Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 3, 1994 TAG: 9402030071
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Morrison and Ken Oxendine, who committed to Tech earlier in the week, were rated among the top five prospects in Virginia by the Roanoke Times & World-News. Beamer's first seven recruiting classes included a total of two Top 5 recruits: Maurice DeShazo in 1989 and Cornell Brown last year.
Like Oxendine, Morrison's choice came down to Tech and Virginia. He said this week that he was attracted to Tech because the quarterback job will come open sooner, but he acknowledges that his best position in college might be safety.
"I talked to his dad [Tuesday] night and he said they were going 'round and around," Indian River coach Bob Parker said. "It was just a gut feeling. Tech made some good inroads early in the recruiting process, and Virginia got involved a little later."
Parker said he felt Oxendine's decision had some effect on Morrison, with whom he was paired on a recruiting visit to Virginia. They had not met before the trip.
Morrison passed for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns this season in leading Indian River to the Division 6 title game. He also had more than 100 tackles in his first full season on defense.
"Both programs promised him the same thing - a shot at the quarterback job," Parker said. "Tech may have a better quarterback, but not a whole lot better."
Of the 18 players who committed to Tech, 17 were expected to sign with the Hokies. Running back Cordell Smith from DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., who committed to Tech on Monday, signed with North Carolina State but not because of Oxendine.
"I bet he doesn't know who Oxendine is," DeMatha coach Bill McGregor. "It's the strangest thing I've seen since I've been here [20 years]. I mean, how many times have you seen a kid sign with a school without taking a visit? He couldn't even tell me the name of the State coach [Mike O'Cain]."
\ MORE RECRUITING: Morrison's favorite target, All-Group AAA wide receiver Shawn Foreman, signed with West Virginia. Foreman visited Virginia last weekend and apparently wanted to go to UVa, provided he made the required test score, but he could not get a commitment on admission.
Wide receiver Eric Jones, a Roanoke Times & World-News Top 25 prospect from Ferguson High in Newport News, signed with Missouri.
Billy Smith, the leading rusher for Division 3 state champion Jefferson Forest, committed to Liberty.
\ BIG EAST RECRUITING: Miami won't have quarterback problems for long. The Hurricanes landed quarterbacks ranked Nos. 5 and 6 in the country by SuperPrep: Scott Covington from Dana Hills, Calif., and Ryan Clement from Denver.
Rutgers signed Delran, N.J., quarterback Ralph Sacca, whose older brothers, Tony and John, played at Penn State.
\ EARLY RANKING: Tech is ranked 14th by The Football News in its early look at next year's college football season.
\ THE FIRST: A touchdown reception by Virginia tight end Aaron Mundy in the Senior Bowl was his first of the season. Mundy did not score a touchdown in eight regular-season games or the Carquest Bowl.
\ ACC HOOPS: North Carolina's five turnovers Sunday in an 85-61 victory over Wake Forest were the fewest for the Tar Heels since the 1982 ACC Tournament championship, when they held the ball for most of the final 13 minutes and had three turnovers in a 47-45 victory over Virginia.
Beleaguered North Carolina State men's coach Les Robinson was accosted after a recent practice by 28-year-old Dirk Robinson, who wanted a tryout. Dirk Robinson, who is not an N.C. State student, was arrested by campus security officers and charged with trespassing and threatening the coach.
Clemson coach Cliff Ellis, beginning his last round of ACC games, recently released a compact disc titled, "Cliff Ellis and Friends." Ellis, a devotee of beach music, dedicated the song "Amazing Grace" to his 102-year-old grandmother and former N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano, both of whom died in the past year.
\ DRAKEFORD CONVICTED: Felony charges were reduced against Virginia women's basketball player Konecka Drakeford, who pleaded guilty on two counts of petty larceny in connection with the theft and use of a credit card belonging to her roommate, UVa volleyball player Muriel Brothers.
Drakeford, who has not played since her arrest Dec. 17, enrolled for the second semester at UVa but would face expulsion if found guilty of stealing by a student-run honor committee. Drakeford, the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer, received a 90-day suspended sentence. She repaid the $400 charged to Brothers' account and must perform 20 hours of community service.
by CNB