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(03/15/10 3:34am)
Three minutes into the second half, Chay Shegog caught a pass at the free throw line and turned to see what the defense had allotted her.She figured it out pretty quickly.Instead of using her 6-foot-5 frame to get a shot off over the defense, Shegog took a step back and zipped a pass to a streaking Laura Broomfield for the easy deuce.“Usually when I flash up to the high post I read the defense behind me first, and if I know they are far behind me, I’m shooting,” Shegog said. “But if not, then it’s an open cut for somebody else, because then the backside is wide open.”Shegog’s dime was just one of many for the Tar Heels in a game where they worked harder at making the extra pass to get a much easier shot.Before Sunday, North Carolina averaged only 15.1 assists per game. But the Tar Heels rekindled their court vision and dished out 24 assists against the Eagles, the second highest total for UNC all season.“It’s (important) that we move the ball around, get ball reversal, look for the cutters and not get stagnated with holding the basketball,” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “I think that’s big.”Later in the second half, UNC freshman Tierra Ruffin-Pratt had the ball on the left side of the three-point line. While she held it high and looked for an option, Shegog snuck in behind the defense and under the rim.Then, like a conditioned response, Ruffin-Pratt delivered a quick pass over the defense and into the hands of Shegog for an easy layup.UNC’s passes were deliberate and its assists were crisp. Hatchell attributed it to the time the team spent practicing after losing in the first round of the ACC Tournament.“We worked a lot on our half court offenses, our motion and our movement and all of that,” she said. “I thought we had real good movement out there today.”And everyone seemed to improve from those practices. Most of UNC’s assists Sunday afternoon didn’t come from its usual contributors.Ruffin-Pratt and fellow freshman Krista Gross, who average a combined 1.62 assists per game, made it look easy at times and weaved numerous passes through the often oblivious Eagles defense.“Even though they don’t score a lot of points, Ruffin-Pratt had seven assists and Krista had three,” Hatchell said. “Most of those were from those cuts in the middle of the zone there.”Regardless of the Tar Heels’ future games, which will likely include a trip to the NCAA Tournament, it’s clear that making the extra pass will be key.In the eight games this season that UNC recorded more than 20 assists, the Tar Heels are 8-0 and outscored their opponents by an average of 37.5 points.And if there’s ever a good time to understand the importance of ball movement, UNC knows this is it.“I think they see that,” Hatchell said. “They know that, they’ve seen it on film and today is a perfect example of that.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/01/10 4:02am)
With no base runners and two outs in the bottom of the third inning, North Carolina’s freshman Brian Goodwin was just supposed to get what he could. By precedent, that wouldn’t be much, but in Sunday’s game against Maine, Goodwin finally found his stroke.“You guys are going to be like me,” UNC coach Mike Fox said. “We’re going to get to watch, if Brian Goodwin were to stay with the process and stay healthy and keep learning every day, you guys are going to be able to do exactly what I’m going to be able to do. You’re going to watch him grow up.”Goodwin has struggled to find his rhythm at the plate this season, batting just .182 before Sunday’s game. In this instance, down in the count with two strikes, Goodwin lined a pitch over second base and past the diving glove of Maine shortstop Tony Patane for a hit.But one base wasn’t good enough for Goodwin.“I had coach (Matt) McCay in my ear telling me to try to beat it and test his arm,” Goodwin said. While most would have played it safe, the freshman turned on his burners, charged second base and just made it with a headfirst dive.“Honest to goodness, I put my head down,” Fox said. “I didn’t know he was running. I heard our dugout holler and I looked up and he was sliding into second.” After the play, Goodwin collected himself and retraced his steps to gather his helmet, which had fallen off during his mad dash.“He’s got every possible tool you can have talent-wise,” Fox said. “You can see, I mean, he can just flip his wrist. And he can run; you saw him just hit a single, and next thing you know he’s sliding (into second). He’s going to be a fun player to watch.”After a 3-for-5 performance on Sunday that followed his two-run homer on Saturday, Goodwin has elevated his batting average to .259 on 7-of-27 hitting. The freshman was rated the No. 10 prospect by Baseball America in 2008 as one of the most complete players in the country, but his speed is what is most mesmerizing. Of Goodwin’s seven hits this season, more than half have gone for extra bases — a double, two triples and the fourth a home run. “I think I’m just starting to put things together a little bit better,” Goodwin said. “I’m just starting to get things back to where they were.”Goodwin once again displayed his swiftness in the fifth inning. Senior Ryan Graepel drilled a shot down the left field line and Goodwin took off running from first base. By the time Maine left fielder Ian Leisenheimer looked up, Goodwin was approaching third base.But once again Goodwin didn’t stop, encouraged by Fox to round third and head home.“He was just telling me, ‘Keep going,’” Goodwin said. “In my head, I wanted to score. And, once I rounded second, he was still turning his arm so I was ready to go.”Goodwin’s speed will be an asset all season for the Tar Heels, who, like Goodwin, are aggressive base runners. But Goodwin wasn’t just brought in to be a pinch runner. He was brought in to make plays in all areas of the game.But he’s still a freshman, and although he just started to show glimpses of his talent this weekend, Fox knows that his development will take time. “He’s just been soaking up things like a sponge and trying to learn,” Fox said. “I’m glad to see him obviously get a couple hits because then it’s about confidence.”Despite Goodwin’s ongoing adjustment to college-level pitchers, he knows he can run with the best of them.“With me being fast, I’m able to kind of do whatever out there,” Goodwin said. “Just use my speed as an advantage for us and make them throw me out.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/18/10 4:45am)
