Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 26, 1990 TAG: 9005260053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When the the Chargers invade Blacksburg today at 7 p.m. for the Group AA championship game, they will bring 24 of the 28 players they had while losing 1-0 in double overtime to Tabb in last year's semifinal round.
Nine of the 11 starters from that team are back.
"You might say that's been a motivating factor - for us to get that close only to lose in the last minute," said Mike Webb, coach of the Fredericksburg school.
Blacksburg went on to beat Tabb, winning the first state soccer championship awarded in Group AA.
Scouting budgets for high school soccer teams being what they are, that's about all Webb knows about the Indians.
"I ran into [Webb] at a coaching clinic last year, and he told me that he saw us play at Tabb," said Pat Johnson, Blacksburg's coach. "He told me then that we have very similar ballclubs."
One similarity is their success. Chancellor is 16-1, with the loss coming to Group AAA Monacan. Blacksburg is 15-0-1, with the tie coming against Group AAA Cave Spring.
The Chargers have a 12-game winning streak; Blacksburg is working on a 21-game unbeaten string.
Chancellor, a school open for only two years, has a team that has been virtually intact for three years.
"This team was together when we were still over at Courtland [from which Chancellor split after the 1987-88 school year] and it was successful at the AAA level," Webb said. "Soccer around here is a whole lot better at that level than AA."
Chancellor's primary scoring threats have been strikers Jeff Hopkins (38 goals, eight assists) and Neil Collins (nine goals, 26 assists). Both are seniors with futures in college soccer, Hopkins at Christopher Newport and Collins apparently at Indiana (Pa.) University.
Defensively, the Chargers have a stout back line anchored by fullbacks Donnie Hart and Ryan Early, both all-state selections a year ago.
Goalkeeper Mark Thorburn has 10 shutouts, the most recent of which was a 7-0 demolition of York in the semifinal round.
Chancellor has outscored the opposition 103-7.
"We'll be losing nine starters, and even though we expect to be pretty good next year because our talent pool is so strong, we don't expect to be coming this way again real soon," Webb said. "You have to make the most of your chance when you can get it."
Blacksburg is coming off back-to-back shutouts of Virginia High in the Region IV title game and William Byrd in a semifinal. Goalkeeper Eric Baumgartner has 10 shutouts and Nathan Warren has a school-record 21 goals.
"We're just telling the players to go out there and have a good time," Johnson said. "When you're having a good time, that generally means winning." We're just telling the players to go out there and have a good time. When you're having a good time, that generally means winning. Pat Johnson Blacksburg soccer coach
by CNB