Gillen, Virginia feeling
increased sense of urgency
By ANDREW JOYNER
Daily Progress staff writer
Virginia coach Pete Gillen said his team was at a “crossroads” Wednesday
night after a 85-68 loss at N.C. State, its fourth straight.
It’s not the first time this season that Gillen or members of his team used
that same expression to explain their situation.
After ACC season-opening losses to N.C. State and Clemson, today’s opponent at
University Hall, the crossroads metaphor was used and Virginia subsequently won
five straight. A loss at No. 1 Duke ended that winning stretch and began this
losing one.
One wonders how many times a team can in fact reach a crossroads in the same
season. The answer to that likely will be discovered today.
“This is magnified now because there are not that many games left,” said
junior guard Roger Mason Jr. “We can’t get these games back now.”
If the Cavaliers (14-6, 4-5 ACC) can choose the correct path again and put
together a similar winning streak as the first time, then they likely save their
season this time and secure an NCAA tournament bid. If not, well, the Virginia
players don’t want to think about those possibilities.
When asked about the importance of these home games with Clemson today and North
Carolina on Tuesday, Mason simply let out a slow sustained whistle.
“Man, these might be the two biggest games of my career because we have to
turn this thing around right now,” Mason said. “There is a sense of urgency
and that makes these games monumental.”
Any NCAA scenario for Virginia, barring winning the ACC tournament of course,
assuredly includes wins over Clemson today and against North Carolina. A loss in
either game and reaching the NCAA’s becomes a Sisyphus-like task for the
Cavaliers.
“People will say we should win these games because of the rankings or
whatever. I think we should just come out and play and don’t worry about what
other people say,” said senior forward Chris Williams.
After that first fork in the road for the Cavaliers, Gillen made a change as he
inserted freshman Keith Jenifer in the starting lineup in place of senior
swingman Adam Hall and the Cavaliers then reeled off those five wins. It’s
possible Gillen will opt to make similar changes today. For example, he chose to
start freshmen Jason Clark and Jermaine Harper instead of Williams and J.C.
Mathis to begin the second half of Wednesday night’s game at N.C. State.
In some ways, Clemson would appear to be the perfect tonic for the Cavaliers.
The Tigers (11-11, 2-7 ACC) have not won an ACC game since their 68-52 win over
Virginia at Littlejohn Coliseum on Jan. 8. They have lost seven straight games
and are coming off a 74-50 loss against Georgia Tech on Wednesday night.
Virginia signees highly touted
By JERRY RATCLIFFE
Daily Progress sports editor
Forgive Virginia football coach Al Groh if he’s still basking in the success
of landing one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.
At least five major recruiting services ranked the Cavaliers’ crop among the
Top 10 in the nation, including Tom Lemming, considered one of the most
respected recruiting analysts in the country. Lemming ranked UVa’s class as
the fifth-best in the nation (his Top 10 list was unavailable in the
accompanying chart) A sixth service, Rivals, had UVa ranked 12th.
Not too bad for a school coming off a 5-7 season. Virginia finished ahead of
powerhouse Florida State in two of those five rankings. The Cavs and Seminoles
were the only ACC schools judged to have collected a Top 10 class.
A major part of that success was landing some of the finest talent in the state
during a year when the Commonwealth boasted an uncommonly high amount of quality
prospects. That meant Groh and his staff had to go head-to-head against state
rival Virginia Tech.
In the end, UVa clearly won the in-state recruiting battle. Groh said that his
staff was going after talent regardless of who it had to beat.
“We went where we thought we had to be and if that’s everyplace, then
that’s everyplace,” said Groh. “Whether somebody else goes to those places
or not, that’s fine. We didn’t set out in this process to win any of those
ego battles. We had a clear picture of the standard to which we needed to
recruit in order to put our team together the way we wanted it to be.
“There were particular players that rose to the top of that chart in our
evaluation, so we went after those players regardless of who the competition
was. If the competition had been the New England Patriots, we would have gone
against the Patriots for the players. If the competition was Butler Junior
College and we had the player rated at a certain level, then we would have gone
after the player.
