Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 8, 1994 TAG: 9401080231
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DALEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
"We talked all week: man on [Salem star Mark] Byington 94 feet," Meredith said. "The first three times down the floor, we didn't have a guy within 60 feet of him."
Byington made two 3-pointers in Salem's quick start, and the Spartans steamrolled the Cavaliers 85-46 in boys' high school basketball. It was the Blue Ridge District season-opener for both teams.
Salem remained unbeaten at 6-0; the Cavaliers fell to 4-2. But they weren't supposed to fall like this.
"No way," Salem coach Charlie Morgan said.
Amend that: When your guy (Byington) scores 17 points in the first half, your press works and your overplay halfcourt defense works, there is a way.
"Every year I've been up here, we've always had a rough game," Byington said.
Not so Thursday. Salem led 18-7 after the first quarter, then went on an 8-0 run to start the second quarter.
"We were in sync," Morgan said.
No need to tell Meredith, whose team last had played on Dec. 21 and showed it. Salem had a game on New Year's Day. Each team lost one game to bad weather; Salem wasn't about to lose its first on a cold, rainy night.
"We let them come into our gym and take over," Meredith said. "They just took over every aspect of the game.
"The quality of our early opposition certainly wasn't one that would prepare you for Salem. It's a different league."
Preparation was an issue for Morgan, too, but in a different way. Morgan remembers the Spartans muddling through Lord Botetourt's changing defenses when the teams met a year ago, even though Salem won 61-56.
On Thursday, the Spartans either sped past the Cavaliers' press or endlessly found open jumpers or open paths to the basket in the halfcourt game.
"Last year, I didn't prepare my kids for it," Morgan said. "This year, we prepared. [We told them] attack, and make something happen."
They attacked at both ends of the floor, and Byington was in the middle of that too when he stripped Cavalier Billy Arthur and went the length of the floor for a dunk and a 38-13 Salem lead with 2:23 left in the first half.
More than Byington contributed for Salem, however. Three other Spartans had double-figure scoring - Nathan Routt, Kevin Garst and Chad Pendleton, who had 16 off the bench.
Salem may have sent a message about the Blue Ridge race, but Morgan wouldn't touch it.
"Basketball's a funny thing," he said. "I can't predict it. And I won't predict it." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB