Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 10, 1993 TAG: 9302100050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LITTLE SAID IN SALEM ON SUSPENSION
There was little reaction on Tuesday in Salem to the suspension imposed on Richlands football coach Dennis Vaught late Monday night.Vaught, who admitted his team used illegal cleats in the Blue Tornado's 17-7 victory over Salem in the Group AA Division 4 state semifinal game, was removed from the football program for one year by the Tazewell County School Board. At the end of that time, Vaught's status will be re-evaluated.
"That's Tazewell County's business. I don't have a lot of reaction to it," said Salem coach Willis White, who initiated the protest to the Virginia High School League that started a chain of events last month leading to Monday's action.
"I kind of thought they might do something like that. All I had in it was a ball game and, once that's settled . . . ."
The VHSL executive committee refused to void Richland's victory as White had requested. It said it lacked the power to do so if the issue concerned illegal equipment.
White said many of the Salem teachers and students had been talking about the decision at Richlands. He added he was disturbed about the removal of Richlands athletic director Gary Lane, whose name was on the order for the illegal cleats, purchased at CMT Sporting Goods in Roanoke.
"I don't see how you remove an athletic director for making that order. I don't know if that's all there was too to it. Most athletic directors in the state would order the cleats if they were asked [without checking the legality]," White said.
Monday's action was the first since the VHSL put Richlands' football program on probation and suspended it for the 1993 playoffs.
Orange County coach John Curia, whose team lost the Group AA Division 4 state championship game to Richlands the following week, was concerned for the Richlands players.
"Right off the top of my head, I thought it was very unfair to the players on next year's Richlands team," he said. "The VHSL should reconsider their action. They said that was their only way of punishment, but that's punishment for next year. These kids had nothing to do for the most part with what happened this year."
Curia also wondered why the Tazewell County school board suspended Vaught.
"You can only assume it was the illegal cleat issue. I felt like that probably had something to do with it. With some of the other sportsmanship violations, maybe the school felt they had to do something," he said.
Salem principal John Hall said the board "acted as they saw fit. They certainly followed up the superintendent's [Woodrow Mullins] promise to the VHSL that they would do something."
Wayne Tripp, superintendent of Salem schools, said: "Those people who are in leadership situations down there are doing the best they can in a difficult situation."