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Prep Roundup
Columnists Brian Meadows Brad NormanMembersLocal Connection› Iredell County Young Athletes Association› South Iredell Athletics Association › SHS athletics › WIHS athletics › NIHS athletics › SIHS athletics › LNHS athletics Syndicate RSSAP NASCAR NASCAR Features A look at this year's schedule A look at this year's drivers Differences between stock car and open-wheel racing NASCAR Research & Development Petty Enterprises splitter testing Aerodynamic testing in Concord's wind tunnel Top 10 moments in Daytona history Site StatisticsThis page has been viewed 801118 timesPage rendered in 0.1857 seconds Total Stories: 2136 Total Comments: 34 Most Recent Entry: 08/15/2008 01:53 pm Most Recent Comment on: 04/17/2008 11:54 pm Most Recent Visitor on: 05/23/2012 12:03 am |
• Public Schools • Statesville High School • top story
2008 Mar-06
Hounds resume journey for titleBy Brian Meadows Members of Statesville’s girls basketball team were showered with compliments and congratulatory remarks at school Monday following last Friday’s sectional championship victory. The hoopla was to be expected. After all, Statesville is in the Western Regionals for the first time in 13 years. But it’s time for the pats on the back to take a backseat. There’s work to be done. “You’ve got to keep living through the moment,” guard Keyrra Gillespie said. “You can’t be worrying about what all is happening around you, you’ve just got to keep going.” The Greyhounds (28-2) look to advance further in the playoffs tonight at Winston-Salem Atkins High School, where they take on Gastonia Forestview (29-0) in the 3A Western semifinals. Tipoff is 7 p.m. The winner will battle tonight’s Concord-Franklin winner in Saturday’s regional final, with a berth in next week’s state championship game up for grabs. Statesville makes its fourth regional appearance — and first since 1995 — thanks to playoff wins over Southwestern Randolph, Piedmont and Ragsdale. Forestivew survived a brutal sectional to make its second regional appearance and first since 2001. The Jaguars defeated previously unbeaten Hickory in the second round and Asheville Roberson, which had only one loss, in their sectional final. “When we saw the bracket, we knew our road to the regionals would be a tough one,” Forestview coach Ken Beaty said. “Luckily for us, we had homecourt advantage in every (playoff) game, and that played a very big role in us being here.” The Jaguars’ record remains spotless, but Statesville hopes to change that. “We want to give them their first ‘L,’ ” Gillespie said. That won’t be easy with Jessica Capers patrolling the paint. The 6-foot-1, West Virginia-bound post player averages 17.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. She scored a career-high 37 points in the Jaguars’ 62-56 sectional championship win over Roberson. Guards Shannon Smith (14.7 ppg) and Jasmine Camp (11.3 ppg) provide a potent 1-2 punch on the perimeter, which spreads the defense, giving Capers more room to operate in the lane. The Greyhounds counter with Gillespie, who leads them in points (15.2), assists (8.2) and steals (4.9) per game. Janitsha Williams (12.6 ppg) and Simone Parker (7.4 ppg) are two more primary scoring options, and Statesville collects notable defensive and rebounding contributions from others. Still, the Greyhounds are a decided underdog tonight. At least that’s the impression Statesville coach Todd Jones was left with at Monday’s regional press conference in Winston-Salem. “People were already penciling in Forestview into the regional championship. That’s the mind-set I got,” said Jones, whose team’s two losses are to teams still alive in the 2A regionals. “I refuse to believe that. “This is a golden opportunity for this group. I think we want this — we want it.” Bookmarkz |
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