TRI-COUNTY
RANKING
#
Rank Record Last Week
1 - South Point 11-0 1
2 - Crest 9-1 2
3 - Shelby 7-2-1 3
4 - Forestview 8-2 4
5-KingsMtn. 6-4-1 5
6 - North Gaston 7-4 6
7 - Ashbrook 5-6 7
8 - Chase 6-4 9
9 - E. Ruth. 6-5 10
10 - E. Gaston 5-6 8
11 - RS Cent. 3-7 11
12 - Burns 3-8 12
13 - Cville 3-8 13
14 - B. City 1-10 TH
14 - Huss 1-10 T14
Last Week's Results
Kings Mtn. 46, N. Gaston 33
S. Point 16, RS Central 9
E. Ruth. 21, Burns 12
Ashbrook 26, Huss 7
N. Meck 63, E. Gaston 10
Chase 66, West Lincoln 27
Lincolnton 41, B. City 26
Maiden 58, Cherryville 24
Crest 33, Alexander Cent. 14
This Week's Games
(NCHSAA Playoffs)
HP Andrews at S. Point
~ Forestview at Ragsdale
Ashbrook at Davie County
Crest at Greensboro Grimsley
Norwood at Shelby
i
PREP
STANDINGS
m
Southwestern 3A
Teams Conf. All
W-L W-L
South Point 6-0 11-0
Forestview 4-2 8-2
Kings Mtn. 4-2 6-4-1
East Ruth. 3-3 6-5
North Gaston 2-4 7-4
Burns y 1-5 3-8
R-S Central 1-5 3-7
Last Week's Results
Kings Mtn. 46, N. Gaston 33
S. Point 16, RS Central 9
East Ruth. 21, Burns 12
This Week’s Games
(NCHSAA Playoffs)
HP Andrews at S. Point
Herald/Times
November 11, 1999
Section B, Page
SSS SSS ae . 4 SH
ROR {
‘He’s the Man
Hillman finishes prep career with 5,618 yards, 396 points
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
One of Kings Mountain's all-time
great football players went out in style
Friday night.
Senior Anthony Hillman completed
his three-year prep career as the leading
rusher and scorer in KMHS and
Cleveland County history, plus became
just the second player in school history
to have his jersey retired.
Head Coach and Athletic Director
Ron Massey presented Hillman with
his jersey during a special half-time cer-
emony during the Mountaineers’ 46-33
season-ending victory over North
Gaston at John Gamble Stadium.
Hillman joins retired Cleveland
Browns running back Kevin Mack as
the only KM players to ever have their
jerseys retired. Mack's #20 was retired
following his record-breaking senior
season of 1979 when he led the
Mountaineers to an 8-2 season and
gained 1,585 yards rushing.
Mack’s single season rushing total
was one of the many records Hillman
smashed during a three-year varsity ca-
reer which saw the Mountaineers win
two Southwestern 3A Conference titles,
one Western North Carolina champi-
onship, and post a combined won-lost
figure of 30-11-1.
During that stretch Hillman gained
5,618 yards, a figure that almost dou-
bled the previous career rushing record
of 3,089 yards, set by Shrine Bowl star
Ken Baity from 1955-57.
Hillman broke Baity’s record during
last season, when he had his best single
season with 2,510 yards rushing.
Included in that total was another
school mark of 298 yards rushing in a
27-21 win over Kannapolis in the third
round of the state 3A playoffs.
Mi.
Hillman’s two touchdowns Friday
Anthony Hillman, with Coach Ron Massey looki
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
ng on at left, has his jersey re-
ished with 162 points, compared to last
year’s high of 156 points. For his three-
year career, he scored 66 touchdowns
and 396 points.
While Hillman'’s bruising style of
running is far different from Baity and
Mack’s more explosive, burning speed
style, most fans who have seen all three
say there's no question Hillman is the
best running back to wear the Kings
Mountain Black and Gold.
Head Coach Ron Massey, who has
had at least one 1,000 yard rusher in
each of his five seasons here, said that’s
obvious.
“His endurance over the past three
+ years has been unbelievable,” said
Massey. “He's such a great competitor. I
think that’s what separates him from
being a very good back and being a
great offensive back. He's just a com-
petitor.”
Hillman reaped almost every honor .
imaginable over his first two varsity
seasons, including All-Southwestern 3A
Conference, SWC Player of the Year,
and All-State.
Although this year’s all-star teams
won't be announced until after every
SWC team is eliminated from the play-
offs, it’s a sure-bet he will repeat those
previous honors.
Kings Mountain fans - and Coach
Massey, too - feel like he’s also worthy
to be the first KM back to make the
Shrine Bowl since Baity in ‘57.
“If they don’t pick him in the Shrine
Bowl I'm going to be extremely upset
and disappointed,” Massey said. “I
can’t think of another fullback-type
runner that can match him.”
Hillman is also catching the eye of
. college recruiters, and although some
folks say his speed in the forty yard
dash is not good enough for the
Division I level, Massey says his speed
is deceptive and because of his heart
]
}
Dt
night broke his existing school record of tired at halftime of Friday’s KM-North Gaston football game at Gamble and strength he would make someone 3
Forestview at Ragsdale
ME-GA 7 4A
Teams Conf. All
W-L W-L
Olympic 5-1 7-4
Ashbrook 4-2 5-6
North Meck 4-2 8-3
East Gaston 4-2 5-6
Vance 3-3 7-4
Hunter Huss 1-5 1-10
West Meck 0-6 1-9
Last Week’s Results
Ashbrook 26, Huss 7
North Meck 63 E. Gaston 10
Olympic 52, West Meck 6
Vance 46, Harding 0
This Week’s Games
(NCHSAA Playoffs)
Myers Park at Olympic
Ashbrook at Davie County
S. Piedmont 1A/2A
Teams Conf. All
W-L W-L
Shelby 6-0 7-2-1
Maiden 5-1 8-2
Chase 4-2 6-4
Cherryville 2-4 3-8
Lincolnton 2-4 4-7
W. Lincoln 1-5 29
Bess. City 1-5 1-10
Last Week's Results
Lincolnton 41, B. City 26
Maiden 58, Cherryville 24
Chase 66, West Lincoln 27
This Week’s Games
(NCHSAA Playoffs)
Norwood at Shelby
Murphy at Maiden
Northwestern 4A
Teams Conf. All
W-L W-L
Freedom 5-0 11-0
Crest 41 - 941
Alexander 3-2 6-5
East Burke 2-3 5-6
McDowell 1-4 2-8
Watauga 0-5 3-8
Last Week's Results
Crest 33, Alexander 14
This Week's Games
(NCHSAA Playoffs)
Crest at Greensboro Grimsley
Alexander at Richmond Co.
Butler at Freedom
most points in a single season. He fin-
KM outguns *
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Bruised and banged up and
minus some key players who
were injured in the game with
South Point a week earlier,
Kings Mountain's
Mountaineers battled back from
adversity to defeat North
Gaston's Wildcats 46-33 in their
final football game of the sea-
son Friday night at John
Gamble Stadium. :
The victory left Ron Massey's
charges with a 6-4-1 overall
record and in a tie for second
place in the Southwestern 3A
Conference. But because of an
early-season loss to Forestview,
the Mountaineers did not quali-
fy for the state playoffs for the
first time in Massey's era as
coach.
Still, considering the four
losses and the tie came against
some of the top teams in North
and South Carolina, Massey
was pleased with his team’s ef-
fort during the season, and es-
pecially in the final game.
“I was proud of our kids for
Kings
Mountain
High foot-
ball coaches,
players and
fans may be
disappoint-
ed at present
because the
Mounties
did not
make the
state play-
offs, but
down the road all will be able to
look back with pride to a good
season that produced many ex-
citing moments.
The Mountaineers’ 6-4-1
record was their worst in five
years under Coach Ron Massey,
but when you consider the cali-
bre of teams they lost to you .
have to admit it was another
outstanding year.