People love and respect a man who rises from the ashes.Ziad Haddad first heard those words from his uncle following his freshman year. They reverberated in his head like a challenge, but one he wasn’t used to.Less than a year later, those words are his story.A former high school national champion, Haddad fell into the fire of academic ineligibility at the end of his redshirt freshman campaign. Now the Pennsylvania native is back on the mat, riding a four-match win streak and ranked No. 21 in the nation after regaining it.Developing a championHaddad was born a competitor. Three brothers, one sister and countless games of Monopoly. It isn’t what’s written about North Carolina’s 6-foot-2, 240-pound heavyweight wrestler in any media guide. It’s just who he is. Haddad spent his high school years at Bethlehem Catholic in Pennsylvania where his father, Tarik, coached football.“My father was the catalyst in everything I’ve done up to this point,” Haddad said. “He’s been my biggest supporter, my biggest fan and he’s also been my biggest critic. “He always calls a spade a spade and I couldn’t ask for anything more from a father.”Haddad started under his father for three years and wrestled throughout high school, but it wasn’t until his junior year that he had something special with wrestling.Wrestling was his ticket. A full season of tirelessly practicing placed Haddad in the state finals match as a junior. Twenty-eight seconds later, Haddad was the state runner-up. “I worked so hard and wanted it so bad and knew in my heart that I was going to achieve that dream,” Haddad said. “And then when I got pinned in 28 seconds, I wanted answers.”But there weren’t any — not at first. “There was only one person that I could ask for answers why, and that was the Lord,” Haddad said. “It was at that moment that I said, ‘OK, God, I’m going to praise you in this storm.’ From that moment on, I became a man of faith.”One year later, Haddad’s answer was validated. He won both the state and national championship.Recruitment processHaddad had a horde of serious offers from schools like Indiana, Oklahoma State and Michigan.North Carolina isn’t a traditional wrestling powerhouse. It isn’t the Iowa of the South, and when Haddad spoke to UNC coach C.D. Mock, the prized recruit was staring at a large part of the program’s history. Haddad saw himself becoming a part of that history.As UNC’s first wrestling national champion in 1982, Mock inspired Haddad to believe that he could once again become a national champion at North Carolina.“I believed that from the minute I signed the paper,” Haddad said.During his redshirt season, he quickly learned that collegiate wrestling was no simple task. It took Haddad nearly two months to record his first takedown, a proficiency he mastered in high school. “I think a lot of Z’s problems had to do with the fact that he wasn’t used to getting worked in practice,” Mock said. “That’s hard to swallow if you’re not ready for that.”Friend in foodCraig Samuels first met Haddad when the redshirt freshman walked into Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta, which Samuels owns. A long-time supporter of UNC’s wrestling team and a wrestling coach at Culbreth Middle School, Samuels befriended Haddad.The restaurant became one of Haddad’s favorites for a number of reasons. He enjoyed everything from its signature penne in a pink basil sauce to his talks with Samuels about wrestling and life. What Haddad orders isn’t on the menu. It’s called “the usual.” By now, the employees know exactly what that entails. A garden salad, the penne with pink basil sauce, a slice of Sicilian pizza and the occasional Philly cheesesteak for that familiar taste from home. It totals $22.45. “I’ve never actually seen a human being eat as much as he does,” Samuels said. “He used to order, well, still does, like three main courses and I’m like, ‘This guy can’t finish this food, no way.’ And I look up, and all the plates are empty.”Often Samuels and his eighth-grade son Jake, a 119-pound wrestler at Culbreth, attend UNC wrestling matches to support the team and Haddad, who has offered Samuels and his son wrestling advice.“We have that sort of relationship where Craig can open up to me and ask me for help when it comes up because, you know, I was there once,” Haddad said. “I was an eighth-grade wrestler.”This year, when Jake wrestled a rematch against the only opponent who had beaten him, Haddad gave Samuels advice to pass along to him.“I just said to him, ‘Every time you step out on the mat nerves are a part of everything. Nerves are a part of your life and everything you do in every aspect of life.’”Classroom strugglesNot too far into the spring semester, open wrestling tournaments wrapped up and Haddad was a free man — free from his time-consuming commitments to the wrestling team and free to do what he wanted.Without the structure and competition of wrestling, Haddad stagnated.At first, sophomore Thomas Ferguson noticed his teammate hadn’t been coming to their math class.“I knew he was a freshman, he was probably caught up in the things freshmen get caught up in,” Ferguson said. Ferguson texted Haddad, encouraging him to come to class despite math being “his thing.” Haddad didn’t listen and Ferguson reached out again, offering to help Haddad with his homework and studying if he would come to class, but when Haddad didn’t show, Ferguson stopped trying. The result for Haddad was a 0.6 GPA for the semester.“I was in a dark place my freshman year second semester,” Haddad said. “I lost focus. And, when I lost focus, I mean, I lost focus. I hit rock bottom. When that semester was over, I was just sitting there saying, ‘I possibly could’ve just ruined my life.’”Haddad’s cumulative GPA dropped to 1.2, below what he needed to be eligible to wrestle. Haddad wasn’t allowed to compete in what would have been his first semester on the team.Mock wrote Haddad a letter telling him that he still had a great opportunity and to give it some serious thought because “you don’t get do-overs.”“When I sent him home in the summer, I started recruiting another heavyweight,” Mock said. “I just didn’t know.”The turnaroundThat summer, Haddad took three classes. Like wrestling, it was go hard or go home, except literally this time.It was during that time, while searching for inspiration, that his uncle told him, “People love and respect a man who rises from the ashes.”That was all he needed.“I really had to dig deep and find my faith and continue to pray throughout the storm,” Haddad said. “That was a point in my life where I didn’t know which way was up.”Haddad, with the help and support of his family, earned two A’s and an A- to boost his GPA above the minimum for eligibility.Still, it would be a long process.Returning in the fall semester, Ferguson found himself in another math class with Haddad. It was déjà vu for Ferguson, but a redemption opportunity for Haddad.“I was like, ‘I’ll help you out, but if I feel like you’re using me to get the work done and you’re not using me as an aid to help you learn, I’m going to stop helping you right then and there,’” Ferguson said.In addition, Haddad worked with senior associate athletic directors John Blanchard, Beth Miller and Larry Gallo, Jr.All three directors spent time making sure Haddad would be eligible and tracking down Haddad’s teachers to stress that his final grades were submitted in time for him to rejoin the team for its tournament in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 20.With one challenge out of the way, Haddad can move to the next. He is 11-5 this season since rejoining the lineup and is climbing the ranks at No. 21 in the country, according to WrestlingReport.com. “I needed that same strength that I needed to get back up and pick myself back up after I got pinned in 28 seconds, to get up and pick myself back up from the 0.6,” Haddad said.It wasn’t fairy-tale perfect, but perhaps it’s better that way. Haddad emerged victorious from the tribulations like the familiar image he displays when winning a match — arms raised high and a smile that reached higher.“I’m loving where I’m at,” Haddad said. “I love and I enjoy waking up everyday and going to work out and doing the things that I’m supposed to be doing.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/10 6:26am)
