Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 17, 1994 TAG: 9402170375
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Pope, the Northside boys' basketball coach, has listened to his mentor. The Vikings always seem to have strong guards, and this year is no exception. Seniors Nathan Hungate and Steve Anderson help run the team, and the heir apparent is sophomore Justin Porterfield.
Pope looks for definite characteristics in his top guards.
"You look for certain things, someone to run the show out front or play the shooting guard. They have to be good leaders, take control on the floor, and if it means being a little forceful at times, they have to do so," Pope said.
By forceful, he means being feisty and fearless. The Vikings' guards are just that: they take nothing from an opponent and dish out quite a lot of misery. It's Northside's style - good, clean, hard-nosed, toe-to-toe basketball.
It was Jimmy Allen and Derek Elmore who probably were the most forceful 1-2 combination that the Vikings have had.
For the past couple of years, Kelly Dampeer and Chad Briscoe were the Northside guards whom opponents least wanted to meet on a basketball court.
Other good guards in the Vikings' arsenal - such as Aaron Burford, Matt Hill and Chuck Nelson - also made their marks as shooters as well as tough defensive players.
Pope has made the Vikings the most successful Blue Ridge District basketball team over the past few years. Why have guards been so big in the Northside basketball story?
"I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he played point guard at Bridgewater College," said Allen, now an assistant coach at Emory & Henry University.
"Coach Pope is a super player, and you can learn a lot playing with him," Allen said. "When I went there, he played a lot of pick-up with the players. He's pretty feisty. He's the kind of person who is real confident, believes in himself, and it carries over to the players."
To be a part of it all
Hungate, it seems, was born to be a member of the line that has produced great guards at Northside.
"When I was small, my sister was in high school, and I wanted to see if she could introduce me to Jimmy Allen or Derek Elmore," Hungate said. "When I was in elementary school, I'd see the dribble drills that Jimmy Allen would do before a game, and I'd go home and practice them."
The Vikings' senior is the image of Elmore, Allen and Dampeer in being a sort of controversial figure on the court. Mind you, they don't play dirty, but they do play hard.
In the second Salem-Northside game, it appeared that Hungate and Salem star Mark Byington would go at it when it looked as if the Vikings' guard was taunting the Spartans' leader.
"My foot got caught in his pants, and I couldn't move. I may have taunted him a little," Hungate said. "Really, we don't talk junk. We're aggressive, and that gets us up. If you talk junk, it gets you out of your game."
Allen, though, says there is something to the fact that the Blue Ridge District hates to play against Northside guards.
"I guess it has a lot to do with the style of defense they play," he said. "They put so much pressure on the other teams that it's hard and uncomfortable for them to play. It's not a matter of doing anything to win a game, but I felt Northside played a lot harder than anyone else, and that had a lot to do with other teams not wanting to play you."
Earning their places
Anderson considers it something of an honor to be one of the main guards on a Northside team.
"It's part of a tradition. I just kind of like to go on the court and take care of the job that needs to be done," Anderson said.
Anderson is quiet, but he says he likes to do some motivation to "get the team fired up or the crowd involved at certain times."
"It just depends how things are going," he said.
Porterfield says he's just learning, despite the fact that he's considered one of the best young prospects in Timesland.
"It's a lot of fun practicing against Nathan. I think that I'll try to make a name for myself, to be the best player I can be by the time I'm a senior. I'm not as confident now. I'm trying to get the confidence," he said.
Plays to remember
There's more to being an intimidating defensive player or being a big scorer, as far as the Northside guards are concerned. Many times, the Vikings' guards want the ball in their hands when it comes down to a crucial shot in the waning moments of a game.
"I can think of big baskets by 'most all of the guards," said Pope. "Not only were they willing, but they wanted that last shot."
Pope recalled a Region III championship game several years ago.
"I remember Aaron Burford drove in against Laurel Park. We were down by three. He stepped back of the 3-point line and hit a big shot to send that game into overtime."
Another time, Pope said, "Matt Hill won a game in the state quarterfinals against Blacksburg. He hit the last five points, and we won by two."
And there were other great efforts.
"Jimmy Allen was the kind of guy who was going to get to the foul line down the stretch. There was no doubt he could draw a foul and make the shots," Pope said. "One time we were down at Cave Spring when Chad Briscoe drove the length of the floor, hit a running banker and we won in overtime. Nelson beat Franklin County with a shot with one second left my first year here."
Making winners
Pope could go on and on reciting how the guards have done it for the Vikings in the final seconds.
Allen says simply, "Coach Pope sort of had to teach us to win, taking the last shot when you're in a pressure situation."
If you want to look at Pope's determination, consider what he did to Patrick Henry when the Vikings were a member of the Group AAA Roanoke Valley District.
Pope convinced the officials to come up to the playing floor a little early, knowing they'd catch PH illegally dunking the ball in warmups. As planned, it happened - and the Vikings got technical free throws to start the game.
All perfectly legal, but it shows why Northside guards, trained by Pope, have that ability and will to find a way to win.
by CNB