ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602230018
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
The cover of this year's basketball scorecard at Northside High School features a team photograph of the 1996 squad and a compendium of school accomplishments over the past three decades.
The highlights include 10 entries, starting with a district championship in 1967, and concluding with a second-place finish in the Group AA tournament in 1995. Significantly, the past seven seasons - all under the direction of head coach Billy Pope - qualify for the ``accomplishments list.''
In this year's team photo, Pope is seated at midcourt surrounded by his players and assistants. On Pope's right, holding a basketball, is senior guard and co-captain Justin Porterfield. On Pope's left, holding a basketball, is senior guard and co-captain Ben Peete.
Both Peete and Porterfield are looking into the camera. But it wouldn't be far-fetched to suggest that each is peering out of a corner of an eye, looking to see if the other is open for the shot.
"Having good guards is like having a few extra coaches," says Pope, a former point-guard at Mount Vernon (Va.) High School and Bridgewater College. "It always helps you."
Few would dispute Pope's observations on coaching. In this, his 10th season at Northside, Pope is looking to return to the state tournament for the fifth time in six years.
His 1991-92 and '94-'95 teams advanced to the championship game.
A key component of virtually every Northside team has been a quick, efficient ball-handler, a player who can set the offense, shoot the 3-pointer, and drive to the hoop.
The names of past-Vikings stars come to mind: Chuck Nelson, Derek Elmore, Jimmy Allen, Chad Briscoe, Aaron Burford, Matt Hill, Kelly Dampeer, Nathan Hungate.
This season, Pope is blessed with two players who fit the description.
"Justin and Ben both handle the ball so well," Pope said. "The question I'm often asked is which one's really the point guard and which one's the shooting guard.
"And, the answer is neither one. They share those roles, and that's really neat. It could be a territorial problem, but it isn't."
After Tuesday night's Blue Ridge District title-clinching playoff victory over Salem, Northside stands 14-6 overall. The Vikings breezed through the district regular season with a 9-1 mark. Both guards are averaging just about 14 points per game, ranking them fourth (Peete) and fifth (Porterfield) in the district.
After 20 games, Peete has scored a total of just 5 points more than Porterfield this season; that's a quarter of a point a game. "It's kind of amazing that they've been right at the same number for a long time," Pope said.
In a 69-49 victory over Rockbridge County on Feb. 17, for example, Peete and Porterfield each scored 19.
"People say we're trying to do that," Peete said. "We're not; it just works out sometimes.''
Porterfield and Peete do much more than just handle the ball and score, and their versatility is what really impresses Pope. When the Vikings' starting center, Adam Gray, suffered an ankle injury several weeks ago, a short Northside team suddenly got shorter. Northside's tallest regular is 6 feet 2.
"Ben [5-10] and Justin [5-11] are not big guys," Pope said. "But Ben's second on the team in total rebounds [behind Adam Wimmer] and in several games he's come up with seven, eight, or nine rebounds.
"We've asked Justin to match up with big guys on the high post in some of our defenses, and he's done whatever we've asked.''
That unselfishness carries over to Porterfield's offensive game, too.
"My favorite thing to do is pass the ball," he said. "I try to make other people score." Porterfield is the all-time assists leader at Northside and this season ranks among the top five in Timesland.
"What runs through his veins is passing," Pope said. "He hurts you with the pass; it's a weapon.''
Porterfield, who was selected to the All-Timesland and second-team all-state teams last season, also holds the school record in 3-point goals in one game (seven last year against Salem).
"It was about two games after Ben got six [3-pointers] against Rockbridge," Porterfield said with a good-natured laugh.
Porterfield came up to the varsity team at the end of his freshman year. He is only the second Viking (Dana Gibson is the other) to play four seasons on a Pope-coached team.
Peete moved to Roanoke from Memphis midway through his sophomore year.
"When he first came in, Ben really turned some heads," Pope said. "He could play, and he loved to play. In fact, we have to run him out of the gym every day.''
Peete was chosen second-team all-district last season.
"Ben is a scorer. He can hit the 3; he has an excellent first step on his drive. Ben's a scorer who can pass; Justin's a passer who can score. They both can do what you ask, and they've made each other better," Pope said.
Which is just the way the coach wants it.
"Coach Pope preaches team," Peete said. "Without teamwork, you're not going to get anything accomplished. He works with what he has. He used to be a point guard himself; he knows what's involved in running a team.''
"I try to do what's best for the team," Porterfield said. "If that means playing defense against a big man, I'm all for it.''
Look for next year's Northside scorecard program to have an addendum on it.
"Hopefully, we're going all the way," Porterfield said. "That's my goal. Nothing less.''
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. Most successful basketball teams haveby CNBa good, "do-all" guard. Northside High is blessed with two - Ben
Peete (left) and Justin Porterfield. color.