Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050049
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
``I'm retiring from the insurance business,'' Wooldridge, a Roanoke resident, said.
Wooldridge had contemplated retiring from the ODAC post pending the renewal of his Big East contract; however, he now plans on remaining with the ODAC through 1997 or '98.
``I decided to stay with the ODAC until we keep our Division III commitments in the Roanoke Valley,'' Wooldridge said. ``Plus, this gives the ODAC more time to decide what direction it wants to go.''
Even in NCAA Division III leagues, such as the ODAC, there has been a trend toward full-time commissioner. Wooldridge feels that assistant Brad Bankston would be a worthy successor, especially after an extra year or two of seasoning.
``If I had left in the next year or two, it's uncertain what direction the ODAC would go, which is not a good idea with the championships that are coming to the valley,'' Wooldridge said.
Salem has served as host to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the Division III football championship, for the past two years. Baseball and men's basketball will follow softball, which held its tournament in Salem last year.
Wooldridge said it was not a foregone conclusion that he would return as Big East officiating supervisor, ``but my understanding is that I received a unanimous endorsement,'' he said.
Wooldridge had sought a two-year extension and got it. His original two-year contract expired after the 1993 season, after which he received a one-year extension.
Wooldridge admitted he has been in the middle of a power struggle with Big East officials, many of whom had worked as independent contractors before joining his staff. Big East football officials reside in 13 states.
``Most of my reputation came as a basketball official [in the ACC], and maybe there was a perception that I didn't know football,'' said Wooldridge, 60, ``but I'd actually been in football longer.
``We did not have the esprit de corps we needed at first, but I feel better about Big East officiating now than at any time since I've had it. Any difficulties have been with the officials more than coaches or administrators.''
PALMER HONORED: Bruce Palmer, a one-time Maryland football standout, worked his first bowl game as an official when he served as umpire on the Big East crew that worked the Fiesta Bowl.
One time Washington and Lee football teammates Robin Wood and Courtney Mauzy served as referees in heading ACC crews that worked the Carquest and Rose Bowls, respectively.
WORTH THE WAIT: First-year Furman basketball coach Joe Cantafio, who spent 12 years at VMI as head coach and assistant, can't seem to escape the Lexington area.
The Paladins were headed to James Madison on Monday when their bus ran out of gas near Lexington. Cantafio contacted his former next-door neighbor, Rockbridge County High principal John Reynolds, who let the Paladins practice at the school.
The next night, Furman defeated host James Madison 79-72 in overtime for its first victory over Division I opposition with Cantafio as coach. Furman (3-7) had lost six games in a row, including losses to UNC Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Dayton and Tennessee.
``This was a gigantic win for us,'' Cantafio said. ``It shows the kids some proof that our system works, that they can be unselfish. What I particularly liked was we had five players [score] in double figures.''
LOCAL UPDATE: Mark Byington, the Group AA player of the year last year at Salem High School, had a team-high 13 points for North Carolina-Wilmington in a recent loss to Tulane.
Byington is playing almost 19 minutes per game for the Seahawks (6-4) and is fifth on the team in scoring with 7.1 points per game. He has made 14 of 36 3-pointers.
Tim Basham, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, has started every game for East Carolina (6-2). Basham, averaging 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds, is second on the team in assists with 27.
METRO UP: Louisville's victory over Kentucky on Sunday gave the Metro Conference a 54-14 record against non-conference opposition. That compares favorably with two conferences with similar power ratings - the Great Midwest (49-23) and Atlantic-10 (36-27).
AN OVERSIGHT: In the Roanoke Times & World-News' ranking of the top football prospects in the state, two players who slipped through the cracks were Patrick County tight end Wes Jones and running back Andy Stanley.
Jones is an admissions director's dream, with a 4.7 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) and a score of 1,350 on the Scholastic Assessment Test as a junior. He ranks first in a class of 210.
Jones, a 6-4, 215-pounder, was selected first-team All-Piedmont District at tight end after a senior year in which he had 18 receptions and served as a primary blocker for Stanley, who rushed for 2,350 yards.
Some coaches believe Stanley can play at the Division I-AA level, based partly on his 10 runs of 50 yards or more. A third Patrick County player, linebacker Corey Thomas, lacks size but has college ability.
RECRUITING: Virginia could be close to a commitment from 6-5, 275-pound offensive tackle Johnny Shivers, a preseason All-American from Hallandale, Fla., who is rated one of the top 10 prospects in his state.
ON THE MEND: UVa defensive back Ronde Barber said there was no comparison between the ankle problem that nagged him for most of the season and the injury that kept him out of the Independence Bowl.
``It didn't feel anything like it,'' Barber, from Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, said. ``I couldn't put any pressure on my foot for two days. The day it happened [four days before the bowl], I started preparing myself for not being ready to play.''
by CNB