“That’s one of the things that sticks with me from the [NFL] draft
process,” said Groh, the former head coach of the New York Jets. “The Jets
didn’t draft in order to out-draft the Giants but to best put our team
together the way we thought it needed to be put together.
“Marcus Hamilton is a great corner and so we went after him because he’s the
kind of corner that we needed. These two linebackers [Ahmad Brooks and Kai
Parham] are the kind that we needed. Whoever else they attracted in terms of
competition, we were going to up against those guys.
“There are certain other players that were recruited from this state that
other people see as being very good players,” said Groh. “If we didn’t
feel the same way about it, then we didn’t recruit the player. We weren’t
going to recruit a player just to say that we went into competition with a
certain team for them.
“That’s another thing I learned from the draft. We might have taken someone
in the second round because that’s how we evaluated the player. And another
organization might have had the player rated as a fifth rounder. Sometimes
we’d see someone take a guy in the third round and we had him rated as a sixth
rounder. It’s just a difference of opinion based on your evaluation or your
system, and how you plan to use him in your system.”
Still, Groh couldn’t hide the grin when he thought about how his staff
out-recruited Virginia Tech.
“Are we pleased to get most of the players in the state? You bet.”
Recruiting quirks. There were a lot of strange things that happened
either on signing day or the eve of the national signing period that caused some
friction between some coaches and even drove one to sing.
Here are a few of the more quirky things that happened on the ACC recruiting
trail ...
That’s Amore. North Carolina and N.C. State were locked into a
fierce recruiting battle over Durham cornerback A.J. Davis, who was thought to
become the most acclaimed member of UNC’s class until late Tuesday night.
That’s when N.C. State coach Chuck Amato, who is of Italian heritage, called
up Davis’ home. Amato had someone in the background to play an old Dean Martin
song entitled “Return to me.” Part of the lyrics include “Hurry back,
hurry back, oh, my love, hurry back.”
The song was off a CD titled, “Mob Hits.”
“I was on my knees when I sang to him,” Amato said. “That’s how the
conversation went and I did a pretty good job of singing.”
Everyone who heard the story was amused. Well, everyone except Tar Heels coach
John Bunting, who lost several commitments either leading up to signing day or
on signing day.
“A commitment can be as meaningful as the breath used to speak the words,”
said Bunting, obviously steamed. “That’s how meaningful it can be and we all
know that. That’s the way it is.”
Amato said stealing recruits is all part of the game.
“That’s life in the fast lane,” said the Wolfpack coach. “We fight on
and off the field. That’s the way it is. Next year they’ll steal somebody
from us.”
Say what? Georgia Tech signed only 12 players under new coach Chan
Gailey, who admitted his late start damaged the Yellow Jackets’ efforts. But
one of those 12, you’ll remember for a long time.
His name is I-Perfection Harris. No, that’s not a typo. His first name is
I-Perfection and he’s a pretty good cornerback from Staten Island, N.Y.
“A friend of my father had a child named ‘Perfection’ who was killed in a
car accident. My father felt the child died before his time and so he named me
as an act of commemoration. He added the ‘I’ - ‘I-Perfection’ - so the
name would be uniquely mine,” said Harris.
Hey, if Virginia can have Majestic Mapp, then why can’t Georgia Tech have
I-Perfection, who by the way, has a brother named Supreme and a sister named
Earthly. Mapp has an older brother named Scientific Mapp.
Hold those Tigers. Clemson benefited greatly from Georgia Tech’s
late start as the Tigers signed nine players from the state of Georgia. Clemson
was docked two scholarships because of some recruiting violations but still
signed 23 players.
One of them who got away from both Clemson and South Carolina was Shelby, N.C.,
offensive lineman Brandon Jeffries, who had committed to the Gamecocks but was
declared ineligible to sign with Lou Holtz’s team after South Carolina
committed a secondary violation by having Jeffries visit South Carolina Gov. Jim
Hodges. After the NCAA refused to allow Jeffries to go to the Gamecocks, he
signed with Tennessee instead of Clemson.
