Page 6, Portland Observer, March 13, 1966
Q
by Roy L tt Jermyan
Sports Editor
•
OPEN THE DOORS
Now that the prep basketball sea-
snn has wound down to the stale play
offs and championships, it’s time to
do a little retapping I am a basket
ball purist by nature so watching the
kids go to the hoop is to watch the
game in its purest form. Watching the
Boys Class A A A finals t the C oli
seum made me aware o f a few things
that Oregon must do in order to up
grade the skills o f these kids.
As I watched the game between
Parkrosc and Corvallis in the quarter
finals I was amazed that these two
teams were ranked Number I and 2
in the state. Corvallis has a well disci
plined team and a few good players
but that was it. Parkrosc had nothing.
Both teams had front line size that
would prove a worthy match against
Oregon State U „ but neither team
went to their strengths. Parkrosc and
Corvallis obviously played against
much smaller teams that could not
stay in the game with them but both
teams had no real ability.
I don't know much about the Coach
at Parkrosc and I choose not to pick
him to pieces but there's something
wrong when your senior big man has
not learned the basic fundamentals of
moving towards the ball when it’s
thrown inside. M ike Doherty realized
his mistake after the first half and
went exclusively to his big men in the
last two quarters as Corvallis tried to
bottle bock but it was too late to change
the outcome by then. Coaching plays
a big par, in a state tournament and
I was not impressed by what I saw at
the tournament. Dtck Heachell guided
his Trojans to the title with flawless
ability and easily outclassed the other
coaches in the field. I must also men
tion John Stilwell and the job he did
with G ran,. By emphasizing defense
in his preparation for the playoffs,
Stilwell gave his team a foundation
that allowed them to reach the finals
with a poise that they had not dis
played all year.
There were many excellent individ
ual ball players in the tournament but
most seem destined to be handicapped
by the lack o f competition to improve.
Oregon needs to open the dixirs o f its
schools to let these kids play some
hall after school. The biggest differ-
enee between east and west coast
players is that the kids hack east eat.
sleep and drink basketball with play-
ers o f varying abilities and ages.
It is not a coincidence that Ray
Blume. M ark Radioed. Richard Wash
• SPORT TALK • SPORT TALK
ington and Mel Counts couldn't estab
lish themselves in the big leagues.
Most prep coaches here don’t have
(he lime to devote to guiding an ath
lete through the maze o f necessary
fundamentals that are critical to de
velopment When you open the doors
o f the schools you ge, people in the
community that will staff the schools
for recreational activity and want to
aid in the development o f skills.
In New York City, our schools
were opened in the afternoon and
early evening to allow people in the
neighborhood to learn crafts, work in
the shop areas and use the gyms to
allow kids o f all ages to play to
gether and improve their abilities.
When I was thirteen, I played on a
basketball team with guys that were in
their late twenties. T h a i’s how you
improve your game, you try to play
with and against anyone.
How often does a 6-foot-7 high
schooler get to play against someone
his size or taller in Portland? Open up
the gyms in the evenings and Bobby
Rowers, Stretch Braxton and C ow
boy will give some solid lessons on the
hardwood. Unless you parents want
your kids to go to O SU for four years
and come back home wondering what
happened, make some noise to open
up the buildings that you pay for but
can't use.
K U Z -IN S presents the N B A. Pro-
A M Basketball Summer League spon
sored by M iller High Life, Spalding,
Pro-Keds and Medalist Opening day
o f the season will be June 8, 1985 at
Irving Park, 7th and Fremont.
Uniforms (shirts and shorts).
sneakers, a 13-game schedule, a play-
o ff and championship series, NBA
Rules, N B A Affiliated Referees, plus
trophies and awards will be provided.
The scries is open to men 18 and older
There will be ten 10-man teams. Teams
must be entered by April 15. 1985
T o enter, contact ByTon Brown,
284-3580, or Tracy Cage, 287-0062.
It was an all P IL final for the Class
A A A boys basketball tournament,
and the two teams that me, were in
deed the best o f the field. Wilson
won the P IL and runner-up, Grant,
met for the rubber match in the con
fines o f the Memorial Coliseum to do
battle in the championship final.
During the regular season they me,
twice with each winning at home.
Grant had to fight their way into the
finals by moving through the sub-
tournament, but once there, they dis
played their versatility as a team, and
were up to the challenge that Wilson
presented. The road for Wilson wasn't
as rocky, but that meant nothing
Saturday night.
As I saw the teams coming out
onto the floor, I visualized a game of
defense and transition by the Generals,
and ball control through offensive
execution by Wilson. That's what it
turned ou, to be. Grant began the
game in their suffocating 2-3 zone de
fense and the Trojans did likewise.
Both teams are guard-oriented, so it
wasn't long before Keith Smith and
(iary Rubin made their combined
presence fell. Tony Ross caught on
and fired a few salvos right back at
them.
Hindsight tells me that the first
quarter proved to be the undoing of
the Generals because they came out
looking for the long range jumpers to
fall, and they died that death in their
last meeting with the Trojans. Laf-
faira Taylor wen, into his impersona
tion of Windex again and cleaned
the glass whenever Grant's long jumpers
wouldn't fall. Rubin was hitting noth
ing but ne, from the corners and Keith
kept the tempo at Wilson's beat close
to the quarter a, 13-11, Trojan's.
