'Stormin' Mormon' looks to senior year
BY DARYL LAW
SENTINEL S****TS
When First Flight fans chant "Stormin' Mormon," you know Anders
Jacobson has made a move.
The six-foot-one, 185-pound Nighthawks junior recently returned from
the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA) Showcase
Event at Nash Central High School where he "played real well" in front
of coaches from 12 colleges, coach Chad Williams said.
Last season, Jacobson led his team on an exciting run of basketball
where they ended up with a winning record. Whether he lit up the
basket from downtown or crashed the lane for a bucket plus one,
"Stormin' Mormon" kept folks on the edge of their seats.
And for those who don't know, Williams planned it that way.
=46rom Day 1 at camp in the summer of 2007, the coach designed the
offense around Jacobson. So when the Nighthawks were in the groove and
the set play ended with a Jacobson jumper from behind the three point
arc, it was magic in the making.
Next season, Jacobson and Williams look for another big year as they
have starters Sean Dwyer, Neil McClain and Stephen Saunders returning.
To help get it done are experienced players Patrick McCarthy, Jamie
Wentz and Perry Wood.
Between now and then, they'll attend at least two camps, perform
plenty of weight-lifting and experience lots of shoot arounds. For
Williams, Jacobson and the rest, their goal is to make the regionals
in Greenville next season.
And after that, Jacobson's main goal becomes college hoops.
Although he admits he wouldn't mind playing at one or two North
Carolina schools, Jacobson has linked his goal to family roots: he'd
like to play ball for Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, the
place where his parents met.
But for now, he'll concentrate on what he knows how to do best =97 score
baskets for First Flight.
He lives for basketball and his achievements to date are impressive.
Jacobson made 80, three point baskets and overall, he shot 42 percent
from the field and 82 percent from the free throw line.
These two skills proved to be powerful weapons as the Nighthawks
claimed several key victories down the stretch when Jacobson either
won or tied the game from the free throw line after he was fouled
shooting a three.
With five or six more quality players backing him up last season, the
Nighthawks turned around the fourth year program.
"Anders led us to our first-ever playoff win and one of the biggest
turn arounds record-wise in the state," coach Williams said.
=46rom a bleak 4-20 season in 2006-2007, the Nighthawks rallied behind
Jacobson and coach Williams' system to go 16-11 during the 2007-2008
season along with a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Jacobson led the charge with a 21.5 scoring average per game against
some fairly difficult odds, Williams noted.
"He did all of this despite being constantly double-teamed and playing
against junk defenses such as a box and one," the coach said.
And the accomplishments netted him some recognition including the
following: All Conference, Northeastern Coastal Conference; Runner-up
Conference player of the Year to Lamar Monger from Hertford County
(who will be attending Division 1 Winston-Salem State University on a
full basketball scholar****p); First team, All Region by the NCBCA;
runner-up Regional Player of the Year (again to Monger) and named to
the state 2A All State Team by NC Preps.
He's the first First Flight freshman to earn a varsity letter in
basketball =97 now he has three letters and last season, he became the
school's all-time leading scorer.
Williams speculates that by the time the conference ****tion of the
schedule comes along next season, he'll reach the 1,000 point mark.
Not bad for soft-spoken, well-rounded student athlete with a grade
point average of 3.878 and who will soon be inducted into the National
Honor Society. "Stormin' Mormon" also made Eagle Scout last December.
Where Jacobson led the charge on the court, it should be noted that
Williams did his part as the team's coach.
To watch him on the sidelines, anyone could see Williams has a passion
for the s****t. Apparently some of the other coaches noticed him, too.
That's why Williams was named Coach of the Year for the 2007-2008 in
District 1 by the NCBCA.
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