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SPORTS ‘§9-°90 Moun team going (Third of a four-part series of this year’s Kings Mountain Hall of Fame inductees. The banquet and ceremony is May 15 at 6 p.m. at the Patrick Center. Tickets are $10 and are available from any member of the Hall of Fame com- mittee). By GARY STEWART Editor of The Herald Larry Sipe spent 33 years as a high school basketball coach in Lincolnton, Washington, NC and Kings Mountain. Along the way he was for- tunate to coach many out- standing players like college and pro stars Alvis Rogers and Dominique Wilkins. But his most gratifying season was in 1989-90 when his Kings Mountain Mountaineers finished 26-3 overall and won the Western North Carolina champi- onship before falling to DH Conley in the State champi- onship game at Chapel Hill. Throughout his career Sipe preached teamwork. And there was no other team during his tenure that exemplified that philosophy more than the ‘89-90 team. “They grew up together in a small hometown that had one recreation department and one high school,” Sipe noted recently. “They were friends growing up. I had parents tell me about taking all these kids to different places for practice and games. I think we're missing . alot of that today with con- + solidated school systems « and kids going everywhere.” « That team also had a - wealth of talent. Eight of the + 15 players went on to play - college basketball, and the ' team members that Sipe has - been able to locate are now + successful in their careers. : “They were good ath- letes,” Sipe said. “The 1980s and early 1990s was a great time to be at Kings TR Mountain High School. We had two state champi- onships in baseball, had three football teams to go deep in the State playoffs, a golf team to win the State, and a basketball, baseball and wrestling team to finish second in the State. We had boys and girls that did well in track and tennis and other sports. It was an amazing time to beat in Kings Mountain.” Kings Mountain's team . concept paid off in many close victories during the ‘89-90 season. Sipe recalled a narrow 3-point regular season win over South Point and Migjen Bakali, who later played at N.C. State. The Mounties and Raiders met again in the Sectional finals in Asheville, with KM win- ning 93-68 to advance to the Final Four in the West. Kings Mountain's only regular season losses that year were to R-S Central 73- 66 at a time when KM was 13-0 and R-S was 13-1; and to a strong East Rutherford team 78-75 in the Southwestern Conference tournament finals. After easy wins over Smoky Mountain and South Point in the Sectionals, the Mounties beat West Rowan 72-56 and Concord, the State’s #1-ranked team, 80-74 in the Regionals to qualify for the State championship game at the Dean Smith Center. “Those kids were a team in every sense of the word,” Sipe said. “They finished 26- 3 and that is amazing, but the thing that really bears it out was that only two kids averaged double figures.” Senior Daniel Honeycutt was the Mounties’ top scorer with an 18-points per game average, and junior Era Vaughn averaged 11 per game. But the Mountaineers had a host of other starters and =~ reserves like Darius “Nu Nu” Ross, Rodgerick Orlando Curry signs scholarship as his grandmother Brenda Hood, front, and KMHS principal John Yarbro, left, and coach Dave Farquharson look on. Angela Biggers Robin Bradshaw We invite you to visit us at our new location: ULTIMATE HAIR & NAIL SALON 402 E. King Street, Kings Mountain Laura Ford Sherry Terry (704) 739-3348 Check Out Our Lower Prices!!! Dry Cuts |S di11) Updos .. $25 & up Best Retail Prices In Town! WALK-INS WELCOME Appointments Appreciated We hope to see you soon! The Kings Mountain Herald taineer basketball | into KM Hall of Fame McClain, Darian Hager, Ryan Hollifield, Petie McNeal, Tony Currance, Shane Sessoms, Scottie Hopper, Kevin Moss, Mark Byers, Allen Williams, Quan Smith and Marquiz Williamson who knew their role and contributed to the success of the team. “Several games we got lifts from people coming off the bench and scoring a lot of points,” Sipe noted. “I remember Ryan Hollifield had gotten hurt in football and had to play a reserve role for much of the season. I remember a quote that he gave a reporter after one game. He said ‘everybody has a role to play and we play it.” It was a deep, tal- ented team and so many times today when a player is not in the starting five or not in the limelight they will pack it up and quit or trans- fer, but not with this group.” Kings Mountain's players that went on to play college ball were Rodgerick McClain and Petie McNeal at USC-Walterboro (they played in the gym where part of the movie ‘Radio’ was filmed); Daniel Honeycutt at Limestone, Darian Hager at NC Central, Era Vaughn at Northern Iowa, Mark Byers at Pembroke, Ryan Hollifield at Appalachian State, and Marquiz Williamson at Radford. Sipe has