Tigers coach Tommy Bowden said he understood.
“This is serious business in this state,” said Bowden. “I’m paid a lot
of money and Coach Holtz is paid a lot of money and you’ve got to win games.
You say, ‘Gosh, that’s not very impressive [meeting the governor]’. I met
the governor one time last year, I’m 47 years old, and shook his hand. I had
to change my pants. I didn’t wash my hand for a week and I’m 47. Imagine
taking a 17-year-old to meet him and how impressive that would be.”
A rare find. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen had a special affection for one of
the Terps’ recruits, linebacker Randy Earle, from North Massapequa, N.Y. Both
of Earle’s parents contracted AIDS and died.
“He’s a tremendous kid,” said Friedgen. “Randy basically raised himself.
He lives with his coach. He’s a very personable kid, who took the bus on his
own and traveled to the Orange Bowl to see us play. I feel very close to him and
very fortunate he decided to join the Maryland program.”
Odds and ends ... Six of the top 10 rated players in the state of North Carolina signed with schools outside the state. N.C. State signed three of the remaining four, while UNC landed only one. ... Meanwhile, Amato reached back to the state of Florida, where he coached for years at FSU, and signed 10 players from Florida and only seven from the state of North Carolina. ... Florida State signed six Parade All-Americans, and 13 of the Noles’ 20 signees were from the state of Florida. ... However, FSU was shutout in South Florida for the first time in 10 years, due mostly to the success of national champion Miami. ... One of Florida State’s top signees was wide receiver Chris Davis, who has been compared to former Seminole Peter Warrick. “Spread it out now, baby,” said offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, an early warning to the rest of the ACC. ... Wake Forest signed its first Parade All-American since gaining wide receiver James Brim in 1984. This Wake A-A is linebacker Bryan Andrews of Lima, Ohio, who picked the Deacs over Tennessee, Michigan State, Purdue and Kansas.
| Cavs look for more punch from Williams |
| Chris Williams' scoring average is at a career-low 13.9 points per game, and he has made one 3-pointer in the last eight games. |
| By
DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES |
Pete Gillen could have said Chris Williams had a cold. He could have said that Virginia, down by 12 points at halftime Wednesday night at North Carolina State, felt its chances for a comeback would improve with three guards on the floor. Instead, Gillen made no secret of his reasons for benching Williams to start the second half. "We've got to stir it up," Gillen said. Gillen stressed that he wasn't blaming Williams following an 85-68 loss to unranked State, but the numbers spoke for themselves. Williams, the No.9 scorer in school history, was 0-for-5 from the field and finished with two points. "It happened in another game, at Clemson," said Gillen, whose 10th-ranked Cavaliers (14-6, 4-5 ACC) will attempt to end a four-game losing streak when they entertain the Tigers (11-2, 2-8) at University Hall today at 3:30 p.m. "It's tough for us to win if a terrific player, like Chris, has a game like this. It's not all on him, certainly, but we need him to get six, eight, 10 points. It's not the points. He's just not aggressive." A loss of confidence is almost visible on Williams' face, although Gillen pointed out that Williams was coming off an 18-point, 11-rebound outing Sunday in an 81-77 loss to Missouri. On the other hand, Williams had a season-high six turnovers against the Tigers. After a three-game stretch in which he had 14 assists and three turnovers, Williams has one assist and nine turnovers in the last two games. When asked about his confidence after Wednesday night's game, Williams said simply, "I'm fine." He would know best, but the numbers are alarming as he nears the end of his fourth season. His scoring average is at a career-low 13.9 points per game, his free-throw percentage is down nearly 10 points from last year to its current 65.6, and he has made one 3-point field goal in the last eight games. Williams has made 118 3-pointers in his career, good for seventh on the Cavaliers' all-time list, but he has virtually stopped shooting from behind the arc. He is 1-for-7 over the last eight games, indicating at one point that the decline in 3-point attempts resulted from an effort to become more aggressive. At no point have the UVa coaches suggested publicly that Williams needed to cut down his 3-point tries. In the absence of injured Adam Hall, who has played in only one game and for a total of five minutes since Jan.12, Williams has been the lone scholarship senior in uniform for the Cavaliers most nights. He could have a big say in whether Virginia makes the NCAA Tournament field, almost a foregone conclusion when the Cavaliers were 14-2 and ranked No.4 in the country. UVa knew it was in for a rough four-game haul starting with a visit to No.1-ranked Duke on Jan.27. The Cavaliers were underdogs to the Blue Devils, No.3 Maryland in Charlottesville, No.22 Missouri in Columbia, Mo., and to a State team that already had beaten Virginia in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers played well at times in the first three games, leading at some point in the second half in all of them, but the State game deteriorated quickly after a hail of first-half UVa turnovers. "Maryland, we should have won, and [at] Missouri we had a chance," Gillen said. "We got punched in the stomach and we didn't respond. Maybe it was a little bit of residual from the [previous] three games. "We're at a crossroads. We've got to see whether we're going to fold our tents or come out swinging." |
Gillen says Cavs are at crossroads
CHARLOTTESVILLE - One of its seniors, a two-time member of the ACC's all-defensive team, is hobbled by a foot injury that has caused him to miss seven of the past eight games.
