ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 1, 1995 TAG: 9512010025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
William Byrd coach Richard Thrasher is getting the reputation of being the Dean Smith of Virginia state girls' basketball.
For years Smith turned out great Final Four teams at North Carolina, but the national championship eluded the Tar Heels until 1982 when Michael Jordan helped his boss get one.
Thrasher, in his 12th year as girls' coach at William Byrd, has taken five teams to state tournaments, including two finalists and one semifinalist. But he has yet to win the big trophy.
The Terriers won't have an easy time if they win the Group AA tournament title this season. They'll be one of two Blue Ridge District teams in tonight's semifinals at the Salem Civic Center when they take on Park View-Sterling at 7. Lord Botetourt plays Culpeper at 8:30.
This afternoon, Floyd County will meet unbeaten George Mason at 3:30 as the Buffaloes hope to win their third consecutive Group A crown. The only semifinal game that doesn't have a Timesland team entered is the other Group A contest, matching Northwood against Wilson Memorial at 2 p.m.
Byrd has plenty of Group AA tournament experience among four seniors, who have been frustrated in their attempts to win a title. Seniors Cathy Smith, Kim Kendrick, Kelli Runyon and Kristi Dyer were freshmen on the 1992 team that lost to Blacksburg in the championship game. Last year, as juniors, it was disappointment in the semifinals in a loss to Loudoun Valley.
``We'll keep working and eventually, we'll get one,'' said Thrasher, whose teams never have missed a Region III tournament. ``I hope it's these kids' turn. I'll be back to give it another shot, but these kids won't be back.''
Loudoun Valley beat the Terriers last year thanks to Stacy Sims, a guard who ran circles around Byrd. Now, Park View-Sterling coach Larry Sims, Stacy's father, will try and repeat the work his daughter did last fall in her junior season.
``I only got to see Stacy play twice this year - when they played us,'' said Larry Sims of his daughter. ``The night she went over 500 career assists, I believe she did it against us.'
He didn't ask his daughter about Byrd, though, having seen the Terriers against Loudoun Valley and having played them at team camp this past summer.
``They're solid, one of the best fundamental teams we've played,'' Sims said. ``And I think they're the favorite because they've had so many players in the state.''
Byrd's task is to stop 6-1 Renee Lettington, who averaged 28 points and 14 rebounds. The Terriers, who have height, were able to shut down Lord Botetourt's Sarah Hicks, a 6-footer who averaged more than 22 points a game, but only 12.8 points in four games against Byrd.
``[Lettington is] pretty good, and she's going to get some points,'' Thrasher said. ``We just hope we can contain her and do a good job on the other people.''
Lord Botetourt's job isn't easy, either. The Cavaliers face Culpeper, led by Kate Carter, the state's winningest coach in girls' basketball with 477 victories. More important, Culpeper has four six-foot players to throw against Hicks.
``They're much bigger than we are,'' said Lord Botetourt coach David Wheat. ``So the first thing is that we'll try to play our game, which is up-tempo. If we can run the floor and make them play a full-court game, we can negate some of their height advantage.''
For all her success, Carter hasn't had a team reach the final four of the state tournament since 1979.
``I've always been on the sideline looking at someone else, so this feels great,'' Carter said. ``This year, I'll get to come to the tournament and see what it feels like to be on the floor.''
If Botetourt and Byrd win, it will set up a Group AA championship game between teams from the same district for just the third time in tournament history. George Wythe beat Radford in 1989, and the next year, the Bobcats disposed of Blacksburg as the New River District dominated for two consecutive seasons.
In the Group A tournament, Floyd County hopes to continue its domination of the event. The Buffaloes have not lost to a Group A team since 1992, when Wilson Memorial beat the Buffaloes 49-47 in a semifinal. Floyd County has won 63 consecutive games against Group A competition, but that streak is in jeopardy against George Mason.
``When we beat Honaker [in a first-round game],'' said Floyd County coach Alan Cantrell, ``the girls were really excited. The whole team was that way.
``I know there were a lot of doubts about whether we could get back to the state with the amount of talent that we lost.
``The other day, Melissa [Cantrell, a guard and the coach's daughter] was talking about having won four straight district and region championships. How many people can ever say something like that?''
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: MIKE HEFFNER/Staff. 1. Lord Botetourt and Sarah Hicksby CNB(30) meet Culpeper in a Group AA semifinal tonight at the Salem
Civic Center. William Byrd plays Park View-Sterling in the other
semifinal. color. 2. Cathy Smith (32) and William Byrd take on Park
View-Sterling in a Group AA semifinal tonight at the Salem Civic
Center.