ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 28, 1996 TAG: 9612030008
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: HOLIDAY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: BILL RAY STAFF WRITER
After being a perennial powerhouse in the Old Dominion Association of Church Schools, making numerous trips to state and national tournaments, Gateway Christian Academy will be switching to a new district this season.
"We were traveling three hours on Tuesday nights to play," head Coach Stanley Smith said. "Now the average will be about 11/2 hours."
The new conference, the West Virginia Church School Athletic Conference, previously included only teams from that state. Gateway is its first Virginia member. The change cuts the Crusaders' travel time and allows for more home games.
Despite a small student body of 119 , Gateway has had a strong basketball tradition. Smith attributes the team's success to a commitment to basketbal, the only boys' sport Gateway has.
"We start playing at the start of the school year and the kids seem to take pride in it," Smith said.
Along with a small enrollment, Gateway has other basketball challenges to overcome. For one, the school has never had its own gym. For years, Blacksburg Community Center has been home. The team only practices three hours a week. Smith says plans are finally under way to build a gym at the school.
"Practices are very brief," Smith said. "We drill some and play the junior varsity against the varsity in a 30-minute scrimmage. The kids play together a lot off on their own and that is really important."
Gateway Christian Academy
95-96 record: 9-6 overall
Coach: Stanley Smith, 4th year
Returning starters: Brad Duncan 5-10 Sr., 13 ppg., Alan Surface 5-11 Sr., 12 ppg.
Other key players: Scott Perfater 6-3 Jr., 6 ppg., Chris Gardner 5-10 Jr. 2 ppg.
Outlook: After finishing at the top of the Old Dominion Association of Christian Schools for the past several years, Gateway will be entering a new league for the 1996 season. This season the team will be competing against schools from West Virginia in the West Virginia Christian School Athletic Conference. With a solid foundation, the squad will have to overcome obstacles such as a makeshift practice schedule due to the lack of a school gymnasium.
LENGTH: Short : 49 linesby CNB