Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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South By CHUCK WRIGHT "The coach is the coach... and I chose to come here. I wouldn't want to cause any problems on the team just because I didn't get to play. That sounds like a quote straight out of a coach's dream. Instead, it came from Lady Gamecock basketball recruit Brantley Southers, and could well be a dream-come-true for Coach Pam Parsons. Certainly if the other new Ladv Gamecocks share the hign school All-American's atft momi A/ UiUU^, AAICtlAJ U1 * a&ouu o nightmares would be layed to rest. That kind of feeling would be just what the doctor ordered for a program that was whittled down to only eight healthy bodies and fewer healthy spirits by the end of last season. Southers, who starred at Columbia's Dreher High School, offers Carolina more than just well established basketball skills. She is confident, yet unselfish. Those are the incredients needed by a program that generated more bad news than good last year. "I think a lack of respect (for the coach) caused a lot of the problems last year," Southers said Monday during one of her spare moments as counselor at Parson's basketball camp. "I know the coach has her T-SH Custom Printing for Transfers and Letts special Carolina Des 2767 Rosewood Dr. Phone 254-9380 5 Mln. frc IM THIS WEEK wed., July 29 tr ISmall Shri Served with french frie Reg. $3.30 Large Shri Served with french frie Dnm AP i ! FREE ice Tea wit i B| Phone ahead for qi ! 1725 Broad River Rd. 1 208 Knox Abbott Or, Ca ! ! 3200 Two Notch Rd. ers' At own ideas of what she wants, and we should go along with it." ANY TEAM IN ANY sport would benefit by more of that attitude. For the Lady Gamecocks this season, it r?nnlr1 ho fhc HiffflrAnpp between moving back into the nation's elite and falling back into the crowded "few seasons away" group. Realistically, if the Lady Gamecocks have another year in any way resembling last season, there will be more than just players packing their bags. Of course, Souther's positive outlook has not completely been tested. She has only played basketball for a little over four years. She was a four-year starter at Dreher, never really having a chance to become familiar with the bench. Can Southers keep her outlook in the event Parsons decides to play someone ahead of her? "I can't say it wouldn't affect me...but if that happens I'll just have to suck it up. I don't think it would bother me that much.'' SITUATIONS LIKE THAT have bothered Carolina players during recent years, however, and in i irii ici i a 11 \r 1 arflo nacoc Aft* UIIU0UI4IIJ 1M* VMUVU. There was bad blood on the team, and it was no secret. News of players quitting became ordinary and routine. Team members ikimm IRTS Clubs & Fraternities rlno ^ sians C. ? im Campus - imyuiniier > s, cole slaw, hush puppies prl NOW $2.89 imp Dinner I s, cole slaw, hush puppies ] NOW $3.29H K.UU 1 irr" Ir> Ill titude, complained openly to the press, and fought with each other during pick-up games at the P.E. Center. Rumors concerning major shake-ups in the coaching staff cir c uia tea. The rumors were probably not totally nded. The job of lur*. ? ^ talent to Carolina for the coming season would evidently not be easy. But ^arson's got Southers ana lammond's Marsi McAlister to top off a successful recruiting season. "A lot of this stuff was going on when I was trying to make a decision," Southers said. "1 had narrowed mv choice down to Clemson, Tennessee and Carolina. I was still real undecided when Coach Parsons and I had a talk and I decided to come here. And I think everything's going to be alright." Southers admits, however, that Carolina did have a natural advantage over the two other schools. "I like to feel real secure," she said. "I've grown up here and came here to camp for three years. I just decided that I'd like to stay at home." SOUTHERS DENIES that I Hedr j 718 Saluda Ave. Julv! I Reductions on knit tennis shorts, slack groups in stock. StBHWaBmiw5sg ! su, fi Chill I-! with Mustard anc I 51 i """"SSS gy i in nm ! _ j ^s& g Served with rich mi 5 w/ maple syrup t I I cream and a cherry S**?"***"**"3SS I w* _ Bar Pork Sa !| Served with slaw ai bun, wltt Skill Sh she and McAlister made a joint decision to come to PntvAltMn K?tf AI*'* vatv/iuia, uui 911c IS IIUl surprised that it turned out that way. "I guess we both kind of felt and knew that we were both going to come here. She came to camp here, too, and we both just stood in awe of Coach Parsons and the team." Southers and McAlister had a chance to play together in early July against many of the best college freshmen in the nation during the national n l Kepiacei From Page 8 Martino says she is looking for someone with a good working knowledge of both volleyball and softball. She will examine prospects who can relate to the players, possess class and maintain a similar philosophy as Martino: a disciplined and demanding coach. She mentioned that although the volleyball icauia uii uic caoi uuasi die inferior to west coast clubs because the girls start playing at an earlier age, the Ick's 799-3361 sale shirts, swimwears, ;s and other select SET""""! Coupon expires! 8-2-81 | ! at 10 p.m. 5 per : Dog ! 1 Homemade Chili 19 s b5L~ ~J Coupon expires || 8-2-81 |! :olate dl,upm' H undae I Ik chocolate, walnuts S opped w/ whipped I 79C | Coupon expires J 8-2-81 at 10 p.m. B-0 S ndwich id pickles on warm i cnunon ^ i:j ould Aic AAU basketball tournament. Playing for the Central Carolina All-Stars, the soon- , to-be Lady-Gamecocks were principal characters in leading the team to a secondplace finish in the Kansas City tourney. "It will help a lot," Southers said of the experience gained from the tournament. "A whole bunch of girls that we played against will be going to schools that we (USC) will play. It kind of showed us what the competition will nenf To Be Softball squads in this part of the country are better. The USC worn ens' softball team is number one on the east coast and 11th or 12th in the country, according to the former coach. There have been many telephone calls from all across the country, some of them in tears over Martino's departure. "I feel like I'm leaving. a lot of good friends," Martino said. "But I'm going to be back here for the Carolina Classic vuucjruau luuiuaiiiciii in uic PtJNDBj I1ISC have. "I think the South has about the best basketball, but we don't get the * recognition for it," she * added. FOR SOUTHERS, pernnnnll., nnn auiuiiij, uic ai c also real good. "She's got what it takes to be the best if she continues to develop," Dixie Duncan, the Central coach, said. "After all, she's come a long way in only four years. And she plans to go further." Named fall when North Carolina plays down here." For the future of the womens softball team practically set to go to the regionals, the volleyball team should also be good, or at least better. "I'm confident and I think they are," Judy Martino says of the volleyball team she will leave behind which she rebuilt her first year as head coach. "As long as they can keep that going then they'll always have good teams here." r?? RESTRURflnT t (3 and SfiLOOn yjQM1a| mhhhmhmmmi