The other, a former ACC rookie of the year and two-time all-conference pick, seems adrift, his confidence gone. He ranks seventh at his school in career 3-pointers made, yet has attempted only seven treys in the past eight games.
Its starting post players have combined for 88 turnovers and only 37 assists this season, and its leading scorer is shooting 41.1 percent from the floor.
What has happened to a University of Virginia men's basketball team that in December rose to No. 4 in the polls?
"I don't know," junior center Travis Watson said Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C.
These are not the best of times for Virginia, its No. 10 ranking in The Associated Press poll notwithstanding. Once considered a lock to make the NCAA tournament, the Cavaliers have lost four straight and will need a strong finish simply to finish .500 in ACC play.
"I think we're at a crossroads," U.Va. coach Pete Gillen said. "We've got see whether we're going to fold our tents or come out swinging. We have to look in the mirror and see what we're going to do."
The good news for Virginia (4-5, 14-6) is that, after playing three of the past four games on the road, it meets ACC cellar-dweller Clemson (2-8, 11-12), which has dropped seven straight, in the friendly surroundings of University Hall today. The bad news for the Cavs is that they got whipped, 68-52, when they played the Tigers last month at Littlejohn Coliseum.
That was Virginia's most one-sided loss of the season until Wednesday night, when it fell 85-68 at N.C. State. "You've got to play tough and hard and strong for 40 minutes," Gillen said. "We didn't play tough and hard and strong."
For the second straight game, U.Va. committed 20 turnovers, and it allowed the Wolfpack to shoot 50.9 percent from the floor, including a 9-for-20 effort from 3-point range.
"It sounds simple: stop turning the ball over and play better defense," Cavaliers guard Roger Mason Jr. said. "We talk about it, the coaches stress it, but we just haven't been doing it. We've got to fix this, that's the bottom line."
The Cavaliers also need to fix whatever's wrong with senior forward Chris Williams, who made the all-ACC second team in as a sophomore and the third team last season. Williams, scoreless in the Jan. 8 loss at Clemson, missed all five of his field-goal attempts against N.C. State. He went 1 of 2 from the foul line in the first half and again in the second to total two points, 12 less than his average.
"I feel all right," Williams said when asked about his confidence. But Gillen benched him to start the second half against the Wolfpack, and clearly Williams must be more assertive if the Cavaliers are to turn around their season.
"He's a great player, and for him to get one point each half, we're not going to win many games," Gillen said. "It's not all on him, certainly, but we need him to get six, eight, 10 points."
Slumping Cavs' Solution Easier Said Than Done
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, February 10, 2002; Page D05
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Feb. 9 -- Losing to No. 1 Duke and No. 3 Maryland was disappointing but tolerable for Virginia, as was losing at No. 22 Missouri when five players were sick or injured. But Wednesday's loss at North Carolina State, the Cavaliers say, will not stand.
