A6
SportS
the courier-times | roxboro, Nc
saturday, jaN. 25, 2014
Pirates rally past Person matmen in huge PAC-6 dual By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
Kelly sNow | courier times
Person’s Darius Pettiford tries to pin his opponent early in Thursday’s match against Riverside. Pettiford ended up winning the match by technical fall.
the blizzard
Kelly sNow
Heroic effort by injured Rocket wrestler
I
figured Person wrestling coach Mark Litchfield Jr. was using a little gamesmenship when his team faced Riverside Thursday in one of the team’s biggest matches in recent memory. Chase Gentry was wearing his warmups, had his headgear dangling off his pants and even came to the gym with his wrestling shoes, but there was no chance he’d actually compete. Right? Gentry, a two-time state qualifier and an overwhelming favorite to take another crack at a state title as a senior, suffered a shoulder injury about a month ago that was expected keep him off the See BLIZZARD, Page 7
] sMs girls’ basketball [
Panthers edge Stanback, 30-23 The Southern Middle School girls’ basketball team heads into the weekend with some good feelings after upending Stanback 30-23 Thursday at home. The Panthers used a balanced scoring attack to pick up the home victory. Kailee Clayton, Kayla Tuck, Dajah McClain and Jada Hester each finished with six points. Clayton had a strong game on the glass, finishing with a team-high eight rebounds to go along with three steals. Tuck dished out a pair of assists and pulled down four rebounds. She also finished with four steals. McClain yanked down five rebounds, while Hester finished with three boards and two steals. Anna Harris chipped in four points and a pair of rebounds. Jakia Carter rounded out the scoring for Southern with two points with five rebounds. The Panthers will be off next week before traveling to Stanback Tuesday, Feb. 4.
DURHAM — The Person High School wrestling team appeared to be well on its way forcing a three-way tie atop the PAC6 standings midway through Thursday’s dual match with Riverside. But the big lead the Rockets built early on suddenly went away and Riverside roared back for a 42-35 win Thursday in Durham. The victory keeps Riverside in a tie with Northern Durham atop the PAC-6 standings. Both teams are undefeated in conference duals and will meet Wednesday in a match that will determine the PAC-6 champion and the top-seed in the upcoming 4-A state play-
offs. The loss drops Person (10-3 overall, 2-2 PAC-6) to third in conference action and out of contention to receive one of the PAC-6’s two automatic berths to the 4-A dual playoffs. The Rockets are still in the hunt for one of the two wildcard berths from the eastern side of the bracket. “(The loss is) definitely disappointing,” Person coach Mark Litchfield Jr. said. “Having an off day with the snow and not being able to practice and trying to get everyone down to weight was tough. Overall, they wrestled hard, and the matchups were a little different than we expected.” The Rockets got off to a blistering starting, wing six of the first seven weight classes to hold
a commanding 35-6 advantage. Hector Estrada opened the dual with a second-period pin of Axel Nava-Jimenez in the 106-pound weight class. Estrada nearly finished the match in the first period with a nearfall. Darius Pettiford followed that win with a 17-2 technical fall victory against Noah Jacobs in the 113-pound class. The Rockets’ senior nearly pinned Jacobs in each of the first two periods before settling for the 15-point victory. After receiving a forfeit win at 120-pounds, the Rockets stretched their lead to 23-0 when Chase Gentry pinned Asante Boler midway through the second period in the 126-pound match. Gentry, a two-time state qualiSee WRESTLING, Page 7
Rockets fall flat at Riverside By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
DURHAM — The Person High School boys’ basketball team nearly erased 25 minutes of lackluster, uninspired play with seven minutes of brilliance. But the hole was simply too deep to dig out of as the Rockets fell to Riverside 70-62 Friday in Durham. The win was the Pirates’ ( 9-9 overall, 1-3 PAC-6) first in PAC-6 play this season and snapped Person’s (11-6, 2-2) two-game winning streak against league opponents. “Mentally we just weren’t ready to play,” Person coach Charles Dacus said. “We’ve played pretty well the last couple of games, and I know we saw their record. We saw they’d been beaten by two teams we beat (East Chapel Hill, Jordan) and maybe some of the guys may have taken them lightly and weren’t focused on what we needed to do.” Riverside led for the entire game, and had its lead balloon to as large as 21 in the second half. The Pirates led 57-41 with seven minutes to play Markeise Crutchfield putback after an offensive rebound. And then all of a sudden, Person turned it on. It’s started defensively, with point guard Trevon Tapp forcing two five-second closely-guarded turnovers. Then the Rockets started flying around the basketball defensively, got a few stops and got a couple buckets in transition. Person went on a 9-0 spurt in a span of three minutes, most of which done with three Riverside starters on the bench with four fouls, and cut the Pirates once-insurmountable 21-point lead to 58-52 after a Marquis Torain floater in the lane. “We started playing with a lot of effort defenSee ROCKETS, Page 7
Riverside 70, Person 62 PERSON — Rashi Richmond 5, Mike Terry 1, Marquis Torain 16, Trevon Tapp 20, Derrick Bass 5, Antwon Smith 13, Ebon Jay 2 RIVERSIDE — Justin Johnson 11, C.J. Carpenter 6, Joey Cabrera 13, Eric Peak Jr. 8, Dexter McCrae 10, Terrence Suitt 2, Jareel Stewart 2, Torren Wynn1, Markeise Crutchfield 17 PERSON RIVERSIDE
14 23
Score by quarters: 06 21 16 14
Kelly sNow | courier times
21 17
62 70
Person’s Trevon Tapp lofts a floater over Riverside’s Terrence Suitt during the final minute of Friday’s game. Tapp scored 20 points in the 70-62 loss.
