketball playoffs, Leigh
Topsoil
40ib. 310°
| Potting Soil
{Pine Needles
$3-69
Good Thru 3-07-98
EI RICE
BRIDGES HARDWARE
AND HOME CENTER
100 S. Cansler St. » 739-5461
said it's uncertain what his pitching
rotation will be.
"Seth has been throwing on the
weekends," Leigh said. "Whenever
he gets through with basketball
he'll be ready to step right in. Right
now I'd say we'll probably start
David Clark at Crest, probably
look at Proctor and Boyd against
East Gaston, and then go back with
Clark or Denton against Shelby."
THE SCHEDULE
MARCH
9 - at Crest 4:30; 12 - at E. Gaston
4:30; 13 - Shelby 4:30; 17 - at R-S
Central 4:30; 18 - Huss 4:30; 20 -
Bums 4:30; 24 - at S. Point 4:30; 27 -
E. Ruth. 4:30; 31 - N. Gaston 7.
APRIL
1-atHuss 7;3 -R-S 7; 7 - at Bums
7; 10 - S. Point t7; 13-17 - Easter
Tourn. at Huss; 20 - at E. Ruth. 7; 22 -
at N. Gaston 7; 24 - at R-S 4:30; 28 -
Bums 7;
MAY
1-atS. Point 7;5 -E. Ruth. 7; 7 -
N. Gaston 7.
KY31 GRASS
SEED
50lb. 33332
WHEAT STRAW
Cow Manure
40lb. 14°