Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 1, 1990 TAG: 9005310357
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Ray Cox
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Indians have an apparently insurmountable lead in the standings for the Central Fidelity Cup, the Virginia High School League's all-sports competition.
"Blacksburg looks pretty darned solid, as solid as can be said now unofficially," said Ken Tilley, the league's public relations man.
Results aren't final yet because softball and baseball playoffs are still under way. Blacksburg, which has 242 1/2 points in cup competition, is done for the year, as is George Wythe, currently in second with 195 points. Salem, which as of Wednesday was still playing softball, was third with 180. If the Spartans win the state, they could finish with 230 points.
Blacksburg has had a run of athletic success this school year not likely to be duplicated any time soon - three state championships and a runner-up finish in a fourth. A whole lot of schools still await their first state title in any sport.
The Indians won titles in football, boys' cross country and girls' track. Had it not been for the incredibly disappointing soccer loss to Chancellor, in which the Chargers' 3-2 edge in penalty kicks won the state when four overtimes failed to resolve a 1-1 tie, Blacksburg, the defending state champ, would have had another state crown.
When a similar deadlock could not be broken in the 1989 NCAA men's championship, co-champions were declared.
Much of Blacksburg's success has to be attributed to the athletes. Football players such as Jerome Trussell, Vinnie Guerra, Mark Mathena, Eddie Sloss, Lloyd Zelazny and associates come along rarely. Ditto for soccer players such as Darren Cross, Jon Bohland, John Cheynet, Andre Pyle and Nathan Warren or runners such as Lee Cross and Jenny Adkisson.
Too, the Indians made a nice run in the Region IV boys basketball tournament behind Jay Purcell, another athlete of rare ability.
Yet something must also said for the preparation that put these athletes in a position to win. For that, the coaches must take a bow. Football coach coach David Crist and staff, track and cross country gurus Susan Earles-Price and Dennis Hinkle, soccer coach Pat Johnson, and basketball boss Bob Trear may do so now.
Finally, there is the intangible. For lack of a better word, call it tradition. State championships in various sports have been coming for years here, and the value of that experience cannot be underestimated.
As an old baseball man once said, to win, you got to believe. At Blacksburg, they believe.
\ Bad news for the newly reorganized Giles County American Legion baseball team - John Hunt won't be available.
Hunt, one of the key figures in the Spartans surprising surge to a second place finish in the New River District this spring (they had been picked for last), tore up cartilage in his right knee and may have to undergo surgery.
\ Little bitty Peterstown (W.Va.) High is at it again.
Peterstown was challenging for another state championship Thursday when it opened play in the final four of the West Virginia baseball tournament. Peterstown was to play Clarksburg-Notre Dame in the Class A semifinals at Watt-Powell Park in Charleston.
Peterstown (16-4) has been beaten only by Greenbrier East, for a while the top AAA team in the state; AAA Princeton, AA Oceana and Tazewell, a Virginia Group AA quarterfinalist.
Key players for Peterstown include Tony Hawks (.487, three home runs, 3-2, 2.70 earned run average), outfielder Richie Miller (.511, 2-0, 4.00 ERA), center field Jeff Moore (.390, 18 stolen bases), shortstop/pitcher Matt Mann (.290, 3-1, 3.40 ERA), infielder/outfielder/pitcher Kerry Stauffer (.350, 2-0, 2.70), left-handed pitcher Jason Buckland (4-1, 2.20).
It's been an amazing year for Peterstown, which was the state runner-up in football, a top-10 team in basketball and in the top-eight all year in baseball.
\ Vinnie Guerra of Blacksburg bench pressed an astonishing 405 pounds for a school record Monday.
Guerra, who is going to walk on and play football for Liberty University next fall, was also the first-place finisher in the Lifting Pounds for Cancer competition at Radford High last month. To do so, Guerra lifted 112 pounds over his body weight.
A large gathering at Blacksburg's weight room witnessed Guerra's record lift this week.
"He put up 400 like it was nothing and 405 just shot up," Blacksburg assistant football coach Vaughn Phipps said. "Most of the time you need a front end loader to pick up that kind of weight."
by CNB