Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 15, 1990 TAG: 9005150040
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JEFF MOTLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The senior has gone to the head of the class in baseball and football after spending the two previous seasons watching his teammates from the sidelines.
On the diamond, the left-handed pitcher wasn't used last season because the Cougars had three effective seniors. Powell, a short, stocky and unimposing figure, didn't exactly look like a pitcher. But he worked hard in the off-season on his curveball and his control to prepare for his final season.
"I knew we didn't have anyone coming back, so I worked as hard as I could to make this last year count," Powell says. "Over the summer I threw a lot, especially working on my curveball. I'm not going to throw [the ball] by many people, but if I can set them up with the curve, I might sneak it by on occasion."
Powell heads into the Roanoke Valley District tournament with a 4-2 record. His most impressive statistic is his 34 strikeouts compared with eight walks. Even the games Powell has lost couldn't exactly be blamed on him. He dropped a 5-4 decision to Franklin County on a late error by his teammates. His other loss was to Tazewell, but he carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in that one.
"The key to his game is his control and his curveball," said Freddie Akers, the Cougars' coach. "He can spot his fastball well, too. The difference between Tony and kids that throw hard is that he has to rely on spotting pitches. God-given talent can let you throw hard, but spotting pitches comes through hard work."
Akers, a left-hander with professional experience, is the main reason Powell still is playing baseball.
"Because Coach Akers was a lefty and pitched in the minors, he kept me around," Powell said. "I really think that if I hadn't been a left-hander, then I wouldn't have made the JV team my freshman year. [Akers] has been able to help me because when he demonstrates something it isn't backward."
But when the bats and balls are put away at the end of this season, Powell will pull out the football to prepare himself to kick for Ferrum College.
Powell hit five of 10 field-goal attempts last season, including his last four. But just like in baseball, Powell wasn't taken seriously as a kicker until his senior year.
"Last year, I kicked extra points in the first four games, but once we got into the district schedule, I returned to the sideline," he said of his junior year. "When I get to Ferrum, I think I will start on kickoffs. And as soon as baseball is over I'm going to start practicing my kicking again."
Powell hopes to follow in the footsteps of former Pulaski County kickers Chris Kinzer and Mickey Thomas. Kinzer is a former kicker at Virginia Tech, and Thomas is the current Hokies kicker.
"I have worked with Kinzer some at Mark Moseley's camp," Powell said, referring to a camp run by the former Washington Redskins kicker. "But Mickey is real helpful. We are both straight-on kickers and he has been great."
Even though it is football that is on Powell's mind, the matter at hand right now is baseball. He was shelled Thursday by district regular-season champion Cave Spring, but Powell is hoping to see the Knights again.
"I would just like one more shot at Cave Spring," Powell said. "They tagged me pretty good and playing them again would really fire me up."
Before Powell gets his shot at revenge against the Knights, his club must get past William Fleming in the first round of the tournament. The Cougars, seeded fourth, face the fifth-seeded Colonels tonight at Calfee Park.
The rest of the tournament will be played at Cave Spring High. The Pulaski-William Fleming winner will face the hosts at noon Friday. Second-seeded Patrick Henry will meet Franklin County in the other semifinal. The championship is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday, with Saturday as the rain date.
by CNB