The Kings Mountain Herald Page 4B August 25, 2005 CR SPORTS GARY STEWART / HERALD Kings Mountain linebacker Corey Branham sacks Waddell quarterback in Friday’s . Cleveland County Jamboree at Gamble Stadium. Another exciting season for county fans in store Another high school foot- ball season begins for Cleveland County teams on Friday night, and just as has been the case the past sever- al years it should be exciting. All four teams took. part in the seventh annual Cleveland County Jamboree Gary Stewart last Friday gditor night at Kings Mountain's John Gamble Stadium. Since that night, there has been a lot of talk about Crest. The Chargers have their program on such a high leve] that fans expect them to win the state cham- pionship every year, but from the look of things on Friday night they have a long way to go before becoming a sound football team..." . I have long said that you can’t really tell anything about a football team by its performance in a scrim- mage. Sometimes coaches use those games to look at personnel and phases of the game that they're not sure of and they are no indication of how the team would fare in a real ball game. : I feel like that’s the case with Crest. If, indeed, that was the best team the Chargers can put on the field then it will be a long season for them because they didn’t have a running game, they threw six pass interceptions in two quarters of play, and in my opinion their much-talked-about defense led by All-American candidate, linebacker Brandon Spikes, was not that impressive either. In other words, even though the score was only 14-7, Hickory kicked their butt. But don’t take that to mean that teams will do the same in the regular season. The Chargers open their season Friday at Burns in a game that should draw many thousand fans. The Bulldogs were very impres- sive Friday night, rolling . over 4A Freedom, but in my opinion Freedom looked to be about the weakest team on the field that night. SRT There again, you can’t judge teams by their per- formance in scrimmages. With the track records of Roy Kirby at Crest and Tim McMahon at Freedomny, you can bet by the time their conference season rolls around they will have their teams in contention for the championship. Burns and Shelby, which blanked Gastonia Forestview 20-0, look to be very strong. Burns has one of the best quarterbacks around in Lance Camp, who can give defenses fits with his running and passing ability. Camp is very impres- sive throwing the ball on the run, and if his receivers are covered he has the ability to tuck the ball in and take it all the way. I was also impressed with the Burns defense, which picked off several passes. And, even though their offensive line is young it’s obvious that KMHS product and former East Lincoln head coach Matt Rikard is developing them into an outstanding blocking machine. You heard it here first - Burns will go very deep in the state 3A playoffs, possi- bly all the way to the cham- pionship game. Ditto for Shelby. The Golden Lions are once again loaded. They have an out- standing running and pass- ing attack and the defense gets to the ball quickly. Shelby will go deep in the 2A playoffs - possibly all the way - and the Shelby-Burns game at Burns on October 7 should decide the Southwestern 2A /3A Conference championship. Kings Mountain's Mountaineers showed a lot of potential in their 14-12 loss to Waddell, but they also showed that they're going to have to develop consistency in all three phas- es of their game - offense, defense and special teams. But, there again, you can’t judge them on a scrimmage performance. The KM coaches were sending a lot of different players into the game. Not trying to put any undue pressure on anyone, but in my opinion Kings Mountain has the best talent they've had since their state championship run of 1998. Mountaineer spikers open season with win Kings Mountain High's women’s volleyball team opened its season Tuesday with a 25-11, 25-9, 25-7 vic- tory over North Lincoln. LaRonda McClain had seven kills and Kala Buchanan and Marshia Meeks added five each. Buchanan also had nine ace serves and Meeks added three. Kristyn Funderburke led the team in assists with 10. Brittney Thornburg had four digs and Jessica Yarbro was 13-for-14 serving with two ace serves and two kills. The Lady Mountaineers will compete in the Best of the Best Tournament at Davidson College