Augusta focus. ([Augusta, Ga.) 198?-current, December 19, 1996, Image 12

Augusta focus., December 19, 1996, Page 12A, Image 12

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Newspaper Page TextDecember 19, 1996 AUGUSTA FOCUS 12A Richmond Academy Musketeers playing above the rim early! _ With only one setback on their frecord to date, and a top-five z§tate ranking, once again ARC “head basketball coach Don Brock thas the Musketeers surging ear dy and impressing a few prep thoop junkies throughout the ZLSRA. The young men who wear ‘the purple-and-gold are already Dbeing thought of as “the team to beat” in Region 3-AAA this sea son, and for good reason. The Academy of Richmond County is Joaded with talent! ¢ Althoughsenior guard Antwan Dent (6'6"/185 Ibs.) is grabbing ‘most of the early headlines and media attention, the “support ing cast” at ARC can’t be ignored by opposing coaches hoping to notch a “W” against Don Brock on the road, or on ARC’s home floor. Joining Dent (a can’t-miss Division I college prospect with 8-point range) in the Musketeer backcourt, most of the time, is fellow senior Charlie Williams £6'l"/1601b5.). Williams is anoth er explosive “downtown bomber” with formidable ball-handling skills that Brock and his staff ¢an count on when Dent is dou ble-, and even triple-teamed this season. Williams has a silky smooth release from the 3-point arc as well that teams around the area are starting to notice. McDonald’s Heritage Bowl kicks off New Year’s Eve = OAK BROOK, 111. « This New Year’s Eve, the Her itage Bowl gets anew McTwist to its name. As title sponsor, McDonald’s has the honor of pre senting the premier, televised football game between two of the nation’s top historically black sehools. - Ashow-down thisyear between Howard and Southern Universi ties, the McDonald’s Heritage & L j W - ‘é’/ ,m ”:/ /’.:": /‘i@} Weekdays 6 AM-10 AM : &Q"g &b i SPORTS RADIO &3,%; 1480 AM Sl WX\‘. ( ? ‘ ] - JU Timeout @ | with Tony (! Seniors Chevazz Brown and Chris Jackson also receive a fair share of “PT” in the Musketeer backcourt. Down the long stretch of the regular season, and head ing into the region playoffs, hav ing 2 experienced guard tandems to depend on in “crunch time” may be the one factor that helps ARC’s Brock finally reach the “promised land” of a Georgia State Championship. If these 4 experienced guards can post de cent assiststoturnoverrationum bers, this team has the mental make-up and chemistry that should raise some eyebrows, and Bowl, is made possible through a partnership with the Historical ly Black Collegiate Coalition (HBCC), the governing organi zation for the Southwestern and Mideastern Athletic Conferenc es. McDonald’s also is sponsor ing the HBCC’s 1997 basketball season as well. “The McDonald’s Heritage Bowl represents an extension of our focus on supporting programs Sports Focus a state title is more than possible. In the front-court, the Muske teers are counting on a trio of 6’6" players to rebound, play solid interior defense, block shots and run the floor on the fast break. So far, senior forward Ronald Glenn has stood out as the leader in all 4 departments. Glenn has the body (2001b5.) and physical pres ence on the hardwood to defend taller players in the post, or out on the wing. His ability to fill in at center, when junior pivot-man Amos Brittain (6’6"/210) experi ences foul trouble, is a luxury few area coaches enjoy. Count on Coach Brock to rely on Glenn heavily to lead by example along with Dent. Senior Lamatavous “Red” Collins joins Glenn at the forward position. Although Collins (6’6"/167 Ibs.) has a slight physical build, he’s anactive body in the paint who is always hus tling for loose balls and big re bounds. Collins will have to play a major role throughout the sea son for ARC in providing offen sive and defensive rebounds, along with Brittain. If future front-court bodies of promise Quincy Murphy, Jaconn Pierce, and Bradford Reid develop a sig nificant “comfort level” on the roundball court, and a true grasp of ARC’s offensive scheme, watch that not only honor achievement by young people, but reflect the values of African-American con sumers overall,” said Val Miles, McDonald’s senior marketing manager. “McDonald’s has al ways been a leader in the sports sponsorship arena, and is equal ly committed to supporting edu cation at historically black col leges and universities.” Most notable among the many out! Providing Brock with too many options to utilize, with his vast coaching experience, could make going up against ARC a true nightmare during this Hol iday Season and beyond ... just ask the Wolfpack of Greenbrier. Bench strengthisthe only area of the Musketeer arsenal that remains a question mark. Can the reserves be counted on to scorein pressure situations? Will this team get caught up in “the hype” that will surround them as the season progresses? Does this team truly have the passion in their hearts to be title contend ers after posting a 13-12 slate last year? Does Dent have the competitive fire to embody this squad with his will to win every game? All interesting questions indeed. Personally, I can’t wait to see how the ARC story ends this season. After writing 25 ex citing chapters filled with tri umphs, tragedy and intrigue, “author” Don Brock (in true Stephen King fashion)is nodoubt planning a surprise ending that will leave all of us spellbound and clamoring for a sequel. Tony Cornish Jr. is a freelance Sports Columnist based in Augusta and host of Sports Talk Live with Tony C.\, airing weeknights at 10 p.m. exclusively on WBEK-TV. youth sports programs McDonald’s supports in cities across the country is its own All- American High School Basket ball program, which celebrates its 20th year of showcasing po tentially NBA-bound talent in March 1997. McDonald’s Heritage Bowl will air on ESPN on December 31 at 6 p.m. (ET). AT . I i i\v., \53 ;/""“] v o \‘;,g:'t » ::' b "’f S\ R L S ARG ok e ’ R E i 497 ok L A i 0 Y 4 b 1R A 0 L R Ko \ i,{m” Y i%b L 4 4";%:_ £ T é’g’” N \ LR Sk e . A & " o 8 S : |7k L ; [/ ) & : i S = 7 Bt 2 £ & S S #"@ SBy . ; - rren . NORCANCER Ly A o A 08 I 3 ,Jp@ﬁ ee e o 2 Lo g sy v Ty £ e iy s A T A, Bt L B g 4 P N & A L ki e 4~* R e TN s AR ). > s ‘\\ hiats, s 99 Ny O RN : Ay g ”f.».w. \§ L L ioliag) C £ N G;!') 4 ' 2 YR S-S 2 (} ¢ s K /T\ » Hurry! bon't miss out on this great new offer from The Coca-Cola Company. 5 /g For iust $5.99 you and your family can get your own VHS co of “Rea ? 2 Py Athletes/Real History ". Narrated by Queen Latifah, “Real Athletes/Real History” 3 b ) is an exclusive video presentation saluting African-American Olympic Q%) Achievement. Don't get left behind, this offer is only good while supplies last. 1 L] e L] i s —) On a3x 5" card, hand print your name. address and daytime phone number - r__——__—--"--""'| and mail together with $5.99 plus $.99 postage and handiing for each video REAL ATHLETES I Ru ]ME | requested (plus 6% sales tax if you live in Michigan) to: “REAL ATHLETES ebl st | THE REAI‘ TDDAY 1 REAL HISTORY" BLACK HISTORY VIDEO OFFER, P.O. Box 5185, Blair NE W | Please hand print i 68006, This offer is valid while supplies last. Please legibly hand print altinfor- g - g | mation requested. A correct street address and zip code are needed to assure e N e i || delivery. Post office boxes are not valid street addresses. Offer good only in 1 | USA. Requests from clubs, groups, or organizations will not be honored, i Foßgaas ) acknowledged or returned. This offer may not be reprinted without Coca-Cola \ & I 1 USA's written permission. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. Please : e o S G allow 6to 8 weeks for shipment. Payment must accompany order, and must e SBy A | i be made via check or money order. Do not send cash Ph : Zip Age | I " 1 Daytime Phone: ( ) | = ; B is i ei e i D.L. Blair. P.O. Box 5185 Blair NE 68008 1906 The Coca-Cola Company. ‘Coca-Cola”, the Red Disk jcon and the design of the Contour Bottle are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. The Olympic Rings is a trademark of the International Olympic Committee. 36 USC 380 The trap of what ifs By Coach Michael Thomas Special to AUGUSTA FOCUS ... In sports, many times the perfectathlete has a tremendous work ethic, butisnot very athlet ic. This causes coaches to ponder the “what ifs.” What if this ath lete had that player’s attitude? and vice versa. This is a common scenario we witness in many walks of life. No one questions the Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman’s work ethic — but his characteris constantly in question. Former North Carolina State’s star cen ter and former Atlanta Hawks center Chris Washburn was prob ably the NBA’s first “man-child” (before Shaq). He had tremen dous skill but lacked maturity and work ethic. Imagine for a moment if Mike Tyson had Evander Holyfields’ character. Or whatifbaseball’s rotund slug ger Cecil Fielder had speed? What if Shaq could shoot free throws and jumpers too, along with his power? What if ... what if ... what if? We could go on and on with these scenarios. We can all think of people who are strong Subscribe to Augusta Focus for only $24.95 per year. Call 724-7855 to arrange your purchase. in one area yet weak in another. All this actually shows is the imperfection of a man. There is not a perfect human being. We all possess strength and, assur edly, we all have weaknesses. But if we really think about it, that is what living is about. Ac centing one’s strength(s) while overcoming one’s weakness. The degree towhich onecan do thisis the degree to which he or she will succeed in life. So, as we assess our life, attributes and shortcom ings, let us be mindful there will always be shortcomings to over come. There will always be things to forgive. There will always be negatives that we constantly try to turn into positives. Mary Kay and Avon have made fortunes because of this truth. ... To the athlete who has abil ity but not the attitude — show your appreciation for what God has given you, in return. To the athlete that works hard but just doesn’t have the talent — contin ue to work hard because it is your nature, but realize sports are only one aspect of life and that you already possess one of the precious keys.