MVPHURT: Rachel Stockdale of High Point Central won
the Most Valuable Player award during Tuesday night’s 79-68 West girls win but
it came with a price.
With her future coach Kay Yow of N.C. State holding
her breath, Stockdale stepped on a foot late in the game and sprained her ankle.
The pain was apparent as she was helped off the court by her coach, Kenny
Carter.
“It’s a high sprain,” Carter explained. “They
don’t think there is any break. But it’s a little tender because higher up,
it seems to hurt a little more.”
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AVAILABLE: Central’s Velinda Vuncannon, the MVPof
the state 2A tournament which the Bison won, was expected to sign with Catawba
neighbor Lenoir-Rhyne. But the coach resigned and Vuncannon is looking
elsewhere.
“We’re throwing the bait back in the water and
see what we find,” Carter said. “Lenoir-Rhyne is not her intention anymore.”
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CATCHINGUP: The East girls lead the all-time series
14-13 but the West has won four of the past five games.
The East boys lead the series 27-26 but the West has
won the last five.
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ALL-AMERICAN:The media crowded around the only
All-American in the East-West game Tuesday night — Anthony Richardson of
Leesville Road — but not to talk about his game. Rather, about his grades.
Richardson has signed with Florida State and said
only last week he became eligible. Until that time, he was 10 points off in the
SAT and one point off in the ACT.
But he’s eligible now and that’s all that
matters to the lithe, 6-foot-7, 180-pounder.
“I almost went to Maryland,” Richardson
recalled. “A week before I was going to visit, their AD told me my grades
weren’t up to par. So they didn’t take a chance on me. With my grades up to
par now, I bet they feel stupid.”
Richardson also had to answer questions about why he
didn’t stay in-state.
“I’ve grown up in Raleigh, around North
Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest and N.C. State,” he said. “I had to get out and
start a new chapter in my life. I want to help Florida State win. And coach
(Steve) Robinson is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.”
Richardson was the marquee player in the West’s
104-93 win.
“Everywhere I play,I’m the marquee player,” he
said. “In a game like this, I try not to think a lot about it. I know people
expect a lot of things.”
For the record, Richardson was no hot dog. He was a
team player, scoring 14 points.
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LASTYEAR: Richardson is the second straight McDonald’s
All-American to suit up. Last year, West Rowan’s Scooter Sherrill scored 18
points, hit the two free throws to seal the West’s 86-82 victory and won the
MVP.
And let’s not forget his West partner Kari Schenk,
who also had a double-figure game in the West’s 67-49 girls win.
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WONDERS WONDER: A.L. Brown’s Josh Lee and Duran
Lipscomb, both of whom are playing in tonight’s East-West All-Star football
game, watched part of the basketball all-star game with their West teammates.
They weren’t watching a completely foreign sport.
Both Wonders played some hoops early in their high school careers, although Lee
eventually concentrated on football and baseball and Lipscomb settled on
football and track.
“I played jayvee basketball as a freshman and my
dad was the assistant coach,” said the 6-foot-3 Lee, who had a reputation as a
killer rebounder. “ThenI got moved up to the varsity for the postseason.”
Lipscomb put his strength and quickness to use on
the basketball court during his freshman and sophomore years, but eventually
decided it was more fun to play a sport where you could hit people without
fouling out.
At any rate, both Wonders still claim to possess
some hoops skills.
“We played on a church league team (Central
Baptist) with a lot of the other Brown football players,” said Lee.
And how did that stacked team do?
“Not so good. We lost out in the playoffs,” said
a sheepish Lipscomb.
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Mike London contributed to the East-West All-Star
notebook.
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