Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 10, 1993 TAG: 9301100036
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
ALLEGHANY PROGRAM SHOWS NET GAIN
The Blue Ridge District basketball race gets under way this week when Salem takes on Alleghany, William Byrd plays Northside and Rockbridge County meets Lord Botetourt on Friday.The question is who will challenge Northside's dominance. It's probably a three-team answer: Alleghany, Salem and William Byrd.
Alleghany seems to be ahead, however, even though Salem was unbeaten going into Saturday's contest against North Cross.
The Mountaineers (8-0) haven't played quite as tough a schedule as Salem, but they've shown off two of Timesland's better performers - 6-foot-4 junior Todd Wheatley and guard Michael Hunter, the district's second-leading scorer with a 20.4 average.
Alleghany dominated the Blue Ridge District until Northside took over the past three years, and there has been a strong challenge from Lord Botetourt. This Alleghany team is different, though.
"We didn't run last year," Alleghany coach Jimmy Smith said. "We went to summer camp and I saw some things we needed to do. One of the things we needed to do was move Hunter from wing to guard."
Alleghany was at its peak under Smith when the team reached the state tournament in 1987 and 1988 behind big men Sam Cook and Todd Cauthorn.
"But this is the first time we've ever run like this," said Smith, whose 1992 team went 11-11 and really didn't challenge Northside and Lord Botetourt in the race for the top. "Wheatley makes a good outlet pass, but I've always thought he was a good passer."
Hunter likes that since he's down the court in a flash for layup after layup.
"The running game is the difference. It kind of gets the crowd into it, and we play better when the crowd is in the game," said the senior guard.
Hunter isn't surprised by the early success.
"We did well at all the camps we went too," he said. "The thing is we have a lot of pressure on the seniors because we want to play with Northside. The seniors have to turn it around."
Wheatley says getting the ball to everyone gives the Mountaineers a better chance to win. He, Hunter and Shawn Allen are the leaders.
Wheatley also is an outstanding football player, who has received letters from North Carolina and Penn State. At 240 pounds during the season, he has the build to be a good college lineman.
"I enjoy playing both sports. At first, I figured I was a basketball player. Then football came along. I play both of them for fun and I hope to get my college education out of one of them, though I'm not banking on it," he said.
Smith says there is another difference in his philosophy.
"We're playing better defense, and I think Northside changed that. We played good defense before, but maybe not as good. The reason Northside has been successful is their defense," he said.
"I never stressed defense. Now I know when we get into the district, we can have a bad game offensively and we can fall back on our defense."
The Blue Ridge has changed since 1988. Staunton River, never a strong team in the 1980s, went to the Seminole District. Salem and Northside came in from the Roanoke Valley District.
"Now Salem, Northside and Byrd can all beat you," Smith said. "It used to be just Lord Botetourt and Byrd would have a couple of decent teams. But you didn't have to go out and play strong competition every night."
\ DEJA VU: Don't look now, but William Byrd must have had a feeling it had been there before when it lost 80-76 to Fieldale-Collinsville in triple overtime Wednesday night on the Cavaliers' floor. Exactly 363 days before that game, the Terriers lost to Fieldale-Collinsville 69-68 in triple overtime. It was just as close between the teams when they played in Collinsville during the 1990-91 season; the Cavaliers survived Byrd 66-63 in regulation.
"It was like last year," Byrd coach Paul Barnard said. "They hit a shot at the end of regulation and the first overtime to tie. Then they hit a difficult shot at the end of second overtime for another tie.
"At the end, I felt as if I had seen this game somewhere before. But they missed some shots and we had our chances."
\ STRONG CRESTAR: The Crestar Basketball Classic put on by Patrick Henry High School on Jan. 23 at the Roanoke Civic Center has a strong field, though there might be some mismatches. Oak Hill, the nation's third-ranked team according to USA Today, takes on William Fleming in the middle of the three games. After that, Patrick Henry tackles Washington Dunbar, rated ninth nationally. In the first game, Cave Spring plays Logan, W.Va., which was once-beaten starting this past week. Needless to say, the three Roanoke Valley District teams will be underdogs.
\ NOT A FORFEIT: You might have noticed in the first Timesland rankings that Laurel Park was credited with a loss. Then the Lancers had the loss taken away from their record in games played this week.
When Laurel Park was unable to get to Bristol for the first night of a tournament because of inclement weather conditions, Virginia High tournament director Mike Cartolaro ruled that William Fleming was a winner by forfeit.
However, there is a Virginia High School League rule that applies to cases in which weather prevents a team from making a game. Cartolaro ruled the game a "no contest," in effect giving Fleming a first-round bye and placing Laurel Park in the losers' bracket.
In the end, Fleming also was docked a victory.