Levine, Noble bios for NCCA East-West Football Game program

For those who will not make the 58th Annual North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star Football Game next Wednesday in Greensboro, you won't get to see the bios of Rocky Mount High game representatives Nazir Levine and Kendall Noble in the game programs.

The twosome left Thursday to start practicing for the game, being held at Jamieson Stadium at Grimsley High School.

Below are the bios that will appear for both in the game program:

Nazir Levine

Nazir…Rocky Mount High…6-2, 280…offensive lineman / defensive lineman…coached by B.W. Holt…as senior, named All-Conference, All-State, team Offensive Lineman of the Year…Shrine Bowl selection…20 tackles, 6 sacks…as junior, named All-Conference…member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society…signed an athletic grant-in-aid with Winston-Salem State University where he plans to major in business administration…wants to own his own business…his mother is his role model…favorite college athlete is Joe Thomas…favorite pro athlete is Ray Lewis…says “I expect to have a good time and make new friends, and meet some good football players while I’m at it.”

Kendall Noble

Kendall…Rocky Mount High…6-4, 275…offensive lineman / defensive lineman…coached by B.W. Holt…as senior, named All-Area, All-Conference, Co-Lineman of the Year…as junior, named All-Area, All-Conference…also competed in indoor and outdoor track and field…signed an athletic grant-in-aid with Norfolk State University where he plans to major in physical therapy…wants to pursue a career as a physical therapist…favorite pro athlete is Vince Young…says “I am very excited to have the honor to play in this all-star game. I expect to gain a lot of valuable information about everything dealing with football.”

No ESPY for Barton!

Here is a reprint from the Wilson Daily Times

No ESPY for Atkinson, Bulldogs

LOS ANGELES — This time, David didn't have enough rocks in his slingshot.

Barton College, which won the NCAA Division II men's basketball championship in March, couldn't match the voting power of the Los Angeles Dodgers in ESPN's ESPY Awards balloting.

The Bulldogs were beaten by the Dodgers in the category of Best Finish in the awards presentation in the Kodak Theatre on Wednesday evening, Barton sports information director John Hackney said.

Barton head coach Ron Lievense and point guard Anthony Atkinson attended the event, which will air on ESPN on Sunday night at 9. It was Atkinson who scored 10 points in the final 45 seconds to help the Bulldogs overcome a seven-point deficit and upset defending champion Winona (Minn.) State University in the Div. II championship in Springfield, Mass.

Atkinson made the game-winning layup with fractions of a second remaining following a steal by teammate Bobby Buffaloe.

But the four consecutive home runs hit by the Dodgers in the ninth inning to tie their game with the San Diego Padres last Sept. 19 resonated more with the public, which was able to cast votes on the ESPN Web site.

The Dodgers ultimately won the game, 11-10, on Nomar Garciaparra's two-run homer in the 10th inning.

The other two nominees in Best Finish, a new category this year, were Curlin's victory by a nose against Street Sense in the Preakness horse race and Kevin Harvick's Daytona 500 triumph against Mark Martin by .02 seconds, the same amount of time remaining on the clock when Atkinson's game-winning layup swished through the net.

Lievense and Atkinson were the guests of ESPN and attended pre- and post-ESPY parties.

- Paul Durham