Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 27, 1990 TAG: 9004270228
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jefferson Forest announced Thursday that Hawley, who still teaches at Heritage, would replace Ray Davidson, who resigned last month. The Bedford County School Board was expected to approve Hawley's hiring Thursday night.
Hawley was the only candidate being mentioned for the job as far back as early March. Jefferson Forest athletic director Larry Beer said there were about a dozen applicants for the position, but during the state basketball tournament, sources indicated that Hawley had the inside track.
Hawley coached at Altavista from 1968 through 1976, when he left to become the first basketball coach at the new Heritage High in Lynchburg. Hawley retired from coaching after the the 1986 season.
Why did Hawley, 45, decide to return to coaching?
"First, I missed the development that you encounter as a coach with the kids," he said. "Even though I feel like I've become a much better teacher, the classroom doesn't give you the fulfillment you get when you're coaching kids.
"Two, the people at Jefferson Forest felt I could contribute to their program. It was nice to be wanted. That had a lot to do with it.
"I'm taking a pay cut, but I've never been in coaching or teaching for the pay."
Hawley's teams at Altavista and Heritage played in state championship games. His 1969 Altavista team lost to Suffolk in the Group AA title game one day after snapping Luray's 69-game winning streak in the semifinals.
His final Heritage team lost to James Robinson in the Group AAA final.
As for his career record, Hawley doesn't have the numbers.
"I don't keep records," he said. "Bob Davis [who coached] at Georgetown, Ky., said it's easy to measure a person when they're on top. But you find out the true merit of somebody when they've been kicked a few times and you see how they get up."
Hawley's first task will be to rebuild Jefferson Forest, which did not win a game during the 1989-90 season. While teaching at Heritage, he has lived in Forest, so he has natural ties to the Bedford County school.
In other high school sports Thursday:
\ BASEBALL: Grayson County took advantage of six Auburn errors to beat the Eagles 14-4, the Blue Devils' 10th straight win. The game was called after five innings because of the 10-run rule. Grayson is 5-0 in the Mount Empire District and 10-2 overall. Auburn's record was unavailable.
At William Fleming, Cris Coffey was 2-for-4 and and drove in two runs to lead William Fleming past Staunton River 3-1.
At Pearisburg, Giles' Stacy Hutchison scored on Harvey Marshall's wild pitch with two out in the bottom of the seventh to give the Spartans an 18-17 win over Floyd County. For Giles (8-3 overall), John Hunt had three hits, including two two-run homers, and Jared Wilburn had three hits, two RBI and picked up the win in relief.
\ SOFTBALL: At Hillsville, Carroll County scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to rally past Galax 9-8 in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, Christi Hill went 3-for-4 and Alice Edwards was 3-for-3 to lead the Cavaliers past the Maroon Tide 13-5.
\ GIRLS' TENNIS: Blacksburg's girls tennis team whipped Christiansburg 9-0, giving the Indians the New River District championship for the first time in 11 years. Blacksburg (5-0 in the district, 11-1 overall) broke Radford's 10-year hold on the league title.
\ BOYS' SOCCER: At Rocky Mount, Jay Higginbotham scored three goals and Lewyn Poage had two assists as Franklin County blanked William Fleming 4-0 in the Roanoke Valley District. Stevie Reynolds made three saves en route to the shutout for the Eagles (4-2, 7-3).
At Blacksburg, goalie Eric Baumgartner recorded his seventh shutout this year as the Indians blanked Radford 6-0. Six different players scored for Blacksburg (12-0).
by CNB