] person girls’ basketball [
PAC-6 leader Riverside starts fast, finishes strong in rout of Rockets pirates keeps pace with jordan, hillside atop conference standings By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com Kelly sNow | courier times
Person High School girls’ basketball player Cheyanne Cothran guards Riverside’s Andrea’Anna Poole during as Christina Harris looks on during Friday’s game in Durham. Riverside won 72-25 to remain in a three-way tie for the PAC-6 lead.
DURHAM — The Riverside High School girls’ basketball team got off to a fast start and never looked back in its 72-25 victory against Person Friday at
home. The Pirates (12-5 overall, 3-1 PAC-6) are currently in a threeway tie with Hillside and Jordan for first in the PAC-6. The loss dropped Person to 0-4 in league play. Riverside opened the game on a 11-2 spurt ignited by three Person turnovers against the Pirates’ press that led to uncontested layups. Person cut the Pirates’ lead to 13-8 when freshman Tylesha Smith drilled a jumper from the corner just inside the 3-point line.
er.
The Rockets were never clos-
Riverside closed the quarter with seven consecutive points and continued its run with seven more during the first two-minutes of the second. Center Mone’ Jones capped off the 14-0 spurt with a deep 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 27-8. The Pirates outscored Person 18-4 to push their advantage to 38-12 at halftime. Riverside’s transition game after forcing turnovers or even See PHS, Page 7
PAC-6 STANDINGS Team Jordan Riverside Hillside Northern Durham East Chapel Hill Person
Conf. W L 3 1 3 1 3 1 2 2 1 3 0 4
Overall W L 9 7 11 5 11 5 8 7 6 9 7 9
Friday’s Results Riverside 72, Person 25 Jordan 51, Northern Durham 37 Next Tuesday’s Games Person at Hillside Northern Durham at Riverside East Chapel Hill at Jordan
SPORTS The coURieR-TimeS nc A7 SPORTS the courier-times || RoxboRo, roxboro, NC A7
SATURdAy, 2014 SATURday, jAn. jan. 25, 21, 2012
BLIZZARD: Gentry ends career on his own terms FROM PAGE 6
Kelly Snow | coURieR TimeS
Person’s Hector Estrada slips away from his opponent in the 106-pound match Thursday against Riverside.
WRESTLING: Riverside wins final seven classes FROM PAGE 6 fier, was wrestling in his first match since injuring his shoulder in the Sonny Inskip Invitational at Northern Durham last month. Kenny Jay continued Person’s early run of success by pinning Alan Yanez-Aguilar 29-seconds into the first period of the 132-pound event. The Knights finally got on the board in the 138-pound match when Johnathon Davenport rallied to defeat Sherell Torain midway through the second period. Torain, wrestling in his first match since knee surgery following the Sonny Inskip, led 7-3 heading into the second period and had Davenport in pinning positions twice during the match. “I really can’t complain,” Litchfield said. “(Torain) looked good, but just got caught. He wasn’t able to practice everyday and it’s tough coming back from
any kind of surgery, not to mention knee surgery.” The Rockets got a big lift from 145-pounder Jose Ceja. Ceja, wrestling in just his second PAC-6 dual match, pinned Willie Hooper 30-seconds into the third period. Hooper led 7-2 heading into the final period. The victory pushed the Rockets’ overall lead to 35-6. “I know (Ceja’s) got a lot of potential,” Litchfield said. “It’s looking like things are starting to catch on for him. I was impressed to see him comeback and get the win. I’ll probably push him even harder, but the way he fought through and didn’t give up was greatly appreciated.” Ceja’s victory was the Rockets’ final one of the night. Riverside closed the match with seven consecutive victories, starting with a 19-7 major decision victory by Nick Hurley over Gabe Snow in the 152-pound match. Jaquan Sow-
ell, the fourth-ranked 4-A wrestler in the state at 160-pounds, dispensed of Cody Walker midway through the second period, followed by a first-period win by Christian McKinnis over Dalton Boone at 170-pounds. The Pirates received a forfeit at 182 pounds, and pulled to with 35-31 when Abdurrauf Muhammad defeated James Hutson 8-2 in the 195-pound match. Riverside took the lead for good when 220-pounder Araad Saraami cruised to a 16-0 technical fall victory over Matt Allen. Saraami piled up eight points in each of the first two periods to secure the victory. Person forfeited the final match to Riverside’s Gary Whitaker, the state’s secondranked heavyweight in the state according to retrorankings.com. The Rockets will wrap up their regular season Wednesday when they travel to Hillside for a 6 p.m. match.
