The Gaston Gazette | www.GastonGazette.com Irish slip in NCAA rankings ’Pack pull off the upset Oklahoma moved into third and Iowa was NEW YORK (AP) — North Carolina State had a two- fourth in the new College Football Playoff part plan Tuesday night: clog the lane defensively against star freshman Ben Simmons and get a win. C rankings, as Notre Dame slipped to No. 6. Clemson and Alabama remained the top The Wolfpack succeeded at both. two teams in the third-to-last committee Anthony Barber scored 12 of his 20 points at the foul line rankings. See PAGE 2C for the story and and the Wolfpack held Simmons to four points in an 83-72 complete rankings. overtime victory over No. 22 LSU in the consolation game of Sports — Associated Press the Legends Classic. See PAGE 2C for the story. Wednesday, November 25, 2015 Prep/college football Boys prep basketball Bessemer City 69, North Gaston 57 Neal still bound for Syracuse? said Wednesday his son visit to Syracuse. His official visit to Jaguar RB keeping was “in limbo” and is very Syracuse is scheduled for next weekend interested in seeing the (Dec. 4-6), and Moe Neal Sr. is trying to direction Syracuse takes make sure that still happens. eye on Orange in hiring its next coach. “I’ve talked to the recruiting coordina- “He’s still committed, tor to make sure that’s still on,” he said. but we want to see who Moe Neal Jr. finished his career as a! er coach " red Neal they’re going to bring Gaston County’s all-time leading scorer in,” Moe Neal Sr. said. (620 points) and reception leader (164 By Richard Walker “We just want to make the sure the new catches), while also finishing tied for [email protected] coach still has Moe in his future plans.” second in receiving touchdowns (34), GASTONIA — When Syracuse fired Syracuse.com considers Oregon of- fourth in rushing touchdowns (68) and Jack Flagler/The Gazette Scott Shafer after three years as the fensive coordinator Scott Frost, Okla- receiving yards (2,251) and fifth in rush- North Gaston boys basketball coach Hal school’s head football coach on Mon- homa offensive coordinator Lincoln ing yards (4,631). White talks with guard Rakeem Brown during the Wildcats’ 69-57 loss on the road day, the impact on the Orange’s re- Riley, LSU defensive line coach Ed While his Forestview career ended with against Bessemer City on Tuesday night. cruiting efforts went nationwide — and Orgeron, Notre Dame offensive coordi- a road playoff loss at West Henderson included Gastonia. nator Mike Sanford and Coastal Caro- on Nov. 13, his high school career won’t And record-setting Forestview run- lina head coach Joe Moglia as potential end until he plays in the Offense-Defense ning back Moe Neal, who announced replacements. All-American Bowl in Daytona Beach, he was going to Syracuse in August, Moe Neal Jr. already visited Boston Fla., from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2. isn’t withdrawing his commitment to College, Mississippi State, North Caroli- Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twit- White brings the school. But his father, Moe Neal Sr., na and N.C. State, and had an unofficial ter.com/jrwalk22 NBA | Washington at Charlotte, 7 tonight, FSSE unselfishness Playing for with return to North Gaston By Jack Flagler a purpose jfl [email protected] BESSEMER CITY — There are a few different reasons Hal White returned to Amid tragedy in home country, Batum the sidelines this year to coach the North Gaston boys basketball team, but personal pride and glorification are not among them. Following his team’s 69-57 loss on the poised to break out with Hornets road to Bessemer City on Tuesday, White had some stipulations before answering By Dan Moberger a few questions in a postgame interview. [email protected] “As long as it’s about the guys, I’m good,” White said. CHARLOTTE — Often the first quality team- “ We are trying to show That selfless team concept will likely mates and coaches praise Nicolas Batum for is work from the top down this season, his balance on the court. people back in France from coach to players, as North Gaston The guard ranks in the top three in average that we think about them looks for a turnaround. Since White points, rebounds, assists and steals for the Char- and we are strong. stopped coaching at North Gaston in lotte Hornets. Through 13 games, his all-around 2005, the Wildcats went 48-183 and did ability has helped upgrade an offense that was Nicolas Batum not have a winning season in that time 28th in the NBA last season with 94.2 points per Charlotte Hornets guard span. Last year, they finished 1-22. game. This