Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 21, 1993 TAG: 9308210115
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
When autumn drapes itself upon these rugged Giles County hills, many a young man's thoughts turn to hitting the holes, but only with pigskin in hand.
"We have a few golfers around here," said golf enthusiast Bill Gentry, "but they all play football."
A high school golf program cannot flourish when its best players must wear helmets.
That's why Narrows hasn't put a golf team on the course the past four seasons. Last spring, a few parents contacted Gentry about the possibility of putting the Green Wave back on the greens.
"A couple of parents wanted their boys to play," said Gentry, who had previous experience coaching Narrows' golfers.
"I told them we'd need more players to have a team. They came back a week later and said, `We found 'em.' "
The final haul was six players - four who have golfed before, two who haven't. The team will be one of the youngest in the New River Valley, and not just because it's brand new. The squad is made up of one senior and five sophomores.
The most experienced players are Jamie Blankenship and Jason Mullins, a pair of 10th-graders whose dads, Jimmy Blankenship and Mackey Mullins, have volunteered to help resuscitate the golf program. Dale Brotherton, a friend of the Mullins family, also is helping.
"We've got a lot of parental support," said Gentry. "Everyone's kind of behind it."
Tyler Kidd is the lone senior on the team, which also includes Torrey Dunbar, Mike McCloskey and Cory Perrault.
The Green Wave will make but a ripple in the Mountain Empire District this year, but with five young players in the program, Narrows shouldn't have to worry about running low on golfers for several years to come.
"We'll be more competitive as we gain experience," said Gentry. "They'll be all right in a year or two."
Down the road at GILES, Coach Bob Wilburn's team is shooting for the Mountain Empire District championship. David McCall and Andrew Wagner, both sophomores, will be counted on heavily to lead the Spartans. Wagner finished fifth in the state juniors this summer.
"If these sophomores come through, we'll be competitive," said Giles coach Bob Wilburn, whose teams won MED titles in 1990 and 1991 before finishing second last year.
Senior Mitch Reed may be the Spartans' most consistent player and he brings some experience to complement the young talent. The battle for the fourth slot includes a couple of juniors, Troy Hazelwood (whose father, Dave, is the club pro at Castle Rock) and Eddie O'Dell, and ninth-graders Brad Nicholson and Jason Jennelle.
The cart trail to the MED golf title again runs through FLOYD COUNTY, where 13-year veteran coach David Thompson has nearly enough golfers to play one per hole. As many as 16 boys will compete for spots.
Missing is former stalwart Tim Bower, who finished fourth in the Group A match last year and is now teeing up at Radford University, but the Buffaloes are deeper than a water hazard.
"Before the year's out, I'll have at least 10 different kids [to score in a match]," said Thompson. "We don't have any superstars, but we have a bunch of kids who are close together."
Four of the top six golfers from last year's MED champs are back - seniors Jon Thompson, James Gay and Robbie Baxter, and junior Leonard Rorrer. Sophomore Jonathan Pratt heads a list of at least seven other golfers, many of them freshmen, who could card low rounds on occasion.
In the Hogoheegee District, GEORGE WYTHE should win its fourth straight championship, although the Maroons could get some resistance from Lebanon. Coach Bill Morgan's team should fare well in regional play, but it will have to get by Glenvar if it wants to make its first Group A tournament appearance.
"We've sent some individuals to state play in the past," said Morgan, "but we want to make it there as a team this year."
The Maroons' best players are underclassmen, led by junior Jon Ervin, who finished in the top 10 of last year's Group A tournament. Fellow 11th-graders Matthew Barnes and Jeff Troy, and freshman Brian Love form the nucleus of a formidable squad.
\ FORT CHISWELL has shown steady improvement each season since starting its program five years ago. Coach Bud Shinault's team brings back three seniors with playing experience, but the rest of the squad is made up of beginners.
Russell Martin, a senior in his fifth year with the program, returns a year after almost qualifying for the Group A tournament. Martin will be joined by seniors David Manley and Greg Patterson. Sophomores Jeremy Russell and Eric Fisher, and freshman Jason Manley will vie for the fourth spot.
\ SHAWSVILLE, which began its program a year ago, is more concerned with finding places to practice than with trying to make a mark in the MED, but the Shawnees appear headed in the right direction under coach Billy Wells.
Shawsville has seven players on the squad this season, compared with four last year. All seven players are underclassmen and three - juniors Andy Smith, Keith Armour and Jeremy Nichols - played last year. Junior Kevin Mann should assume the No. 4 position.
"It's nice that our numbers have increased," said Wells. "We're just glad to have things like golf bags and shirts that say [Shawsville]. Last year, we didn't have that."
In a young New River District, where the only things greener than the fairways are the teams themselves, BLACKSBURG is the team to beat, possibly for several years to come.
The Indians feature only two seniors, and one of their best players is freshman wunderkind Wes Martin, who "could be exceptional," according to one opposing coach.
Junior Kurt Williams is probably Blacksburg's most consistent low scorer. He and Martin pack a one-two punch that make the Indians look solid for years to come.
"Basically, my job is to stay out of their way and let 'em play," said first-year coach Mike Delpercio.
Seniors David Webster and Warren Lee round out the lineup, although sophomores Craig Zamer and Brent Powell and freshman Andy Robinson could crack the top four. Senior L.J. Hensel, better known for his swings on the baseball diamond than on the links, is back on the golf team after taking a couple of years off.
Blacksburg most likely will be pushed by Christiansburg and Carroll County come tournament time. CHRISTIANSBURG boasts one of the region's top golfers in junior Brian Wallace, who advanced to the Group AA tournament after finishing fourth in Region IV last year.
Senior Scott Akers, who also qualified for the regionals last year, and junior Robert Guggia are Christiansburg's next-best players. Sophomore Drew Robinson and junior Kevin Shufford also could contribute.
"It's kind of a toss-up after Brian," said David Hurt, Christiansburg's coach of the week.
Hurt is moving to Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks, putting the Christiansburg club in the firm grip of Gerald Thompson, athletic director and boys' basketball coach. Thompson will coach for a couple of weeks, then former golf coach Kurt Grosshans will finish out the schedule.
\ RADFORD has just three returning players, none of them seniors. The Bobcats will struggle to get out of the NRD cellar this year, but juniors Brian Cullatty, Brian Boggess and Chris Saunders, sophomore Eric Merkt and freshman Whit Ellerman will get valuable experience.
by CNB