More than 1,000 spectators littered the back of Francis E. Henry Stadium on Saturday, peering over the top railing and flooding the stairs to watch North Carolina’s men’s lacrosse 5-4 win against Bryant University.It was worth it. After snow began to fall late Friday evening, the team’s game was moved from Fetzer Field to Navy Field, which sits directly behind Henry Stadium.From the start, UNC dominated possession. North Carolina moved the ball around the net, trying to work its offense. That led to a goal by UNC freshman Marcus Holman with 11:34 left in the first quarter.But the Bulldogs didn’t just roll over.Bryant goalie Jameson Love blocked 13 shots in the first half, which was four more than UNC’s goalie, Chris Madalon, stopped the entire game.“They did a great job of mixing things up on us in the first half,” UNC coach Joe Breschi said. “With the zone, and the man and those sorts of things, … I think it was challenging for our freshmen to organize.”The Tar Heels continued to drown Bryant with shots, composing a melody from the thuds and smacks of each deflected ball.But UNC broke through three times in the second quarter.Sophomore Thomas Wood, who finished the game with two goals and an assist, notched one in the second period, while senior Sean DeLaney added his two goals.“The first half, obviously 30 shots are a lot of shots, that’s like a game for some,” Breschi said. “For us, we’ve just got to learn to shoot the ball better.”The Bulldogs scored two quick goals in the first half, one with an extra-man advantage and one in transition, to keep Bryant in contention down 4-2 at half.And it wasn’t finished. The Bulldogs’ Bryant Amitrano and Travis Harrington scored twice more on Madalon in the third period to tie the game and carry momentum into the final stretch. “I’m always just trying to make the next save,” Madalon said. “You get scored on. It’s pretty much a fact of lacrosse, but you’ve just got to prepare for the next shot.”But the next shot was taken by Wood.With 12:50 left in the game, UNC midfielder Cryder DiPietro crossed a pass from the right side of the net to find Wood.By the time Wood caught the ball, he had already released a rocket headed straight for the goal.Just like that, North Carolina was back on top and in control.“I’m a right-handed player,” Wood said. “I play on that side a lot in the games as attackman. That’s actually my shot. That’s probably my favorite shot to take.”Wood’s goal was the eventual game-winner.After recapturing the lead, the Tar Heels continued to apply pressure on both offense and defense as time slipped away from Bryant.But with 1:25 left in the game, just following a UNC turnover, Bryant midfielder Ben Sternberg cradled the ball through UNC’s defense and shot.He missed, and Bryant had time for one final shot, a desperation shot taken with five seconds left by Harrington.But Madalon located the attackman’s shot and blocked it with his stick to secure the victory.“I thought we played great defensively,” Breschi said. “Chris Madalon was terrific.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/19/10 5:29am)
Sophie Grabinski and Sanaz Marand, seniors on the North Carolina women’s tennis team, lost in the doubles championship match Sunday at the Freeman Memorial Tennis Championships in Las Vegas.The duo made a lengthy run, but ultimately fell in the doubles championship to Stanford’s Mallory Burdette and Stacey Tan, 8-6.While Grabinski and Marand lost in the finals, another Tar Heel tandem won the consolation doubles final. In that match, senior Katrina Tsang and sophomore Shinann Featherston knocked off an Oregon team, 8-2.Tsang also lost in the singles final while Featherston won the singles consolation final.UNC will take on Winthrop on Wednesday in its first dual match.Wrestling loses a messy oneNorth Carolina traveled to Blacksburg, Va., on Saturday to wrestle No. 15 Virginia Tech and lost an ugly 25-16 match, dropping to 1-2 in the ACC. “Both teams were really beat up,” UNC coach C.D. Mock said. “They have a bunch of problems, and we have a bunch of injuries.”There were two forfeits in the match, which is almost unheard of in Division I wrestling.Sophomore Thomas Ferguson recorded one of the forfeit victories while senior Dennis Drury and freshman Ziad Haddad both technical-faulted their opponents.Haddad’s victory gave the Tar Heels a 16-13 lead in the match with three bouts left, but the Hokies took all three to win.UNC’s Thomas Scotton, the No. 3 157-pound wrestler in the country, lost a close match to No. 5 Jesse Dong. The two finished tied, but because Dong had recorded nine more seconds of riding time, he was awarded the extra point. “I told my staff before we went up there that I’m not going to be really upset if Thomas loses this match,” Mock said. “You always like to win, but you never go back and look at wins and losses the same. “Thomas is going to go back now and review hours and hours of tape and figure out how to beat this guy.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/13/10 5:17am)
It started like most matches for Thomas Scotton.A quick shot. An early takedown.The junior 157-pound wrestler was left with the ankle of his fleeing opponent — and that was all he needed to yank Duke’s Chris Piccolella back into the circle to secure two points.It’s partially that combination of speed and clout that have propelled Scotton from a NCAA qualifier last year to No. 3 in the nation. Then Scotton, like he does with most opponents, released his foe and faced him once again on his feet. Another takedown. Business as usual for Scotton.“I’m just at the point where I don’t get too concerned about Thomas anymore,” coach C.D. Mock said. “Thomas is the most consistent wrestler I’ve ever coached.” Scotton’s approach is methodical. His eyes are unwavering, calm but assertive. It’s 4-1 now, until he releases the opposition to set up another takedown. Then it happened again, a third takedown. Scotton wanted to get some back points, awarded when an opponent’s back faces the mat, but couldn’t turn Piccolella over — a problem that consistently hampered him before this season.“I’m definitely not the greatest mat wrestler,” Scotton said. “Coach (Trevor) Chinn has really been a godsend for me. He’s really helped me grow leaps and bounds from last year.”Scotton lets Piccolella up to start the next period and then takes him down again. It’s getting ugly now.Again, Scotton struggles to turn his foe over, but he maintains control until to the end of the period. “Thomas’ first three years here, he couldn’t wrestle on bottom, couldn’t get out of bottom. I worried about him all the time,” Mock said. “We’ve been telling him, ‘You wanna be an All-American in Division I wrestling? You’ve got to be able to do it all. You have to be able to wrestle on the mat, top and bottom.’”Scotton isn’t necessarily the strongest. He may not be the fastest either, although Mock said he is. But each of his moves is executed with intensity. This is obvious at the start of the third period when he escapes and then takes Piccolella down again.After the culmination of his 12-4 victory, it’s clear that Thomas can dominate in all areas of the mat. He is, as Mock said, the “whole package.” “I don’t think he can be held down, and he determines when he wants to get off them; he just lets them go,” Mock said. “People aren’t getting out.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(12/07/09 6:10am)
