ALWAYS FORD-WARD STANDOUT LEADS CAMPBELL HALL IN SCORING, REBOUNDING, DEFENSE.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer Maybe the easiest way to figure out what Joe Ford can't do for the Campbell Hall Campbell Hall can refer to:
1 Community within the city of Los Angeles, S Calif., on the slopes of the Santa Monica Mts.; inc. 1903, consolidated with Los Angeles 1910. boys' basketball team is to consider everything he can. Score points? No problem. Ford is the Vikings' leading scorer at 20 points per game. Rebound rebound (rē´bownd), n/v 1. a recovery from illness. n 2. an outbreak of fresh reflex activity after withdrawal of a stimulus rebound adjective ? Ditto. Ford is averaging a team-high nine per game to go with his impressive average of seven assists. How about defense? Let's let's Contraction of let us. just say Ford always guards the best offensive player on the opposing team, and it doesn't does·n't Contraction of does not. matter what position the opponent plays. The 6-foot-5 junior is just as adept at defending a big man as he is against a shooting guard The Shooting guard (SG), also known as the two or off guard,[1] is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. or small forward. With his quickness, desire and range, Ford gives opponents fits with his tenacity. Anything else? OK, so maybe Ford isn't is·n't Contraction of is not. isn't is not isn't be taking tickets or making the popcorn, but short of that, if it happens on a basketball court, Ford is usually good at it. ``He does it all for us,'' Campbell Hall coach Terry Kelly Kel·ly , Ellsworth Born 1923. American abstract painter and sculptor whose works are characterized by flat color areas with sharply defined edges. Kelly, Emmett 1898-1979. . ``He's a very valuable part of what we do.'' Increasingly, that means carrying the Vikings (18-1) when it's needed. Ford takes the most pride in his defense - Kelly calls him the best on-ball defender he's coached - but this year he's added the role of go-to player on offense. In fact, he scored 32 points in the first half last week in a victory over Whittier Christian. The Vikings are seeking a second trip to the Southern Section Div. III-A final, where they lost last year to Verbum Dei of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Campbell Hall returns four of five starters, including Ford. ``I love the pressure of having that kind of responsibility, of the ball being in my hands in big situations,'' Ford said. ``And I also love the fact that the coach has the confidence in me to want the ball in my hands.'' What sets Ford apart from other players who can score is his ability - and willingness - to create points for his teammates by taking advantage of the respect opposing defenders show him. Ford is skillful skill·ful adj. 1. Possessing or exercising skill; expert. See Synonyms at proficient. 2. Characterized by, exhibiting, or requiring skill. at drawing defenders, then finding open teammates for easy shots. ``If they're being aggressive against him, he'll see the double team and find the open man,'' Kelly said. ``If they're not being aggressive, he'll take advantage.'' Ford is such a versatile player, he can play - and defend - both forward spots as well as shooting guard and point guard. ``We can use him so many different ways offensively,'' Kelly said. But ask Ford what he enjoys most and he'll say it's defense, a part of his game he's honed since the beginning stages of his career. ``Up until just recently, that was the biggest part of my game,'' Ford said. ``That's all I did, play defense. It wasn't until I got to high school that I was asked to start shooting the ball more.'' With the improvements Ford is showing offensively, combined with his 3.6 grade-point average, college recruiters are beginning to take notice. He has the current season, a full summer and all of next year to attract more interest, although Ford said he already is starting to get letters from several colleges. ``It's exciting to see the letters coming in and getting phone calls,'' Ford said. ``It's something I'm definitely going to enjoy, because not many people get to experience this. I want to enjoy it.'' Vincent Bonsignore, (818) 713-3612 vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Joe Ford, a junior, takes the most pride in his defense, and he said it wasn't until high school he was asked to shoot more. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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