Talking up a storm with the coaches at the Western Regional basketball meeting ...
HICKORY — Times have changed.
Used to be when a coach managed to get his team to the regional level, he spent the next few days frantically making phone calls to friends of friends of friends trying to piece together a scouting report on his next opponent
But the world-wide web’s made that process a mite easier.
Just ask T.C. Roberson coach Rich Sizemore, who faces Trinity, a team he didn’t know from Adam, in this Friday’s regional semifinals.
“In five minutes on the Internet I found five stories on Trinity,” he said. “Most everything Ineeded to know.”
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West Rowan, the only boys team that is still undefeated in the state, drew Gastonia Ashbrook at 8: 30 p.m. on Friday at East Burke High Svhool.
The winner will play the winner of the 7 p.m. Trinity-T.C. Roberson matchup at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
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WINNER’SCIRCLE: The Donte Minter era at West Rowan has produced a 106-11 record to date, even better than the 103-16 record the Falcons posted during Scooter Sherrill’s four seasons.
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STREAK: Minter has scored in double figures in 37 straight games and in 64 of his last 65.
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RECORD:With a win on Friday, the Falcons would tie the school record for victories with 28. Both the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 squads reached that plateau. The Falcons have never won their first 28 games. They won their first 27 in 1993-94.
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BIGNAMES:West fans may not be all that familiar with Friday’s regional semifinal foe Gastonia Ashbrook — a 4A school until joining the 3A ranks this season — but the Greenwave has produced great athletes over the years, including UNC and L.A.Laker great James Worthy and current Orlando Magic guard Darrell Armstrong.
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CARDINALRULE: West fans who watched the Falcons whack T.C. Roberson in the 1999 Western finals in Hickory were getting a sneak peek at a future big-league star.
Roberson basketball starter Chris Narveson was also a lefty pitcher who went on to become a high draft pick. He’s making a meteoric rise through the St. Louis Cardinal farm system and could pitch in the majors this year.
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SAMEOLDSONG: West’s boys are in the regionals for the 11th time since 1986 and for the 10th time in the last 13 years.
They reached the regionals in 1986 and 1990 under Jack Lytton; in ’91, ’93 and ’94 under Charles Hellard; in ’95 and ’97 under Bobby Shipwash; and in ’98, ’99, 2000 and 2002 under Mike Gurley.
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TOUGHENINGUP:If you’re wondering how Trinity reached the regionals, all you have to do is look at the who’s-who list of the teams they took on in summer camps.
Among others, the Bulldogs faced Ashbrook, Greensboro Dudley, co-favorite in the 3A East, and 4A regional squads Independence and Vance.
Trinity’s only losses were to Asheboro in a Christmas Tournament — they later beat the Comets three times — and to Eastern Randolph on the road on what coach Tim Kelly described as a bad shooting night.
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FAMILIARFACE:Rowan baseball fans may recognize Trinity guard Brett Andrews if the Falcons should meet the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Andrews was that fine shortstop for Asheboro’s AmericanLegion baseball team last summer.
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BACKAGAIN: As usual, West Caldwell coach Danny Anderson has his team back in the regionals in the 2A boys ranks.
Anderson’s oldest son Dan is at Pfeiffer University. He elected to redshirted this season after breaking his hand in a preseason practice. Younger son Matt is headed to High Point University and will join West’s Minter in the North Carolina-South Carolina All-Star Game in Rock Hill.
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YEP, THEYMADEIT:No one who watched Burlington Cummings roll over North Rowan in the second round or saw Reidsville dismantle Salisbury in a first-round game is surprised that those North State Conference teams reached the regionals in 2A.
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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