Late Saturday night, while North Carolina’s Cetera DeGraffenreid talked with Centhya Hart — a former teammate now playing at St. John’s — Hart told DeGraffenreid the Red Storm were going to press her.On Sunday, DeGraffenreid picked that press apart like a Jenga tower.“She was like, ‘I told them not to press you,’ so I was like, ‘Tell them to,’” DeGraffenreid said, repeating her conversation with Hart. St. John’s didn’t unveil that press until the two teams were tied at 65 later in the game.North Carolina and coach Sylvia Hatchell looked like a team without an answer after surrendering a 12-point halftime lead.But when St. John’s threw its full-court press at UNC, DeGraffenreid was the answer. The 5-foot-6 guard navigated St. John’s press like Magellan and led her team through the final minutes to victory.“We tried to press them,” St. John’s coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “We press them a lot but we couldn’t contain DeGraffenreid at all. That’s a hard match up for anyone because she’s so quick.”In the final seven minutes of the game, DeGraffenreid scored eight points and tallied three assists.“We missed some free throws and Degraffenreid took over the game and she scored a bunch of baskets in a row,” Arico said.Perhaps the best example of her dominance was her off-balance layup attempt at the 5:30 mark.The junior slashed through the lane and, while leaning away from a defender’s raised arms, scooped the ball into the hoop with her right hand for the basket and the foul. “I knew that we had an advantage if I would go,” DeGraffenreid said. “Sometimes I would hit Broomfield. I would hit Chay (Shegog). They were down there. I just knew at the end, when they started pressing, that we would have an advantage.”DeGraffenreid made that free throw and was four for five from the free-throw line in those final seven minutes.In that final seven-minute stretch, DeGraffenreid either scored or assisted 14 of the team’s 16 points.The junior finished the game with 16 points, 10 assists, two steals and six turnovers — none of which were committed in the final seven minutes.“We’re just a team that loves presses so I was happy when it happened,” DeGraffenreid said.When asked if her game is at its best when facing a press, DeGraffenreid didn’t have to say anything.The answer was obvious on Hatchell’s face as she smiled and confidently nodded her head.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/23/09 5:04am)
WINSTON-SALEM — Dani Forword said North Carolina would win the national championship — a week before it did.After defeating Wake Forest to advance to the final four, the senior forward ultimately predicted her team’s win against Maryland.“This is where we are going to win the national championship,” she said.One week later, it was Forword who would fulfill her own prophecy against a Maryland team that hadn’t even sniffed defeat this season.Forword scored a game-tying goal and later stole the victory with just 11 seconds left on the clock.“She’s a money player,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said. “You can count on a player like that. She’s so offensive minded and she’s a goal-scorer. She’s a natural goal-scorer.”Forword displayed that natural ability with the game-clinching goal against Maryland.The play came after North Carolina forced a penalty corner in the final minute of the 2-2 game.The Tar Heels hadn’t scored once on a penalty corner in that game — an area in which they usually excel — but this one was different.“I was struggling a lot in the first half from nerves, and the adrenaline was eating up my energy too,” Forword said.But in this moment, amid the deafening screams of the crowd, Forword heard four calm, reassuring words from her teammates around her: “I believe in you.”The Tar Heels continued to repeat that message.Then the play commenced.UNC junior midfielder Katelyn Falgowski stopped freshman back Caitlyn Van Sickle’s pass smoothly with her stick and left the rest up to Forword.The Maryland corner defenders charged out of the net to stop the shot while Forword, with her teammates’ words still resonating in her head, took a powerful step to the ball and drilled it. Like a missile, the ball sailed past the Maryland defenders and goalkeeper to seal UNC’s 3-2 win.“It was meant to be a straight shot, and so it was coming to me,” Forword said. “It’s a huge risk because I’ve been off on some of my straight hits, but I guess having your teammates screaming, ‘I believe in you, I believe in you’ … I mean, I had tingles before I took that shot. Maybe it was a higher power. I don’t know. It was beautiful. It was an amazing feeling.”After the goal, Forword fell to her knees, arms raised in the air as the other UNC players dropped their sticks, ran at Forword and celebrated the goal in one big, blue mob.It was a scene of shock and triumph. But Forword hadn’t even begun to think about the magnitude of her shot.“I landed on my knees and everyone landed on me so I hurt my left knee, which is my good knee,” Forword said. “And I just thought, ‘I’ll be in treatments this week, yay’.”Forword’s goal marked the end of her team’s remarkable comeback in the final 10 minutes of the game. What UNC did was improbable, but not impossible.Forword finished her national championship run scoring six goals in UNC’s four NCAA tournament games and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.The senior who knew more fervently than anyone else what she was capable of had delivered once again. “It’s a beautiful way to end it, you know, to go out in my senior year with a winning goal,” Forword said. “I can’t ask for much more and I’m just so thankful.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/16/09 5:17am)
WINSTON-SALEM — Somehow, the North Carolina field hockey team was winning 2-1 at halftime in its NCAA regional finals game against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons had outshot, outhustled and outplayed the No. 3 Tar Heels through the first 35 minutes of play, but through proper execution and taking advantage of its few chances, UNC scored two goals on just three first-half shots.No. 7 Wake Forest, though persistent, had just one goal to show for its labor on a penalty corner at the end of the half. That goal could have been a momentum shift for the Deacons. But UNC coach Karen Shelton wanted to make sure it wasn’t, so she approached her captain, Dani Forword, at halftime. “I came over to her while they were all huddling and I was like, ‘Dani. Dani. You’re the money player, it’s tournament time, just go,’” Shelton said. “And she scored not, what, like, two minutes later, and it was a huge goal and a huge momentum swing.”Forword’s goal in the 38th minute of play, less than three minutes into the second half, put North Carolina up 3-1 and put Wake Forest’s elevated emotions back down, forcing the Demon Deacons to find more answers.Throughout its 4-1 win against Wake Forest, UNC was uncharacteristically on its heels in much of the early goings and even in parts of the second half.“Everybody gave it their all today,” senior back Melanie Brill said. “We had a game plan but things didn’t go as well as planned. Wake played a great game, but we scored and we’re just really happy with everything.”The Tar Heels scored their first goal just more than five minutes into the game on a penalty corner attempt. UNC freshman Jaclyn Gaudioso-Radvany located a rebound off Wake Forest goalkeeper Kaitlyn Ruhf and tapped it into the back of the goal.After the initial goal, Wake Forest attacked North Carolina’s defense for nearly 10 minutes until freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick took the ball down the left side of the field in transition, brought the ball across her defender and took a long shot that rolled past Ruhf’s left leg.“I saw Jen (Slocum) coming, so I was going to aim for far post so she can maybe get a tip on it,” Kolojejchick said. “When it went in I was like, ‘Works for me, now we’re up so it’s even better.’”The second half was more characteristic of North Carolina’s style of play.Despite Forword’s goal in the opening minutes of the half, Wake Forest continued to fight.North Carolina spent another extended period of time on defense during which Wake Forest attempted five penalty corners, including three in a row.After North Carolina shut down the fifth penalty corner try, the team quickly pushed the ball up the field and junior midfielder/forward Elizabeth Drazdowski scored on a crisp pass from fellow junior midfielder Katelyn Falgowski.“I think our team showed a lot of resilience, and I think our team scored a lot of goals, which helped take some of the pressure off us,” Shelton said.North Carolina’s win was its third against Wake Forest this season and, coupled with Saturday’s 4-1 win against Ohio State, propels its record to 18-2 heading into next Friday’s final four matchup with No. 2 Virginia — the team that knocked UNC out of the ACC tournament.When asked if they were excited to get a chance to play Virginia again, Shelton and Forword both looked at each other with mischievous smiles, and then nodded in agreement.“Yes,” Forword said. “I cannot wait until Friday.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/13/09 5:58pm)
