Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 9, 1994 TAG: 9406090113
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Like many Kentuckians, Vanover is an avid basketball fan. He likes to paraphrase former University of Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall, who said that basketball is not a matter of life and death; it is more important than that.
Close to his family and friends, figuratively at least, Vanover found an outlet in Roanoke to combine his three interests. He immersed himself in the Roanoke County Parks and Recreation basketball league, coordinating the Mason Cove club's program.
Vanover's son, David, now a senior at Northside High School, has played on different Mason Cove teams for 10 consecutive seasons. As he has advanced in age groups, David has played for the Rebels, Wildcats, Vols and Spurs.
Teammates Derrick Hollins and Doug Flaherty have played with David throughout that time. One advantage of a small club, Vanover said, is that there may be only one team per age group, allowing friends to remain together.
Two other players, Shane Arnold and Larry Spangler, joined forces with the trio during the 1988-89 season. Two years later, Mike Dooley came on board.
In a recent letter to Neighbors, Vanover said that while "other players have come and gone, the basic group has been together since."
"These guys haven't exactly set the world on fire in basketball," Vanover wrote. "They have had some rough seasons. However, they did win the county title one year [last season] and were runners-up in the Knights of Columbus basketball tournament two years in a row [1990-91 and 1991-92]."
Vanover coached the group for five seasons and assisted the next two. He has maintained a videotape file that resembles the Library of Congress of the boys' games. Vanover, perhaps more than the players, realizes that a memorable period of their lives is passing.
"After graduation in June," Vanover's letter continued, "they will finally split up to play a different game. Right now, they deserve some recognition for their dedication and stick-to-it-iveness."
When basketball and Northside are mentioned in the same sentence, it is usually in reference to this year's excellent high school team that lost six times to Group AA state-champion Salem but defeated every other opponent. But the Mason Cove group has some notable Northside student-athletes of its own.
Ball-handler Derrick Hollins was the last player cut from the high school basketball team. "Dribbling is my strong point," Derrick said. "My shooting's not so great; I get kidded about my layups."
Derrick is also a tenacious defender, an ability he carried over from football. As a star defensive back for Northside, Derrick led the team in interceptions for the past two years and was recognized at the district, regional and state levels for his performance. He will play football at Ferrum College next year.
Shane Arnold, leading scorer for the Mason Cove Spurs this year, is a professed sports junkie. Among other sports, he has played football and softball and has some experience as a coach and umpire.
"I'm hoping to study sports medicine," Shane said, uncertain of which college he will attend.
Doug Flaherty adjusted his game as his teammates grew taller. "Back in the early days, I was the tallest on the team," he said, "and I played on the inside. Now, I've gone out to the wing, and I've had fun doing it."
One of Doug's fondest memories of sandlot basketball was connecting on three consecutive three-point attempts in a game against Glenvar in the sixth grade. "I'm not even sure if I did it," he admitted. "But that's the way I remember it."
Doug has been accepted at the University of Oklahoma, and plans a career in meteorology. "I want to be [WSLS-TV Channel 10 weatherman] Bill Meck," he said.
Doug's family recently moved to Botetourt County, but Doug has continued to attend Northside. "I wouldn't have left Northside for anything," he said.
Larry Spangler, a junior at Northside, is thinking of a career with the police or fire departments, or possibly as a game warden. "I like to help people out," he said.
Larry showed flashes of that quality during this basketball season. "It was an up-and-down year for me," Larry said, citing scoring totals of 16, four and 12 points in consecutive games.
David Vanover has engineering aspirations, but his school of choice has not been determined. He said he has come to appreciate playing basketball more in his later years.
"In my early double-digits [teen years], it was a struggle," he said.
"Coaching your son puts a strain on the relationship," Vanover said. "You bring things home from practice. Both of us breathed a sigh of relief when I stopped coaching David [three years ago]."
But the players and the former coach are breathing a different kind of sigh this season.
It's a good bet that the videotape library will get considerable use in the future.
by CNB