Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 26, 1995 TAG: 9510270014
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Long
Not since the days of old Bedford High School has a football team from this town come close to making the playoffs or winning as many than eight games.
The Minutemen are 6-1 this fall and need to win only two of their final three games to achieve the best regular-season record in the school's history.
Quarterback J.J. Coles, a transplanted wide receiver, split end Gregg Reynolds and running back Marvin Harris have been piling up the yards and victories for coach Mike Scharnus, who in his fourth year has transformed Liberty's program. In the six years before Scharnus arrived, the Minutemen were 18-42.
When these three players were sophomores, Liberty went 7-3 and just missed making the playoffs. It was Liberty's first winning record since the 1983 team went 6-4.
In 1993, Reynolds was Timesland's Sizzlin' Sophomore of the Year on offense . Harris, after a fast start, was slowed by injuries while Coles was a sophomore reserve.
Now the Minutemen are approaching the great days of old Bedford High, which was closedin 1964. Bedford made several playoff appearances and had 24 victories, four ties and no losses from 1950-52. The 1940 team was 10-1.
Until 1993, the best record by a Liberty football team was 6-3 in 1973. The 1966 and 1981 Minutemen each went 6-3-1.
The saga of this year's team started when Chris Ridgeway, a junior, transferred to Jefferson Forest. He had been penciled in at quarterback to replace All-Timesland standout Mike Padgett.
Scharnus did a fast shuffle, moving Coles to quarterback from wide receiver and working him out in a summer passing league.
``J.J. was ahead of Ridgeway in quarterback skills. We were going to see if Chris had developed. J.J. has proven this year that he's a natural,'' said Scharnus. ``I knew J.J. could be a more polished quarterback. We wanted to see if we could use J.J. at another position.''
After six games, Coles is the second-leading passer in Timesland with 907 yards, just 39 fewer than Fort Chiswell's Adam Morgan. His passing percentage (.591) is second behind William Fleming's Charles Burnette, another receiver converted to quarterback.
``I didn't think I could do this well,'' said Coles. ``I hadn't played quarterback in a real [varsity] game, but I practiced every day.''
Coles had been the freshman quarterback, so he wasn't totally inexperienced.
Scharnus says there was no question about Coles' running or throwing the football as a quarterback. ``He's throwing it better than we thought he would. How would he handle the position mentally from reads and leading the team?'' asked Scharnus.
``He's far ahead in the mental part without game experience. He's playing quarterback like he's played it for three years.''
Harris started as a sophomore. ``He had 57 yards in the opening game, then he'd get a nagging injury or two. He played only three or four games,'' said Scharnus. ``It was the same thing last year, but we weren't running the ball anyway, so it didn't matter.''
This year, Harris has averaged 90.1 yards per game and has scored five touchdowns. Harris' running has given the Minutemen a balanced attack.
Harris, who said the injuries that plagued him are a thing of the past, feels he is a good all-around runner. ``I can run over you, by you with speed or I can juke [fake] you,'' said the 5-foot-6, 162-pound senior.
Harris says Liberty has had a good enough team to win the district each of his first two years, but the breaks didn't go its way.
``Our first goal is to make the playoffs,'' he said. ``It's good to have a balanced attack. That keeps other defenses thinking. They can't play the pass like they did last year.''
Both Harris and Coles credit the offensive line. That's expected from a running back and quarterback. Scharnus goes them one better and says its the best offensive wall he's had in his four years as Liberty's coach.
Reynolds was the big star coming into the season. In Liberty's first game, a 19-9 victory over Brookville, Reynolds didn't catch a pass. Not a good start for a receiver trying to match last year's 47 catches for 769 yards that led Timesland.
Reynolds is back on track. He has 30 catches for 475 yards the past six games has boosted him to second in Timesland.
``We started off looking for other receivers, but in the big games, we've gone to Gregg,'' said Scharnus. ``He had seven catches against Jefferson Forest and William Campbell.''
Still, when Liberty rallied to beat Jefferson Forest, the winning pass went to Robert Carson, who is taking some of the defense away from Reynolds.
``He's a sophomore and with Carson we can spread things out. He'll catch the ball if it's thrown to him,'' said Scharnus. ``I don't know if we go to any receiver by design.''
Reynolds says the offense has done a lot better than anyone expected.
``J.J. is very athletic. I knew he wouldn't have any trouble,'' said Reynolds of his running mate in basketball.
``Everyone expected a lot of Harris as a 10th grader. When he came back [from injuries] with something to prove, I think he's done it.''
If Reynolds hasn't matched last year's statistics, he thinks he's better as a player. ``I'm better physically and mentally. But it's mostly mental to read the defense. It helps to have a couple of other good receivers,'' said Reynolds, who was double teamed when he was shut out by Brookville.
It didn't bother Reynolds. ``When I didn't catch a pass, it was disappointing at first. But we started winning. I realized what was going on,'' said Reynolds.
It was called winning, something Liberty hasn't experienced all that much in football.
by CNB