ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 29, 1997 TAG: 9703310135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
It's called ``Original March Madness.''
If you own a satellite dish and subscribe to the various sports channels that are available, you could have seen the Illinois state high school basketball tournament the past two weekends.
It goes by the name ``Original March Madness'' because the Illinois state association is squabbling with the NCAA about who first used the term March Madness. It's really unimportant when one watches what's going on in Illinois, which offers more than a high school state basketball tournament.
Hannah Catherine Allport, the Director of Development for the Virginia High School League, saw part of ``Original March Madness'' in person, hoping to gather a few ideas for promoting the VHSL state tournaments held in Lynchburg.
Allport was at a seminar for different state organizations so they could study the way Illinois does it. On one weekend, the Class A quarterfinals, semis and championship games are held Friday and Saturday. The next weekend, the Class AA teams go through the same ritual.
If you're wondering, teams in the Illinois state tournament play three games in the space of 24 to 30 hours compared to Virginia, which takes two weeks to go through the same process. Yes, it's tiring for the players, but no one seems to mind.
The games are held at the 11,000-seat civic arena in Peoria, Ill. Allport says it's a virtual sellout for all sessions. The girls teams decide their state champions the two weekends before the boys, so it's a four-week process.
It didn't hurt that in the Class AA tournament this past weekend, the semifinals matched the Nos.1 and 3 teams in the USA Today Rankings. But all the other sessions sold out as well.
On television, one can see the excitement oozing from the Illinois tournaments.
``We wanted to look at things like this to make state events more spectacular, not only for the athletes but for the fans,'' said Allport.
The City of Peoria gives the Illinois state association $135,000 for the tournament and sells sponsorships. Sounds like a huge sum, but Allport says Peoria estimates the economic impact of ``Original March Madness'' to be about $4.5 million.
``The state tournament was held at Champaign [the University of Illinois],'' Allport said. ``Everyone told Peoria they'd never get it moved, it's always been at Champaign. Peoria said, `Yes we can.'''
There also is a civic center attached to the arena for interactive games dealing with basketball such as a 3-point area, a dunking area, free throw contests, games with skewed backboards, etc. It's a family experience. Tickets for the interactive games are $2 per person if they have purchased a ticket to the state tournament.
``They also have fireworks,'' said Allport. ``There is a fantastic effort put into it on the part of the city.''
TRIVIA QUESTION: Here's an interesting question from former William Fleming boys' basketball coach Burrall Paye:
Four current head college basketball coaches ended their high school playing careers on the Salem Civic Center floor. Who are they and what was the occasion?
For the answer, see the end of this column.
BIG WINDUP: Former Timesland star Hunter Hoggatt had a big finish for Varina High School, which lost 75-69 in the first round of the Group AAA boys' basketball tournament to eventual champion Hampton.
Hoggatt, who transferred from Staunton River after his junior season, scored 524 points for an 18.7 average in 28 games. He finished his career with 2,073 points. He scored double figures in all but four games this season as he stepped up a notch from the Group AA level, where he was all-state a year ago.
In the state tournament, Hampton assigned Ronald Curry to guard Hoggatt, figuring he was the player to stop to beat Varina. Hoggatt was held to 10 points, having his best moment with a couple of 3-point shots in a brief third-quarter rally.
LOTS OF VICTORIES: When Floyd County won the Group A boys' basketball tournament, it gave coach Alan Cantrell 198 victories as the Buffaloes' boss.
Cantrell, coaching both boys and girls, has a 543-156 record. At 41, if Cantrell keeps the same jobs, and success rate, for another 20 years, he'll be pushing 1,500 victories.
Cantrell has coached girls' basketball at Tazewell, Whitewood and is in his second tenure at Floyd County. His record is 345-78 with two state championships. Floyd County has been his only boys' coaching stop.
TRIVIA ANSWER: The four college head coaches who ended their high school careers on the Salem Civic Center floor are Steve Robinson (Tulsa), George ``Tic'' Price (Memphis), Barry Hamler (Elizabeth City State) and Sherman Dillard, the new coach at James Madison.
They all played in the high school all-star game when that event was held in Salem in the 1970s and played for Paye, who coached the West team.
Dillard (Bassett) and Robinson (William Fleming) were Timesland players while Price (G.W.-Danville) and Hamler (Powell Valley) were not. Dillard (James Madison), Robinson (Radford), Price (Virginia Tech) and Hamler (Clinch Valley) all graduated from Virginia schools.
LENGTH: Medium: 95 linesby CNB