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Members of the Craven County All-Stars unite prior to competing against the ACC-All Stars in the 30th Annual ACC-All Star Barnstorming Tour on Wednesday at Havelock High School.
Jess Huffman/Sun Journal
Hysteria in Havelock
ACC All-Stars invade county
By Natalie Sayewich
Sun Journal Staff
HAVELOCK - Just over a month ago, UNC-Chapel Hill's Quentin Thomas never would have considered passing the ball to Duke All-American DeMarcus Nelson.
But, a month ago, the two were still rivals.
Wednesday, the pass to Nelson came as naturally as passing to Tyler Hansbrough or Ty Lawson.
The two players were among several players from the ACC and other Division I conferences that were combined on one team: the ACC All-Stars, who stopped at Havelock to play a group of former Craven County athletes who were called the Craven County All stars. It was part of the ACC All-Star Barnstorming tour that benefits high school athletic programs, among other causes.
The players trekked to Havelock following classes, Thomas said.
Clemson's Cliff Hammonds endured a 7 ½ hour drive, in which he had to get a new alternator to make it to the game in Havelock.
This was the ACC-All Stars' fifth stop in the seven-game tour that encompassed North and South Carolina.
"It's a lot of fun, playing with most of the people you play against during the season," Thomas said. "It's a little different, but we've been playing against each other for three or four years, so we have a high amount of respect for each other."
Though it's fun for the players to have a chance to compete with each other instead of head-to-head, the fans that filled Havelock's gym enjoyed it just as much.
Dr. Bob Ralls, a Duke alumnus, brought his grandson, 9-year-old Benjamin - who was decked out in a North Carolina jersey - and his two friends Ryan Day, 9, and Phillip Arnentrout, 8.
"Quentin Thomas," the boys responded in unison when asked who they wanted to see most, "because he's a UNC player."
Benjamin's grandfather, of course, preferred to see Nelson.
"I just want to see him really be strong," Ralls said before the game, "He's a really exciting player."
Nelson delivered with 23 points for the ACC-All Stars, while Clemson's Matt Morris led the team with 26.
Thomas finished with 10.
Former New Bern and Wake Forest player Antwan Scott racked up 27 points to lead the Craven County All-Stars. Current Havelock senior Darien Ince dropped 10 coming off the bench for Craven County.
Though the score at the end of the game was 115-97 in the ACC team's favor, the real winners was the school, which raised thousands of dollars for its athletic programs, and the fans, which got to see ACC players live that they might not otherwise get a chance to see
"We put this on in these towns away from our colleges so that we can interact with the fans and they can be up close and personal with us," Nelson said.
Natalie Sayewich can be reached at (252) 635-5668 or at nsayewich@freedomenc.com.