year, after adding Batum in an off- White has 25 years of experience as season trade for Gerald Henderson and Noah head coach of North Gaston. He started Vonleh, the Hornets are averaging 104.6 points with the Wildcats in 1976, and won 285 per game — good enough for fifth in the league. “We may be ”far away from games in a two-decade stint with the But it’s the balance the Frenchman has exhib- our country right now, but that team through the 1996-97 season. That ited in handling more meaningful tribulations doesn’t mean we don’t think first stint included a trip to the 1987 than basketball that show his true character. about them.” state finals, when the Wildcats made a Before a Nov. 15 home game surprising run to Chapel Hill in a 15-15 FOR FRANCE against Batum’s former team, season before losing to D.H. Conley in Batum’s hometown is Lisieux, France — a Portland, the French national the state final. The coach returned in short trip from the coast, and about a two-hour anthem played at Time 2003 for three more seasons, going 33-42 drive slightly north but mostly west of Paris. Warner Cable Arena, in his second go-round with the team. When he was young, Batum spent a signifi- about which Batum But even with more than 300 wins in cant amount of time in the City of Light, where tweeted, “I want to thank his coaching career, White and North he now lives during NBA offseasons. all the fans, the NBA and Gaston started from square one when “Paris is just the most beautiful city in the the Hornets for your sup- practices began this winter. world. Everywhere you go, you have something port. It means a lot to me.” “We’ve got to remember that we played special, something different,” the 26-year-old And he said fans, local and two schools, (Cherryville and Bessemer said. “You have all these big monuments. You from France, have reached Associated Press photo City) that have veteran coaches. Their have the Eiffel Tower.” out with kind words to him teams knew come Nov. 2 what they were So though he was across an ocean and set through social media. After being traded going to be. Our team had no clue, I didn’t to play a game in Chicago against the Bulls He has taken to Char- from the Trail Blazers know our players,” White said. “But they’re that night, the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks on his lotte in the brief time he’s this summer, Nicolas picking up the system. It’s a process. The country’s capital quite literally hit close to spent in the city. Because Batum is having a great thing about basketball, we keep home. He’s been keeping his French family he played for the French breakout season in an getting better, we can still do good things. and friends in mind ever since. And he’s been national team in the off- expanded role in his We’ve got a long way to go.” playing like the All-Star the Hornets hoped he’d season, he hasn’t had the fi rst year on the Hor- Although North Gaston has started the be when they traded for him last summer. time to spend adjusting nets. The 26-year-old year 0-2, the Wildcats have been compet- “(Terrorists) do that to affect us, to bring us to his new environ- guard is performing at itive in both contests against the Ironmen down and make us act like we are scared, but an All-Star level, ac- ment other Hornet and the Yellow Jackets. Bessemer City since that happened, we all have (had) big cording to Charlotte newcomers have. But coach Danny McDowell, who coached games,” Batum said of fellow French NBA play- coach Steve Clifford, a countryman assured against White in his early career as an ers. “(Kevin) Seraphin in New York is playing even through the ter- him that he’d receive assistant coach to Kings Mountain’s John great. (Evan) Fournier is playing great. Boris Diaw rorist attacks on his a warm welcome. home country of France. Blalock, called North Gaston “one of the is playing great. I’m just trying to do my thing, most athletic teams in our area.” too. We are trying to show people back in France that we think about them and we are strong. >> See BATUM/Page 4C >> See WILDCATS/Page 3C GGAZETTEAZETTE PREPPREP FOOTBALLFOOTBALL PPLAYERSLAYERS OOFF TTHEHE WWEEKEEK SPONSORED BY TREVON WILSON — Kings Mountain MARCUS GRAHAM — East Lincoln TheT junior defensive tackle had sev- TheT freshman quarterback had thrown en tackles and one sack as the Moun- passesp in only five of the first 12 games taineerst upset top-seeded Freedom, ofo the season for the Mustangs before GASTONIA 21-6, in the second round of the 3A record-setting senior Chazz Surratt suf- CHRYSLER | DODGE | JEEP | RAM playoffs.