Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 4, 1990 TAG: 9006040117
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Fontaine, then a junior, had little chance to knock off the field that was headed by Lord Botetourt's Gina Hilger, who was named the 1988-89 Timesland athlete of the year.
This spring, Fontaine needed little in the way of introductions. Neither did Bath County's Chris Williams. The two demonstrated their versatility and dominated the state in a couple of sports as they became the fifth recipients of the Timesland boys' and girls' athletes of the year awards.
Williams beat out Bassett quarterback Maurice DeShazo, also a three-sport star who was rated among the state's top five football prospects.
Fontaine headed off a late rush from Salem's Tracy Palmer, who was a three-sport star and Timesland softball player of the year for leading her team to the Group AA semifinals. Jefferson Forest's Angie Dudley, a three-sport star in softball, track and basketball, was the other finalist.
Williams was a notch behind DeShazo, who signed with Virginia Tech, as a football prospect. Williams was rated in the top 25 players of the state by The Roanoke Times & World-News, but he spurned offers by several major schools to sign a baseball grant-in-aid with James Madison University.
His heart always has been in baseball and he was named Timesland player of the year in that sport. Williams was also co-offensive football player of the year in Timesland and in the state (Group A) with younger brother Timmy.
Chris led both of his teams to the Group AA semifinals where the Chargers ran into hurdles even the Williams brothers couldn't clear. Still it didn't diminish Chris Williams' accomplishments as he became the third Group A star to be named athlete of the year. Floyd County's Tim Slaughter was the first winner while Castlewood's Calvin Talford won two years ago.
On the football field, the versatile Williams rushed for 1,788 yards, scored 253 points that included 33 touchdowns and averaged 31.2 yards during the regular season as a return specialist. Timmy Williams ran out of the single wing offense as the speedy backs brought old-time football up to date.
The brothers drew nationwide acclaim and were the subject of an article in Sports Illustrated along with their coach, Carl Williams (no relation), who was battling cancer.
Chris Williams was more outstanding in baseball with a .530 batting average that included 46 RBI, six homers, seven doubles, two triples and 35 stolen bases in 22 games up to the Group A tournament. Williams was a starter on the basketball team, but an injury slowed him much of the year.
Besides his athletic accomplishments, Williams is an exceptional student. He is among the top five students in his graduating class and scored 1,000 on the scholastic aptitude test. He drew attention from Ivy League schools as a possible student-athlete in football.
DeShazo led Bassett to a 10-0 season and the Piedmont District championship. He was also All-Piedmont District in basketball and was on the Bengals' 400-meter relay team that placed fifth in the state.
Fontaine was virtually a hidden talent in volleyball until being named Timesland player of the year in that sport. "She's phenomenal," said Lord Botetourt volleyball coach Chester Adams. "She has power with both hands in spiking. That's a rarity."
Despite this and a scholarship from Radford to play volleyball, Fontaine drew more attention from basketball and track. It was her athletic ability that enabled Wythe to leap the last hurdle and win the Group AA basketball title last fall.
The Maroons were trying to beat archrival and perennial power Radford for the fifth straight time in the championship game. First, Fontaine was fouled with 52 seconds left and she hit both free throws.
Then she turned defensive specialist and forced Radford's Paige Martin, who was Timesland's leading scorer, to take an off-balanced shot.
"I tried to deny her the ball, and if she did get it to yell for help. I just hoped when she shot it wouldn't go in. I didn't think it would," Fontaine said.
On offense, she averaged 11.5 points in the final two games of the Group AA tournament.
As good as that was, Fontaine won this award in track by scoring 32 of her team's 33 points in the Group AA meet. Fontaine placed in five events and won the 300-meter hurdles crown. That led Wythe to a second-place finish as a team in the Group AA meet.
The Wythe star needed a day in track like that to win the award because she was matched against Dudley in most of the events. After that day it was apparent that Fontaine had dominated the Jefferson Forest star.
University of Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan was the main speaker at the banquet, which honored the All-Timesland football and basketball teams as well as athletes and coaches of the year in all other sports.
by CNB