North Carolina’s defense returned nine starters from last season, and has started eight of them. But this defense looks nothing like last year’s.Whereas the 2008 defense gave up the second most total yardage in the ACC, this year’s defense has been fixated on one thing.Domination.“The only thing we’ve thought about going back as far as training camp is total domination,” junior safety Deunta Williams said. “We feel like we can’t be beat,” he said. “We beat ourselves. If we execute, we feel like we can contend with anyone out there.”The Tar Heels’ defense has overwhelmed opponents, leading the ACC in both rushing and passing defense.In 2008, UNC’s rush defense ranked in the middle of the league while its pass and total defense was only better than N.C. State’s. The difference from last season has been a series of factors, but when asked, most defensive players gave the same two reasons.“Experience,” defensive tackle Marvin Austin said. “Experience and basically the preparation coming into each game.” But it hasn’t just been experience. UNC has also focused on two key areas of its defense.Last season, the defense recorded 22 sacks in its 13 games. This year, UNC has 23 sacks with at least three games remaining. Led by sophomore defensive end Robert Quinn’s 10 sacks, the Tar Heels have pressured and trapped opposing quarterbacks like a tsunami.“Robert Quinn has turned into a full-grown man out there,” Williams said. “Last year as a freshman he was trying to get his bearings and stuff like that. And, he’s demanding double teams and triple teams, so it gives other guys one-on-one situations.”In 2008, the Tar Heels secondary was beat most often when they dropped more guys in coverage. Often the defense would blitz three linemen and drop eight players into coverage. With just three players pass rushing, quarterbacks had plenty of protection and time in the pocket to complete passes.“This year we have a whole different concepts for getting after the quarterback,” senior defensive end E.J. Wilson said. “We can’t just sit back there and hope he throws it up for someone in the secondary to make a play. We have to put pressure on him and get in his face.”It doesn’t show up in the stat books as clearly as sacks, but pressure can disrupt a quarterback as much as a sack, causing errant throws.UNC’s defense hasn’t blitzed more than last year, but that’s because it hasn’t been needed. The front four have been that good. The other major aspect to the Tar Heels’ success is the defense’s play on first down situations.“This year we are having negative plays and plays for no gain,” Williams said. “Last year, they would get three or four yards and that would make it a lot easier on them to call it second down. “I think on first down we are a lot tougher,” he said. “Coverage-wise we are a lot snugger and we get so much pressure from our D-line. We don’t have to drop back as much.”By forcing team into second or third-and-long situations, North Carolina has managed to allow the fewest first downs in the ACC, giving up 14.1 a game. Last year, opponents converted 20.4 first downs on average each game against UNC — the league’s second worst total. North Carolina’s defense, although similar in makeup as last year, has undergone a series of internal adjustments. Players are better physically, skills are honed and attitudes are dead serious.“To be the most physical defense, the fastest defense, and the most disciplined defense in the country,” Wilson said. “That has been our motto, that’s what we try to hang our hats on and I think that’s been working for us so far this season.”
(11/13/09 5:55pm)
After missing a 32-yard field goal against Georgia Tech earlier this season, Casey Barth was searching for answers as much as his critics were.The sophomore place-kicker had made a lackluster four of seven field goal attempts on the season, and he was already referencing advice his brother, Connor, had provided about his own slump.“He told me to visualize the kicks, you know, even when you are in the shower before you go to bed, just to make your mind see you’ve done it before,” Barth said in the week following the team’s loss to Georgia Tech.“I guess I’ve gotten away from that a little this year.”In a press conference following that loss, North Carolina coach Butch Davis put even more pressure on Barth to perform.“If it’s inside 42 yards, you’ve got to be 100 percent,” Davis said.Barth listened.He spent the following week focusing on visualizing his kicks and preparing himself mentally.In the team’s next game against Virginia, Barth was given a chance to boot one through the uprights from 39 yards away — a must-make by Davis’ standards.“I feel like a lot of people coming into it didn’t trust me at the time,” Barth said. “I had missed a field goal in every game so far.”Barth made the field goal, the only points in the 16-3 loss. It turned out to be the catalyst to the remainder of Barth’s season.“You’re talking about a kid who has attention to detail in practice and really tries to focus and put himself in situations to have success,” special teams coach Allen Mogridge said. “Through simulating those kinds of things in practice, that’s what has helped him.”In his next chance against ACC competition, Barth made two more field goals against Florida State — one from 26 yards and another from 34 yards.But Barth’s biggest kick of the season — the one he made his Facebook profile picture in the following weeks — was his game-winner against Virginia Tech.After North Carolina recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter, the offense pounded the ball downfield to set Barth up for a 21-yard potential game winner. It was a short yet significant kick.Barth drilled it.“I kicked it, and I looked up. And I knew it went in,” he said. “It was awesome.”In the Tar Heels’ latest outing against Duke, Barth accounted for 13 of the team’s 19 points. He connected on four field goals ranging from 29 to 41 yards — his longest of the season.In the four games since the loss to Georgia Tech, Barth has attempted nine field goals, all within 42 yards in distance and therefore all expected by Davis to be made.Barth has made them all. Since starting out 4-7 on field goals, Barth has raised that total to 13-16. “He’s really taken the challenge that we laid out for him and he’s accepted the challenge that he lays out for himself,” Mogridge sad. “Barth is a competitor and he wants to do the best he can every single time he goes out.”Now, when Barth and his brother talk, Connor congratulates him on his success instead of offering his once-stuggling brother advice.Casey figured it out.
