Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210084
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-17 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Very quietly, win by win and link by link, the Blacksburg High soccer team has constructed a regular season chain of nonlosing games that had grown to 50 games going into Wednesday night's clash with Pulaski County.
Since losing 3-2 in overtime to Tennessee High of Bristol April 6, 1991, the Indians have gone 50-0-5.
This fact was revealed recently only after Blacksburg coach Shelley Blumenthal was badgered incessantly by a telephone caller.
``I don't want to jinx my team,'' he said.
The concern of the gentleman coach is understandable in view of the fact that three of his next four games involve traditional regional powers (Heritage and E.C. Glass from Group AAA and North Cross from the private school ranks).
Win or lose, one must bow respectfully to the Indians. Be reminded that Blacksburg put together this little streak by playing the toughest competition it could find within a driving distance that did not require a second mortage for gas money. And it did so with ordinary individuals who proved to be extraordinary in concert with their associates.
In other words, Blacksburg has done it with teams that haven't exactly been busting at the seams with Division I college prospects.
``It's been a tribute to these kids,'' Blumenthal said.
The current group started the season 5-0. Among those who have distinguished themselves are central midfielder Mark Decker with five goals and five assists, forward Kurt Williams with eight goals, and forward Steve Cherry with four goals and five assists.
Ben Pinkerton has been ``rock-solid'' in goal, in Blumenthal's view.
Decker, incidentally, has attracted some interest from Virginia Tech.
NOTHING BUT BLANKS: Few springtime feats have captured the imagination like the pair of no-hitters tossed by pitchers for Pulaski County's back-from-the-dead baseball team.
The authors of the no-no's were left-hander Bryan Dalton and right-hander Jason Corvin. Dalton, a sophomore, beat Carroll County 12-0 in a game shortened to five innings because of the slaughter rule and Corvin shut out William Fleming 29-0 in another five-inning game.
Dalton could never be accused of overreacting.
``I guess I was pretty happy about it,'' he said.
As for Corvin, Cougars assistant coach Richard Myers, a former Pulaski County pitcher himself, didn't want to hear anything about Fleming's supposed deficiencies.
``They're a young team, but they do have talent,'' he said. ``The way Jason was throwing, I'm not saying he would have had another no-hitter, but he was going to shut down most people.''
UNDER CULTIVATION: Although the Giles High baseball field has been maligned here before (causing local reaction that had one correspondent in fear of being impaled on his own poison pen), let us never be accused of a lack of balanced reporting.
Therefore, offered herein is a recommendation that that windswept diamond be put on the next Garden Club tour of the county. Clearly, many stiff backs and dirty fingernails went into the tulip display behind the backstop.
Arrayed in a half-moon that follows the screen is a band of red and white spring blooms (for those who have just returned from a 20-year mission to sub-equatorial Africa, those are the Spartans colors) that nod gaily in the breeze. The flowers look even more stunning when taken together with the spectacular view of the mountains and valleys in the distance beyond the sign-festooned outfield fence.
So too must those flowers be a soothing sight to pitchers whose nerves are under constant strain trying to see to it that the baseballs they hurl stay within a chain-link enclosure that remains perilously close to home plate.
DOWN AT THE BEACH: Word arrived recently by mail of native New River Valleyians Roger Davidson and his boy Brad.
Actually, the term ``boy'' is applied only loosely to young Brad, who has spouted to measurements that include a height of 6-foot-3 and weight of 275 pounds. Those physical qualities have been rigorously applied to a football career as a center and defensive lineman at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High. Davidson's skills have been recognized with multiple honors. The ultimate prize was a scholarship to play for Florida A&M.
Many recall Roger ``Sheep'' Davidson as a Pulaski guy who went on to coach football and baseball at Christiansburg High. Davidson now is a football assistant and head baseball coach at Deerfield.
Others may remember Brad as a kid who was big even when he was small. Brad was on the way to Joel Hicks' program at Pulaski County before packing his bags to join his pop in the land of palm trees and sharks.
by CNB