
DATE: Friday, April 25, 1997                TAG: 9704240138

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 18   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   72 lines

KEMPSVILLE'S FORD NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

KEMPSVILLE FORWARD McKinley Ford was selected by the coaches as the Beach District boys basketball player of the year.

The coaches also selected as coaches of the year Mike Head of Ocean Lakes and Gary Cason of Princess Anne.

Joining Ford on the first team are teammate Brian Bersticker, Malachi Hernandez of Bayside, C.J. Matthews of Ocean Lakes, Jamie Irvine of Cox, and Terrell Taylor of Tallwood.

Ford, a senior forward member of the All-Tidewater first team, averaged 15.6 points a game and scored 870 points in his three-year career, while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor. He averaged 5.7 rebounds a game and two assists in leading the Chiefs to the Eastern Region tournament.

Bersticker, a senior center who has signed with the University of North Carolina, averaged 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. But it was his tall presence in the paint that opponents remember most, as he averaged 5.7 blocked shots an outing.

Irvine, a junior guard, was also an All-Tidewater first-teamer and led his team with 311 points in 21 games. He had highs of 20, 25 and 35 points and scored in double figures in 17 games. He shot 50.55 percent from inside the 3-point arch and 34.34 percent from behind it. He also averaged 4.42 rebounds.

Taylor, a sophomore center, made the All-Tidewater second team and was the epitome of the big man in the lane, dominating opponents for double figures in 16 of 19 games. He averaged 19.9 points a game and had highs of 35, 28, 27, 25, 24 and 23 points.

Matthews, a senior center/forward, was also his team's leading scorer - averaging 15 points a game. He scored 25 points twice this season.

Hernandez, a senior forward, was yet another team leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points. He averaged 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Second team members are Princess Anne sophomore forward Daryl Towe, Salem senior guard Jamie Pindexter, Salem senior forward/center Devon Horton, Kempsville senior forward Bernard Staples and Ocean Lakes junior guard Lorenzo Gales.

Third team members are Salem junior forward Kenney Knightnor, First Colonial junior guard Ricky Butts, Bayside senior guard Charles Holloway, Ocean Lakes senior forward Nehemiah Olds and Cox senior guard Carl Lentz.

Knightnor was also voted as the defensive player of the year.

On the honorable mention squad are Sherron Goffigan (Bayside), Zech Boyd (Tallwood), Josh Withers (First Colonial), Aaron McCoy (Kellam), Lamar King (First Colonial), Charles Swift (Tallwood), David Tucker (Bayside), Ryan Nicodemus (Princess Anne), Tariq Joseph (Kellam), Steve Loder (Kempsville), Marcus Cornick (Princess Anne), James Oaks (Green Run), Marcus Warren (Green Run), Von Hunter (Salem), Jason Dubois (Cox), Rayshawn Mitchell (Kempsville) and Latane Meade (Cox). ILLUSTRATION: Photos

McKinley Ford, Kempsville

Player of the year

Brian Bersticker

Kempsville

Malachi Hernandez

Bayside

C.J. Matthews

Ocean Lakes

Jamie Irvine

Cox

Terrell Taylor

Tallwood