(11/13/09 6:01am)
The No. 3 North Carolina field hockey team might not be familiar with Ohio State, its first-round opponent in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. But UNC is familiar with the NCAA Tournament. The team is making its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.North Carolina’s first and second round games will be played at Wake Forest — the same location of the tournament’s final four games.“Wake Forest is somewhat of a home away from home for us,” Shelton said. “We’re very familiar with their turf and their facility. We’re not trying to look past Ohio State. We can’t look forward to playing the entire tournament at Wake Forest because we have one game at Wake Forest — if we are successful then we will have another one.”The Tar Heels, who have recorded a 16-2 record this season, were slated as the No. 3 team of the 16-team bracket, behind undefeated Maryland and 18-3 Virginia. The Cavaliers and the Tar Heels split games with this season.UNC coach Karen Shelton said she understood being ranked behind Virginia because the Cavaliers won the latter of the two teams’ meetings. In the NCAA Tournament, three of the top four teams are from the ACC, adding to the notion that the ACC is the deepest and most talented field hockey conference. An ACC team has won the national championship in each of the last seven seasons.“I think the ACC is very strong, but once you get to the tournament, anything can happen,” Shelton said. “I do feel like Maryland is the heavy favorite — obviously going undefeated up to this point — but I feel like there are a bunch of teams that can win it, and we’re certainly one of them.”North Carolina could potentially meet Virginia in the semifinals and Maryland in the finals — the two teams that beat the Tar Heels this year.Maryland beat North Carolina on senior night in Chapel Hill and Virginia knocked UNC out of the ACC tournament last week.“I don’t want to look past Ohio State,” Shelton said of the possibility of rematches with Virginia and Maryland. “If that happens, I think it will be exciting, and certainly we hope that happens. But you never know in the tournament, and the important thing for us is to stay in the present.”The NCAA Tournament will mark the last hurrah for the senior class, a class that has already been a part of a national championship in 2007.The seniors have accounted for 47.3 percent of the scoring this year, 40.3 percent of the assists, two wins — including one shutout — and 29.3 percent of the saves in goal.“I love this senior class,” Shelton said. “It’s a wonderful group of personalities that have done a fantastic job leading this team. They’ve been leading by example and of course raising the level of intensity in our practices, and that’s all a coach can hope for.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/06/09 7:00pm)
North Carolina is a basketball school, and it always will be. It’s hard to argue against names like Michael Jordan, Phil Ford and James Worthy. But being part of one of the nation’s best basketball programs doesn’t make you king of the campus.So I came up with the top five list of reasons why it’s better to be a football player at UNC.5. The Tony Siragusa meal plan. Forget Lenoir meal plans. Football players get to wield the Siragusa meal plan. You get allocated a certain amount of money for meals, and you gentleman put it to good use. I know how the linemen hit up every deal beginning with “all-you-can-eat,” and I don’t blame you. If it was my job to remain 300 pounds, I’d take it very seriously too.4. Fewer losses to Duke. The North Carolina football team hasn’t lost to Duke since 2003. That’s more than four years before the basketball team’s last loss. 3. The origin of Rameses. UNC used to have a tough, powerful fullback named Jack Merritt, but fans knew him as “the battering ram.” In 1924, Vic Huggins, UNC’s head cheerleader, suggested North Carolina find a symbol as domineering as other school’s mascots and picked a ram in honor of Merritt. Not only was Rameses named after a football player, but he also still refuses to attend UNC basketball games.2. 20-17 > 68-66. Last week’s 20-17 last second win against Virginia Tech is much more meaningful than the basketball teams’ last second 68-66 basketball win in 2008. Even though Tyler Hansbrough celebrated his shot like Usain Bolt on fire, the fact that UNC’s basketball team almost lost to Virginia Tech makes last week’s football win more meaningful — actually worth doing the Hansbrough trot over. 1. Facemask fortification. The No. 1 reason why it’s better to be a UNC football player than a basketball player — your facemask protects you from unwanted Duke elbows (see Henderson, Gerald). Luckily for football players, the only Duke player’s arm small enough to fit through a facemask is Jon Scheyer’s — and he plays basketball.So there you have it — the top five reasons why being a football player at UNC is superior.And even if you disagree, just ask a basketball player. All they got was a dinky ring. Contact the Mark Thompson at markdt@email.unc.edu.
(11/06/09 6:42pm)
Defenses know that when Greg Little or Jheranie Boyd are in motion, it makes their job a lot tougher.Of all the skill sets possessed by the North Carolina wideouts, the most advantageous, especially recently, has been their running ability on reverses and end-around plays. “They demand a lot of respect when they go in motion, so defenses switch and rotate to that,” wide receiver Erik Highsmith said. But Boyd and Little demand more than respect from opposing defenses. They demand attention. The two receivers have combined for 193 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. With an average pickup of 7.72 yards per rush, defenses are forced to pay attention to UNC’s pre-snap movement.“When we go in motion, they always think we are going to get the end-around,” Boyd said.“That throws off defenses, they motion towards us, they shift towards us and that opens up the running game, so the reverses help out a lot.”Highsmith said that running a reverse, or a play action reverse, puts him in single coverage situations, which is exactly what the offense wants.And with tight end Zack Pianalto back in the lineup, UNC can stretch opposing defenses even thinner. “It helps out a ton because Pianalto is a great tight end,” Boyd said. “I think we struggled a little bit while he was out but when he came back it had an impact.”As long as North Carolina has offensive success with reverse plays, UNC will continue to run them. “That’s just another part of our offense that helps us move the football,” wide receivers coach Charlie Williams said. “All these guys enjoy running the reverses and end-arounds so it works out pretty good.”End-around plays present the Tar Heels with multiple options. Run and gain around seven yards; fake a run and throw a pass to a wide receiver; or their newest trick, fake a run and have a receiver throw down field. Against Virginia Tech, Highsmith took a handoff on what looked like a reverse, and then threw it to Little down field. The play broke down early when Highsmith bobbled the handoff, providing a Virginia Tech safety enough time to adjust to the play and cover an open Little. Still, it is one more weapon for the Tar Heels and one more play for which opponents must adjust.Reverses and end-arounds alone could help pace UNC’s aerial attack for the rest of the season.“We’re feeling real comfortable We got a little swag going through us,” Highsmith said. “We know what we can do now so we are just trying to finish the season.”