PHS: Pirates rout Rockets, stay in first-place tie FROM PAGE 6 after Person missed baskets was deadly. The Pirates pushed the lead to 30 in the third quarter and continued to expand their lead throughout the game. Tiana Hatchett paced the Rockets with eight points, while Christina Harris added 7. Smith finished with four, while Soren Williams, Cyanna Lester and Brianna McLamb chipped in two points each. Zaria Rogers led three doubledigit Riverside scorers with 19, while Kiara Jacobs added 12. Andrea’Anna Poole added 11. Person will be back in action Tuesday when it wraps up the half the conference season at Hillside. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Riverside 72, Person 25 PERSON — Soren Williams 2, Cyanna Lester 2, Tylesha Smith 4, Brianna McLamb 2, Christina Harris 7, Tiana Hatchett 8, RIVERSIDE — Zaria Rogers 19, Andrea’Anna Poole 11, Shayla Moody 8, Yakima Clifton 6, Atlanta Woodall 1, Ajeya Murden-Boggan 5, Aminata Johnson 6, Kiara Jacobs 12, Mone’ Jones 3 Kelly Snow | coURieR TimeS
Person’s Christina Harris attempts to shoot over Riverside’s Kiara Jacobs during Friday’s game. Harris finished with seven points in the Rockets’ 72-25 loss in Durham.
Score by quarters: PERSON 08 04 10 03 RIVERSIDE 20 18 19 15
25 72
mat for at least the end of the regular season and maybe longer. When I asked him during the Rocket Invitational a couple of weeks ago when he thought he may be back, he said he was hopeful he’d be available by regionals, but I got the vibe that it was really wishful thinking and maybe not entirely accurate. So when I saw Gentry preparing for action Thursday just like the rest of his teammates, I assumed Person was just trying to get a cheap forfeit win. If healthy, Gentry should easily defeat anyone Riverside would put up against him, and maybe the Pirates would rather forfeit that class and save a better wrestler for the next higher weight. I even thought Gentry’s family was in it when I saw his mom, Tessa, prepping the video camera near the mat like she normally does. Just a couple of days earlier, she wrote on her Facebook wall that: “Well, we went for the third and final medical opinion for Chase’s shoulder and he is now scheduled to have surgery next week followed by a couple of months of rehab. Unfortunately, this will have to be fixed as soon as possible. Not what we had planned for his final season but we are very proud of everything that he has accomplished in the last 3 1/2 years.” But he wasn’t finished after all. Tessa was actually going to record her son’s final match as a Rocket. He’d get one final chance to leave an impression. He looked pretty good in his match, maybe not quite as strong or as confident as usual, but even with only one good arm, he pinned his opponent midway through the second period.
Kelly Snow | coURieR TimeS
Person wrestler Chase Gentry, competing with a shoulder injury that requires surgery, finished off a stellar career with a pin in Thursday’s match against Riverside.
Gentry’s surgery is scheduled for Thursday, but according to his father Kelly, the doctor told him that since the tendon was completely torn off his tricep, he couldn’t do any more damage so it would be possible for him to have one final match if he wanted. According to his coach, it was Chase’s decision. “I couldn’t talk him out of wrestling,” Litchfield said. “I told him that I wouldn’t think any less of him if he decided not to. He said he was going to and ended up pinning the boy. This says a lot about his character. He was willing to go out there, knowing that his season was over. He still wanted to go out there and compete.” Gentry confirmed after the match, that his wrestling career is now over. But what a four-year run it was. Gentry won 20 or more matches each of the past three years and earned the opportunity to compete in the state tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum the past two seasons. He has never lost a match at home, including a perfect 3-for-
3 in Rocket Invitationals. His shoulder injury kept him from being able to become the first four-time winner of the tournament. Gentry is beloved by his teammates, and it’s easy to understand why. He knew that his time on the mat was coming to an end, but thought that if he emptied the tank one last time, maybe his teammates would have a chance to advance to the 4-A Dual Playoffs. He could have ended his brilliant career on the mat at Northern Durham with an injury, but instead he put the team’s goal ahead of his own pain. That was simply heroic. The Rockets nearly put themselves in a great position to earn a playoff spot, but fell a few points short against Riverside, but rest assured, Person doesn’t come that close if Gentry doesn’t battle through the pain for his victory. The only time Gentry showed the slightest bit of pain was when the referee raised his hand after the win. “It’s sad that he’s done, but at least he went out with a win,” Litchfield said.
ROCKETS: late rally not enough for Person FROM PAGE 6 sively,” Dacus said. “We really dug in and (Tapp) really focused on their ballhandler and got a few five-second calls. Marquis was doing some good things speeding their offense up and they missed a couple of shots. Once we were able to get some turnovers, and a few stops, we were able to play at our tempo.” The Rockets threatened to cut the lead even closer after Riverside’s Justin Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one after being fouled following a Pirate timeout. The Rockets corralled the rebound, but were whistled for a lane violation. Johnson took advantage, knocking down both free throw opportunities to push the Pirates lead back to eight with 3:10 to play. Riverside stretched its lead back out to 11 in the final minutes and held on for the win. “Our effort picked up in the second half, but we just dug too deep of a hole in the first half and allowed them to do things they wanted to,” Dacus said. The Pirates took control of the game right from the opening tip and led 11-3 just two-and-ahalf minutes into the game after back-to-back 3-pointers by Johnson on one trip down the floor. Johnson drilled the first three from the wing against the Rockets’ zone and got another chance from beyond the arc following a Person foul underneath. Riverside knocked down open looks from deep, in mid-range and dominated the offensive boards to take a 23-14 lead into the second quarter. The Pirates were even better in the second quarter, erupting on a 14-3 run during a four-minute stretch to open the frame, pushing their advantage beyond 20 before going into half with a 39-20 advantage. Dacus was none-too-pleased with his team’s defensive intensity to start the game. “We didn’t start the game with any kind of effort defensively and played very stagnant offensively,” Dacus said. “We just weren’t doing the thing we’ve been doing to be successful. We joke with the guys about trying to give them answers to the test. I thought we had a pretty good game plan and we just weren’t ready to respond. They had a lot of open looks in spots we told them they were going to
Kelly Snow | coURieR TimeS
Person’s Antwon Smith tries to dribble past a Riverside defender late in Friday’s game.
