BOYS' BASKETBALL: DALLAS RETURNS FROM BREAK CAMPBELL HALL TRANSFER BACK FROM KNEE INJURY.Byline: GERRY Ger·ry , Elbridge 1744-1814. American politician. A signer of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and a delegate to the Continental Congress (1787), he served as governor of Massachusetts (1810-1811) and as Vice President of the United States GITTELSON Staff Writer Dallas Rutherford Rutherford (rŭth`ərfərd), borough (1990 pop. 17,790), Bergen co., NE N.J., a residential suburb of the New York City–N New Jersey metropolitan area; inc. 1881. Several pre-Revolutionary houses remain there. isn't shy about explaining why he transferred from tiny Hillcrest hill·crest n. The summit line of a hill. Christian High of Granada Hills to play basketball at high- powered Campbell Hall Campbell Hall can refer to:
``I wanted to play against the best competition, day in and day out Adv. 1. day in and day out - without respite; "he plays chess day in and day out" all the time ,'' he said. ``That's why I came here -- to play against the best teams in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and the best in California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). . I'm comfortable here.'' No complaints from Campbell Hall. The defending Southern Section Div. IV-AA finalist Vikings were good before, but they're better with Rutherford, a 6-foot-3 junior who averaged 22.2 points at Hillcrest Christian last season. But the transition hasn't been perfectly smooth because of a recurring re·cur intr.v. re·curred, re·cur·ring, re·curs 1. To happen, come up, or show up again or repeatedly. 2. To return to one's attention or memory. 3. To return in thought or discourse. injury that kept Rutherford sidelined for seven weeks. At first, the knee injury was misdiagnosed and it took three doctors to figure out it was a broken knee cap. There was no choice but to rest it for nearly two months. ``It was the longest seven weeks of my life,'' said Rutherford, who has returned after averaging 16.5 points in two opening games before taking the rest. ``Now that I'm back, it feels good to have everything back to normal. Sitting on the bench kind of gave me a different perspective, and in some ways I think that was good for me.'' It's been a week since his return, and Rutherford is finding his groove. He scored seven points in 14 minutes Tuesday against Calvary Chapel Calvary Chapel is a non-denominational, Protestant fellowship of churches which began in 1965 in Southern California. The term "fellowship of churches" is used in contrast to a denomination. , and with four games remaining he should be at full strength for the Vikings (20-1) once the playoffs begin. ``He's a good player, a good shooter who's also good on defense,'' teammate Justin Holiday said. ``He gets a lot of steals on defense, and that helps a lot because we're a fast-break team, and we like to run.'' It's helped that Rutherford played summer ball with Justin and his brother Jrue, two of Campbell Hall's top players. Rutherford was so eager to join Campbell Hall's team that his family changed residences so he would be eligible immediately instead of having to sit out a year because of transfer restrictions. Campbell Hall coach Terry Kelly said he loves having another scoring threat who also has a firm grasp of team concepts. The coach is even more pleased about Rutherford's natural court sense -- instincts that go beyond scoring, rebounding and passing. ``Dallas is definitely another offensive threat for us but what I really like is he's a very heady head·y adj. head·i·er, head·i·est 1. a. Intoxicating or stupefying: heady liqueur. b. player,'' Kelly said. ``He's got a good working knowledge of the game, and that's what impresses me the most about him. He's crafty and sly and just has a knack for basketball.'' Rutherford has also blended in academically and socially, and that's important. ``The only thing left is to figure out exactly how Dallas fits into our rotation,'' Kelly said. ``But I've already seen enough to know he's a Division I prospect without doubt. Some Pac-10 schools are already looking at him. ``When he was hurt, you could tell he just wasn't the same guy, so we're really excited to have him back.'' gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com (661) 257-5218 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Campbell Hall's Dallas Rutherford is back on the court after recovering from a broken knee cap. Rutherford sat out for seven weeks because of the injury after transferring to the school. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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