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Wednesday, May. 27, 2009

NHS ‘brothers’ sign with BPC

By Chris Deighan Sun News Correspondent WARNER ROBINS -- Chalk one up to the prognosticators that are the Northside High School Class of 2009. Included among the group’s Senior Superlatives at a recent class recognition program was the item “Most Likely to be Frat Brothers”: De’Mario Black and Kenya Ward.

While their collegiate social structure is still undetermined, the two longstanding best friends have decided to follow one another to Brewton-Parker College. May 21, the Northside seniors accepted scholarship offers to play basketball and continue their educations at the Mount Vernon institution. As members of the Barons, they’ll both be part of a brotherhood of sorts.

“When we visited the campus, I didn’t know anyone there,” Ward said. “When (BPC coach John D. Jones) said we could go together, that made my decision certain.”

The two are all but inseparable at school. And, too, they’ve been playing basketball together since the early ages of recreational league ball in Warner Robins. But as their senior season wore on and graduation approached, they began to think their days of playing together were at an end.

“We got the opportunity (to play in college), but I never thought we’d go to the same school,” Black said.

As things happened however, Jones was already laying a foundation to get both prospects to commit to BPC. As host of an annual Christmas tournament, Jones was in a position to personally eyeball Northside in December. He not only saw the Eagles win the tournament, but watched as Ward earned tourney MVP honors and Black made the all-tourney team.

“Both those kids jumped out right away,” Jones said.

He added that Ward’s combination of size (6 feer, 4 inches tall) and ball-handling ability make him a “versatile” option at any number of positions. Of Black, Jones said “he moves like a basketball player. ... He’s smooth.”

Beyond their on-court skills, Jones said he’s been impressed with what he’s learned of the two outside of the gym. “Brewton-Parker is a Christian college, so we have to recruit a certain kind of kid,” Jones said. “It became pretty apparent they would fit the mold.”

As part of a balanced Northside attack that qualified for the GHSA Class AAAAA state tournament, Black and Ward each averaged about 12 points per game, according to Eagles’ coach Ken Price. Black led the team in assists, while Ward was tops in rebounds.

“They’re team players, team guys,” Price said. “They should do well at Brewton-Parker.”

Contact Chris Deighan at cdeighan@cox.net