ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995 TAG: 9512150082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
TEN PLAYERS and three coaches receive top honors on the All-Group AA and A football teams.
The All-Group AA and All-Group A football teams each feature five players from Timesland schools, and the coach of the year awards in both groups go to men with Timesland ties.
On the second teams, Timesland schools placed seven players on the Group AA squad and eight on the Group A team.
On the first-team Group AA offense, Michael Berry of William Byrd and Gregg Reynolds of Liberty were the receivers, and Dan Baker of Salem and Marco Law of Martinsville were the tackles. Seth Moore of Salem made the defensive unit as a back.
Berry and Reynolds each had 38 receptions, and Moore made four interceptions.
Kevin Saunders of William Campbell was named Group AA coach of the year. Saunders played high school football at Radford and led William Campbell to the semifinal round of the Group AA, Division 3 playoffs, where it lost to eventual champion Graham.
Making the second-team Group AA offense from Timesland were quarterback J.J. Coles from Liberty, running back Manti Venable of Martinsville, center Shawn Dobbins of Salem and Berry as kicker.
Second-team Timesland defenders were backs Delvin Joyce of Fieldale-Collinsville and Steven Hart of Blacksburg and punter Jess Wade of Martinsville.
Byron Thweatt of Matoaca was the Group AA player of the year. Thweatt, a running back/defensive lineman, ran for more than 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns in 13 games for Matoaca, which lost to King George in the Group AA, Division 3 state semifinals.
On the Group A squad, Alex Webb of Giles made the first-team offense as a tackle. Timesland first-team defensive representatives were linemen Elmo Dunbar of Radford and Dennis Loan of Bath County, linebacker Brandon Steele of Giles and kick returner Michael White of Fort Chiswell. White, who had a 33.5-yard average and four touchdowns on 21 returns, also made the second team as a receiver.
Bland County co-coaches Ed Selfe and David Lambert were named Group A co-coaches of the year. They led the Bears to the Group A, Division I semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Bath County.
Bland County is a team made up of players from Bland and Rocky Gap high schools, which are bitter rivals in basketball. The two schools combined to field their first football team in 1992. Selfe and Lambert have coached the blended team to the playoffs two years in a row.
Second-team Group A players from Timesland were: running back Kevin Slusser of Giles, offensive tackle Jason Stanier of Covington, guard Kelly Underwood of Radford, linebackers Christopher Moore of Rural Retreat and Matt Williams of Bath County, and defensive backs Corey Willis of Glenvar and Reggie Hoston of Giles.
Thomas Jones of Powell Valley was the Group A player of the year for the second year in a row.
Jones scored 49 touchdowns this season, breaking the single-season mark of 44 he set last year, and finished his career with 105 touchdowns, another state record.
Jones carried 240 times for 2,267 yards and 36 touchdowns in the regular season, then added 13 touchdowns in four playoff games.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB