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Notes ’n quotes ...
I’ve still got all of the e-mails, the faxes and the letters. Some signed. Some not.
Every one asking me why I was writing up Scooter Sherrill and his upcoming career at N.C. State when — as most of them put it — “you know he’s not going to make his test scores to qualify.”
People can be cruel.
“Why haven’t you written that he hasn’t made his test score?” most cried.
For one thing, his test score is nobody’s business but his own. And No. 2, as long as he had another chance to take the test, I couldn’t say he failed anything.
So when he got the qualifying score earlier this month — on his last try — the e-mails stopped. Coach Mike Gurley’s smile didn’t.
Gurley didn’t appreciate the negative talk regarding a high school kid, struggling to make a test score. It seemed people from schools that Scooter dropped 30 points on wanted him to fail.
But Scooter didn’t, did he? And that makes it all the more sweeter for his coach.
Scooter did acknowledge that with each test taken, the mental block became greater. He put pressure on himself because he didn’t want to let his West Rowan community down. He kept studying, he kept working and it paid off.
Even for the sports editor.
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North Rowan’s 6-foot-6 forward Bryan McCullough is being recruited. He has been seen frequently on the AAU circuit.
“I play every day,” the Cavalier big man smiled while watching the recent East-West all-Star Game.
McCullough’s AAU 17-under team, featuring himself and point guard Dre Byrd, qualified for the national tournament in Orlando.
McCullough was asked who was recruiting him and mentioned several Southern Conference schools.
“And coaches from some place called Southern Illinois,” McCullough said.
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It was not a happy story for Andy Ashby in Philadelphia. In the game before he was traded to the Braves, the Phillie fans booed him so hard, he gave them the finger.
The next day, a headline in the Philadelphia Daily News blared out that he had made “an Ash of himself.”
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Whatever happened to....
John Rocker.
It has been quiet in the bullpen lately. Johnny Rotten has been a good boy. Which means it’s been kinda boring watching my favorite team.
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“If they call him Superman, then I’m Kryptonite.”
Maurice Greene on rival sprinter Michael Johnson.
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Just thought you ought to know: The Piedmont Middle School Conference, or as we fondly like to call it, the PMSConference, is a thing of the past.
Cabarrus schools have pulled out, leaving a nine-team league, including the two Davie County schools and seven from Rowan — China Grove, Corriher-Lipe, West Rowan, North Rowan, Erwin, Knox and the new Southeast Middle School.
The new name of the league will be the Mid-South Conference.
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Ed Cota is making up for lost time in the NBA Summer League.
Among the undrafted player from the NBA Draft, only Cota has stood out.
Walter Szczerbiak, father of Wally and a Minnesota scout, had this to say about the former North Carolina guard:
“In the Long Beach league, he was by far the purest passer and the most team-oriented guy. I think he realizes he made a big mistake showing up in Phoenix (for the pre-draft camp) out of shape and is trying to make amends.”
The summer will assure Cota a shot.
“He’s the type of pass-first guy coaches love,” said Szczerbiak. “He’ll hook up with some team, I’m sure.”
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Minnesota probably won’t take a chance on Cota, considering they already have Terrell Brandon and just picked up Chauncey Billups.
Billups’ arrival means Salisbury’s Bobby Jackson can say goodbye to Minneapolis. Word is that he is looking to sign with a team that will give him more playing time.
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Chris Collins never thought his “dream job” would come because of changes at North Carolina.
But when Tar Heels coach Bill Guthridge retired last month, it set in motion a series of changes that ultimately landed Collins on the bench of Duke, his alma mater, as an assistant coach.
Carolina hired Notre Dame coach Matt Doherty to replace Guthridge. Notre Dame then hired Mike Brey, a former Duke assistant who was Delaware’s coach.
Next, Delaware hired Duke assistant David Henderson, and Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski hired Collins to complete his staff.
“Everything happened so quick,” Collins told the Associated Press in a phone interview hours before boarding a flight to Orlando to start recruiting for Duke.
“It’s tough, exhausting. But I’m really excited about getting started.”
Collins, 26, joins a staff that ranks among the youngest in the country. Associate head coach Johnny Dawkins is 36, and assistant Steve Wojciechowski is 23.
Collins comes to Duke after being an assistant at Seton Hall under former Blue Devils player and assistant coach Tommy Amaker. The Pirates reached the Sweet 16 last season and expect to be ranked in the Top 25 this fall.
“I truly believe this is the only job in the country I would have left Seton Hall for,” Collins said.
“To come back and to coach at a place you love, where you went to school...is an absolute dream.”
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Football practice starts Saturday for area high schools. West Rowan has the most talent back, East has the new coach, North has the passing game, South is coming off a playoff season and Salisbury has more tlaent than last year.
So watch for Raymond Daugherty’s Hornets to improve drastically over last season’s 0-11 season.
Players you may want to keep an eye on: South’s Keith Garrett, West ’s James Francis, Ken Drye of Salisbury, North’s Graham Hosch and East’s Cal Hayes.
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And finally ...
Who said you can’t overcome hated rivalries?
The Washington Redskin fans have already proved that by welcoming Deion Sanders, that former Cowboy, into their world.
And locally? Bob Boswell, the former Kannapolis football coach, has joined the staff at South Rowan. Go figure.
A job is a job is a job, I guess.
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Ronnie Gallagher is the sports editor of the Post.
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Ronnie