(11/06/09 6:36pm)
TV/Radio: TV coverage will be on ESPNU. Radio coverage will be provided by WCHL 1360 AM and WRDU 106.1. The Victory Bell is once again on the line as the Duke Blue Devils traveled fifteen minutes to face off against North Carolina in Kenan Stadium. With these two rivals squaring off, and both with 5-3 records, the game carries significant weight as both teams vie for bowl eligibility. On top of the ACC Coastal standings, Duke boasts the ACC’s best passing attack, averaging 325 yards a game. Thaddeus Lewis, Duke’s star quarterback, has thrown for 15 touchdowns and only four interceptions.The senior signal-caller, along with his two favorite receivers, Donovan Varner and Connor Vernon, have torn apart opposing secondaries, especially zone defensive schemes.In the past three games for Duke, all wins, Varner and Vernon have averaged a combined 226 yards and one touchdown per game. For North Carolina to stop Duke’s offense, its going to start with containing Lewis and his two favorite targets. North Carolina’s offensive issues seem to have been fixed in the past few weeks. Shaun Draughn and the rushing attack is fully charged, and T.J. Yates and the offensive line have been able to drive the ball down the field through the air as well. Duke’s defense statistically lies in the middle of the conference. Against it, North Carolina’s offense will once again try to run the ball in hopes that it will lead to great play-action opportunities. North Carolina’s defense is best in the ACC with the league’s third-best pass defense and the best rush defense.But Duke won’t be to concerned with running the ball.It’s going to take UNC’s entire defensive unit to slow Duke down. The defensive line must put pressure on the quarterback. The linebackers must blitz when needed and cover when not. The secondary will have to close off the holes in the zone that both Christian Ponder and Tyrod Taylor found. When UNC faced the former top passing offense in the ACC, Florida State, it took UNC cornerback Charles Brown’s stumble to start breaking down the secondary. UNC had handled FSU’s passing attack well until then, and it doesn’t plan on tripping up again.
(11/06/09 5:15am)
With the clock dwindling, North Carolina junior guard Cetera DeGraffenreid waited behind half-court for the opposing double team — then she split it like string cheese en route to a layup.The remainder of No. 5 UNC’s 105-64 exhibition win against Francis Marion played out in similar fashion.“The tempo was good,” coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “I saw some good things that we did, but again, this is going to be a fun thing to coach and we’re just going to keep getting better.”In the first minutes of play, neither team established an edge. Both teams turned the ball over, but after eight minutes of play, UNC was up 21-14.Then the Tar Heels exploded.UNC went on a 23-0 run for a 44-14 lead with just fewer than six minutes left in the half.“I think we just settled in a little bit and sort of saw what they were doing and what was open,” Hatchell said. “We started being more aggressive.”In the first half North Carolina was paced by freshman guard Tierra Ruffin-Pratt.“I think you can see why (Ruffin-Pratt) was picked preseason Rookie of the Year in the ACC,” Hatchell said. “And I actually held her out a lot the second half, because she only played 18 minutes.”North Carolina ended the first half with a 54-21 lead. UNC forced a total of 34 turnovers in the game.The second half commenced in a similar fashion. Five UNC players finished in double digits. UNC built and carried its lead throughout the game with consistent scoring and suffocating defensive traps.“We try to get after people, and we try to take people out of their comfort zone and create havoc,” Hatchell said. “We gamble, but I like the intensity level.”Hatchell attributed much of UNC’s success to the Tar Heels’ height advantage. North Carolina out-rebounded the Patriots 68-41, pulling down 27 offensive rebounds.“They just kept coming after us and after us,” Hatchell said. “The only thing they don’t have is as much size as we have, and I think that was a big difference.”DeGraffenreid and Ruffin-Pratt led North Carolina throughout the game. Ruffin-Pratt scored 18 points accompanied with seven rebounds and three assists, and DeGraffenreid tallied 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.Against Francis Marion, UNC played five freshmen, who combined for 36 of the team’s 105 points.“We clearly scored 105 points with five freshmen being in and out of there, so they did well tonight,” DeGraffenreid said.The game was littered with fast-break layups by both teams. A North Carolina basket often became a transition opportunity for Francis Marion.Regardless of the defensive miscues, Hatchell was happy the team got a chance to run their up-tempo style.“Oh yeah, I love that,” Hatchell said. “I knew there was going to be a lot of possessions in this game. They’re going to beat a lot of teams they play like we beat them tonight. I mean, they scored 64 points on us. That’s pretty good, really. That’s a lot more than a lot of teams score on us.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/26/09 4:38am)
After answering questions about No. 2 North Carolina’s first loss of the season, freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick forced a smile and then turned when she heard her name called. She made her way over to the multitude of parents and received a massive hug.“It’s hard for her to take her first loss at Carolina. I know she didn’t like it at all, and that’s a competitor for you,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said.Against No. 1 Maryland, Kolojejchick was a ubiquitous playmaker, intercepting passes on defense and pushing the ball downfield on offense.It was a mixture of her speed and instincts that allowed Kolojejchick to make so many plays for the Tar Heels, the same traits that landed her a spot on the team’s penalty corner defense as well. “I think Kelsey played fantastic, and she played with a lot of heart and emotion,” Shelton said. “I think she — in the first half especially — totally dominated her opposition, and she just made things happen.”North Carolina controlled the ball for much of the first half, making crisp passes all over the field and keeping Maryland on their heels.And just when Maryland was beginning to turn the tide in its favor, it seemed like Kolojejchick was there to spoil it and steal the ball.“I really wanted to win, and I was going to do whatever it takes,” Kolojejchick said.Maryland did eventually get its game going. The Terrapins put two points on the scoreboard before halftime and added two more in the second half.North Carolina had become visibly frustrated by that point, but that didn’t slow down the effort from Kolojejchick. The team’s effort led to a goal in the last minute of play to avoid being shut out.“You know, (Shelton) was proud of us that we didn’t give up at all,” Kolojejchick said. “We saw how well they can play, and they didn’t see our full potential yet because we didn’t score. So we just have to fix a few mistakes, and then I think we are going to give them a better game in the finals.”Even as a freshman, Kolojejchick has established herself as a major threat to opponents. Her 13 goals this season are the second-most on the team.With one game left on the schedule against rival Old Dominion, the Tar Heels are already looking forward to a potential rematch with Maryland in the finals of the ACC Tournament.“They’re going to have the top seed, but I like being an underdog,” Kolojejchick said. “They always have something to look out for, so now we have to come back for them next time.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/26/09 4:35am)
