Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 1, 1992 TAG: 9203010213
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bob Teitlebaum
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Not many realize that Northside basically has done the same thing in basketball.
Going into Saturday night's championship game of the Blue Ridge District boys' basketball tournament at the Salem Civic Center, the Vikings had a 40-6 record against district opponents.
The only district tournament game the Vikings lost in that span was to Lord Botetourt in the first year. Northside already had beaten the Cavaliers two out of three games to take the regular-season championship.
Northside has won three regular-season titles. The Vikings finished second to William Byrd in 1990 but went on to beat Byrd in the district tournament title game.
Only Lord Botetourt and William Byrd own more than one victory against the Vikings. Salem has never beaten Northside in basketball since the teams moved to the Blue Ridge District. Northside hasn't lost a Blue Ridge district game by more than seven points and has won 13 by that margin or less.
Northside coach Billy Pope credits the players for the record. You would expect the coach to say that, but as the stars graduate, the Vikings reload and keep shooting down Blue Ridge teams.
"Looking back at the early years, we've always been competitive. Even in the Roanoke Valley District," said Pope. "Then when Jimmy Allen, Derek Elmore and Neil Burke became seniors, it seemed they had worked hard to get to that point and it [the first season in the Blue Ridge] was a big year for us. They won a lot of close games, and it seemed to give the program a lot of confidence."
Allen and Elmore, now playing for Emory & Henry, and Burke, with Bridgewater, were in Salem this weekend to close out their junior years in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament. Those three played in the ODAC semifinals - E&H eliminated Bridgewater 72-61 - on Saturday a few hours before Northside went after another Blue Ridge District tournament title.
There's more to the Northside success than players or coaching strategy. Pope's philosophy probably is the key.
He demonstrated that this year when a disagreement between him and returning All-Group AA performer John Baker caused the star to leave the team.
Pope won't talk about the incident, but the message was clear: Every player, no matter how good he is, must do it the coach's way. After Baker quit, Northside went on to a 17-4 record and the regular-season title.
Pope gives everyone a chance. He plays a lot of players and expects a lot.
"We just keep trying to have an open mind, see who is getting the job done in practice," said Pope.
At the beginning of February, Pope promoted Nathan Hungate off the junior varsity. Now the sophomore is one of the Vikings' key players.
Pope doesn't mind having a star player. Last year's team had Baker and went to the Group AA tournament. This team has no one who stands out like that.
Ed Culicerto, the varsity assistant, works with the second unit sometimes while Pope works with the starters.
"Yet he's doing the same thing as I do with the first group, and he expects the same kind of effort," said Pope. "Those kind of expectations push guys to get better."
\ On the Timesland coaching trail:
Carroll County head football coach Mike Scharnus and Jefferson Forest assistant John Caltagirone will fill vacancies at two Bedford County schools. Scharnus is heading for Liberty High School, and Caltagirone, who has a doctorate and teaches at Liberty University, will move to Staunton River.
Staunton River and Liberty High School officials would say only that there will be a press release after the March 12 Bedford County school board meeting.
Scharnus will be stepping in for Rick Falls after spending five years at Carroll County, where he had a 20-20 record and got the Cavaliers into the Group AA playoffs in 1989 and 1990.
Caltagirone, who replaces Ronnie Turner, coached running backs, defensive backs and special teams for two years at Jefferson Forest. Turner will be the full-time athletic director for Staunton River.
Bayside coach Bill King, an applicant for the Franklin County and Cave Spring head coaching jobs, has removed his name from the Eagles' list.
"I just felt that I needed to put all my time and effort in the Cave Spring job," said King.
\ Every year, there's a rumor that Cave Spring's All-Timesland football twins, Tiki and Ronde Barber, are going to transfer.
After their sophomore year, the Barbers were supposed to go to Salem, and this year the rumor has it that they are going to E.C. Glass to live with an uncle in Lynchburg.
"I heard that, but it's not true," said Tiki Barber. "We have no relative over there."
by CNB