Pressure often forces the return of
bad habits and Grant came out taking
poor percentage shots to star, the
second period. Ross hit a few but
not enough to bring Wilson out o f the
2-3 zone. Wilson worked the ball
patiently and set some good picks and
screens inside, working exclusively for
the good percentage shots, hitting
them often enough for a 30-21 lead to
dose the half.
Grant came out for the second half
with what appeared to be an adjust
ment in their offensive strategy. Joe
McFcrrin got the ball inside to Big
Ron Smith for 2-points, and on the
next trip down the floor, McFerrin hit
M ark West low for another score.
At 6:20 it was 30-25 Wilson. Coach
Stilwell had still another thought for
the second half: he suhstituted LaVon
Van for Stan Roberts and went to a
box and I on Keith Smith. Smith, a
very heady youngster, responded by
finding Gary Rubin and Rubin ignited
a 6-poinl run that btxnled the score to
.36-25 at 5:15. W ith Smith at the con
trols, Wilson had a 44-37 advantage
at the end o f the third.
With Taylor doing such a fine job
on the boards at both ends o f the
(liMir. the Generals were getting just
one opportunity to score when panic
seemed io set in again. The (.encrals
completely got a w a y from whai Stil
well wanted, to go inside, and they
G ran t H igh School » T on y Rosa w o rk » hi« w a y around W ils o n ’» Keith
S m ith in S atu rd ay'» S ta te A A A C h am pio nship g am e. S m ith earned 18
points to Ross' 16 and W ilson w o n th e cham pio nship 62 to 54.
(Photo: D an Long)
began taking those poor percentage
jumpers again. At 6:42, Ross made a
steal and converted the layup to close
to 4 6 4 0 and things were looking up
for Grant M ike Goodlow turned
demon on the boards for Grant and at
4:49 it was only a 4-point difference,
4 8 4 4 Wilson.
The Generals worked hard the res,
o f the way but it was just too much
Keith Smith orchestrating and Taylor
Gl Top Rank, Inc
G ra n fa J o a M cF arrin II lata looaa fo r 2 o f hla 4 point« in the third ostar
« m a S tato C h am plo nahlp sem ifinals ag ain », B aavarto n . M cF arrin
aarnad 16 pointa in alt to spark th a G enerals' vic to ry in thia 57 60
(Photo: D an Long)
muscle At l:09 Taylor picked up
his fifth personal foul but Grant just
didn’t have enough time left to take
advantage. Both schools exhibited
good sportsmanship throughout the
game so when the horn sounded and
the scoreboard read 62-54 Wilson,
we knew who the Champions were
but more importantly, we had seen
some good baii played by some good
sports.
<A45AR1PALA<<
AND
I’Rl SENT
THOMAS "HITMAN'
MARVELOUS MARVIN
C H A M P IO N S H IP BOX SCORE
G RANT 54
MP
KUZ-INS
LEAGUE
taking teams
Wilson wins city and state bragging rights
West
Van
A <>mith
T o t Is
FG
FT
.32 11-2
..................13 0 3
............. 22 3-5
31 6 20
32 0 7
................11
14
9 24
.9
1-1
..................1 0 0
162466
00
00
00
46
00
R
13
4
1-2
1-2
00
oo
6 0
6
3
2
2
6
0
0
35
A
0
0
1
2
7
1
0
0
0
11
P
3
1
1
5
5
3
2
1
0
21
St
0
0
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
4
TO
0
1
3
0
1
0
1
2
0
8
FP
22
0
6
16
0
3
5
2
0
54
St
0
1
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
TO
1
2
2
1
3
0
0
0
0
TP
8
8
8
18
20
0
0
0
0
62
W ILSO N 62
Allen
Shaw
Totals
MP
F
FT
.........31
1 3 6-9
30 4 6
OO
. . . . 31 4 9 0 2
31 5 0 S 1 0
..................31 9-17 2-5
................1 0 0
00
............. 1 0 0
00
3 00
00
1 00
00
16023411626
R
5
6
13
3
2
0
0
0
0
29
A
5
1
0
3
3
0
0
0
0
12
P
2
2
5
1
1
0
0
0
0
11
s 9
Ebony tells truth about Muhammed Ali
Form ar th ra a -tim a w o rld h aav yw aig h t ch am p M u h a m m a d A ll m ir
rors hia m u ral aa ha tails hia fana. " D o n ’t co u nt m a o u t."
Today Muhammad Ali is a shadow
o f the man who could "final like a
butterfly, sting like a bee," but he says,
“ I'm not suffering, I'm not crazy and
I ’m no, dying." For the truth about
Muhammad A li, read the March
Ebony.
Ali's doctors say he is suffering
from Parkinson’s syndrome, a con
dition responsible for his slurred speech,
loss o f coordination, shaking hands
and fatigue. Unlike Parkinson's dis
ease, (he syndrome is not fatal and
can be controlled with medication.
Ali has had to deal with a lot o f ru
mors that say he’s brain damaged or
on his deathbed. Says A li, "This
whole thing has been blown ou, of
proportion, and people have made it
appear that I ’m in critical shape.
1,'s no, true!"
Ahn in the March Ebony don't miss
these features: "N ew Faces On T V
and In Films,” "T h e Fight Against
Hunger in A frica,” “ Pro Basketball's
Incredible Michael Jordan," and
“ Thirty Leaders O f The Future."
‘JR
World Middleweight Championship
Monday, April 15,1985
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RESERVE SEATS AVAILABLE AT:
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