AND THEN THERE WERE TWO; PALMA AND WOOLFORK WORKING IN TANDEM.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer First, Park View Intermediate. Then Lancaster High. Zach Woolfork and Lawrence Palma Palma or Palma de Mallorca (päl`mä thā mälyôr`kä), city (1990 pop. 325,120), capital of Majorca island and of Baleares prov., Spain, on the Bay of Palma. have played basketball together for going on six years now. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses, each other's tendencies and habits on the court. ``I consider Zach my right-hand man,'' Palma said. ``I know him like the back of my hand.'' These two old classmates Classmates can refer to either:
``I think it's important for us to do our job (as captains) so we can make sure the younger guys can make this program better when they're seniors,'' Palma said. They've both reached that level together, sometimes manning the backcourt back·court n. 1. Sports a. The part of a court between the service line and the base line in tennis and other net games. b. together and sometimes substituting for each other in games. ``We've spent a lot of time on the basketball court together,'' Woolfork said. ``It just helps a lot to be so familiar with him. We work very well together.'' So well that Palma can almost think a step ahead of Woolfork. ``I understand what he's trying to do,'' Palma said. ``When I can tell what he's going to do with the ball, I can be in position to help him. It's to our advantage that we're so used to each other.'' Woolfork and Palma, part of Lancaster's first senior class, give the still-infant program some hope after a turbulent 1997-98 and the fall transfers of potential starters Brady Chelette, David Walker David Walker may refer to:
Last year's head coach Nathan Gilmore was fired at midseason, and the Eagles went just 6-19 overall, 2-8 and in sixth place in the Golden League. ``It's been really tough. We've had a lot of coaching changes and other problems since we've been here,'' said Woolfork, the Eagles' starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the guard. ``A lot of other programs haven't gone through the changes that we have.'' Travis Brown Travis Brown is a common name shared by multiple people. Some of the more notable Travis Browns include:
See peg. the Eagles. He has a cohesive cohesive, n the capability to cohere or stick together to form a mass. backcourt in Palma and Woolfork to go along with emerging scorer Jared Stott. ``We're trying to build a program, and build a tradition here. These guys are the first to do it,'' Brown said. ``I wish all those (Quartz Hill transfers) the best of luck. . . . Our whole team has a positive attitude. There is a lot of team unity here. ``They would probably tell you (losing the transferred players) is not a big deal.'' Neither Palma or Woolfork seemed to have any concerns about the controversial transfers. Chelette and Walker probably would've been the starting guards at Lancaster this season. However, Brown is perfectly comfortable with the versatile pair he has now. ``Lawrence can get to the ball. Defensively, he's the kind of guard I like to have,'' Brown said. ``And he can shoot.'' Of Woolfork, Brown said: ``He's pretty strong for a point guard. Zach can go out there and get some rebounds for us. . . . He can hit the 3-pointer, too.'' The Eagles lost their first three games but gave a good showing at last weekend's Apple Valley tournament, winning a pair of games and advancing to the championship game. ``Being 0-3, our team morale was pretty low. We came out with some wins and some confidence,'' said Brown, whose Eagles play at Canyon tonight. ``(Woolfork and Palma) need to start the games well and that's how the tournament went for us. They did a good job.'' Well enough for both to land spots on the All-Tournament team. In a 60-52 semifinal victory over the host team, previously unbeaten Apple Valley, Palma led all scorers with 24 points and Woolfork added 11. ``That was great for both of us to get (on the All-Tournament team),'' Palma said. ``We showed what the (Antelope antelope, name applied to a large number of hoofed, ruminant mammals of the cattle family (Bovidae), which also includes the sheep and goats. The North American pronghorn is sometimes called an antelope, but belongs to a separate, related family (Antilocapridae). ) Valley's got.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Zach Woolfork, left, and Lawrence Palma have forged forge 1 n. 1. A furnace or hearth where metals are heated or wrought; a smithy. 2. A workshop where pig iron is transformed into wrought iron. v. a friendship on the court. John Lazar/Daily News |
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