Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 8, 1991                   TAG: 9102080359
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV6   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Ray Cox
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STARTER QUITS PULASKI GIRLS' TEAM; BOYS' COACH LOOKS BACK AT WIN

Robin Dotson, a senior starter for Pulaski County's once-beaten girls' basketball team, has left the team for personal reasons. Dotson was averaging 8.5 points per game. The Cougars' depth does not appear to be overly damaged. Both Becky Smith and Kristie Ratcliffe have been starters this season. . . . Quote of the week comes from Cougars' coach Rod Reedy, on the 52-26 victory over traditional Roanoke Valley District power Cave Spring: "I might be understating it to say that we enjoyed that." . . . The Cougars are almost assured of breaking the school record for victories. Pulaski County was 15-1 after the victory over Cave Spring. The record of 16 wins was set last year. Four regular season games remain before the district tournament.

Proceeds from the basketball game between Shawsville and visiting Rocky Gap Feb. 15 went to benefit Brian Sisson, a former Shawsville player who was injured in a hunting accident. Sisson was paralyzed from the waist down last fall after being shot.

Blacksburg forward Jon Maher's status for tonight's game with Radford remains uncertain. Maher is suffering from the flu and missed this week's game against Pulaski County.

Another Blacksburg casualty, Walter Smith, who had missed several games with a sprained ankle, was back against Pulaski County, although he retired in pain with a little over five minutes left. He appeared to be ready to go back in, but Blacksburg coach Bob Trear held him back. Smith will probably play Friday.

Trear has his fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong. "It's one of those things that if somebody hits it, it's going to hurt."

After the Indians nailed eight 3-pointers in a 75-65 loss to Pulaski County, Trear observed: "I guess a lot of people didn't think we could shoot from outside."

Pulaski County could well have one of the top boys' basketball teams in the Roanoke Valley District next year. Among those who will be back are point guard Kevin Alexander, 3-point threat Chris Burns, post players Chris Foster and Rasheeh Jackson, guard Malcolm Lewis and guard Jammon Payne. Alexander and Burns should be among the league's best long-distance threats; Foster (a 6-foot-5 sophomore) and Jackson ought to be strong inside. The only graduation losses are Perry Beverly and Shawn Burchett.

This is also clearly the golden age of Pulaski County basketball. Never before have the boys and girls been so strong at the same time. Most of the top girls will be back in 1991-92 including leading scorer Terri Garland.