Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Woods lookin By DOUG AUBE Staff Writer El Their first full recruiting season at USC completed, ba Gamecock head football coach Sparky Woods and his ot staff are gearing up for spring practice. C< The drills began yesterday and will continue on Thursday before the team takes off for spring break. pi C A m O Ap fka lr/\i i /\k?Artl?ifrtn \I / /\ rv J n J ~ X uv/iiix/ ui Ultz KtJ UUJt^lIVtS HJ1 VV UUU5 UUIIIlg spring drills include finding senior leadership, deve- gri loping depth and filling the holes left by graduation. las Woods said he will be looking for some seniors to step up to the leadership roles. we One player that Woods feels is ready for that role is otl senior defensive tackle Kurt Wilson, who missed last is season because of an ankle injury. "Kurt is excited about coming back and playing. He qu seems to have some leadership qualities. I respect him ab a great deal," Woods said. "He's a hard worker, and en he seems to be real team-oriented." Woods said he also wants to develop some depth at cai every position, but that key concerns are at quarter- pe back, running back and outside linebacker. sei Continued from page 8 jH|jL \ H nia Tech. ;|'' Sykes has also been Mr. Clutch | at the free throw line for USC as K ^B he has connected on 31 of 35 free B B ^B throws in the final five minutes of m ^B games. IVjf JM He has laid claim to being the most improved player in the Metro Conference by scoring in double figures in 14 of 16 tilts. Sykes attributes the turn-around to his work ethic. "I've never gotten down. I try to keep a positive attitude about everything," Sykes said. "I knew if I kept on working hard then my chance would come. Everything is always open, and it isn't over till it's over." Sykes has risen to prime-time status by fast-breaking his way to 14 dunks, and as he says, "I can run all day if I have to." He has 13 double-figure scoring games, three 20-point games, one 30-point game and has led USC in scoring three times in only seven starts. Sykes also has two doublefigure rebounding games and two double-doubles. He is 8-of-9 in one-and-one Ji front ends and leads USC at the jf line with a 78.9 percentage. "The guys get in the spotlight because they earned it, and I thought to myself when my time came I'd be ready," Sykes said. B When asked about the apprehen- ^ sion of playing his final home game, Sykes said he was nervous and that after the game he felt both happy and sad. "Before the game, my whole body was filled with butterflies. t That's the first time I felt like that," Sykes said. "I felt so great, but I felt kind of sad because it was my last game. I felt great because my mom was here and I was MMSBiBBSH on a high. It was a good feeling." I As the final act of the script B i - n , ^BmBSBBBI winus uown, syrces nas one more ' fl verse to recite. "I'd just like to tell people fl thanks for being behind me 100 9 percent," Sykes said. "Everybody I out there that has been pulling for m me. I just can't thank them enough S ? the team and the crowd. I H wouldn't want to go out any other 9 1 in Every 300 College Co-Eds has AIDS Think^About It! latex^condoms (a discrete mail order) PLEASE Rush \/fp. ? TROJANS ORIGINAL BRAND ? TROJANS-ENZ . WM ? TROJANS-ENZ LUBRICATED ? TROJANS-ENZ WITH PiplflB SPERMICIDAL LUBRICANT qty price/doz total ' |fl| SS'TQ ^ V ga. add 6% tax: Jj| _ TOTAL DUE: pX/ NAME 1 ADDRESS: if; 1 5 ^ > ' CITY: j|F ' STATE: ZIP ffc ' * SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: T.C. DISTRIBUTION P.O. BOX 49244, ATLANTA, GEORGIA 3G359 - 1244 TC-99 g forward t< "Obvious seniors (that USC must replace) are Tod lis at quarterback and Harold Green at runnin ick," Woods said. "We also lost four players at th itside linebacker position in David Taylor, Mik 3nway, Scott Windsor and Pat Turner." One of the major concerns for Woods will be rc acing Ellis. Competing for the quarterback position will be ; Dup of nine players, six of whom were red-shirtei ;t season. "We have got a lot of quarterbacks, and hopefull; 5 will get the opportunity to move some of those (t< ler positions)," Woods said. "We want to see wh< going to step forward at quarterback." It is too early to say who the front runners are a arterback, according to Woods, but he hopes to b< le to have both a clear-cut starter and backup by th< d of spring drills. p i ocniui l/i^kic ivciviasi appears 10 oe tne leading ndidate going in to spring practice based on his ex rience. DeMasi started USC's final three games las ison after Ellis was injured. * PI , s * % % < % ** N * % ' % \v. % ' . Ml tsBBB&m >^^HH^I ^jjjH sl!l* JfiflfSl Br iljjjHBfl ?B * STORE HOUI CHARGE IT: Parisian Interest ? his second ; d Two quarterbacks hailing from the state of Gee g figure to provide the biggest challenges to DeMasi e Red-shirt sophomore Wright Mitchell from Atl e probably possesses the strongest arm on the team. Sophomore Ben Hogan from Valdosta appeare quarterback in several games last season and formed well. a Transfer Bobby Fuller, a junior from Appalac i State, should provide the Gamecocks with experiei Fuller played for Woods at Appalachian State y started his freshman season. 3 Woods said he would be looking for partic 3 qualities from the quarterback candidates that wi earn a player the starting nod. tmr. i J ft i 1 we wouia nice 10 nave a guy mat represents g 5 leadership qualities, a guy that is intelligent and 'I 2 will make good decisions on the field," Woods s backs with game experience. 7 Senior Gerald Williams is back at USC after imj - ving his academic standing and should see consi< t able playing time. Players who have experience at the linebacker p ::::::::: :' ^ M|S| .fj1 ^ ~ -i IS: Richland Fashion Mall oppn Sun. 1:30-6, Mon.-Sat. 10-9. Free Option Credit Card, MasterCard, Visa, or the American season at USC >rgia tion include senior Patrick Hinton, junior Joe Reaves and sophomore Leroy Jeter, anta The Gamecocks will return 12 starters and both of their kicking specialists, d at One of the strongest areas for the Gamecocks apper pears to be at wide receiver, where Woods will have eleven players to choose from including four players hian with playing experience. ice. Seniors Carl Piatt and George Rush join juniors Edand die Miller and Robert Brooks as "top-flight" receivers with previous playing time. u'ar Top newcomers include wide receivers Mario ou'^ Henry and Jerry Inman and defensive linemen Keith Amos and Jahmal Pettiford. jeat Woods expects his second spring practice to go a wf10 lot smoother than the first. ;a'd- "Last year we didn't know who our players were ? WP. had tfl nut thpir n'jmAc r\n tiDlmntr " - j/wt nivo Aiutttvo vyii mvii iii/iuii/13, T* UUU3 DT0' said. der" With the introduction process behind them, Woods and his staff are looking forward to an enjoyable osi- spring and a more profitable fall. iWR jVMI Hostless yearnings to winter dotes for something lighter, easier, and much more fun. Our prescription: party pants from Misty Lane. 8am style* with a roomy fit mid handed legs. Of pure cotton in red, blue, and other bright solids, dots, and stripes. Siases 341.06.00 to 99,00. k In Juniors; m k I . *'%< J s ^ > V % % s \ < I .> \ \\ ^ / . 'y<? ' s * s"" s\\ iv?*" 'v ,<S > IhhhI Bfeitrf Fashion Moll >x> sv*< \ \%N - .% 'A . . ? jS .... > X' ^ Mg&v. | mm> w Express Card.?