had a ball locat- ing and notifying the players about their selection into the Hall of Fame. He has found out some interesting facts about their careers. - Marcus Byers is in man- agement in New York. He drives past Yankee Stadium every day on his way to work. - Darian Hager lives in Durham, and often makes the trip down to Chapel Hill to see Sipe when he’s work- ing in the Carolina Basketball Camp. - Daniel Honeycutt lives in Gastonia and operates his own guttering business. - Era Vaughn lives in Charlotte and works in man- agement. - Ryan Hollifield works as a physician's assistant in Shelby. - Shane Sessoms lives in Raleigh and is a manager for Old Navy. - Kevin Moss teaches and coaches in Kings Mountain. - Marquiz Williamson lives in Kings Mountain and works for Duke Power and is getting into basketball officiating. : - Rodgerick McClain, Pedro McNeal and Tony Currance all live in Kings Mountain. - Quan Smith completed a stint in the U.S. Navy and is now serving in the Marines in Japan. He is trying to work it out to get some leave days to come to the Hall of Fame ceremony. - Scorekeeper Susie HERALD / FILE Coach Larry Sipe consoles his players is closing moments of state championship game at Chapel Hill in 1990. Hardin works with Bank of America in Charlotte. Sipe hasn't been able to get in touch with Darius Ross, Alan Williams and Scottie Hopper. Anyone knowing there whereabouts. is asked to call Coach Sipe | because he is planning a get: together for the team prior | to the Hall of Fame ceremo- ny. ; “This was just a super group attitude-wise,” said Sipe. “They were good ath- : letes and good people, and what they're doing today in life just bears out what we were seeing in high school. “Being selected to the Hall of Fame is a great honor for them. It’s been 14 years and the disappointment of losing the State championship is still there, but it’s great that people still remember this basketball team and I'm proud of them. It’s an honor for them, and an honor for me to be associated with them.” Curry to By GARY STEWART Editor of The Herald Kings Mountain High’s Orlando Curry Monday signed a scholarship to play football at Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN. A four-year starter at linebacker for the Mountaineers, Curry will play defensive end for the Pioneers who fin- ished 9-2 last fall and won the South Atlantic Conference. Curry chose Tusculum over Lenoir- Rhyne and North Carolina Central because he was impressed with the school’s academic and athletic atmos- phere. “The atmosphere up there is great,” he says. “The coaches are knowledge- able. I was impressed with the chem- istry of the players. They're a close-knit group.” Curry and Coach Dave Farquharson had visited Swanee College in play at Tusculum Tennessee earlier, and they and Lenoir- Rhyne had proposed a financial pack- age. Then, according to Farquharson, the coach that was working with Curry at Swanee, Jason McManus, took an assistant’s job at Tusculum. He called and asked Curry to come to Tusculum in April and work out for the head coach and defensive line coach. “They put together a package and made him an offer that was a little bet- ter than Lenoir-Rhyne,” Farquharson said. “The facilities up there really impressed him,” Farquharson noted. “He had lunch with some of the foot- ball players and he liked them. The school is close enough to home (156 miles) that he can get back and forth, and they really have a good facility and a unique academic schedule where you take one class a day for 18 days; on the 18th day you take an exam, have four days off and then take another class.” Curry was a two-time All- Conference choice at linebacker for KMHS and had 397 career tackles. He also played tight end his senior year. The 5-11, 230-pounder will be expect- ed to gain to around 260 or 270 pounds, Farquharson said. But Curry welcomes the challenge. “I'm going to be lifting weights and running every day,” he says. “I feel like I've got a good chance to play and make a name for myself. Defensively, they run a 3-5 stack and the second level of defenders have to be extremely fast. The guys up front have to be quick.” Curry said he enjoyed his four years at KMHS, where he also was a stand- out wrestler “We didn’t win a lot of games but I had fun playing the sport I love,” he said. “I had a great coach that cares See Curry, 8A It’s Cool Save up to $1000 on qualifying new Carrier systems. We have the perfect comfort system for your home...at spectacular Cool Cash Savings! 704-487-7877 828-245-1141 O Cash time. That means you can get my expertise for less. With Weight Watchers you can handle any kind of foo control and lose weight. 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The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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April 29, 2004, edition 1
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