Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 19, 1990 TAG: 9004190056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I'd known since about the middle of last season that something was wrong," said Young, who started six games for the Hokies before his football season ended when he broke his right arm against Virginia. "I knew it was a major problem. It just got progressively worse and worse."
Young said his left (throwing) shoulder deteriorated so much that he was incapable of throwing long.
"I didn't want to publicize it during the season," said Young, who underwent surgery last week. "Of course, you don't like to make any excuses, but that's also not the kind of thing you'd want an opponent to know about. It helps a team prepare defensively."
Young, out of Salem High, said he first experienced soreness during spring drills in 1989.
"The coaches knew about it," he said, "and when I was hurting, they just said, `Don't throw.' When Will [Furrer] was hurt, I felt I had to throw every day. But, by the end of the season, I would only practice one day a week. It's something you try to keep hushed-up."
Furrer tore ligaments in his right knee in the fourth game, after which Young assumed the starting role. Young averaged less than 9 yards per completion and had one touchdown pass.
"As a player, you might want to say something," Young said, "but what's best for the team is to keep your mouth shut. At one time, I could throw the ball 65 or 70 yards. Last year, on a good day, I could throw it 45 or 50. When a muscle tears, you lose all strength."
Young underwent an arthroscopic examination last week, at which point Dr. Marc Siegel determined there was sufficient damage to warrant surgery. Another Tech quarterback, Rodd Wooten, had arthroscopic surgery for a less-severe tear of a rotator cuff.
"I think Rodd's injury was fairly similar to mine," Young said. "Had he kept throwing, he may been headed for the same thing. I think he did the correct thing and had it fixed early. I think my injury may have helped the coaches see the red light."
Radford University's basketball program has gone international in its recruiting and is hoping for a commitment from 6-foot-9 Dragan Skoko of Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The Highlanders, who have not signed anybody this year and have only eight returning players on scholarship, also are on the trail of 6-2 Marcus Owens of York, Pa., and Fishburne Military Academy in Waynesboro.
Louisville was successful in reversing a ruling that would have prohibited star basketball recruit Dwane Morton from playing for the Cardinals. The NCAA had declared Morton ineligible to play for Louisville because coach Denny Crum met with Morton's mother during a recruiting "dead" period.
In announcing its original decision, the NCAA said Louisville had gained an unfair recruiting advantage because of the contact. However, Louisville was able to prove Morton had committed to the Cardinals as a junior, despite comments to the contrary by Morton's coach and Kentucky coach Rick Pitino.
Herbert Jones, the Kansas junior-college basketball player of the year, has signed a letter-of-intent with Cincinnati. Jones, a 6-4 forward, scored 1,664 points in two years at Butler (Kan.) Community College. "He legitimately is one of the top three or four junior-college players in the country, and in some people's minds, he's the best," said Bob Huggins, the Bearcats' coach.
Regular-season ACC basketball champion Clemson has signed four players in the past week, including Los Angeles player of the year Tyrone Paul. The 6-5 swingman is from Morningside High in Inglewood, Calif., the same school that produced Tigers' All-ACC choice Elden Campbell and Byron Scott of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.
Clemson's other spring signees are 6-3 Eric Burks from Atlanta, 6-2 Andre Bovain from Columbia, S.C., and 6-2 Willie Shears from Marion, Ala. Six of Clemson's seven signees averaged more than 20 points and five scored more than 23 points per game.
Garfield Smith, a 6-7 forward from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, has signed with Maryland despite the prospect of spending his entire Division I career on probation because of NCAA sanctions against the Terps' basketball program. . . . One-time Clemson signee David Johanning, who played ahead of Virginia Tech basketball signee Erik Wilson at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, has signed with Kansas. . . . Al Grant, a 6-5 forward from Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., has signed with Old Dominion. Freshman Sonique Nixon has left the Monarchs' basketball team.
Kerrell Bryant, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound running back from Highland Springs, has signed a letter-of-intent to play football for VMI.
Virginia lacrosse player Andy Kraus, the Division I midfielder of the year in 1988, has not played all season after undergoing knee surgery. Most likely he will be redshirted. . . . Washington and Lee's Chris Mastrogiovanni, who scored seven goals last season, has 33 goals after 10 lacrosse games this year. . . . VMI's Tim Nolan has scored 16 goals in the past three games as the Keydets have improved their record from 2-4 to 5-4. Nolan has 29 goals for the season.
Michelle Collins, who last week signed a letter-of-intent to play softball for Virginia, was 17-0 and did not allow an earned run for Surrattsville (Md.) High School in 1989. Collins had 52 strikeouts in one game, a 23-inning state semifinal contest. "Michelle is regarded as the nation's top pitcher," said Terry DeTuro, UVa's coach.
by CNB