Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408300003
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
As in the number of Group AA state consecutive championships Blacksburg would like to win.
As in the number of players Blacksburg returns from last season's 26-2 team.
And as in the number of teams left in the district.
Besides the Indians, only Christiansburg and Carroll County are left in the NRD.
And since two out of three teams advance to Region IV play, everyone is thinking about the post-season.
In Blacksburg, those thoughts take on even more significance. Since for the past two seasons, the post-season has meant a state championship.
"What we can do is think about how it feels [to win state]," said Billie Guthrie, one of just two seniors on Blacksburg. "We have the potential to grow where we can compete with anyone in the state. And then since we know what it's like to win a state championship, that will be an advantage for us."
Lisa Price, the squad's other senior and the only player left from the undefeated 1992 squad (27-0), echoed those comments.
"I think we're going to pull together as a team," she said. "We're not together enough yet to be defending state champions. But we are definitely coming together. Just give us time."
Time is one thing the Indians have on their side. With only four district contests late in the season, the junior dominated team has the advantage of being able to learn before the most meaningful games.
"I think we're going to be pretty good, even though we don't have a lot of experience," said wing April Rogers, one of nine juniors on the Indians but the only one who played varsity last year. "I think we'll do well once everyone adjusts. ... Everyone is working hard. We haven't quite gotten it yet but we're building up to the varsity level of play."
The place where Blacksburg has the experience is on the wing. From there, the 5-foot-9 Price led the state champion Indians in scoring at 12.8 points per game (ppg) last season. She also averaged 4.3 rebounds and 3 steals per game.
The 5-5 Guthrie and the 5-4 Rogers played valueable roles off the bench at wing as well. Rogers was the team's top defensive sub, averaging 21/2 steals per contest.
Other wings will be juniors Nikki Williams, 5-8, Sarah Chandler, 5-4, and Wendy Coe, 5-5.
The Indians will be totally relying on players making the transition from the junior varsity at the point and the post.
Junior Maggie Kohler, 5-4, and sophomore Kelly Houghton, 5-3, will handle the point guard duties. Kohler was a standout on the junior varsity last year. Houghton proved she is a gamer this season when she missed only about a 11/2 weeks of practice because of an appendectomy.
Size could also pose a problem for the Indians as they have no one over 5-feet-9. Bethany Johnston, a 5-9 junior, is the most promising of the posts. Others who play in the middle are juniors Megan Lee, 5-8, Erin James, 5-8, Katie Hoover, 5-7, and sophomore Andrea Feret, 5-9.
But no matter what the cast is for Blacksburg, it all comes back to the number three.
"If we don't get it, we don't get but [the state championship] is our goal," said Blacksburg coach Mickey McGuigan. "Our No. 1 goal is to three-peat. That's what we aim to do. We have to pull together and think we can do it. Deep down, these kids might have the ability. Convincing the kids of that is my number one job."
The number one job for Danny Knott and Howard Mayo is to preventing the Indians from winning the district again - or at worst going to the Region IV tournament along with them. For Knott is the coach at Christiansburg and Mayo the coach at Carroll County.
Last year, Christiansburg (11-12) went to the regionals along with the Indians. Carroll County (10-11) was one game away from reaching the Region IV tourney as it upset the Indians in the district semifinals before losing to Christiansburg with the post-season berth on the line.
Christiansburg has the advantage in the numbers. It has eight players back. Meanwhile, Carroll County has just eight players on its roster, including four returnees. But in basketball, quality can mean much more than quantity. And both teams have quality.
For Christiansburg, 5-11 senior center Maureen Jackson (9 ppg, 7 rebounds) and 6-0 junior forward Crystal Moles (5 ppg, 3 rebounds) are expected to take over inside. Helping them will be two more seniors: 5-11 Pam Jones and 5-10 Tamia McNeil.
Also back are four more seniors: two guards and two forwards. The guards are 5-5 point guard Stephanie Bailey and 5-7 wing Stephanie Reynolds. The forwards are 5-7 outside shooter Allison Amos and 5-9 Karen Cox.
They will be joined on the squad by four players from the junior varsity: 5-4 junior guard Jessica Hindle, 5-5 junior guard Kelly Dalton, 5-6 sophomore guard/forward Dusty Whitmore and 5-10 sophomore post Lisa Dalton.
The Demons are the tallest team in the district. Also they have several good outside shooters.
But what may be most important is Christiansburg's experience level. It has as many returning seniors - seven - as Blacksburg and Carroll County have returning players combined. And with that experience, Knott has chosen to stress the area where the Demons have had the most difficulty during pre-season preparations - defense.
"The biggest thing I want to impress upon the girls is that the offense can be set up by good defense," said Knott. "Basically, if we play good defense, the offense is going to come. So we're focusing on the defensive aspects of the game."
Meanwhile at Carroll County, the Cavaliers hope to use quickness to defeat opponents with more size and/or depth.
Carroll County's returnees are seniors Marie Martin, a 5-10 forward/post, and 5-4 guard Sarah Puckett and juniors 5-8 center Denean Jessep and 5-7 forward Jennifer Watkins.
All contributed in the Cavaliers' balanced attack last season, averaging between 2 and 4 points per game.
Joining them from the junior varsity are guards India Easter, a 5-2 junior, and Nikki Hawks, a 5-2 sophomore, swing player Bethany Hill, a 5-7 sophomore, and forward Talisha Clontz, a 5-7 junior.
"We've got good strong guard play and good quickness," said Mayo. "And we definitely have a very flexible lineup with a lot of people who can play different positions."
Size and depth could pose problems for the Cavaliers though as they have the smallest team in the district, both in the number of players and the height of their guards.
Thus each team has something to overcome. And no team in the New River District wants to be No. 3 because that team stays home come November.
by CNB