
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 19, 1995                   TAG: 9505190061
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV12   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SURPRISE! LITTLE NARROWS CONTRIBUTES THE UNIQUE

SPRING NOTEBOOK CLEANUP: There has been much to be tickled with this year for Giles County sports fans, what with both Giles and Narrows going deep into the football playoffs. Still, nobody was quite prepared for what has happened during the spring.

This past weekend all four track teams (two girls and two boys) at the two high schools won their district meets. Much can be said for the Giles boys romping with a 121 1/2 point margin of victory and the girls with a 90-point bulge, but the biggest story is Narrows, where track has never been a particularly dominant sport.

Also at Narrows, brother-sister combination of Jay and Suzanne Webb won the Mountain Empire District singles titles in tennis. Those feats are unique on several levels.

A brother and a sister had never won district tennis titles there in the same year. Then again, a boy and a girl of any relation had never won tennis crowns for Narrows. For that matter, it is believed that nobody from Narrows has ever won an individual crown in tennis, although there was a team champipnship back in the 1970's.

BREAK UP THE DEVILS: Having played Grayson County twice, Narrows baseball coach Rick Franklin has developed an unabashed admiration for the Blue Devils.

``I'm not going to say they're going to win the state, because I don't know who's out there,'' he said. ``But that's the best team I've seen since Christiansburg had Randy Lawrence.''

No question about it, the Blue Devils are cranking out some killer statistics. For example, Chad Shaffner has not struck out in 62 at bats while pounding seven home runs and 35 RBI. Shaffner is batting .612 (38 for 62).

(Question to opposing coaches: Why pitch to this kid?).

Then in the pitching department, we have Wes Self, who has struck out 75 and given up five hits in 36 innings. A grand slam from Carroll County's Justin Iroler are the only earned runs off Self this year.

Free career counseling to those Mountain Empire District coaches who are contemplating retirement: Maybe you better do it. Self is just a sophomore.

Holding the operation together is catcher Chip Pack, who is batting .444 and has thrown out 14 of 24 would-be base thieves while fielding .990.

``The only problem I can see is that the pitching is too good,'' Franklin said.

Beg your pardon?

``The pitching has been so overpowering that the defense hasn't had to make near the number of plays that an ordinary team would,'' Franklin said.

DOWN SOUTH: Grayson County is a compelling story in the southern reaches of the New River watershed, but not the only one. Esteemed colleague Craig Worrell points out that Carroll County's 12 baseball loss is the most in school history (looks like former Carroll County coach Bill Worrell, Craig's father, got out of the coaching racket just in time).

At Galax, where manpower shortages are the rule, the Maroon Tide is now down to nine players.

Alas, these will be among the last choice nuggets from Craig, who is retiring to take his considerable talents to private industry.

by CNB