Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 22, 1992 TAG: 9203220243
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
This PH team has a Group AAA title of its own after rallying in the second half to beat Booker T. Washington 79-71 on Saturday in the boys' state championship game at the University of Virginia's University Hall.
"I was always frustrated by the 1988 team members flashing their state championship rings in my face. By the way, I'm size 9," said PH guard Troy Manns.
It would be hard to pick a PH hero.
Sophomores Curtis Staples and Shannon Taylor got the points that put Booker T. Washington into submission.
And it was 6-foot-2 senior Turk Smith, a part-time player who has never been a prime-time star, who finally ended the Bookers' state title hopes.
With Booker T. Washington pressing the Patriots (27-1), Manns fed Jonas Callis at midcourt, and Callis then swung a long pass to Smith. Smith got a layup and a free throw that gave the Patriots some breathing room with a 72-67 lead with 1:15 left.
"I didn't know Jonas was going to give it to me. The dude [Jeff McLean] hit my right hand, but I'm left-handed, and that's how I made the layup," said Smith.
Smith was in the game because Patrick Henry's Tim Basham, the Patriots' defensive ace, had fouled out trying to stop the Bookers' Michael Evans, who wound up with a game-high 27 points.
As Basham left and Smith came on, the 6-6 junior gave the senior some advice.
"I told Turk to play as well as he could, go all out and get all the rebounds he could," said Basham.
The game, matching one of the state's best players, Evans, against top-ranked PH, lived up to its billing. The Bookers got a first-half lead, then went to a delay game.
The Patriots charged out the second half in a change of defenses and by the end of the third quarter had a six-point lead. In the period, the Patriots hit 12 of 16 shots with Staples getting 11 of his 24 points.
"We came up with some turnovers, and things started going our way," said PH coach Woody Deans, who put more man-to-man defense on the Bookers (25-3).
"I kind of expected their spread game," Deans said. "[Bookers coach] Barry Hamler is a protege of [William Fleming coach] Burrall Paye. They run a lot of the same patterns, and preparing for them was a lot like preparing for Fleming. So when they pulled it out, we did a lot of the things we do against Fleming."
Despite PH's third-quarter surge, Booker T. Washington came back for a 53-53 tie when Evans got a three-point play. But PH took the lead for good 11 seconds later when Taylor, who had 12 last-quarter points, got a layup. Evans missed, and Taylor hit two free throws.
"I really think that we rushed some shots," said Hamler. "We told Mike he didn't have to do it all, but he's that way."
Taylor said he knew he had to "step up" when Manns fouled out. He did.
"I sort of took it on my own that I had get it [the state title] for the seniors. We'll be good next year, but you never know what will happen and if we'll win a title," Taylor said.
Staples and Taylor showed none of the nervousness that was apparent in Friday night's semifinal victory over Highland Springs. Combined, the two hit 16 of 27 shots.
"I felt that after last night, they'd be OK tonight," said Deans. "For Shannon, it was meat and potatoes. We told him don't try to dunk it, use the backboard and finish the play."
Staples, who finally got the dubious honor of guarding Evans, said: "Yesterday, I struggled. There were a lot of butterflies. Tonight I came out and played."
Callis did his usual blue-collar job of getting rebounds, helping to beat the press and scoring inside points. His pass to Smith was his biggest play, but he grabbed six rebounds in the second half when the Patriots took control around the basket.
Said Callis: "We knew at the half we had to play our game. They had played theirs and were cautious. They're a slow-down team.
"So we went man-to-man and crashed the boards because we knew Troy would be breaking. He's faster than anyone [on their team]."
Manns wound up with 10 assists. He and Staples each made a free throw and missed the bonus in the last minute when the Patriots just couldn't put the finishing touches on the Bookers. Taylor did that with a layup and free throw with nine seconds left for an eight-point lead.
"The ball game was a series of runs," said Hamler. "We'd make a run, they'd make a run. Unfortunately, their run was longer than ours.
"Both teams had marquee-type players. There's no doubt they're the best team in the state tonight. Unfortunately, the season is over." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB