Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412190049
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The two have been dominating headlines in Timesland for so long they have become household names for those who follow the sport.
For one last time, Milton and Webb are the headliners as Timesland Players of the Year.
Milton takes the offensive award after passing and running out of the Single Wing offense that made Giles a state power for three seasons and earned the Spartans a Group A Division 2 title 1993.
Webb is tops on defense after anchoring a Pulaski County crew that was largely responsible for the Cougars going 35-5 the past three years and claiming the 1992 Group AAA Division 6 crown.
Roanoke Catholic's John Cooke is Timesland Coach of the Year only two years after the Celtics ended a 26-game losing streak. Catholic claimed the Virginia Independent Schools Division I title this year and finished with a 12-0 record.
The Sizzlin' Sophomores of the Year are Catholic's P.J. Moyer (offense) and Northside's John Doss (defense).
Webb heads a delegation of five Pulaski County players on the All-Timesland team, including defensive backs Andre Eaves and Tim Davis, offensive lineman Chris Lawson and kicker Shayne Graham.
Webb and Eaves are repeat first-team selections, along with Blacksburg center Tim Schnecker. The Indians also have receiver Shane Beamer on the first team.
Milton is joined by Giles linebacker Brandon Steele, last year's top Sizzlin' Sophomore defensive player, on the first team.
Liberty also has two first-team representatives in quarterback Mike Padgett and his favorite receiver, Gregg Reynolds, who was Sizzlin' Sophomore offensive player of the year last fall. Together, they were Timesland's top passing connection.
Northside has three first-team selections in huge lineman Jeff Painter and running back Karim Thompson on offense and linebacker Chris Askew on defense.
The only other team with more than one selection is Patrick Henry, which is represented by defensive lineman Chris Combs and return specialist Jamie Price.
The rest of the first-team offense is Magna Vista's George Seals and Rockbridge County's Jamie Campbell on the line and Christiansburg's Andra Beasley at running back.
Other defensive first-team All-Timesland choices are linemen Jimmy Fusco of Cave Spring and Gary Lowery of Narrows, linebacker Clifford Wimbush of Bassett, defensive backs Tony Joyce of Roanoke Catholic and Mike Murphy of Salem and punter Michael Berry of William Byrd.
Milton comes from a line of great offensive players. His uncle is Shawn Eaves, who starred at Giles and is the older brother of Pulaski County's Andre Eaves.
``I guess I'm the last; there are no more coming up,'' said MIlton, whose brother, Maurice, has been a teammate at Giles. ``I never thought I could accomplish all that I did.''
Raypheal Milton accomplished a lot. This year, he rushed for 1,753 yards on 248 carries and scored 31 touchdowns. He also completed 53 of 100 passes for 1,094 yards and five touchdowns. As the tailback in the Spartans' Single Wing, he accounted for 36 touchdowns and 2,847 yards this year.
``Raypheal had a tremendous year and a tremendous career,'' said coach Steve Ragsdale, who was the beneficiary of his tailback's ability to put pressure on defenses.
Is Ragsdale amazed at Milton's success?
``No, because I know what he's capable of doing,'' Giles' coach said. ``He's not big or fast, but he has a lot of things you can't measure on a scale or with a stop watch. He's very competitive and he's mentally and physically tough. He doesn't get rattled in tough situations.''
Ditto for Webb, who was player of the year on defense in the Roanoke Valley District and the Northwest Region.
``I think my best game [defensively] was against Stonewall Jackson'' in the regional playoffs, said Webb, who led a defense that held outstanding running back Monta Hicks to 96 yards rushing.
``He's an outside linebacker and we played him to the wide side of the field. You can't throw in the flat with him there,'' said Joel Hicks, Pulaski County's coach. ``If you run to that side, there sits Webb.
``We kind of based our defense by puting a man in each gap so that you'd have to run toward him. Some teams didn't fall for it and they wanted to run away from him.''
That, plus the fact he played outside linebacker, meant Webb didn't always get enough action. He still made 73 tackles in 10 games and has attracted the attention of numerous Division I-A recruiters.
For Webb, his career started on high and had lows each of his last two years.
``This was a pretty good year, but it wasn't as good as my sophomore season,'' Webb said. ``That's because of the team.''
As a sophomore, Webb was a defensive and offensive star as Pulaski County beat Thomas Dale and won the Group AAA Division 6 title. Last year, as a junior, Webb missed the state title game against Annandale after suffering a broken jaw in a semifinal and Pulaski County lost. This year, the Cougars played well, but couldn't overcome a lack of size and depth and lost 21-6 to E.C. Glass in the Northwest Region championship game.
On offense, Timesland had a tough passing combination in Liberty's Padgett and his favorite target, Reynolds. They connected on 47 passes for 769 yards. Overall, Padgett completed 115 of 223 passes for 1,844 yards.
Padgett moved the ball on Amherst County as the Minutemen gave the Lancers their toughest test until they lost for the first time in the Group AA Division 4 championship game. Reynolds added to last year's totals and now caught 81 passes for 1,305 yards.
Beamer, the other All-Timesland end, is a player who improved with each game and had 20 catches in three playoff games for the Indians. That performance, which paid off with a huge upset of Richlands in the Region IV Division 4 championship game, catapulted Beamer to the first team.