That 85-68 loss, U-Va.'s worst defeat of the season and second at the hands of the Wolfpack, gave Virginia its first four-game losing streak since 1998-99, the year it had only six healthy scholarship players.
The 10th-ranked Cavaliers (14-6, 4-5 ACC) are eager for any win. Sunday's opponent, Clemson -- itself mired in seven straight losses -- will do quite nicely. But as Virginia captains Roger Mason Jr. and Chris Williams acknowledged, desperation in the locker room has not always translated to desperation on the court.
"It sounds simple: Stop turning the ball over. Play better defense," said Mason, who leads U-Va. with 18 points per game. "We talk about it. The coaches stress it. But we just haven't been doing it. We've got to fix it."
In the two days between their most recent losses, the Cavaliers looked at tape of their offensive and defensive mistakes, but the problems continued. The Virginia offense, never a model of half-court efficiency, turned over the ball 20 times Wednesday, just as it had done at Missouri. The defense allowed N.C. State to shoot 51 percent.
Wednesday's 17-point loss also proved U-Va. cannot rely offensively on Mason and center Travis Watson alone. Mason had 12 points, extending his double-digit scoring streak to 31 games, but he continues to show the effects of increased defensive attention. By playing a more physical style, opponents have held Mason to less than 50-percent shooting in eight of the last nine games.
"He was frustrated because [the Wolfpack] were playing him tough," Virginia Coach Pete Gillen said. "You've got to play through it. . . . If it's a physical game and they're smacking and grabbing."
Mason, one of 30 midseason candidates for the Wooden Award, fouled out for the second straight game, matching the number of disqualifications he earned in his first 78 games. In an argument with official Mike Wood, Mason boiled over and picked up the Cavaliers' second technical foul of the season.
"I definitely was frustrated," Mason admitted. "When you're a great player, you've got to face that [defense]. I've realized that this year."
Watson fought through even more defensive scrutiny for a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds, but he and Mason got little help from their teammates. Virginia's four freshmen and sophomore forward J.C. Mathis have been streaky, as has Williams, a senior forward.
Throughout his three-plus seasons, Williams has often been a textbook example of a player "letting the game come to him." That attitude has made him the team's second-leading scorer (13.9 points per game) but its sixth most frequent shooter. Wednesday he attempted five field goals in 31 minutes, missing them all and finishing with two points. For the first time this season, Williams began the second half on the bench because Gillen was not happy with his aggressiveness on the court.
The Cavaliers likely need more from Williams or one of the youngsters if they are to pull out of their tailspin. They have seven games left in the regular season, beginning with home games against Clemson (11-12, 2-8) and North Carolina.
"These might be the two biggest games of my career, because we have to turn this thing around right now," Mason said. "There's not too many more games left."
UVa hopes to end four-game skid today against Clemson
"I've never really watched a game with that much time left," Mason said.
The Cavaliers' problems were laid out before Mason during the final stages of the Wolfpack's 85-68 victory. The 20 turnovers, the terrible defense that allowed N.C. State to time and time again get open looks. And, perhaps most importantly, who was on the bench: Adam Hall, who has missed most of the ACC season with a foot injury, and himself, who fouled out on an overly aggressive drive to the basket. That came after picking up a rare technical foul for mouthing off in the first half when he felt N.C. State's fouls were going uncalled.
"I let my team down," said Mason, harder on himself than anyone else.
The shame of it was that, initially, Mason looked like he was getting untracked for a big night. He made two baskets early, had shown his ability to drive, rather than waiting until 10 minutes into the game for his first points, if not shots, as he had done in recent weeks.
"I was expecting a really big game," Mason said. "I was looking forward to playing. I felt terrible the other day. (On Wednesday), I felt great. I just wanted to assert myself early. I was ready to really get going."
Instead, he was a spectator, finishing with 12 points, tying his season low.
Wednesday's game revealed the same thing about Virginia that the first loss to the Wolfpack did Jan. 5: the Cavaliers (14-6, 4-5 ACC) have tremendous limitations on offense. Mason, averaging 18 points per game, and center Travis Watson, averaging 13.5 per, are about all Virginia can count on every night.
