Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 6, 1993 TAG: 9302060088
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bob Teitlebaum
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A MILESTONE IN MIDST OF LONG SEASON
It's ironic that Blacksburg boys' basketball coach Bob Trear should win his 300th game in what has been one of his toughest years.Before Friday night, the Indians were 5-10. Yet they may very well win the New River District in what will go down as one of Trear's better jobs of coaching.
Plagued by injuries and defections, Blacksburg is down to nine players. Had those players not been lost, the Indians certainly would have a winning record.
All this matters not to Trear, who said he doesn't pay attention to records. He had no idea he was at the 300 mark, which he reached last Friday night when the Indians beat Carroll County 64-56.
Trear, in his 20th season at Blacksburg, isn't sure when he last had a losing season, though he recalls one team going 3-17. (For the record, his five teams before this year went 96-29 after a 10-12 season in 1987.)
"You never know what kind of team we would have had had we kept them intact," Trear said. "I'm pleased with the attitude of the players in that they don't wear their losses around their necks.
"Every game is like starting a season again. They play hard and do what they can when the time comes. That's basically all a coach can ask of a group.
"I've never asked a team to win. Those things just happen. If they play their best, that's all they have to worry about. What's really taken me with this group is they know when they've played poorly. So we don't have to harp on them. We haven't had any fist-pounding or locker pounding at halftime."
Trear's milestone is not going unnoticed. The coach will be honored before next Friday's game against Christiansburg.
\ VAUGHT REPLIES: Richlands football coach Dennis Vaught says it was his decision, not the school's, to withdraw from consideration as an assistant coach for the West team in next summer's Virginia High School Coaches' Association game in Hampton.
"I didn't want to cause any further attention to my school or any further embarrassment to my school," said Vaught, who told the game's director that he didn't plan to coach in the game.
Vaught has been the center of controversy after he admitted his team - as charged - wore illegal cleats when it defeated Salem 17-7 in the Group AA Division 4 state playoff semifinals in December.
Vaught has nominated two Richlands players for the game, and it is likely at least one will be chosen for the West squad.
\ DIFFICULT TO COACH: This has been one of the finest years, record-wise, in the long coaching career of North Cross' Jim Muscaro. His football team was the state runner-up in the Private School Division I, and his boys' basketball team is ranked third in the state.
Through all this, Muscaro has been burdened by the grave illness of his wife, Jeannie, who died Thursday after a long battle.
A memorial service will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at Oakey's South Chapel, and there will be a Mass at Our Lady of Nazareth on Sunday at 6 p.m.
Jeannie Muscaro was one of her husband's and North Cross' best supporters. I last saw her at the Bath County football game in November, taking pictures and enjoying the Raiders' success.
\ NORTHSIDE TRADITION: Last week it was mentioned that Northside hadn't done that well in wrestling since the days of Ken Shelton. Actually, Larry Hall followed Shelton from 1970-78 when the Vikings won the Roanoke Valley District every year, including three Northwestern Region titles. Hall will be the director for the Group AA and A meets when they are held at the Salem Civic Center the weekend of Feb. 20.
\ NUMBERS DOWN: Shawsville's boys' basketball team isn't the only Timesland squad reduced to six players. Roanoke Catholic shares that distinction.
The Celtics lost five players to grades a few weeks ago because the school won't permit any athletic participation by a student who fails one course.
Tony Williams, the team's second-leading scorer, has been out with shin splints, and its leading scorer, Charles Cunningham, broke an ankle this week. Luckily, Williams will be back.