The fact that Shane Beamer is the son of Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer had no effect on the selections, but it is noteworthy because Frank Beamer made All-Timesland as a player at now-defunct Hillsville. Frank and Shane are believed to be the first father-son combination to earn such honors.
At running back, Beasley was by far Timesland's most productive runner, averaging 186 yards per game. He scored 27 touchdowns and might have given Milton a run for top offensive honors if the Blue Demons had played in the postseason.
Thompson, the other All-Timesland running back, led Northside to a 9-2 record and the Vikings' best season in years. He rushed for 1,279 yards and, in a pinch, became one of the Vikings' best defensive players as coach Jim Hickam inserted him into the lineup in crucial situations.
Schnecker barely beat out Roanoke Catholic's Phillip Buchy for the first-team spot at center when they were juniors. This year, there was no contest because Buchy moved to another spot on the line and Schnecker beat out William Fleming's Paul Wallace.
Magna Vista's Seals already has committed to Virginia and follows in a tradition of top linemen for the Warriors. Northside's Painter also is projected as a Division I player, and Lawson had another top year for a Pulaski County offense that was dominant during the regular season. Coaches praised Rockbridge County's Campbell as one of the region's best, helping him make the first team despite the Wildcats' inconsistency.
In kicking, Graham was the easiest pick. Only a junior, he is sure to be recruited heavily next year. He hit 43 of 46 extra-point attempts this year, with two misses coming on kicks after poor snaps. He was perfect in nine field-goal attempts from 44 yards or closer. Only two were from less than 30 yards, and he hit one 52-yarder while converting 10 of 15 overall. Graham has never missed a field-goal attempt of less than 35 yards in his career and is 107-of-111 on extra-point tries.
Defensively, Price wins return-specialist honors with 26 runbacks for 593 yards. In the open field, Price was Timesland's most exciting player. That should come as no surprise, considering he was runner-up in the Group AAA 100- and 200-meter dashes as a junior.
Davis and Eaves were part of a super defensive backfield for Pulaski County as the Cougars held half of their foes to a touchdown or less. Between them, Davis and Eaves picked off five passes. When they weren't on defense, Eaves ran the offense as the quarterback and Davis was Pulaski County's top runner and return specialist.
Murphy also was an all-purpose player, leading Salem in kick returns and rushing yardage.
Joyce, the other defensive back, led Roanoke Catholic's jaunt to the Virginia Independent Schools Division I title. He was the quarterback, and on defense Joyce was a big reason the Celtics were able to shut out North Cross' vaunted passing attack that was led by Hal Johnson, who shared second-team honors with Blacksburg's Greg Shockley at quarterback.
Combs probably is Timesland's most sought-after recruit besides Webb. He has been most hotly pursued by Virginia and Duke. The Patrick Henry standout had 11 sacks on defense, but he was All-Northwest Region as a tight end and a key blocker for the Patriots' offense.
Fusco keyed Cave Spring's winning season, leading a defense that sparked a 15-14 upset of Northside in the opener and set the tone for the year. Lowery was the catalyst of a fine Narrows season that ended in a Group A Division 1 semifinal. Giles' Steele gave a preview of things to come when he joined Reynolds as last year's Sizzlin' Sophomores of the year.
Northside's Askew twice was the Blue Ridge District's defensive back of the year. He was a workaholic in football who made himself into a fine high school player.
Bassett's was a rejuvenated program behind Wimbush. The Bengals hadn't won more than three games since Maurice DeShazo, now the Virginia Tech quarterback, left five years ago. This year, the Bengals, with Wimbush also a top runner, went 7-5 and made the Region III Division 3 title game under first-year coach Jim Hall.
Berry becomes the first Byrd player to make All-Timesland football in years. He was a tremendous punter as a junior and is a fine all-around athlete for the Terriers, playing soccer and basketball.
On the second team, the tie at quarterback was a natural as Shockley and Johnson had jockeyed for position from the time they had a two-way battle for the Sizzlin' Sophomore quarterback spot. Johnson had a good season with one of the Raiders' weaker teams in recent years. Shockley picked up his game a notch in the playoffs as he joined Beamer and Schnecker in leading the Indians to a Group AA Division 4 semifinal.
Moyer is a second-team running back, along with William Fleming's Daniel Gunn, a transfer from Richmond who averaged 129 yards a game, and Bath County junior Jamie Carroll. Wesley Cox, a do-everything player for Lord Botetourt, is the second-team return specialist. Salem's Lee Updike, the placement specialist, will be remembered for running for a touchdown on a fake field-goal attempt just before the half against Northside.
The second-team receivers are North Cross' Robert Rude, Johnson's favorite target, and Salem's Aaron Coffey. Patrick Henry's Mike Sisler, Radford's Kelly Underwood, Northside's Roth Townsend and Roanoke Catholic's Buchy, are the interior linemen. The center is Fleming's Wallace.
On defense, Cave Spring leads the second team with Mike Mitchem (line), Dusty Beekman (back) and Isaac Williams (linebacker). Other linemen are Wythe's Jeremy Shelton and Pulaski County's Jon Lilly. The other linebackers are Catholic's Kendall Selfe, Bland County's David Lambert, who also was one of Timesland's top passers, and Salem's Kevin Feazell. The backs are Steve Hunt of Blacksburg, Robbie Huffman, who led Craig County to one of its best seasons, and Rockbridge County's Greg Stubblefield. Blacksburg's Michael Davis is the punter.
by CNB