Both N.C. State games followed the same pattern. The Wolfpack sealed off passes to the paint with three players on Watson, and made any dribble penetration hazardous with physical defense. That left jump shots, which the Cavaliers have not thrived on all year.
Keith Jenifer, the slight but speedy point guard, had helped against that earlier in the year, helping the Cavaliers rip off a five-game winning streak by relentlessly attacking opposing zones, but as opponents have adjusted, Jenifer has played increasingly out of control to compensate. Another freshman, Jermaine Harper, has proven as quick as Jenifer and a capable shooter, but his ballhandling and passing are not as good.
So, with Mason out of the game or not shooting well, the Cavaliers end up in a position where whether Watson can score determines their success. The Brookneal-based junior scored a career-high 29 points against the Wolfpack, but turned the ball over seven times. Most of those were from bad entry passes, which accounted for another half-dozen Virginia turnovers.
"Sometimes we try to jam it in there," Mason admitted.
The answer perhaps lies in senior forward Chris Williams. He is the team's second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game, but his quiet demeanor and smooth delivery often lend Williams to accusations of passivity.
He appears tentative when shooting 3-pointers, attempting just 44 this season, and has made a horrid 65.6 percent of his free throws. From one night to the next, he can score anything from two to 20 points.
Gillen benched Williams to start the second half of the N.C. State for his lack of aggressiveness.
"It's pretty much what I know I need to do," Williams said. "I'm a senior, a tri-captain, I know what I should be contributing to the team."
As for the rest of the schedule, the next two weeks - today against Clemson, Tuesday against North Carolina, Sunday at Wake Forest, Feb. 20 at Florida State, and Georgia Tech's visit to University Hall Feb. 23 - determine the Cavaliers' mindset heading into season finales against Duke and Maryland heading into the ACC Tournament.
Mason, with time to stew, has no doubts about where things are going.
"I'm not worried about this season slipping away," he said. "This season is far from over with. I can't wait to play again, to practice again."
Hold
the Fork I said it was a must win, and the Hoos lost. Forget about seeding because now
the Cavs are fighting just for an invitation to the big dance. An 8-8 record may
not do it, not without a couple of ACC tournament wins. There's no question that
the Cavs are on wobbly legs, but the fight isn't over yet. The road to the NCAA
tournament is more difficult, but not impassable. Put the fork away for now
because Virginia isn't done yet.
The Cavs are finally at home for a couple of games and it may be just what
the doctor ordered. The first opponent on the menu is a little revenge
opportunity against the Clemson Tigers. Clemson humiliated the Hoos at their
place, now they're coming to University Hall looking for the sweep. Virginia
can't let that happen.
The 11-12 (2-8) Tigers will likely have a new coach next season. Larry Shyatt
has proven to be a decent recruiter but hasn't won enough games to save his job.
He doesn't have a bad team; heck, they beat us like a drum in Littlejohn.
Clemson's strength is in the paint. Sophomore forward Chris Hobbs (11.7 points,
6.0 rebounds, .542 FG%) is a fireplug in the paint. At 6' 7" and 250
pounds, he's a good physical match for Travis Watson. Junior Ray Henderson (8.8
points, 9.3 rebounds, .567 FG%) adds another 250 pounds to the Tigers' front
line from his center position. These two big bodies are backed up by 6' 9"
freshman shot blocker Sharrod Ford (4.2 points, 3.0 rebounds) and 6' 8"
Tomas Nagys (5.0 points, 4.9 rebounds).
Junior point guard Edward Scott (10.2 points, 7.9 assists) has quietly become
one of the better court quarterbacks in the ACC. At .379 from the field, Scott
isn't much of a perimeter scoring threat but somehow players with his stats
always shoot like Keith Friel against the Hoos. Sophomore Tony Stockman (11.3
points, .358 3PT%) and senior Jamar McKnight (13.2 points, .413 3PT%) provide
perimeter scoring punch. Freshman Chey Christie (5.0 points), and sophomore Dwon
Clifton (3.7 points) are the supporting cast.