All of KM’s losses (and the tie
Gary
Stewart
Editor
Stadium.
being able to come back and
win against a very good North
Gaston team,” he said. “North
Gaston has probably one of the
best teams they've had in a long
tim.e
“I thought we showed a lot of
resiliency. We had to play a lot
of kids on defense that were re-
ally banged up, and I thought
some of the kids we put in did
an admirable job.”
The final game saw the end
of an era in Kings Mountain
football. The school’s all-time
leading rusher and scorer,
Anthony Hillman, who had his
#45 jersey retired in a halftime
ceremony, gained 170 yards in
29 carries and scored two
touchdowns to bring his final
career numbers to 5,618 yards
rushing and 394 points - both
Cleveland County records.
It also marked the end of the
prep careers of 24 other seniors
who helped lead the team to an
overall 35-11-1 mark, two SWC
championships and one
Western North Carolina title
See Game, 2B
with Shelby) came against
teams that are in the state play-
offs. Three of those teams
(Gaffney, South Point and
Shelby) have legitimate shots to
win the state championship. A
fourth team, Crest, is a very
good football team but is in the
same playoff bracket with na-
tional power Richmond County.
The fifth, Forestview, probably
won't go far in the playoffs but
the Jaguars are still a very good
football team.
Even though they're sitting at
home for the playoffs, the
Mountaineers accomplished a
lot. In their five years under
Coach Massey, they have bro-
ken almost every offensive
record in a football history dat-
ing back to 1922.
Massey has produced at least
one 1,000-yard rusher in each of
his five seasons, and on two oc-
casions the Mounties had two
See Hillman, 2B
Cats in finale, 46-33
»
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
Kings Mountain’s Kelly Littlejohn (3) tries the left side for some running groom In Friday's
Southwestern 3A Conference game with North Gaston at John Gamble Stadium. Mountaineers
won 46-33 to end their season with a 6-4-1 overall record.
1,000-yard rushers in the same
backfield. He has had seven
1,000-yard rushers in five years.
In the 73 years prior to
Massey's arrival, the school had
only eight 1,000-yard rushers.
He has had two quarterbacks
to break the all-time school ca-
reer passing record, and his
most recent running star,
Anthony Hillman, smashed all
of the school and Cleveland
County rushing and scoring
records.
This year’s team, in only 11
games, almost broke the school
scoring record of 448 points set
last year when the
Mountaineers played 16 games.
The “99 outfit scored 422 points,
including 264 over the last five
contests. The team topped the
50-point mark four times. In the
previous 77 years, they had
topped the 50-point mark only
five times.
period in the 1950s their foot-
Fame because of his success on
.the football field, was 16-23-5 in
his first five years. John Gamble
‘was 31-14-5, Bill Bates 31-18-2,
Mounties can be proud of their success
Bob Jones 26-204, Dan Brooks
25-25, and Denny Hicks 31-24.
The Mountaineers went to
the state playoffs four years in a
row from 1995-98, and in the
previous years 73 years com-
bined went to the playoffs only
six times (‘55 and ‘56 under
Carlton, ‘64 under Bates, and
‘85, ‘86 and ‘89 under Hicks).
Perhaps the best indication of
just how far the KM football
The Mountaineers have had
some excellent coaches and
some outstanding teams over
the years, but except for a brief
ball programs were mediocre
at best before Massey's arrival.
Massey’s winning percentage
(75 percent) is far greater than
any other KMHS coach, and the
Mountaineers’ five-year win to-
tal under Massey (47 games) is
by far the best of any other five- program has come under
year period in the school’s his- Massey is to look at the 15 loss-
tory. es and two ties over the past
Massey is 47-15-2 in his first five years. Sixteen of those 17
five years here, and is theonly ~~ Opponents went at least two
coach to have a winning season rounds in the state playoffs.
in each of his first five years. Three of them (Crest,
Shu Carlton, a North Carolina Kannapolis and Winston-Salem
coaching legend who isamem- Carver) won the state champi-
ber of five different Halls of onship. During the Chargers’
state championship season in
1996, the only blemish on their
See Gary, 2B
N
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