Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 19, 1995 TAG: 9510190087
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Cooke has three players on his football team with the last name Dickson, all brothers. And their first names all start with ``A'': Alex, a junior running back and safety; Anthony, a sophomore defensive end and fullback; and Adam, a freshman safety.
``It's strange,'' said Cooke, whose Celtics are the defending Virginia Independent Schools Division II champions. ``I had two sets of twins once and I couldn't tell them apart sometimes.''
What Cooke has now is three of Richard and Dianne Dickson's 15 children. The teen-agers, three of 12 adopted children, are playing organized football for the first time. And they are doing it with success, particularly Alex.
Lined up in the backfield with the 1994 Timesland Sizzlin' Sophomore Offensive Player of the Year, P.J. Moyer, Alex made his first high school carry a memorable one. In the Celtics' season-opening victory over Kenston Forest, Alex took a first-quarter handoff and went 28 yards for a touchdown.
``I don't know if I ever had a guy do that in my 20 years of coaching,'' Cooke said.
Adam Dickson was in shock.
``So many things went through my mind,'' Adam said. The youngest of the trio said he was thinking, ``Oh my goodness. Maybe this is the start of a good football career.''
The heroics continued.
Alex made a tackle at the 8-yard line late in the game to help preserve a 13-0 shutout.
As the season has continued, so have the big plays.
In a 20-16 victory over Massanutten Military Academy, Alex returned the second-half kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown . Alex and Anthony were credited with making sparkling defensive plays to preserve the lead.
The following week, Alex returned the second-half kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown in a 42-0 victory over Fishburne Military Academy.
But as impressive as Alex has been, Cooke stresses the junior is succeeding mainly on raw talent.
``He has so much natural ability,'' Cooke said. ``He can take a ball and go straight ahead, but following his blocking, that's Greek to him.''
After watching the Dickson boys in his physical education classes, Cooke knew he had to have them on his team. ``I hate to see how our program would be if they weren't here,'' he said.
But there were two issues that had to be addressed before the Dicksons could take the field.
For one, there's a two-sport clause in the Dickson household. Each child is allowed to play two sports during a school year. Alex, who holds the school record in the 100-meter dash, and Anthony each played basketball and participated in track and field. Adam will do the same this season.
And their mother is terrified by the physical nature of football.
``I don't like football,'' Dianne Dickson said. ``There are too many permanent injuries.''
So what changed her mind?
``Coach Cooke and [assistant] Coach [Paul] Moyer twisted my arm,'' Dianne Dickson said jokingly. ``They just convinced me they would take care of them.''
But in order to play, the trio had to agree to one thing.
``They were all playing with the condition they made their grades,'' Dianne Dickson said.
Right now, Adam is not playing. He received a couple of low marks on his first report card of the school year and is required to sit out until the next grading period.
The Dicksons stress ``grades are more important than playing, and I agree with them,'' Adam said.
But Dianne Dickson said Adam wasn't so agreeable when he received his grades.
``He tried to bargain and the coaches tried to bargain,'' Dianne Dickson said. ``This is one of life's little lessons. We figured he had to learn this as a freshman so it doesn't happen as a senior.''
After the teen-agers received approval from their parents to join the football team, the next task was to actually get out on the field. Anthony had his reservations.
``When I first tried out for the team, I didn't want to play because I thought it would be too dangerous for me,'' said the quietest of the three Celtics.
He since has become comfortable with the sport.
Though the football coaches had to nag Dianne Dickson about allowing the boys to play football, the trio isn't alone in preparing for weekend games.
Sisters Allison and Audrey are on the cheerleading squad, and their mother is a cheerleading sponsor. They all are simply following a family tradition. Each of their four older siblings played high school sports.
Sister Abby, who graduated from Roanoke Catholic in June, scored more than 1,000 career points in basketball. She is attending Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., with brother Aaron.
Right now, the focus is on Alex, Anthony and Adam, and Cooke couldn't be much happier.
``They say things happen in threes,'' Cooke said. ``I got three good ones.''
by CNB