Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 23, 1993 TAG: 9309230125
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-14 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
On the one hand, the coaches love the football potential they see. The speed, the athleticism, the stamina are all traits the coaches covet.
But there is an intangible that they fear: Practice fields from the pros right on down are littered with the spiritual carcasses of track athletes who didn't pan out.
Not enough toughness is the usual poison.
It's not the kind of toughness represented by single-mindedness and dedication common to track stars they lack. It's the sort of toughness found in the ability to survive violent collision after body slam after head-over-heels tumble. And like it.
Christiansburg High has the most desirable traits of both sorts of athlete in one 5-foot-11, 180-pound package. Andra Beasley is a player.
He showed that last week by rushing 17 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns as the Blue Demons shocked Tazewell 30-28.
He can also tour a track in high style when the time calls for it. Beasley is a sprints and jumps guy who has the high-point scoring potential found in a long line of predecessors at Christiansburg.
How would he prefer that history remember him?
"That I was a good all-around athlete," he said.
A junior, he may end up being the best ever in that regard for the Blue Demons. Others before him could have enjoyed the well-rounded distinction, but guys such as sprinter-jumper Tyrone Johnson, high jumper Cliff Dillard and hurdler Eddie Hardy never played football. Johnson and Dillard did play basketball. You could only wonder what they would have done on a football field.
Beasley doesn't buy the argument that it's difficult to translate track skills to football.
"You can do anything you put your mind to," he said.
Christiansburg coach Mike Cole knows Beasley can do what he puts his mind to.
"I could see he was going to be a good player when he was on our eighth-grade team," Cole said.
"Then he got hurt and didn't play at all as a freshman. We brought him up to the varsity as a sophomore so he could get some experience, and we played him at wingback. He ran fairly well, he caught fairly well, and he blocked fairly well. Guys before him only did some of those things well at that age."
Beasley showed he can both take a hit and elude it against Tazewell. He also demonstrated a taste for blocking, which is a good thing because he has to do a lot more of it in the Demons' new Wing-T than he would have as a tailback in the I-formation, the old scheme.
"I've been very impressed with his blocking," Cole said.
Beasley has been impressive all-around.
Other performances of note:
Pulaski County's Brian Redd and Carl Lewis combined for 192 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 56-7 victory over Bluefield. Lewis scored all the touchdowns, including a 97-yard kickoff return.
Giles Raypheal Milton had 170 yards total offense, threw a TD pass, and ran for another in the Spartans' 43-15 victory over Narrows. The Giles defense forced five turnovers.
Nick Burroughs ran for 125 yards and scored thrice for Blacksburg in a 26-16 victory over Grundy.
by CNB