get looks. They definitely took advantage of us.” Crutchfield led a balanced Riverside offensive attack with 17 points, while Joey Cabrera added 13. Johnson chipped in 11, including three first-quarter 3-pointers, while Dexter McCrae added 10. Tapp paced the Rockets with 20 points, while Torain finished with 16. Person struggled mightily from the free throw line, connecting on just 11-of-27 opportunities for the game. The Rockets played without key reserve Jeff Hamlette. Hamlette sat on the bench but was not in uniform after missing practice Thursday. He has been a key contributor coming off the bench this season and one of the team’s leading rebounders. “He’s a piece to the puzzle that we’ve been used to putting in and making the puzzle look
right,” Dacus said. “Anytime you take a piece out, the puzzle’s not going to look right. The guys that played more minutes at his position all have been playing minutes, but those were added.” Person will be back in action Tuesday when it travels to Hillside. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
PAC-6 STANDINGS Team Jordan Northern Durham Person Hillside East Chapel Hill Riverside
Conf. W L 3 1 3 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 1 3
Overall W L 12 5 16 2 11 6 9 6 8 9 9 9
Friday’s Results Riverside 70, Person 62 Jordan 76, Northern Durham 69 Hillside 63, East Chapel Hill 53 Tuesday’s Games Person at Hillside Northern Durham at Riverside East Chapel Hill at Jordan
A6
SportS
the courier-times | roxboro, Nc
saturday, feb. 8, 2014
Bulldogs, McGhee shoot down Vikings Kelly Snow
RCS 75, Voyager 67
courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
TIMBERLAKE — With the night that Roxboro Community School guard Darius McGhee was having, he might have been the only person in the gym that didn’t think his shots were going to fall. But he was some kind of wrong. The Roxboro Community School guard poured in 13 points in the final four minutes, including three 3-pointers all from well beyond the arc to lift the Bulldogs past Voyager Academy 75-87 in a huge North Central Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday in front of an overflowing, standing-room-only crowd at Helena Gym. McGhee finished the game with 31 points, including seven 3-pointers — three coming in a stretch of less than two minutes that helped turn a two-point deficit into a comfortable 70-61 advantage with less than two minutes to play. “I was feeling it a little bit,” McGhee said. “(on the second three) I came off the screen on the left and I was trying to get a little space. I was a little nervous when I shot it because I didn’t think it was going in. The one from the top of the key, I thought it was short.” His first three, the one that
VOYAGER ACADEMY — Gary Ford 2, McKenzie Barringer 5, Patrick Lester 9, Diante Parker 3, Christopher Sause 9, Jay Huff 23, Coltyn Faucette 15 RCS — Darius McGhee 31, DeShawn McGhee 11, Terrence Hawley 10, Mickey Drumwright 8, Christian Ingram 13 VA RCS
Score by quarters: 21 18 10 18 19 14 18 24
67 75
gave the Bulldogs the lead for good with a little more than three minutes to play, almost didn’t happen. The teams raced up and down the court several times at a frenetic tempo, turning the ball over and missing shots, until McGhee got the ball at the top of the key. The freshman dribbled for a few seconds, the defenders who was shadowing him gave him a little space and he calmly buried a three a couple of steps behind the arc. His shot gave the Bulldogs a 61-58 lead with 3:18 to play. “Before that one, I turned and looked at (assistant coaches Earl Bailey and Kirk Redman) and I See BULLDOGS, Page 8
Kelly sNow | courier times
Roxboro Community School guard Darius McGhee shakes loose from Voyager Academy’s Gary Ford and launches a deep 3-pointer late in Wednesday’s game. McGhee scored 13 points in the final four minutes to help lead RCS past Voyager 75-67
It was the night the freshman went OFF
T
Kelly sNow | courier times
RCS forward Terrence Hawley lofts a baby hook over the outstretched arm of a Voyager Academy defender.
he 300 or so people crammed into venerable Helena Gym Wednesday night can say that they were there the night that Roxboro Community School freshman guard Darius McGhee went off. Let’s back it up. You have to actually say the words out loud “Darius McGhee went off ” to show the proper respect for the kind of ridiculous performance he unleashed in the biggest game of his first high school season — and you can’t just speak in your normal tone of voice. You have to add a little emphasis, a subtle pause, and maybe even a dialect change on “off ”. For me, I turn into a Yellowhammer from Alabama with an “AWFUH” — but that’s just me. Any way you say it, the kid was simply fantastic in the Bulldogs’ huge win against Voyager Academy. McGhee finished with 31
The Blizzard
Kelly sNow points on seven 3-pointers including three bombs in the fourth quarter — each deeper than the previous one. The picture directly above this column shows the dagger. It was McGhee’s third triple in a row and it pushed the Bulldogs’ lead to 68-61 with a minute and a half to play and sent the overflowing crowd into a frenzy. Now, to fully appreciate how far away this shot was, look at right foot of Voyager’s Mackenzie Barringer (10). He’s standing on the 3-point line and there’s plenty of room between him, his teammate Gary Ford and McGhee. Friends, McGhee was only
a couple of feet away from his bench and a good 27-28 feet away from the basket — and he stroked it like was nothing. As the crowd erupted and the Bulldog players on the bench started falling over top of each other in excitement, coach Justin Bettendorf cut a little smile, shook his head and shruged his shoulders. He knew he was seeing something special. “It’s just second nature to him,” Bettendorf said. “For him, basketball is no different than talking. The bigger the atmosphere, the more he comes to play. Darius is a really nice guy outside of basketball, but on the court, he’s just got that killer
mentality.” Voyager’s next trip up the floor ended with McGhee swatting a layup attempt off the glass to start a fast break that ended with a basket by his brother Deshawn. The wall of sound inside that tiny gym was deafening as students, fans, and faculty cheered. But with all the chaos around him, all the noise and screaming and woofing, the calmest dude in the building was the Bulldogs’ freshman guard. “I just try to keep my composure and just play,” Darius McGhee said. “The crowd keeps me in the game. The crowd was hyped the whole time. We couldn’t even hear ourselves talk. All we could hear was noise.” His expression barely changed as he knocked down the first 3-pointer of the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs the lead for good with just over three See BLIZZARD, Page 8
] person high school Boys’ BaskeTBall [
East Chapel Hill topples Rockets By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
Kelly sNow | courier times
Person guard Mike Terry tries to take the ball away from an East Chapel Hill player during Friday’s game on the road.
CHAPEL HILL — The Person High School boys’ basketball played one of its best games of the season Tuesday and defeated reigning PAC-6 champion Jordan on its own floor. The game gave the Rockets the inside track to claim an automatic bid to the 4-A state playoffs. But they couldn’t follow up that outstanding performance with another victory, falling to East Chapel Hill 62-55 on the
road. The victory was just East Chapel Hill’s second in conference play this season, and drops Person into a three-way tie with Hillside and Riverside with matching 3-5 PAC-6 records. Hillside fell to conferenceleader Northern, while Jordan slipped past Riverside in tight contest. Despite the loss, Person can still win its way into one of the conference’s three automatic bids into the playoffs. Person hosts Riverside and See ROCKETS, Page 7
ECH 62, Person 55 PERSON — Rashi Richmond 4, Mike Terry 3, Marquis Torain 22, Trevon Tapp 9, Jeff Hamlette 6, Antwon Smith 8, Jeremy Smith 3 EAST CHAPEL HILL — Kyle Chavis 5, Arkavius Parks 22, Tykeem Woodard 13, Dylan Farrow 2, Carter Collins 13, David Salem 2, Duncan Heminger 4, Robert Wilson 3 PHS ECH
Score by quarters: 13 10 11 21 13 14 20 15
55 62
SPORTS
A8 the courier-times | roxboro, Nc
saturday, feb. 8, 2014
Voyager girls upend shorthanded Bulldogs By Kelly Snow
Roxboro Community School senior boys’ basketball player Mickey Drumwright rises up for a jumper over Voyager’s McKenzie Barringer during the second half of Wednesday’s key conference matchup. The Bulldogs won 75-67.
courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
TIMBERLAKE — The Roxboro Community School girls’ basketball team’s fell behind big early and its rally fell a little short as they fell to Voyager Academy 39-31 Wednesday at Helena Gym. The Bulldogs, playing with just six players after an injury to reserve guard Ashley Paylor, were able to take a 9-7 lead into the second quarter after forward Brianna Henderson’s putback of a Cassidy Solomon missed shot. RCS managed just one bucket until the midway point of the third quarter, and the Vikings took total advantage. Voyager outscored the Bulldogs 14-2 in the second quarter, and went on a 10-0 over the final 5:30 of the first half. The Vikings capped off the run with a transition three by Maddy Hight. Voyager stretched its lead to as big as 16 in the second half before RCS started climbing back. The Bulldogs answered with a quick 8-0 run and trimmed the lead to 31-24 heading into the fourth. The Vikings pushed their lead back out to double figures early on in the fourth and held on for the win. “The girls did the best they could for me and played as hard as they could,” RCS coach Robert Blackwell said. “I can’t be mad at them for this one. They’re tired. It’s been a long season and when you only have seven girls, and now down to six, it’s a lot to ask of them. I couldn’t be prouder.” Carlee Garrett led the Bull-
Kelly sNow | courier times
BULLDOGS: rcs edges Voyager, leads Ncac FROM PAGE 6 asked them if I should call timeout and calm everyone down, and he launched it,” Bettendorf said. “I started putting my head down and I looked at them and they started shaking their heads and said ‘No, I think we’re alright.’” McGhee drained two more threes less than a minute apart and blocked two layups at the rim by much bigger players that ignited fast breaks that turned into transition baskets for his brother, point guard Deshawn McGhee. The Bulldogs went on a 14-3 spurt during a three-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to stun the Vikings. The victory snapped the tie at the top of the North Central Athletic Conference between the two rivals. RCS (18-5 overall, 10-1) is alone in first place in the conference standings, a full-game in front of Voyager (15-9, 9-2) and Kestrel Heights (11-7, 9-2) heading into the final week of the regular season. The Bulldogs own the tiebreaker over Voyager after sweeping the season series, but their only loss of the conference season came at Kestrel Heights, 81-66 on Jan. 17. The teams will meet again Wednesday at Helena, with the Bulldogs likely being in a position to clinch the regular season conference championship with a win.
A loss in that game could force a three-way tie between RCS, Voyager and Kestrel. “We told the guys if we take care of business (against Voyager), the way we should, that it would be for the conference title,” Bettendorf said. “We don’t want to get into that situation where if we lose to Kestrel, it could be a coin flip, but we know we’re back in the driver’s seat.” Early on in Wednesday’s showdown it looked like Voyager would be able to take firm control of the conference. The Vikings’ overwhelming height advantage was too much for the Bulldogs in the first half. Voyager relied on 6-foot-8 stretch forward Jay Huff and 6-foot-5 Coltyn Faucette to help build a 37-27 advantage with 1:30 to play. That duo combined for 14 points in the second quarter and each blocked several shots to start fast break opportunities. The Bulldogs held on in the final few minutes without forward Terrence Hawley who was on the bench with two fouls, and actually cut the Vikings’ lead to 39-33 heading into halftime. Starters Hawley, Christian Ingram and Deshawn McGhee all picked up their second fouls early in the second quarter, but RCS managed to stay within striking distance despite juggling their lineups. “Voyager stayed in that zone and I think in a lot of ways, they made it easier on us,” Bettendorf
said. “They let us slow it down. Darius and Deshawn stayed out there and we got some good minutes from (forward) David Oakley, who will got get a ball on a miss. We didn’t necessarily have a lot of high-powered offense, but we had guys out there who would go get things done.” The Bulldogs took over in the third. RCS ratcheted up the pace and and were able to take the lead 4745 with just under two minutes to play in the third. The Bulldogs outscored Voyager 18-10 in the quarter and led 51-49 heading into the final eight minutes. “You can look back at most of our games this year, and the third quarter has been our quarter,” Bettendorf said. “For whatever reason, we just get going. I don’t know what it is, but I think now it’s a mental thing. If we can stay close until halftime, we’re going to take over in the third.” Ingram poured in 13 points for RCS, including a big 3-pointer early in the third that cut the Vikings’ lead to five. DeShawn McGhee finished with 11, while Mickey Drumwright chipped in eight. Hawley battled the Vikings’ bigger players all night and finished with 10 points and more than a dozen rebounds before fouling out in the final minute. “Terrence really battled,” Redman said. “He stepped up big time and banged around with them boys like he was 6-6, 6-7. There were a couple of times he was up so high (for rebounds), it looked like he was a 7-footer. I think maybe because he was a little stronger than them, but he definitely held his own against them.” Huff paced Voyager with 23 points, while Faucette added 15.
Kelly sNow | courier times
Roxboro Community School forward Brianna Henderson battles a Voyager player for a rebound during Wednesday’s game.
dogs with 10 points, while Henderson finished with seven. The Bulldogs’ two undersized interior players battled all night with Voyager post player who had significant size advantages. “Carlee and Brianna gave me everything they had and more,”
Blackwell said. “They battled those big girls and held their own.” Danielle Holt and Cassidy Solomon finished with five, while Alyssa Morris added four. Hight paced Voyager with 16 points.
BLIZZARD: Great environment for big game FROM PAGE 6 minutes to play. After a chaotic few trips up and down the floor filled with turnovers, missed shots and bodies diving all over the floor by both teams, when McGhee got his hands on the ball he slowed everything down. The freshman dribbled five or six times, steadied himself and launched a wide open 3-pointer from the volleyball midcourt line that barely moved the net after going through the basket. He was facing a double-team but got a little space at the top of the key. Why was that, you ask? He was easily 25 feet away from the rim, and there’s no way he’s going to rise up from there... right? “He got (ticked) off,” RCS assistant coach Kirk Redman said. “When they started doubleteaming him, you could see it in his facial expression that he was fixing to do something. It was a matter of when it was going to come out of him. The kid’s just a killer.” I will freely admit that I was extremely skeptical about McGhee heading into his freshman season at RCS. People whom I trust were telling me he was going to be the next great basketball player from Person County, and the talent was obvious the two times I saw him play in middle school. I was told he would be the heir apparent to Tyrone Outlaw Jr. as the best player in the county. Again...I was skeptical. Bettendorf and Redman have done a great of bringing him along slowly, letting him come off the bench for most of the first half of the season.
