The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • 19

CALL US SPORTS MORE Scoreboard 2C Area baseball 3C Baseball 4C Markets 5C Business 6C Cubs winning streak To contact The Sun's sports department, call 1-800-269-0488 or: Executive Sports Editor Terry McCormick, 425-9635. Sports Editor Dan Morris, 425-9636. John Denton, high schools, 425-9751. Taylor Wilson, Outdoors. reaches two After a woeful 0-14 start, the Chicago Cubs won their second game in a row, beating New York, 6-4.

Page 4C Tuesday, April 22, 1997 PAGE1C fodsip to mm "They said I'll fit right in with their program, and be an asset to Hicks said. "But I'm just so pleased that I'm getting a shot" Hicks, a Jackson Central-Merry graduate and Middle Tennessee EWW Apr State inside linebacker, signed with the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Hines, a former TT Lane signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. Hicks signed a one-year contract with San Diego. Hines could not be reached for their team.

I always knew I had the talent' I just went to a small college. Coming from a small, black college, I knew the chances would be slim or none. I just kept Hicks talked with enthusiasm about having the chance to go to mini-camp. "I went to class today (Monday) and was talking to the guys. They were saying, 'You're going to be standing side by side with Junior That's when it hit me," Hicks said.

Memphis safety Keith Spann, a JCM graduate, hasn't received word from any NFL squads. "I still have options. The. Canadian league, if I choose to go. But it's not over," Spann said.

Area golf fans hope to cast eyes on Tiger MEMPHIS A memo to all you golf nuts out there: Say your prayers. Cross your fingers. Hold your breath. Rub that lucky horseshoe and pick up the next heads-up penny you see on the ground. There is still a chance the Tiger Woods' phenomenon could hit West Tennessee this June.

Woods, the youngest Masters champion ever and the hottest name in sports, hasn't ruled out playing in the 40th annual FedEx St. Jude Classic June 23-29. Of course, he hasn't signed up yet to play in the tournament either. But I'm an optimistic person, hoping Lane signs with Carolina; Hicks gets deal with San Diego; Hines goes to New York Jets. By DUANE RANKIN The Jackson Sun Fred Lane, Anthony Hicks and Tyrone Hines are NFL bound, via free agency.

Lane, the former Lane College tailback, signed with the Carolina Panthers. CHICKS A I Tennessee stand-M out will be head Hines Lane ing ine iew York Jets. my head up, kept "ICKS night No details were available on his contract "It feels great" Lane said. praying, and God answered my prayers." "Anyone would be disappointed in not getting drafted," to get to witness the young star's power and charisma first-hand. Don't think it's just golf fans, who are hoping Tiger will make a commitment to John DENTON kV 1 1 U4'wf 4 ft i "wf" i i if i ftYftfit f'j i i in i DANA JOHNSONThe Jackson Sun Carlos Northcross of Jackson Central-Merry won the high jump in the Best of the West track meet Monday in Dyersburg.

JCM rules Best of West 1 sjrA Franklin no-hits Carolina Memphis pitcher now has 13 consecutive hitless innings. The Associated Press ZEBULON, N.C. This time, Ryan Franklin pitched a no-hitter by himself. Franklin, who pitched the first six innings of a combined no-hitter in his previous start for Double-A Memphis, went all the way Monday night in tossing a no-hitter in the first game of a dou-bleheader against Carolina Franklin walked three, struck out three and faced only 23 batters, two over the minimum in the seven-inning Southern League game won by Memphis, 6-0. In his previous start on April 13, the 24-year-old Franklin combined with two other pitchers on a no-hitter against Chattanooga.

The Chicks will relocate to Jackson next season, where they will be called the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. BOSTON MARATHON Kenya's streak continues Lameck Aguta is the seventh consecutive Kenyan to win the race. The Associated Press BOSTON The second century of the Boston Marathon began the same way its first century ended with a Kenyan champion. Lameck Aguta, the fourth-place finisher the previous two years, became the seventh consecutive Kenyan winner and the third different champion in three years. The 25-year-old pulled away toward the end, finishing in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 34 seconds on Monday in the world's oldest continuous marathon.

"It is magic," Aguta said. "I have been waiting all my life for this." Among the women, Ethiopia's Fatuma Roba, who won Olympic gold in Atlanta, became the first African woman to capture the Boston Marathon, winning in 2:26:23. lor Memphis. The tournament organizers in Memphis are holding their collective breath right now. "We won't know for sure until the middle of June.

His policy has been to wait until the last minute to commit to a tournament," said Phil Cannon, the FedEx tournament manager. "For every week of advance notice he could give us, it would probably be worth for the tournament" Against the grain If Woods keeps in line with the Tour's big stars, he'll probably skip Memphis on the pro circuit But going against the grain is part of what has made Woods' star shine so brightly. He's the first mixed-race person to win a major. His calm -is well beyond his years. His exuberance and toothy grin are just the injections the stuffy tour establishment needed.

Forget golf tournaments being classified as majors and non-majors. These days, there are two kinds of golf tournaments: Those with Tiger and those without Tiger. The largest TV audience to ever watch a golfing event viewed the Masters. I bet you can't find 10 people on the street who could tell you who won the MCI Classic Sunday. (By the way, it was Nick Price if you dozed off.) Talk about Tiger The talk at Monday's 10th annual Media Scramble at Southwind should have been about defending champion John Cook.

