ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 7, 1996 TAG: 9603080029
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER A slam dunk by William Fleming's James
Stokes is usually worth more than two points.
``When he gets a dunk, it fires up the team,'' said Fleming coach Marshall
Ashford. ``The kids seem to pick their game up. It gives them that much more
momentum.''
Lately, Stokes' dunks have translated into victories that have put the Colonels in the Group AAA tournament. They'll meet J.E.B. Stuart of Falls Church on Saturday in a quarterfinal game at James Robinson High in Fairfax.
``They say they love it. They say that's what pumps them up,'' said Stokes of his dunks. ``If that's what it takes, I'll try to get one in the first quarter.''
It isn't that easy, though.
``It seems like when I think about trying to get one, I don't always get it. When I don't think about one, I get it,'' said the 6-foot-5 1/2 senior.
One dunk Stokes didn't get was a week ago tonight when he hurtled down the lane on the way to a game-winning shot against Potomac in the Northwest Region semifinals.
Potomac's Rolan Roberts stepped in front of Stokes and fouled the Fleming star. With 1.8 seconds left, Stokes calmly dropped two free throws through for a 60-58 victory to assure the Colonels of a spot in the state tournament.
Last year, Stokes probably wouldn't have gone for the winning shot. As a junior, he had been a dominant scorer until late in the season when point guard Derrick Hines took over as Fleming's top scorer. Stokes scored four points as Fleming lost 67-51 to E.C. Glass in the Northwest Region semifinals that could have put the Colonels in the state.
``Since district play started, James has stepped it up,'' Ashford said. ``Being a senior, it's his last go around. So it's a big motivation that he doesn't want to see the season end.
``Last year, Derrick was playing real well. James' rebounding was pretty good, but he wasn't scoring as many points. He wasn't as aggressive. If he hadn't stepped it up this year, no doubt we wouldn't be where we are now.''
The year of learning and growth has made a big difference for Stokes.
``Last year, I was waiting for Derrick to make the moves,'' said Stokes. ``He was taking over. He was playing the role. It wasn't that I was afraid to shoot, but I wasn't as confident as I am this year.
``Last year's team was built around Derrick. This year's team is built around me. All the coaches told me to step up, that this is my year. I've taken their advice.''
As for going for a shot with the game on the line Stokes wants the ball in his hands.
``I love it [the big shot],'' he said. ``If you make it, you make it. If you miss it, you miss it. In my mind, I want to take it. I don't mind the risk.''
Stokes hopes his determination helps lead the Colonels to a coveted state title.
``I'd do anything for a state championship,'' he said. ``Last year, I wasn't doing that. I was just playing [basketball] to play. I'll skin my knees or dive under the scorer's table. At this point of the season, I want it so bad.''
Stokes has learned a lot about basketball from his father, Roger Hardy, who played at Jefferson High. Stokes sees his immediate basketball future coming at Fork Union or at a junior college.
He is a complete player, who leads Timesland in rebounding at nearly 12 per game. He also shoots 77 percent from the free-throw line. He led the RVD in scoring with 18 points per game, but he has stepped that up to 20 a game during the tournaments.
``When I was 6 years old, my brother [Antoine] and I played at the YMCA. But I really didn't start playing until I got here,'' Stokes said. ``Coach Ashford helped me realize how good I might be. So I started playing every day along with Sterling [Tate].''
Tate is the other half of Fleming's senior tandem. At 6-6, Tate plays post, but he hasn't had big statistics because of knee injuries that required surgery during the off season. Tate is just now coming back close to form as he has been averaging in double figures since the start of the year.
This has been an up-and-down season for Fleming, which returned two starters from last winter and a set of three new guards. The Colonels lost, as expected, to George Washington-Danville early, then they were upset at E.C. Glass in a game that was reminiscent of last season's losses to the Hilltoppers.
The lowest point might have come when Fleming was dropped by Blue Ridge District rival Northside in a first-round game at the NationsBank Hoops Classic. Less than a month later, veteran coach Burrall Paye suddenly retired, leaving Ashford and Stokes facing a tough Cave Spring team that night.
The rest is history. The Colonels survived Cave Spring, nearly knocked off nationally ranked Science Hill of Johnson City, Tenn., the next afternoon and went on to win the RVD along with a trip to the state.
``I'm not really surprised,'' Stokes said of the Colonels' success despite the adversity. ``We're usually ranked [high] at the beginning of the season and then are better at the end of the year. It seems like it takes a couple of losses for us to get going.''
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff Fleming's James Stokesby CNB(right) leads Timesland in rebounding and the RVD in scoring.
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