Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301240013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bob Teitlebaum
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
UNBEATEN LANCERS SEASON'S SURPRISE
When Odell Hodge finished his career at Laurel Park last winter, everybody figured the Lancers would re-assume their spot among the Piedmont District's good teams and no longer be mistaken for a state power.Some said Fieldale-Collinsville would be the team to beat this season. Others figured Martinsville would move back to the top. A veteran Magna Vista team that finished third last year was supposed to be the district favorite. Tunstall, with outstanding sophomore Khris Law now a junior, returned a good part of its team.
How wrong people were.
With not quite a month left in the regular season, Laurel Park (13-0) is the only unbeaten team in Timesland boys' basketball and owns a two-game lead in the loss column over Martinsville in the Piedmont District race.
The biggest surprise is that when Spotswood knocked off R.E. Lee-Staunton last week, Laurel Park was voted the state's No. 1 Group AA team by The Associated Press. The Lancers were No. 1 with Odell Hodge a lot of times in the past few years, but few if any people figured Laurel Park would regain that lofty ranking this winter.
The Lancers still have to play road games against Martinsville, Fieldale-Collinsville and Tunstall. With a victory at Magna Vista and home wins against the three teams mentioned above, Laurel Park has a big edge in the Piedmont race.
Hodge is now a star freshman at Old Dominion. Even without him, this Laurel Park team might be the best coach Frank Scott has had.
"It's a super bunch of young men who are working real hard together," Scott said. "It's a very unselfish group of players. Everyone expected them to be down, but they've accepted the challenge. That's given them a will to win."
Seniors Ronnie Jackson and Lonzy Robertson are the team's only double-figure scorers. The playmaker is point guard Chauncy Strange and the player of the future is 6-foot-4 Warrick Scott, the coach's son, who is the team's third-leading scorer.
Strange says Laurel Park is running more now than when the 6-8 Hodge, the Group AA player of the year the previous two seasons, led the Lancers.
"I like this style better because we rely on more than one person," Strange said.
As far as staying unbeaten is concerned, Strange added: "Anything's possible. We just worked hard at it, but we won't be satisfied until the end of the season.
"I think we have surprised people. Everybody thought we'd be down after the loss of Odell, but we stayed together, listened to what the coach said and we've displayed it on the court."
Frank Scott points to Laurel Park's tradition over the past few years as playing a large part in this team's success.
"We're 46-1 during the regular season [in the Piedmont District] the last three years. I know on any given night there are a few teams that can beat you in the Piedmont District," Scott said.
"I'm overjoyed where we are, but I can't say I'm surprised. I felt if the players accepted the challenge and played together, they could be where they are. Then again I'm baffled. I sort of want to call them overachievers."
\ DOUBLE DUTY: Charles Puckett is the new basketball coach at Rocky Gap, replacing Rick Donithan, who resigned last week for health reasons.
Donithan suffered from a torn rotator cuff and other health problems, Puckett said. It is believed Puckett might be the first Timesland principal to coach a basketball or football team since Jim Hiatt took a shot at guiding Patrick County in the mid-1980s.
Puckett might be in the job for the long haul. He said a shortage of coaches may force him to continue as basketball coach next year.
Before becoming Rocky Gap's principal, Puckett coached Tazewell from 1982-85 after heading up the Eagles from 1971-82.
\ CORRECTION: In last week's column, it was stated the closest a New River District team had come to a Blue Ridge District squad this year was 10 points. Salem beat Blacksburg twice, by four points each time.