Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 20, 1992 TAG: 9203200240
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Even though Highland Springs plays top-ranked Patrick Henry in the Group AAA basketball tournament, Lancaster is bound to be more relaxed than he was a week ago.
Patrick Henry meets Highland Springs tonight at 7 in a semifinal game. It could be the end of a great day for Timesland, which has three teams trying to make state championship games.
The other two Timesland teams are in Group AA with Laurel Park meeting Nansemond River at 1 p.m. before Northside battles Matoaca at 2:45 p.m.
Patrick Henry routed Chantilly 83-56 in a first-round game, but the Springers aren't likely to capitulate that easily. Highland Springs beat Kecoughtan twice, a team that whipped highly regarded Booker T. Washington.
The Springers' toughest day of the season was last Saturday. Or rather it was tough for Lancaster.
"It was a glorious day. My oldest daughter [Kara] got married at 4. I had driven the school bus and taken the kids down to Portsmouth around 9 that morning and checked into a hotel for our first-round game [against Kecoughtan]," said Lancaster.
The Springers were supposed to work out at a school gym, but when one wasn't available, they found an outdoor playground and walked through their game routine.
Then Lancaster drove back to Richmond. "I arrived around five-to-4, gave my daughter away around 4:35, sat down five minutes and watched them take their vows. Before they were finished, I was out and gone. My cousin drove me three blocks where I got a chopper [helicopter]. By 5:30 p.m. I was back at Churchland."
That was the site of Highland Springs' game with Kecoughtan and the Springers won 65-63. So it'll be nothing to take on No. 1 Patrick Henry, which is favored to win the state.
"I don't feel any pressure," said PH coach Woody Deans. "This is the fun time of the year. I'm sure our ranking gets our opponents fired up a little more."
Deans is wary of Highland Springs, which is led by 6-foot-1 guard Jafonde Williams (21.7 ppg.) and 6-3 1/2 forward Melvin Jones (18.3 ppg.).
"It'll take two halves of the way we played the first half against Chantilly for us to win," said Deans. "The blow-out times are over. All the games left will be tough."
Patrick Henry has played for two weeks like a team with a mission, especially 6-6 junior Timmy Basham.
"Our team has a goal in mind," said Deans. "We've taken each game seriously toward the end of the year. Timmy plays well at tournament time and in big games. He's just been highly motivated for each game and he's taken a lot of pride in his defense because he's played some very good players."
Northside meets Matoaca for the second straight year . Last season, the Vikings got off to a hot start before the Warriors' press forced turnovers and Matoaca took control for a 75-68 victory.
"Right off the bat, we know them better. They have four starters back, so it's not like they have different personalities," said Northside coach Billy Pope.
"I think last year they surprised us with their pressure defense," said Northside guard Matt Hill. "We should have been able to handle it.
"I think this game will come down to defense like it has for us all year long. We know they play exceptional defense. And defense is the way we beat Laurel Park."
The No. 1-ranked Lancers, after their loss to Northside in the Region III championship game, earned a berth in the Group AA semifinals by beating Virginia High 70-56.
Now Laurel Park takes on a Nansemond River team that is both big and talented.
This weekend will be the end of the line for 1990 Group AA and Timesland player of the year Odell Hodge, the all-time VHSL state career scoring record with 2,492 points.
"We're trying to put that in the back of our minds and not mentioning it," said Laurel Park coach Frank Scott. "He's probably thinking about it.
"So we want to go out and enjoy these last two games. We want to accomplish our goal of winning a state championship. We're where we wanted to be, even if we slipped [lost] a couple of times. We've had a great year, so we'll not let anything dampen us."
Nansemond River is led by 6-4 1/2 Derrick Bryant (22.1 ppg., 12.3 rpg), who transferred from Lakeland. It is a tall team with several players in the 6-4 to 6-6 range. The school has been open two years and has all the returning players from last year's team plus Bryant.
Bryant was a next-door neighbor of Nansemond River coach Spencer Mayfield before making the move from Lakeland's school zone.
by CNB