Clemson's statistics are pretty much what you'd expect from a likely Les
Robinson Invitational participant. They shoot .437 from the field and .309 from
the arc. The Tigers don't shoot well from the perimeter and rely upon their
interior beef for offense. If they are in position for an easy bucket, foul them
because they only connect on .630 of their charity tosses. Clemson is a very
good rebounding team with a positive 7.2 rebounding margin.
The book on the Tigers is to defend the paint and keep a man on McKnight.
Unless they have a rare hot shooting night, they're not going to beat Virginia
with jump shots. Don't be surprised to see Shyatt use the zone as it worked
quite well for Clemson in Littlejohn. The book on the Cavs isn't much different
than the one on the Tigers. The Hoos need a good night from Roger Mason, Jr.
The best medicine for a team's emotional health is strong fan support.
Clemson may not be the most exciting opponent to venture into U-Hall, but right
now they're the most important. A raucous crowd could give this group of young
men a big lift. Don't wait for Pete to cue you, rock the house Sunday and rock
it hard! The Hoos need you!
Clemson Preview
Brett Wood, Special to TheSabre.Com,
February 9th, 2002.
Franklin runs gamut of emotions
12/01/01
The occasion calls for a pa rade and pep rally.
Tony Franklin instead woke this morning to thoughts of a funeral procession and eulogy.
High school state champion, all-division record holder for rushing yards, a son facing the burial of his father - Franklin was all that as he wandered the field after a remarkable 393 yards rushing in St. Peter Chanel's romp to the Division V state title yesterday.
His teammates jumped and beat on each other's pads in celebration. He walked circles. Stopping for a television interview, he called his team's 44-27 win over Marion Pleasant "a dream come true."
The words were conveniently easy for a complicated moment. "Dream come true" is a harmless cliche, except for another night Tony Franklin will always remember when the meaning was agonizingly different.
"I dreamed about my father dying the night before he passed away," the 17-year-old senior said. "In the dream I saw the funeral and everything. It's why when my mother told me in the hospital the next day I sort of knew it was coming."
Glenn Franklin Jr. suffered a stroke Nov. 12 and was hospitalized. Before the regional finals four days later, Franklin called his father on a cell phone during warmups and promised him a win. He then assured it by rushing for a school-record 322 yards against North Lima South Range.
He talked of his father possibly getting home by Thanksgiving. In the early morning of Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving, Glenn Franklin Jr. died at age 47 of complications from the stroke. Tony Franklin wondered if he should play. He didn't wonder long.
"Our other son talked to Tony and told him that his dad would want him to keep playing, to finish the job," Sandra Franklin said yesterday. "Today he did and Glenn had the best seat in the house. You know the expression, 'There's something about so-and-so?' Well, there's something about Tony. He's blessed. We're all blessed."
Following the plain red helmets with the "GF" decal, Franklin found gaping holes and scored on touchdown runs covering 10, 81, 49 and 80 yards, respectively.
He carried defenders. He outran them. He amazed a coach who had been watching him all year and thought he'd seen it all.
"In this big of a game, that great of a performance - it was phenomenal," said head coach Bill Powers.
After one touchdown, Franklin, who has orally committed to attend the University of Virginia, knelt on one knee in the end zone. After another, he caught his mother's eye in the stands and pounded his chest. Sandra Franklin remembered her husband always telling her youngest son to "run for the cones." So she knew what her boy was thinking.
"I pictured my father standing in the corner of the end zone," Franklin said. "Right by the cones."
He hardly slept the night before. Waking up with thoughts of his father happened more regularly Thursday night than a week earlier when Franklin's 244 yards against Monroe Central clinched a spot in the finals for the 14-0 Firebirds.
"I was up all last night thinking about how he wouldn't get to see me in the state championship game," said Franklin, who talked of kneeling in the end zone as "pretty much just trying to talk to my dad."
Franklin rushed for 959 yards in the last three games. Of the state title game against a 14-0 opponent, he said, "I didn't think it would be this easy."
Today is anything except easy. Today isn't a parade, but a funeral procession.
TWO OF A KIND