Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9502010008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
In the fall, principals rejected a proposal to go to an executive form of governance, under which 27 people basically would run the VHSL. This would be very different from the current system, under which each principal from the nearly 300 member schools is given a vote on every issue.
Principals vetoed going to the new system by a 2-1 margin, but there have been two formal requests to reconsider the issue. Under emergency legislation, the VHSL will take another vote. The first one will be by mail with ballots due Friday. If the change receives a two-thirds majority, it will come up for a final vote at the March legislative council meeting, where it again would require a two-thirds majority to pass.
This month, a meeting was held in Charlottesville inviting all district and regional chairmen and chairwomen to discuss the issue of governance. Those attending the meeting were to go back to their respective district and regional meetings to explain the issue once again before the mail-in vote.
``The meeting was very good in presenting both sides of the issues,'' said Bob Patterson, William Byrd's principal, who had no feel for how the principals might vote this time.
Another principal, who requested anonymity, doesn't trust anyone in Charlottesville and opposes any proposal that would rob school administrators of their power to run state high school athletics.
Bob Button, a VHSL programs supervisor, ran the meeting to explain the proposed change in governance and said there were 80 to 90 people in attendance. Like Patterson, he said the meeting was balanced, with people speaking for and against a change.
Ken Tilley, who has pushed for the proposal as the new executive director of the VHSL, didn't attend the meeting.
``Even before the meeting was called, Ken had a meeting with the national federation of high schools,'' Button said. ``It was discussed about him being there, but we decided to go on without him as this was designed to be an informational meeting and not a sales pitch.''
Tilley said Thursday that early mail balloting has been in favor of the proposed change.
``We've received just a little more than half the ballots and it's passing by about 80 percent now, so I'm cautiously encouraged,'' he said.
``There is a group opposed to it. I can understand that,'' Tilley said. ``You're not going to change their minds. If that group prevails, we'll keep on going and make some other modifications.''
One major concern was raised at the informational meeting. Under the new proposal, if the executive body of 27 people makes a decision, a meeting of the principals can overturn it by a two-thirds majority vote.
The group's concern was that the two-thirds majority was for all member schools, rather than just those in attendance. If only 200 principals were present to vote on a veto, all 200 would have to approve a veto.
So Tilley approved a change whereby it would takes only two-thirds of members attending to overturn a vote by the executive committee, meaning 134 of 200, which is one reason for the distrust of principals in giving up their say in running the VHSL.
``I don't think this is Ken Tilley's pet proposal,'' Tilley said. ``I think it does have merit, and I have spoken in support of it. If it's not passed, it won't be the VHSL.''
FOOTBALL SPIKES:Next season's high school football games will look a little bit more like NFL games.
That's because the National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted a rules change for 1995 that will allow a quarterback to legally spike the ball late in a game to conserve time.
Quarterbacks will be allowed to intentionally throw the ball forward to the ground as long as it is thrown immediately after receiving a direct hand-to-hand snap.
``Since quarterbacks will be able to spike the ball legally late in games to conserve time, it takes pressure off the officials to make a difficult judgment call when quarterbacks are trying to legally stop the clock,'' said Dick Scindler, assistant director of the national federation. ``This has proved to be a very positive rule at other levels, and with this procedure it will make it an easier call for officials.''
SLEEPER:Parry McCluer's 6-foot-5 Mike McElroy was shooting 51.7 percent from the floor, 76.3 percent from the free-throw line and 46.1 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 3.3 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game heading into this past week's play.
Pretty good statistics for a high school senior.
Earlier this season, McElroy hit the winning basket and blocked a shot at the end of a game against Fieldale-Collinsville as Group A Parry McCluer beat the Cavaliers, one of the top teams in the highly regarded Group AA Piedmont District.
For a Group A player, McElroy sounds like a hot prospect. While he might not be big enough to play inside or quick enough to play outside in Division I, he would seem to be a natural for Division III.
``So far, only Eastern Mennonite has shown much interest,'' said Nelson Fox, the Fighting Blues' coach. ``It's hard to believe McElroy is right in the middle of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and not attracting a lot more attention.''
by CNB