His teammates, a group of experienced players, have done a wonderful job of welcoming McGhee into the team and letting him be himself as a part of their program. He had several big games this season, but Wednesday’s game was very different. The Bulldogs were playing one of the two or three most talented teams they’ve seen all season, in a game they had to win if they want to claim the NCAC regular season title. Voyager is good and deep at the guard position and threw several different defenders at him with different mindsets. The Vikings bumped McGhee, they tried to prevent him from catching the ball, sometimes threw two and three defenders at him — but it simply didn’t matter. McGhee was patient, picked his spots, played both sides of the floor and was clearly the best player on the floor. The kid is the real deal — and is just getting started. A couple more thoughts The environment created at Helena Gym by the student section, cheerleaders and crowd was simply out of this world. The stands were packed before the girls’ game and stayed full throughout the boys’ contest. And they were loud, really loud, really stinkin’ loud all night. The school made a great call in bringing in extra seats in the corners of the gym and allowing people to stand along the baseline closest to the doors. Their impact on the game did not go unnoticed. “We appreciate everything that (RCS athletic director) Pete Tuck and the administration did
to make this happen and help create this atmosphere,” Bettendorf said. “There were people all around and the students, the cheerleaders, fans were awesome.” RCS-Voyager has turned into a really fantastic rivalry in all sports and is great for both young schools. It was also nice to see no problems in the stands between the fanbases. The gym at Helena certainly could not hold all of the people who wanted to attend Wednesday’s tripleheader, and it highlighted a great need for RCS to have its own on-campus gym. There was at least $1,000 worth of tickets that could not be sold because the gym simply couldn’t hold the crowd. Here’s hoping in the not-sodistant future, I’ll be covering Roxboro Community School teams in their very own dog house.
A6
SportS
the courier-times | roxboro, Nc
saturday, may 17, 2014
Changes needed at Person after another embarrassing act
This can’t continue to happen. For the second time this school year, athletes from Person High School literally walked off their playing field during competition. Three members of the PAC-6 champion softball team, including the Rockets’ primary pitcher, quit before the fourth inning of an opening-round game in the 4-A state playoffs. They left the dugout, sat together outside the fence on the third base line and watched the remainder of the game. This was the last team sporting event at Person this school year. The girls’ reasoning for walk-
ing away in the biggest game of the year is centered around a player, who was injured for most of the season, being allowed to return to the team and play. That two-time All-Conference junior was hitting .700 in the four games since returning from shoulder surgery. A similar incident occurred during a Person boys’ basketball game this season. A player threw his jersey to the floor and walked out of the gym after hitting a 3-pointer on senior night. He was one of five players to quit the team during the season, but none quite with his dramatics. Again, this can’t continue to happen.
The Blizzard
Kelly sNow In the days since Tuesday’s wild scene on the softball diamond, I’m still having a hard time wrapping my brain around what occurred. I didn’t have a lot of time for Wednesday’s edition to really analyze the significance of that game because of deadline constraints, but there’s a few things that must be ad-
dressed. What happened at that softball game, regardless of any of the circumstances that led to the rift between the players and their parents and the coach, was embarrassing and avoidable. No matter how neatly it’s packaged or rationalized, those players walked off the field, quit
on their teammates, their school and community because they disagreed with a coaching decision. It’s that simple. Coaches need to coach, players need to play, and parents need to parent and whenever any of those lines are blurred in high school athletics, chaos ensues. The players and their parents may have disliked the coach, but he was the person appointed by the school to be in charge of the softball program. The most successful coach in the program’s history tagged him as his successor. Until the final out was recorded, the coach was the one
in charge, no matter how anyone felt, and he deserved their respect. The very moment that the coach was threatened with a mass walkout, he needed to prevent the situation from happening however he and the school deemed fit. It’s their responsibility to protect the integrity and reputation of the school and keep Person from being in the middle of a humiliating situation. If that meant not allowing those players to dress and getting everyone in the JV program ready for a varsity playoff game See BLIZZARD, Page 7
Homers pace Panthers past Stanford The Southern Middle School softball team outslugged Stanford 16-10 Tuesday. The Panthers scored in every inning but the second, and erupted for five runs in the third. Southern was able to stretch their advantage with six runs in the fifth. Kailee Clayton delivered the big blow of the game with
a three-run homer in the third inning. Clayton finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Elissa Pruitt was 2-for-5 with an RBI and and two runs scored, while Iesha Poole belted a two-run homer in the seventh. Anna Harris singled and scored three times. Kaity Sullivan struck out 18 to get the win.
] rCS SofTBall [
Kelly sNow | courier times
Roxboro Community School forward Brianna Henderson fights through a pair of East Wake Academy defenders to get the ball during Wednesday’s opening round playoff game. The Bulldogs won 1-0.
Soccer ‘Dogs make history
rcs wins program’s first playoff game By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
File
Roxboro Community School pitcher Charity Gentry tosses a pitch during a game earlier in the season. The Bulldogs fell to Wallace-Rose Hill in Wednesday’s opening round game.
W-RH upsets RCS in first round By Kelly Snow courier-times sports editor kellysnow@roxboro-courier.com
The Roxboro Community School’s softball team came to a stunning and disappointing end as it fell to Wallace-Rose Hill 2-0 in the opening round of the 1-A state playoffs. Wallace-Rose Hill, the third seed from 1-A half of the Four
County Conference advanced to face Whiteville in the second round of the playoffs. The teams took a scoreless tie into the seventh inning before Wallace-Rose Hill scored the eventual game-winning runs. RCS finished the season 9-6 and were the co-champions of the North Central Athletic Conference.