The No. 2 North Carolina field hockey team had only allowed four goals this season — but that was before they had played No. 1 Maryland.In their Saturday matchup against the Terrapins, the Tar Heels doubled that number in a decisive 4-1 loss at home. The team had only given up one goal at Henry Stadium before the game.“We didn’t play as well as we needed to play defensively, and it has been a strength of ours all season,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said. “But I also feel like Maryland gave us an awful lot to handle.”At the start of the game it was clear that both teams were ready for the challenge and national title implications.North Carolina (15-1) came out in a fury, dominating much of the first half of play and hardly letting Maryland sniff its side of the field, though UNC did not score.“It’s just unlucky because we did come out here really strong,” freshman midfielder Kelsey Kolojejchick said. “I mean, we dominated the first 20 minutes, and you need to score. When you have your defense working really hard, you just need to score on your corner opportunities.”Maryland (17-0) survived the flood of UNC attackers to push the ball down the field and force a penalty corner of its own.The pass came into the scoring circle, and Maryland senior back Emma Thomas hit a shot that bounced by North Carolina goalie Jackie Kintzer for the game’s first score.The Tar Heels found themselves behind for just the second time all season, and the first since the season opener against Michigan on Aug. 29. One minute after Maryland’s first goal, Terrapins senior Nicole Muracco scored after Katie O’Donnell intercepted a pass in front of UNC’s goal.“When you get your first corner, and you score on it after the other team has had some opportunities, that’s a huge momentum swing, and Maryland was able to seize it and then expand from there,” Shelton said.At halftime, UNC found itself down by two, a hill the team had yet to scale this season.Maryland started the second half with the ball, but neither team controlled the tempo in the early minutes. It was at a stalemate until Muracco scored a goal that summarized the game for UNC.The senior forward was at the right post of UNC’s goal with the ball driving left. She planted her right foot and flung the ball behind her at Kintzer. Kintzer had position to close the gap, but the ball found a sliver of space between Kintzer and the post for Maryland’s third goal.“I think we did really well, it was just unlucky,” Kolojejchick said. “We’ll be back for them next time.”Maryland scored once more in the fourth quarter to push its lead to 4-0 on a shot by O’Donnell.The Tar Heels continued to fight for a goal in the closing minutes, drawing four penalty corners in the final three minutes of play. “I think our kids didn’t stop playing, and I like that,” Shelton said. “I thought they fought hard the entire game.”With 43 seconds left in the game, UNC junior forward Jen Slocum scored the team’s only goal on a rebound from a blocked shot.Seemingly, the goal only prevented the Tar Heels from being on the other side of a shutout for once this season, but its value stretched beyond the numbers.“It felt good,” Kolojejchick said. “I think it showed to everybody that we’re never going to give up in any kind of game situation.”North Carolina will remain the No. 2 seed for the upcoming ACC tournament, which begins Nov. 5.UNC said Maryland had revealed a lot of its weaknesses Saturday, which they intend to fix for when they hope to meet Maryland again in either the ACC Championship or possibly the NCAA Tournament.“I think they understand the big picture,” Shelton said. “This one is not the one that’s really that important. There are some things at stake, yes. It’s the most important game of the season, because it’s today, but in the big picture, it’s not going to make a whole lot of difference.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/23/09 5:01pm)
History repeats itself.There, I said it. I know it’s cliché, but doesn’t the fact that the phrase is abused more than Cubs fans enhance its credibility? It’s just true.For example, in 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg and plunged to the depths of the ocean after being declared “unsinkable.” Four years later, her sister-ship, the Britannic, with a multitude of improved safety features, hit a German mine and sank as well.And if that’s not enough to convince you, take a look at Butch Davis’ third season at UNC. The Tar Heels are now 4-2, but the team’s best win was against unranked East Carolina (4-3). When Davis coached at the University of Miami, he got off to a great start. In two seasons, he had gone a combined 17-6 while nursing the school’s program back to health from the NCAA rules violations it had accumulated before Davis was there.But in 1997, his third season, the Hurricanes went 5-6. It was their worst season since 1979. And here’s the kicker. Are you ready? One of the chief components to that season was a lack of depth — offensive line included. Sound familiar?I know UNC hasn’t gone 17-6 over the past two seasons, but it would be a lie to say that Davis hasn’t brought a renewed atmosphere to UNC football compared to three years ago.Now, there are two ways to look at this phenomenon.The first option is to throw in the towel and expect the past to run its course once again. You could start looking at basketball recruiting instead of football while bored at work or in class. And you could go ahead and blurt out the phrase that’s repeated almost as much as the alma mater: “I can’t wait ‘til basketball season.”But if this is you, then I also have good news for you. In the three following years that Davis coached at Miami, he never had a team that won fewer than nine games in a season. In his sixth year, the Hurricanes finished 11-1 and were ranked No. 2 in the country. So if history is repeating itself, maybe it won’t be that bad in the long run.The second option is much simpler. If you don’t believe a word of what I’ve said, then there is just one thing left to do — leave.Leave the stadium or wherever you are immediately and go find a tree. Make a fist and knock on that wooden trunk like it was the door to heaven.Because even if you believe UNC will have a really productive remainder to the season, you can’t help but wonder if history is repeating itself.And just in case it is, you don’t want to be the one who sat there and let it happen, when you could have just knocked on wood.Contact the Mark Thompson at markdt@email.unc.edu.
(10/23/09 4:57pm)
North Carolina’s defensive makeup is full of fast, quick, powerful players — and they aren’t afraid to say it.“We’re looking for very explosive guys — guys with great quickness and power,” defensive coordinator Everett Withers said.There may be no better incarnation of that speed and power than sophomore linebacker Zach Brown. Brown ran a 4.28 40-yard dash earlier this year, impressive for a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame. But Brown isn’t the only player on the defense with remarkable athleticism and speed for his position. Linebacker Quan Sturdivant has clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash, and defensive end Robert Quinn ran a 4.51, which broke Julius Peppers’ record for a D-lineman.“On the defensive line, speed is good because when you get off and you want to pass rush, you want to beat the offensive lineman to a point,” senior defensive end E.J. Wilson said.“Offensive lineman are taught to take two steps back so they can set to block you, but if you can get into that comfort zone before those two steps then that will be important.”Speed can enhance any player because it allows him to flow to the point of attack on the field faster.But even with a plethora of fast defensive players, Withers knows that having speed is only as good as the mind that controls it.“It doesn’t matter physically if they can’t do it mentally,” he said. “With having great speed and great quickness, you have to have the ability to learn and do the things that you can do to play the defense that you are in.”Withers referred to the Georgia Tech game as an example of the team’s mental breakdown. The Tar Heels gave up 317 rushing yards against Georgia Tech, a stat that wouldn’t have been affected by an ounce more of speed.“That’s the equalizer in big ball games,” Withers said. “It doesn’t usually come down to speed and quickness. It comes down to fundamentals and technique.”But UNC’s technique hasn’t been too bad. Their attention to detail is one of the reasons they have the ACC’s top-ranked defense.“Technique will help you out a lot,” cornerback Kendric Burney said. “It will make up for a lot of speed.”Whether the players have top-end speed or not, many of them have game speed.It may be how fast they can get to the ball or how fast they can turn and change directions. Those kinds of instincts are often products of game knowledge, Withers said.“If we’re playing fast, and we’re playing fast at 11 positions, it means we know what to do,” he said.