Page 99 - ThePhoenix1992-93

WMC Sports Spotlight: Rolando Welch em Maryland history, and his the middle of a dismal season? By DAVID N. MILLER 466 points was the third-best. "I just kept wanting to win, no Sp<>mC ....&iJ"'. Welch already holds the WMC matter what. 1 knew that we record for career blocked shots could win any of the games," Faster than a speeding fast break, more powerful than a at 114. His other three- year to- said Welch. He also noted that it since so well, and 5.84 791 points tals include be was doing backwards slam dunk, able to rebounds, a figure which puts wasn't hard to go out and get leap through the paint in a single him ninth among Green Terror pumped up for every game. bound. No; it's not Superman, career rebounders. Surprisingly enough, this 20 it's Western Maryland's Though Welch had an indio year old is not the veteran Rolando Welch, and he's vidually superb season, as a hoopsrer he appears to be. brought tremendous ====_-=== not excitement to the bas- Welch did basketball play organized ketball court all season. until his senior year at Though be hasn't Bethesda-Chevy been seen in blue tights Chase (MD) higb and a red cape, Terror school. "1 was a base- forward Welch has had ball player," said the type of season that Welch, "that was my has left coaches, play- first love." ers and fans wondering Welch played his se- when he was going to nior year, but was not fiyoffthecourt. Welch one of the main scor- had a league- leading season in several statts- ers. Forced to be the tical categories, and in rebounder and inside- defensive man on a a season that saw victo- g uard-domma ted ries as few and far be- team, Welch did not tween for the Green harbor many hopes . Terrors, Welch was of- for playing in college. ten the key to vietory. However, Terror Welch is now start- head coach Nick ing to reap the benefits ~~;",;~~~~~;;;:::===='"Zoulias watcbed him of his outstanding sea- Rolando Welch scores another point. play on a recruiting son with several post- season honors. The SiI- trip, and urged him to team the Green Terror's were look at Western Maryland. ver Spring, MD native was se- able to tally only five wins for "When I came up to visit, I leered on February 25 to the the season versus 19 losses, and liked the campus, I liked the M(MiddCle)sAtlantic Cons'ecrce.nOc"e a z-Iumark in MAC·Southwest people, and 1 liked the program. A__ . outhwest Section play. In all, it was a dis- My father really liked it too, and men.sbasket?~IA~I-Starte~, appointing season that was that was important to me." earning the distinction of being plagued with injuries to key Welcb said that he soon realized '.tfe-f"~t WM~en~ p~a young bench mat that he could play ata number of run-· its -string of .censecurtve MA All-Star since Jim Hursey w~s.s.tillle~peS"'Df---dif[ercnLs.ch~d~bably an O\listandi~SOftba11~eam.}· winningseas:6ns to 2l. The As au undertraduare. fQrfD Green Terrors, ..who bave.ap- in ~~ ~~,,~~s:~~~'ion is the Dl~~~~hlll::~~:I~~~t. "We :~::!~~~~;;~f~~I~~~eW~t~~ ptW¢d in alln MAC post-sea- second for the Western Mary- didn't accomplish what we was looking for. sco ronmemeots, placed second land tri-captain, who was wanted to accomplish, but we "I went to college to be stu- in tbe,oon(erence's: Southwest picked to the National Assocta- tried every game to win." He dtous, to educate myself, so I three,year ··pattitlpariton ·tbe Section and advanced to tbe ~~~o~f l~tS~~t~~I:d;~a~~n~ii~ pointed to the injuries and decide to stay here," said the tracksquad. Molloy was then seeujlnals of the MAC play- ~~~~ :~i:~~~ an assistant voUeyballcoach fOr o(f$. District team in late mid-Febru- ~:t~~~~:el~~ko!f ~~~c~~~.a?,:! :i~~giu:a~o; !he 1986'.nd 1987 _OIlS. a!l. MOllOy is a native of ary. didn't have the cohesiveness "When my brother went to Di· was,head softball coacfiin 1988. Ff~o.MP,andJs"g<_ "It's great to be recognized that we needed to win, we had to vision II Eastern Tennessee to Mollo), said sbe j~ loo1Ong of Clear Spring Higb Sd:roJ. She like this," said Welch. "I just try adjust to the different freshmen play basketball, their coach was forward to workiogWith. and ean:(QI' M$dcg¢eas ~~;~ out and playas wen as I coming in, and we couldn't do very interested j·n me too, but I getti~iH() know fhe-team .. "At aphysitaleducati\'*ll~in 1985; everything we wanted to do." knew mat this was where 1 Sw;quehanna. we pJayedWMC and a_ oPi'4ucat;ondegree iSh~ ~:~~~~~~c~e~~~~ How do you keep going in wanted to be." ?o~a year, andtbTtheptayers in phySical education ~w-a- Yes, there are two other always .seemed-dedicated and lion in 1987, bOth from. Western Division in rebounding and sec· Marylllnd. and in scoring. He was the frrst Western Maryland player to fin- ish with a double· figure re- bounding average since Bob Kurzenhauser grabbed 219 boards in 21 games in the 1974- Ii:' 75 season. Specials ••• Welcb also topped WMC in \;! American - $7"/12,f,k cans in several offensive and defen- Milwaukee's Best ~ $7 Icase, cans sive categories. and rebounding, av- Busch (R'g.& Lt.) -$10"/cas. cans Natural Light ~ $9 99 /case cans He led the team in scoring I eraging 19.4 points and 13.3 re- Keystone (Lt. and Dry) $10"/cas. cans Coors (LI., & Gold) - $12"/""'" can<; Bud (Lt.& Dry) - $12"/cas. cans along per game, bounds with shots stcals with 44 and blocked with 43. 1992·93 total of320 Welch's rcbounds was the second·high· cst single-season total in West-