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CHAPEL HILL — No one knows better than West Rowan coach Mike Gurley that it matters little how many losses a team hauls into a state championship game.
All that matters is getting there.
Yes, unbeaten West (29-0) owns nine fewer losses than Winston-Salem Parkland (21-9), but when they tip it up at 9 tonight at the Smith Center for the 3A title, that unblemished record and two quarters will get the Falcons a soft drink.
Think about it. West’s only previous state champion (1997) sustained six losses, which equals the most defeats suffered by any Falcon team in the last 10 years. More proof? Gurley coached a nine-loss Lexington team that heated up late in the 1995 season and grabbed the 2A crown.
“I brought a team with nine losses to Chapel Hill and they did it,” said Gurley. “Parkland’s nine losses don’t mean nothing. Right now, both teams are 0 and 0.”
West and Parkland have a healthy respect for one another. They know each other well.
A bonding of sorts between the programs began when Parkland outran West in the 1999 3A state championship game. Both have famous grads playing at N.C. State and there have been frequent battles at N.C. State team camp and summer scrimmages. The most recent summer skirmish in the Gurley Dome left an impression on Pennington.
“Gurley didn’t really have his team there (no Donte Minter, no Williams twins), but West was still awesome,” said Pennington. “They didn’t keep score, but they might have beat us.
“I have all the respect in the world for Mike Gurley. If West isn’t the preeminent program in 3A, it’s one of them.”
Gurley admires Pennington’s style, too.
Parkland’s philosophy is simple. But it’s also effective. Defensively, the Mustangs get in your face for 32 minutes and 90 feet looking for turnovers and easy buckets. They’re determined to confound you, out-hound you and outrebound you.
“Parkland’s thing is out-scrapping you, out-hustling you and outfighting you,” said Gurley. “Parkland has very, very tough kids. I mean, they’ll play ya.”
“It’s definitely not going to be a slow pace,” promised a smiling Pennington, whose squad tipped over powerhouses Southern Durham, Kinston and Greensboro Dudley like dominoes to make a surprise appearance in Chapel Hill.
“We’re going to come out and do what we do. We’ll know Saturday night if that’s good enough. If it’s not, I’ll go shake Mike’s hand and say we’re even.”
West’s advantage is overwhelming size. Minter (22.3 ppg), Phillip Williams, Jason Williams and Junior Hairston are 6-foot-6 or taller and Hairston boasts a guard’s quickness and mobility.
In stark contrast, only one of Parkland’s top eight players stands taller than 6-3. But while this is a team of relative midgets, they don’t exactly play like Gidgets.
Parkland’s big guy 6-8 Phillip McCandies (No. 25) isn’t as physically strong as Minter, but he’s big-time. He averages a double-double (17.4 points a game, 13.4 rebounds a game). Gurley praises McCandies as a “ferocious rebounder” and he’s so agile and springy that Virginia Tech signed him to play small forward.
Parkland’s strength is its perimeter. The Mustangs are deep and experienced. Seven of their top eight are seniors.
“On the perimeter, one through five, we’re as good as anyone,” said Pennington. “And we’ll have nine different kids in the game by the 4-minute mark.”
R.J. Reynolds coach Howard West, who handed Parkland a third of its losses, says the man to watch for the Mustangs is lefty guard Ray Bristow (No. 12), who averages 18 and exploded for 34 against Dudley in the Eastern Regional finals.
“Bristow’s their leader and he can score 30 any night of the week,” said West.
Gurley calls Bristow a “jet” and says he has the same sort of super-speed that guard Horatio Everhart brings to the Falcons.
“Ray made me the most popular guy in Greenville (at the regionals),” said Pennington. “Every college coach there wanted to talk to me.”
Bristow is considering a host of schools, including Furman and South Carolina.
Gurley worries nearly as much about 6-1 Marcus Jordan (10.6 ppg), who wears No. 23, always a pretty good number for a Jordan. Pennington describes Jordan as a “great wing.”
Then there’s 6-1 Mark Mason (No. 33), a transfer from West Forsyth who averages 13.3 ppg, mostly on 3s.
“Mark is the best shooter I’ve ever coached,” said Pennington.
McCandies, Bristow and Mason were all-conference choices.
Paris Barnes (6-3) and B.J. Lloyd (6-0) add demonic rebounding and Javon Scipio (6-1) can score off the bench.
“We have is a team that’s very hard to defend, because we can score inside and out,” said Pennington. “And we’re athletic. We have a guard (Jed Bines) who was Mr. Football in North Carolina and who gets hand-written letters from Notre Dame and we have a hard time finding playing time for him.”
What Parkland lacks is inches. If West can break the Mustangs’ pressure — and that’s a decent-sized if — it should be able to attack the rim all night long. But to handle that pell-mell press, West may have to swap size for quickness and ballhandling. Look for little T.J. Gaither to play a major role in support of Western Regional hero Brian Avery and Everhart. Darren Ramsey’s contributions could also be big.
“I like our guards,” said Gurley. “Gaither’s playing well and Everhart (who will draw the critical assignment on Bristow) is as good an on-the-ball defender as I’ve had. Horatio never lets you breathe.”
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West has injury concerns but Minter (left wrist), Hairston (back) and Avery (right ankle) are all going to play through varying degrees of discomfort. They may have to bring it like they’ve never brought it before against a team that has a chip on its shoulder and nothing to lose.
While West has been acclaimed nationally and has topped the state rankings all season, Parkland wasn’t even listed in the most recent 3A poll. That’s serious motivation.
Then too, Parkland feels it gets little respect even in its own city where it’s a 3A school playing in the giant shadow cast by two-time 4A champ Reynolds. There weren’t many media members following Pennington to Greenville. Instead, they were concentrating on Reynolds and West Forsyth at the Western Regionals in Hickory. That’s more motivation.
Gurley knows it. He’s concerned, but confident.
“Parkland’s made a great run to get here and they’re going to be sky-high to get it done,” said Gurley. “What we have to do is go out and play our game.”
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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