THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 31, 1995 TAG: 9512280161
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BARCO LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Things are looking up for the boys basketball program at Currituck County High School.
After a disastrous 1994-95 campaign in which the Knights won just three games, the 1995-96 version doubled that win total through the team's first seven games.
Going into a Christmas tournament last week, the Knights were riding a six-game winning streak. After losing the season opener to Cape Hatteras, Currituck has come back to beat Hatteras, knock off Camden County and down both Gates County and Perquimans County twice. These are all smaller schools, but just last year they were beating Currituck.
``We have lost to all these schools or split with them in the past,'' said fifth-year head coach Reuben Godfrey. ``They have had the advantage. We have better players this year. Our success has been that we have both an inside and outside game.''
Anchoring the Knights' starting five is point guard Ken Simmons. Simmons, a junior and the only returning starter, is averaging 16 points and seven assists per game. Others in the starting lineup include Jimmy Wright, a junior center; Clayton Mercer, a sophomore forward; Brian Willoughby, a junior small forward; and senior guard Justin Hill.
Also expected to see playing time are junior center James Batson, who has already been splitting time with Wright at center, sophomore guard Dayreum Robertson, junior forward James Weltin and sophomore guard Jesse Jones.
The Knights have not reached the 2A playoffs since joining the Northeastern Conference in 1993. One of Godfrey's goals is to get the Knights to one of the Northeastern Conference's three playoff spots.
``We feel like we have the players to compete with the top three teams in the conference,'' Godfrey said. ``We're setting goals week by week. Hopefully by the end of the season we will make the playoffs and be a contender for the conference championship.''
Godfrey said Southeast Halifax, last year's conference champ, is still the team to beat.
The Knights' weapons are better mixed this year than in the past few seasons. Godfrey will have the option of going inside or outside with his current lineup.
``We've always been the smallest team to step out on the court. We either had an outside game with an inside game or the other way around,'' Godfrey said. ``This time around, we have players who can play both inside and outside. The key to success is to have talent. We've had athletes in the past but not necessarily basketball athletes.'' by CNB