Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 7, 1993 TAG: 9310070279
SECTION: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The changes always are interesting as old non-district opponents drop one another to pick up new opponents for various reasons.
For example, Salem is renewing its series against Patrick Henry. Spartans coach Willis White again will face the school he built into a state power before his move to Salem in 1983.
Salem and Patrick Henry stopped playing one another when the Spartans dropped from Group AAA to Group AA in 1988. It was the end of a rivalry that dated to the days Andrew Lewis first played the Patriots.
Dave Osborne, PH's athletic director, isn't sure which opponent the Patriots will drop to play Salem, but he said PH definitely will take on the Spartans.
Rockbridge County is making news as Jamie Talbott feels his second-year Group AA program is on firm ground. He has scheduled games against Group AAA Cave Spring and Franklin County.
"I want to play tough competition and I don't want to play [more] single-A schools," said Talbott, who turned around Natural Bridge's program before that school was consolidated with Rockbridge and Lexington two years ago to become Rockbridge County.
The Wildcats' program hasn't reached the heights of Salem yet, but it's getting ever so close, as demonstrated by this year's game, won 20-14 by the Spartans.
Rockbridge County will continue to play Covington and Parry McCluer, two Group A schools, along with R.E. Lee-Staunton. Gone are games against Spotswood and Western Albemarle.
On the other hand, Northside is dropping Pulaski County and giving up a substantial chunk of money in the process. Vikings coach Jim Hickam, a former head coach in the Pulaski area before he went to Northside in the 1970s, had continued to play the Cougars after dropping out of the Roanoke Valley District in 1988, along with Salem.
Hickam knew his economics - Pulaski County brings several thousand spectators to a road game. However, the Cougars also have whipped the Vikings soundly in recent years, though Hickam says that's not the reason for dropping Pulaski County.
"It [dropping] was done in part because when they redrew the district schedule, we couldn't find a mutual date. Pulaski County has been tough, and money has been the primary factor for playing the game," Hickam said.
Still, the Vikings will lose several thousand dollars at the gate, then cry poor when money is needed for athletics. Northside hadn't even told Pulaski County the series was over, so you must wonder if the Vikings did everything possible to find an open date.
The Cougars, who have a hard time scheduling game because of their geographic location and the success of their program, are in a bad spot. They had hoped to add a more formidable opponent than Anacostia, D.C., as an opening game. Now they might have to keep that opponent, which has been steamrolled in every game of the series.
"We're not considering playing George Washington-Danville or Halifax County [two teams that would play Pulaski County]. But we might talk to them when we go to the [regional] meetings in a few weeks," said Ron Kanipe, the Cougars' athletic director.
The Pulaski County athletic director knew Northside was to play Alleghany in his team's spot on the schedule, but he was under the impression something might be worked out to switch dates.
Cave Spring is dropping GW-Danville to pick up Rockbridge County. "It's most definitely an economic move," said Otis Dowdy, Cave Spring's athletic director. "GW doesn't bring anyone. But we also haven't been competitive with GW."
On Friday, in a very important game against William Fleming at Victory Stadium, GW had about 70 people on its side when the national anthem was played. That's despite the fact that the Eagles were ranked No. 2 in the state and playing a Fleming team that also was highly regarded.
Franklin County is dropping Albemarle to pick up Rockbridge County because of travel distance.
\ RADFORD VS. GROUP AA: There still is doubt about whether Radford will be able to continue playing rivals Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Last week, the Radford City School Board gave approval for the Bobcats to drop to Group A, but it also mandated that the school play no more Group AA football teams.
It was another case of the Radford board not looking toward the future. For years, this body denied the Bobcats the right to compete against similar-size schools, which in turn would provide fair competition in trying to win a state title.
Whitey Sloan, a Radford citizen who spoke at the meeting, put it best. He said that when other schools in the New River District were eligible to be reclassified from Group AA to A, they dropped. Now Radford was making the same move, but it had no choices of which teams to play. Had the Bobcats done it earlier, they might have had more options.
When the Mountain Empire District split the day after Radford dropped into that league, it left the Bobcats with six open dates for football games. Yet the Bobcats can't continue their traditional series against Blacksburg and Christiansburg because both are Group AA schools.
In making the motion that wouldn't allow Radford to play Group AA schools in football, board members Chip Craig and Carter Effler said they were doing it for safety reasons. Both say they won't change their votes.
Fine, but neither Craig nor Eppler is a football coach. Every high school coach will tell you it's perfectly safe to play one or two schools that are bigger than yours, but not a whole schedule of bigger teams as Radford's school board had insisted the Bobcats do in the past.
Because of Craig and Eppler's stand, the school will lose a lot of money, fans will lose some big rivalries and Radford football won't be nearly as interesting.
by CNB