The biggest night in the brief history of the Roxboro Community School girls’ soccer program have started fashionable late, but the end result was right on time. The Bulldogs slipped past North Central Athletic Conference rival East Wake Academy 1-0 Wednesday in the opening round of the 1-A state playoffs. The postseason victory was the first for any girls’ high school program in the county. RCS coach Tim Ess hopes that Wednesday’s win is the first of many trips to the playoffs for his program. “It was a huge win not only for our team, but for also soccer in Person County,” Ess said. “This team has worked hard for the past six years to establish a high school girls’ soccer program at RCS. The middle school team had a phenomenal season and are integral to the continued success of the high school team. We are only losing one seKelly sNow | courier times nior this year, so we are looking forward to an even better season Roxboro Community School’s Hannah Lunsford tries to keep control of the ball during the first half See ‘DOGS, Page 7
of Wednesday’s opening round playoff game against East Wake Academy, while teammate Garrison Bowes looks on.
SPORTS
Saturday, may 17, 2014
the courier-timeS | roxboro, Nc A7
BlIZZARd: a tough end to the sports year at Person high FROM PAGE 6
Kelly SNow | courier timeS
Members of the Roxboro Community School student body and other supporters helped clean the soccer field of debris before the start of Wednesday’s playoff game. The game was delayed 30 minutes because of complaints from East Wake Academy.
‘dOgS: bulldogs earn school’s first soccer playoff win FROM PAGE 6 next year.” The Bulldogs dominated play early and had numerous chances to score in the opening few minutes, but were turned away by the Eagles’ keeper. RCS finally broke through when Maranda Oliver lofted a shot over East Wake Academy tall keeper from long distance with 13:29 to play in the opening half. Oliver took a pass from midfield off a long kick from keeper August Howerton — who was credited with an assist. “Establishing an early lead is very important for this team,” Ess said. “It boosts our confidence and our record is considerably better when we are the first team to score.” The Bulldogs kept control of the ball for most of the game, and monopolized possessions, led by midfielders, Oliver, Brianna Henderson and Garrison Bowes. “Maranda, the offensive midfielder, and Brianna, a true striker used their speed and footwork to keep and contain the ball,” Ess said. “The entire team is passing and possessing the ball at a much higher level than they were just a few years ago.” When East Wake did possess the ball, the Bulldogs’ defense in
front of Howerton in the net did a nice job allowing her to keep a clean sheet. The Eagles best chance of the game came in the final few minutes when they had several shots at the net that were turned away. “The defense is an integral part of the team,” Ess said. “To get a shutout shows how focused our defense was and how quick they were to the ball. They never let up and played hard the entire game. The defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping the game close. (Howerton) is credited with her first shutout in the state playoffs.” Wednesday’s game started about 30 minutes late after East Wake Academy complained about conditions at the school’s on-campus field. Their coaching staff complained that rocks, pieces of glass and other debris provided a dangerous playing surface. RCS supporters lined the field and helped clean the field before the game began.
WOlfPAck end BulldOgS’ SeASOn
The RCS soccer team had its season come to an end Friday with a 6-0 loss at Whiteville. Whiteville, the top-seed from the Three Rivers Conference is 19-1 and has only given up four goals all season.
Kelly SNow | courier timeS
Roxboro Community School’s Maranda Oliver battles for possession with an East Wake Academy player during the first half. Oliver scored the game’s only goal.
just in case, so be it. All that being said, under no circumstances should the coach’s game plan, heading into the state playoffs, be altered because players want to dictate how he runs his team. The hope is that Tuesday’s incident and the several other embarrassing moments this school year will motivate Person to reevaluate its expectations of athletes, coaches and parents. We’re at a place now that it’s time that specific, iron-clad rules and consequences be in place spelling out how everyone associated with sports at Person High School behaves. Those expectations need to be in place for student athletes, their parents, the coaches who lead the teams and those in charge of directing the athletic department. If anyone steps out of line, he or she should be punished according to those policies. Everyone needs to be accountable. We’re at a place now where several coaches are leaving the school because they simply can’t deal with the rude, detrimental behavior coming from parents who lack the self-awareness to
understand the athletic limita tions of their children. We’re at a place now where student athletes are completely disrespecting that Person uni form and don’t appreciate wha it means to have the privilege of representing their school and community in sports. We’re at a place now where the easiest thing to do is blame the coach and athletic director and claim that the only things that determine playing time and notoriety are brown-nosing and politicking. I’ve been doing this job for more than a dozen years in several different communities and I’ve never known a coach who would knowingly play a lesser athlete, just because. Bu that’s a convenient excuse for some people to make. We’re also at a place now where the coaches need to be stronger leaders, take charge of their programs, accept fewer excuses, demand excellence in preparation and effort and toler ate less negativity from anyone on the periphery. As a former athlete and a proud member of the graduat ing Class of 1996 from Person High School, we have to do better and expect more. This can’t continue to happen This has to stop now.