Cook's incredible 26-under-par total won the FedEx tourney last year and tied the lowest four-round score ever. But instead it was all Tiger talk. And that was just fine with Cook, who played a hole Monday with each media group. He had nothing but praise for Tiger. And he said he'd like nothing better than to be paired with Woods in the final group on championship Sunday.

"His impact has been tremendous," Cook said. "It's great to see he's opening kids' eyes to the game and showing them golf is cool." the meet with 174 points, 95 points ahead of second-place finisher Munford (79). Haywood followed in third place with 74 points. The Lady Cougars earned first place with 165 points, followed by Dyersburg (147) and Munford (88 V4). The Cougars were paced by Carlos Northcross.

The standout senior, who earned the most valuable field participant, won the high jump (5-11), the triple jump (41-3), the 400-meter dash (50.4) and an- Please see JCM, 3C ersburg High School. The Lady Cougars have won the meet 11 of the past 12 times. The Cougars have captured eight of the past 12 meets. "I guess it's our teamwork and coaches," said JCM senior sprinter Cameo Bobo about the continual excellence in the meet "Pride has a lot to do with it If you're cheering for your teammates, it makes you want to work harder. That makes other teams look at you too, and they say to themselves, 'They have The JCM boys team finished Cougar teams both bring championships home in Monday's meet.

By DUANE RANKIN The Jackson Sun DYERSBURG For future considerations, District 13-AAA might want to change its "Best of the West" track and field meet to the "Jackson Central-Merry Showcase." Both the boys and girls squads captured their respective team titles Monday at Dy DANA JOHNSONThe Jackson Sun Girls compete in the 800-meter run on Monday. Hardin Co. tops JCM By JOHN DENTON The Jackson Sun When Jackson Central-Merry's fielding fiasco was finally over Monday, coach Bud Sikes didn say a word to his team. He didn't have to. The statistics told all: One run, six hits, nine fielding errors.

JCM fell be "I hate that we just stopped fielding, hitting and pitching all at once," said Sikes, whose team drops to 21-7 overall and 5-2 in district play. "We'd been playing great until a week ago. I hope we haven't peaked and the season's over for us." The win allowed Hardin County to stay in front in the race for the district's top seed. The Tigers, 24-7 overall, are 7-0 in the district with three conference games left "I think people might understand now that we're going to win the district" Turnbow said. "We're finally getting the respect we deserved early in the season." Please see HARDIN, 3C I fys? If i And for the record, as Cook can attest after seeing my horrendous hind early after Turnbow committing three first-inning errors and pitcher Mark Turnbow was too much as Hardin County routed the Cougars, 11-1, in District 13-AAA play.

slice, I am not Tiger Woods. John Denton writes for The Jackson Sun. He can be reached at HELEN COMERThe Jackson Sun Ben Russell scores JCM's only run as Dennis Parrott fields the ball. 425-9751 or 1-800-269-0488. Pitino at Davis-Kidd to sign books today University of Kentucky basketball coach Rick Pitino will make an appearance at Davis-Kidd Book Sellers today.

Pitino will be signing copies of his new book Success is a Zoeller apologizes for remarks on Woods Fuzzy Zoeller apologized Monday for calling Masters champion Tiger Woods "that little boy" and urging him not to request fried chicken or collard greens for the Champions Dinner next year. "My comments were not intended to be racially derogatory, and I apologize for the fact that they were misconstrued in that fashion," Zoeller said in a statement released by his agent Zoeller's comments about Woods were broadcast Sunday on CNN's "Pro Golf Weekly." Sophomore Jackson leaves UT basketball Sophomore guard Cornelius Jackson has decided to transfer from Tennessee, new Volunteers coach Jerry Green said Monday. Jackson, a 6-foot-4 guard from Oak Hill, W. has been granted his release from Tennessee, Green said. Jackson was the player of the year in West Virginia his senior year in high school.

He started 21 of 27 games last year for the Vols, averaging 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Junior guard Antonio Harris is the other. Celtics appear set to fire Carr as coach M.L. Carr coached the Boston Celtics to the worst record in their 51 seasons. Now his job appears done.

He is expected to give up one or both of his positions, coach and director of basketball operations, although general manager Jan Volk said Monday no decisions have been made. The Boston Globe reported Monday that a decision already has been made for Carr to give up both jobs, with Larry Bird possibly replacing him in the front office. Vofs' Price could miss 1997 season Tennessee lists receiver Peerless Price as "questionable" for the 1997 season. Price, a junior-to-be, was injured on his second touchdown catch of the day Saturday in the Orange White spring game. He was operated on that night for a broken fibula in his right leg, and for ligament damage.

The Dayton, Ohio, native was released from the hospital Sunday. Price caught 32 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns last year as a sophomore, and added a 54-yard rushing touchdown against South Carolina. Nuggets fire Motta, coaching staff Two days after the end of a dismal season that produced just 21 victories but plenty of disaffected fans, the Denver Nuggets fired coach Dick Motta and his staff on Monday. "We're trying to move forward in a new direction to give ourselves a fresh start," said Allan Bristow, vice president of basketball operations. "I'm a pretty impatient person," Bristow said.

"I want this thing to turn around, and I'm not going to hide behind a three-year or four-year (rebuilding) plan." Pitino Choice, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Pitino guided Kentucky to the NCAA basketball championship in 1996. The Wildcats were runner-up to Arizona in 1997..