Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 5, 1992 TAG: 9201050021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
TOP OHIO TEAM HAPPY TO HAVE PAIR OF EX-PATRIOTS
If Patrick Henry's boys' basketball team makes the USA Today's Top 25 in the next few weeks, the Patriots might find a couple of buddies waiting for them among the nation's elite high school squads.Firestone High of Akron, Ohio, is listed as one of the teams to watch for in the Top 25 with a 5-0 record. Firestone's success can be traced partially to a pair of former Patriots: twins Troy and Monty Anderson.
The Andersons played for PH the previous two years. Troy Anderson was an All-Timesland choice last winter and the Roanoke Valley District's second-leading scorer with a 16.7-point average.
Listed as seniors in eligibility, the Andersons were juniors at PH. They were ineligible to play in Virginia this year because they turned 18 before Oct. 1.
Patrick Henry sponsored a move to change the Virginia High School League rule last spring since the Andersons missed the eligibility requirement by less than two weeks. That didn't work.
The next move was for PH coach Woody Deans to find another place for the Andersons to play. Deans checked out Fork Union Military, Hargrave Military and Covington Boys Home. None of the schools had scholarship help available.
Then the Andersons told Deans their stepfather lived in Akron.
"I called the Ohio State Athletic Association. I knew the rule was different in some neighboring states," said Deans, who was told the Andersons would be eligible in Ohio.
"I found out which school zone their stepfather lived in and I talked to the coach [Tony Dickens]. I talked to their stepfather. The weekend before school started, they didn't have a way [to Akron], so I drove them up," Deans said, adding that it was 14 hours round trip.
The Falcons had a front line averaging a little taller than 6 feet 6, but Troy provided the answer at guard.
"Troy does a lot of slashing and driving. He's very good on defense," Dickens said.
"I found out about them in late August. I had no idea until I came to school one day at lunch. The kids were talking and said one of them had dunked. That's big news because it was the way he did it. [Troy] dunked on somebody instead of dropping the ball in the basket. . . . That dunk kind of established their reputations."
Troy, a 6-2 guard, is averaging 10 points and two dunks per game, Dickens said. Monty is averaging five points as a reserve.
The Andersons are in some fast company with 6-6 Andre Smith, son of former NBA player Bingo Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 6-6 Kenny Lane, brother of Jerome Lane, who played at the University of Pittsburgh and was released this year by the Denver Nuggets.
The top player on the team is Quinton Brooks, who Dickens says might be the best player in Ohio. Brooks has signed with Michigan State and is an AAU All-American.
"I think they're happy; it's hard to tell because they're so quiet," Dickens said. "But the main goal is to play college basketball and that's what it's all about. Troy will probably get a scholarship if he can [meet Proposition 48 guidelines]. Coach Deans gave me two good players. I'll say that."
\ This will be the first big week of basketball in the Roanoke Valley. Patrick Henry meets Lord Botetourt on Tuesday at the Roanoke Civic Center in a game that appears to match the area's best Group AAA team (PH) against one of the best Group AA squads (Botetourt). Patrick Henry won the first meeting 89-70 a couple of weeks ago.
The Patriots take on archrival William Fleming on Friday at the Roanoke Civic Center. Then comes the Crestar Classic doubleheader on Saturday night at the Roanoke Civic Center, with PH meeting Louisville Male, ranked 25th in USA Today's poll, and Fleming taking on Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley, a perennial power.
Tickets for $4 are available at Crestar banks, Western Sizzlin' steak houses, the civic center and the schools. Tickets will be $5 at the door.
\ The girls' basketball game of the week will send Pulaski County to Cave Spring on Thursday, the first of three Roanoke Valley District games between the two schools.
Cave Spring is 7-0 and Pulaski is 7-1. Both teams made last year's Group AAA Tournament semifinals.
Pulaski County's loss came at James Madison, ranked eighth by USA Today, in the Warhawks' invitational tournament. The Cougars beat Gar-Field, the other Northwestern Region powerhouse, 47-40 in that tournament's semifinals. The Cougars' Terri Garland, an All-Timesland choice last year, was voted most outstanding player of the tournament.
"We had the opportunity to play some very good teams and found a lot about ourselves in the areas we need to improve on," said Pulaski County coach Rod Reedy, whose team lost 69-46 after trailing at the half by nine against James Madison.
"We didn't play badly, but Madison played very well. We had trouble with their pressure. They got right in our face and they're the only team we've played that's been able to do that. But I think we can beat them. We played on even terms with them except for two little stretches."
The Cougars will play twice at Cave Spring this year, a reversal of last year's regular season. The schools met five times last year, including games in the district and regional finals.