Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 12, 1990 TAG: 9004110310
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Ray Cox
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Things are so serious that Radford and Blacksburg have had to call in the heavy hitters, the big kahunas, to direct their teams.
Radford's Norman Lineburg and Blacksburg's David Crist have come out of spring retirement to toot whistles, punch stopwatches and rake landing pits.
Lineburg, who hasn't coached track since 1986, downplays talk of rivalry. Remember, these are the two most experienced football coaches in a shrinking league, and they preside over the district's greatest surviving rivalry.
Lineburg said there's a different atmosphere associated with track.
"In football, when you line up on Friday night, it's almost like a war," he said. "In track, coaches stand together and pull for each other's kids. You cheer not only for a great performance, but for any performance. . . ."
Crist has had to be reintroduced to the sport. He hadn't coached track since 1976. "I'd forgotten a lot of little things," he said. "I had to talk a lot to people and read some books. It's coming back."
Crist is coaching the boys, with Susan Price directing the girls. Crist came forward when a replacement for Rob Lockhart couldn't be found. Lockhart resigned after two years to spend more time with his family.
"Track has been very good here under [former coaches] Dave Davis, David Rinker, Pat Henner and Rob, and I don't want to see it fall down," Crist said. "I don't know if I'll do as well as they did. We'll just have to wait and see."
Crist and Lineburg both will have plenty of help. At Blacksburg, Dennis Hinkle will help with the distance runners and Tommy Oliver with the weight events. Crist will concentrate on sprints, hurdles and the jumping events.
At Radford, the approach is coaching by committee. Lineburg, Tony DeHart and Margaret Hrezo will be doing a little bit of everything. Nick Pappas works almost exclusively with the weight throwers.
"It's enjoyable," Lineburg said.
"The competition is fine," Crist said, "but the paper work piles up."
\ Shawsville may be a much greater force in Mountain Empire District baseball this season.
One of the reasons is the Lovern brothers, Tony and Danny. "Nobody can get them out," said Billy Wells, the Shawnees' coach.
The Loverns reached base a combined 18 of 20 times in Shawsville's first five games.
Tony, a senior, is 9-for-12 (.750), and Danny, a sophomore, is 8-for-11 (.727). Each has scored seven runs and they have combined to drive in 17 runs.
One beneficiary of their production has been sophomore Scott Phillps, who bats seventh. Phillips has 14 RBI. He has has had a chance to advance 31 runners and has moved 23 (74 percent).
Robert Ryan, another sophomore, has had the opportunity to advance 30 runners and moved 23 (77 percent). That's not even the best percentage on the team. Danny Lovern has advanced 18 of 21 runners (86 percent).
"Incredible," Wells said.
Five of the Shawnees' top seven hitters have been reached base more than 60 percent of the time.
\ Narrows coach Rick Franklin took a gamble when tried inexperienced junior Tony Boggess at catcher. Early indications are that Franklin's faith will be rewarded.
"I've been very, very impressed with Tony's catching," Franklin said. "He's handled the pitchers well with setup and location. He's only had four passed balls in three games, which some coaches would not be happy with, but for me, with his level of experience, I consider that remarkable."
Franklin is greatly relieved. Why? If the experiment with Boggess had failed, then sophomore whiz Rodney Perdue would have had to move behind the plate from center field. Sophomore Perdue is the fastest youngster in the school - "The fastest kid I've been associated with as a coach," Franklin said.
Coaches like to put such players in center field, where they can run down anything hit beyond the infield. They don't belong behind the plate, weighted down with a catcher's armor.
"But if speed wasn't a factor, Perdue would be back there no questions asked," Franklin said. ". . . Nothing gets past him."
Shawsville's Wells, who saw Perdue as a pinch runner last year, had this to say when told Perdue was a potential catcher: `That kid could drop a third strike and then run down the runner and tag him out before he got to first."
More good news for Narrows is the play of shortstop Jon Bowman. A three-year starter who had never batted higher than .220, Bowman went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a solo home run and three runs scored in a recent rout of Galax.
by CNB