THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601050207
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Currituck County High School's boys athletic program has been best known for its baseball team the last few years. But things may be changing.
The Knights have a basketball team that's just waiting to become known.
Currituck opened the season with a loss to Cape Hatteras, leaving many to wonder if it was going to be another long year. Since that opening loss, the Knights have put together a nine-game winning streak which included a 74-46 blowout over Camden County this week.
A strong inside game and more talented players have been the keys to success so far this season. Both devices were used in the win over Camden.
The Knights used their height advantage early. A Camden layup put the Bruins up 8-7 with 2:54 to play in the first quarter. But the Knights went to the inside game and produced a 16-0 run that lasted into the second quarter. Almost all of the points were on layups and drives, and free throws resulting from Camden fouls on the inside.
Camden could not find the bucket for nearly five minutes, and the Bruins went 1-for-10 from the foul line in the first half.
Camden finally broke the drought when Keenon Walker banked in a bucket with 5:41 to play in the first half. The Knights answered with another four points on a 3-pointer and free throw by Ken Simmons to take a commanding 27-10 lead.
After a bucket by Camden's Lavar Bryant to start the second half, Currituck went on an 11-0 run to go up 50-22 with 4:36 to play in the third quarter.
Simmons, a junior point guard who has seen his share of losing over the past three seasons, said the team's depth has contributed to its winning ways.
``We have depth this year, and we're playing more as a team,'' he said. ``With all that depth we can run a lot more than last year. If someone gets tired, we can bring in someone else.''
A key example in the Camden game was James Weltin, who scored 12 points off the bench for the Knights.
Whether Currituck can compete against the big dogs in the Northeastern Conference - Plymouth, Manteo, Southeast Halifax - is yet to be seen. But the Knights have already accomplished something they hadn't done in a few years: They beat their non-conference opponents. Simmons hopes that winning in the non-conference season translates to wins during the conference schedule.
``They (conference opponents) haven't given us a lot of respect in the past,'' he said. ``We should size up good with Halifax, Plymouth, and Manteo, and we have quickness.'' by CNB