Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 31, 1990 TAG: 9003310135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
As in the past, the games will be shown at 10 p.m. on Fridays, meaning there will be a two-hour delay between the kickoff and the start of the telecast.
Dave Ross, sports director for WJPR and the play-by-play man for the games, said the station's policy of televising as many area high schools as possible will be scrapped this year.
"Now that we've done this four years, we've had most every school in the area on at least one time," he said. "Now what we need to do is get the best possible games on the air. That's where the interest will be. It won't be just doing a game because it covers two areas [that receive WJPR]."
The schedule opens with Patrick Henry facing William Fleming at Victory Stadium on Aug. 31 and continues with Salem meeting Blacksburg the following week. Both games are attractive matchups.
The PH-Fleming game will be the debut of Patriots coach Ed Scott, while Fleming is expected to have one of Timesland's stronger teams.
The Salem-Blacksburg contest is a rematch of Group AA semifinalists who are expected to be strong again. The Spartans might be the preseason favorites to win the state title.
Another change also figures to make the schedule more appealing to fans. For the first time, WJPR will have two dates, Sept. 28 and Oct. 19, designated for wild-card games.
"We'll pick a game between whatever schools are going real well at that particular time," Ross said. "As long as we let the schools know a week in advance [the Monday before the Friday game], we never have any problem.
"We've found in the past we've missed some good games because we're locked in [to others]. For example, last year, the Salem-Graham game would have been a good one to do."
That game matched an unbeaten Graham team that had not given up a point against an unbeaten Salem squad. The contest, played in mild weather, drew a standing-room only crowd at Salem.
Another enticing game on this year's schedule is the renewal of the Salem-Pulaski County series after a two-year hiatus. That contest will air Oct. 12.
Two years ago, Pulaski County lost at Salem and Cougars coach Joel Hicks announced his retirement the next day. Hicks changed his mind after the season and still is going strong at Pulaski County.
Though Salem is now in Group AA while Pulaski County is in Group AAA, the game matches the two Timesland schools with arguably the most rabid fans.
Don Lee will return as color announcer for the series. As in the past, WJPR will also carry some state playoff games, Ross said.
The complete schedule:
Aug. 31, Patrick Henry vs. William Fleming at Victory Stadium; Sept. 7, Blacksburg at Salem; Sept. 14, Pulaski County at Heritage; Sept. 21, Cave Spring at E.C. Glass; Sept. 28, wild-card game; Oct. 5, Alleghany at Northside; Oct. 12, Pulaski County at Salem; Oct. 19, wild-card game; Oct. 26, Patrick Henry at Franklin County; Nov. 2, Rustburg at Brookville; Nov. 9, E.C. Glass vs. Heritage at City Stadium in Lynchburg.
For the second time this winter, the New River District nearly lost a football coach.
Christiansburg's Mike Cole was a finalist for the Rustburg job, which went to Paul Wheeler of Virginia High. Wheeler was head coach at George Wythe in 1982-83.
"The only thing that really made me even consider applying for it is that I think all coaches owe it to themselves to look, because you never know what kind of a situation is out there until you do look," Cole said.
Blacksburg's Dave Crist, whose team won the Group AA Division 4 championship in 1989, was a finalist for the Brookville job that went to Alleghany's Kenny Higgins.
Cole looked at the Rustburg job for security as much as anything. He is tenured in the Montgomery County school system, but had attendance dropped, Cole still could have lost his job to other teachers with more seniority. Also, Campbell County schools may have a higher pay scale.
While no Timesland coach won a state basketball championship this year, at least one former Roanoke resident was involved in a title.
Ex-Andrew Lewis High star Charlie Morgan, brother of former University of Virginia standout Richard Morgan of Salem, was an assistant coach on the Johnson City Science Hill team that won the AAA title in Tennessee.
The Hilltoppers went 37-1, with their only loss coming against John Marshall of Richmond in the Arby's Classic in Bristol, Tenn.
If the Salem Civic Center is awarded the ACC women's basketball tournament in 1992, the Roanoke Valley and Blue Ridge districts will have to conclude their tournaments one night earlier than usual.
The RVD often had a conflict with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference until a solution was reached several years ago that permitted the high school finals to be held Saturday night. The ODAC first went to Sunday for its finals, then shifted to Saturday afternoon.
If the ACC women also play in Salem, the high schools would play the first round Monday, the semifinals two of the next three nights and three championship games on Friday.
by CNB