on Saturday. Action begins at 8 a.m. and 35 teams will com- pete. KM will battle South Carolina powers Dorman and Riverside Monday at Dorman, and will play their first home game Wednesday against Charlotte Latin. Most of their core group of players have been starting on the varsity level since their sophomore year, and junior Martrice Love started as a freshman. The Mountaineers have the potential to put a lot of points on the board, howev- er they must improve tremendously on defense if they are going to be compet- itive with most of the schools on their schedule. Win or lose, this season should provide a lot of excit- ing moments for Cleveland County football fans. Get out each Friday night and support your team. And remember, these players are teenagers, They're going to miss blocking assignments and tackles, they're going to fumble and throw intercep- tions, they're going to hold and clip. But most of them will try their very best if the stands are full and the fans are cheering them on. HB Make plans now to attend the Salute to Bill Bates Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Patrick Center. Tickets are $25 and many of his former players will come back to town to speak. Get your tickets in advance because we need a full house to honor a man who was a tremendous influence to his players, students, ‘church and the community of Kings Mountain. In addition, on Friday, Sept. 30 at halftime of the KM-East Gaston football game the Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame will dedicate the Gamble Stadium field house in honor of Coach Bates. Coach Bates and members of his family will be in attendance at both events. includes up to one pound of Freon R134-A KMHS Attention: It’s Not Too Late To Send Your Money Classmates-Kings Mountain High School Class of 1995 10 Year Reunion Se* For September 10. Invitations have been mailed. if you did not get one, we do not have the correct information. Please contact us ASAP so we can get yours out to you. Phone: (704) 730-9699 Amy Bell (704) 734-4787 or (704) 692-8112 Virginia RT les Email: kmhsclassof1995@bellsouth.net Class Of 1995 The Battle of Kings Mountain 225% Anniversary Guide Join the Kings Mountain Herald, Cherryville Eagle and BannerNews as we celebrate this once in a lifetime Anniversary. The Anniversary Guide will include an overview of the battle that is known as the “Turning Point” in the south, information about the National Park and how it came into existence, biographical data on the key figures in the battle, information about the Anniversary Celebration, a calendar of all of the events, informa- tion and calendar about the Kings Mountain Gateway Festival, and much, much more. This guide will provide visitors and locals all of the information they need to truly be a part of the 225th Anniversary of The Battle of Kings Mountain. This special publication will appear in our three newspapers on October 5 & 6. Additional copies will be avail- able at welcome centers in North and South Carolina, and area hotels and motels. Join us as we celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event! A Celebration 225 Years in the Making SPONSORSHIP OLE Full Page 4-3/4” Wide x 7-3/4” Tall $ 450.00 Half Page 4-3/4” Wide x 3-7/8” Tall 275.00 Quarter Page 2-1/4” Wide x 3-7/8” Tall 165.00 | SPECIAL POSITIONS Back Page (bleed only)* $ 600.00 Inside Front (bleed only)* 525.00 ‘inside Back (bleed only)* 525.00 * Please add 1/4” on all sides for page bleed. No text to fall within 1/4” of final trim. SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINE: Wed, September 7, 2005 | MATERIALS DEADLINE: PUBLICATION DATE: Mon, September 12, 2005 Wed and Thu, October 5 and 6 FORMAT: Digest Magazine on 60 Ib. Gloss Text - (5-3/8” Wide x 8-3/8” Tall Final Trim) CALL 704-739-7496 TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY! The Kings Mountain Herald * The Bannernews The Cherryville Eagle ¥ We Sell Tires At Low "Prices! '$49- 98 Addtional Freon and parts extra. Must bring ad for special. Plus tax, hazardous waste fee & supplies. Offer expires August 31, 2005. FACTORY TRAINED TECHNICIANS | convenient Service Hours: Early Bird Drop Off Service - Shuttle Service 615 Broad St., Kings Mountain Lalddbiiiniilin BT seascimuracas Arrears mn a } Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm Saturday 8:00 am - 1:00 pm ARI APTA a te aka STEN es Pree \ TINS ATER LL 2