Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 17, 1995 TAG: 9503170035
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
Will there be an all-Timesland matchup for the Group AA boys' basketball championship?
Northside and Liberty certainly hope so, but first, they must get past tough opponents today in the semifinals at the Vines Center on the Liberty University campus.
Liberty (22-4) takes on Nansemond River (24-2) at 1 p.m., and Northside (20-7) faces Caroline (24-3) at approximately 2:45 p.m.
If Liberty and Northside win, it will set up a rematch of the Region III championship game and will decide the state title at 2:45 p.m. Saturday. Last year, Northside lost to Salem in a semifinal that was the sixth game of the season between the Blue Ridge District rivals.
Northside is making its fourth trip to the Group AA final four in five years. But the Vikings have only one championship game appearance - an 85-62 loss to Nansemond River in 1992 - to show for their efforts.
``I think you have to win a lot of big games and have a lot of great performances from great players to get to where we are now,'' said Billy Pope, Northside's coach. ``I think we've played well in the state tournament'' in the past.
``What we want to do is prepare hard and go after it,'' he said. ``We've never gone into [state tournament] games without people preparing that way. We've had some very good performances. Sometimes we've won; sometimes we've lost. If they play hard, you're proud of them either way.''
Caroline is coached by Reggie Underwood, who until a couple of years ago was officiating high school games rather than teaching boys how to play basketball.
``I coached in football at John Marshall [of Richmond] as a volunteer,'' Underwood said. ``I always wanted to coach basketball. I love basketball. I got a master's from Virginia Commonwealth and the [Caroline] job was available.''
The Cavaliers are led by 6-foot-4 guard Damian Woolfolk, who could present a matchup problem for the Vikings' starting guards, 5-10 Justin Porterfield and 5-8 Ben Peete.
Woolfolk, a junior, averages 18.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. ``He's our go-to guy who plays inside and outside,'' Underwood said.
The Vikings' experience scares Underwood. ``They've been there before,'' he said. ``It's not going to be as big a deal as it is for our kids. Northside has played in a place like the Salem Civic Center. My kids have never played in anything like the building at Liberty.''
Pope says Caroline, which comes from the same district as Louisa County, the team Salem beat in last year's Group AA title game, uses full-court pressure to fuel an up-tempo attack.
``I thought Louisa County was more patient, deliberate,'' Pope said. ``Caroline has three top players, who are 6-4, 6-5 and 6-3. They bring in a 6-9 guy [Mercando Laney] off the bench.''
Liberty also should have an advantage playing at the Vines Center. The Minutemen played two games there during the Seminole District tournament. They also will be the closest thing to a home team during the state tournaments.
Nansemond River's best players are young. They have arguably the state's best sophomore in 6-1 guard Antoine Willie, who averaged 27.9 points a game and was named All-Tidewater by The Virginian-Pilot & The Ledger-Star, which covers mostly Group AAA-size schools in the Norfolk area.
The Warriors' other star is 6-3 junior forward Montoria Valentine, who averages 17.4 points per game. Nansemond River's only senior starter is 6-8 James Parker.
``Those two [Willie and Valentine] scored 76 points between them when they beat Bluestone in the Region [I tournament],'' said Mark Hanks, Liberty's coach.
Next, Nansemond River crushed Warren County 91-60 in a Group AA quarterfinal. ``It was only a two-point game at the half, and Warren County isn't deep and has no guard,'' said Hanks, who attended the game.
Hanks hopes 6-5 Stephen Shrader will be effective inside against the Warriors, ``because Nansemond River fronted the other center instead of playing behind him'' as Northside and Gate City did in slowing the Minutemen's big man.
Hanks also likes the thought of playing at the Vines Center.
``We'll have a nice crowd,'' he said. ``They'll either have a long bus trip or come up the night before and stay up all night. Funny things happen in a state tournament. The Vines Center is not the easiest place to shoot in, so maybe some of their jump shots won't go.''
by CNB