ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603150047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER LYNCHBURG
Tonight, these two coaches with experience levels as opposite as possible will meet on the court as their teams play in a Group AAA semifinal. Tip-off is at 7 at Liberty University's Vines Center. The Group AAA coach with the fewest victories will be matched with one who has been the state's most successful.
When William Fleming takes on Hopewell at 7 p.m. tonight in the Group AAA semifinals at the Vines Center on the Liberty University campus, the Colonels' Marshall Ashford will be trying to match wits with Bill Littlepage.
Fleming (19-7) is one of three Timesland teams playing state semifinal games today.
This afternoon in Group AA semifinals, Liberty battles Nansemond River of Suffolk at 1 p.m., and Northside takes on another team from Suffolk, Lakeland, at 2:30 p.m.
Ashford, a former head boys' and girls' head coach at Floyd County, has been the Fleming head coach for less than two months. He took over when Burrall Paye decided to retire before the Colonels were to play Cave Spring on Jan.19.
Under Ashford, Fleming won the Roanoke Valley District regular-season and tournament titles, finished second in the Northwest Region to nationally ranked George Washington-Danville and won a first-round state tournament game against J.E.B. Stuart of Falls Church.
Ashford's record at Fleming is 11-3 with
Two of Fleming's losses under Ashford were to teams ranked among the Top 25 by USA Today. The day after Ashford got the job, Fleming lost 56-53 to Science Hill of Johnson City, Tenn., and later to GW-Danville 64-54 in the Northwest Region. The other loss was to Patrick Henry, Fleming's biggest rival.
Littlepage has 580 career victories, the most by any active public school coach in the state and the most ever by a Group AAA coach.
While Littlepage is chasing a state title this weekend, he will be chasing Husky Hall during the next few seasons. Hall, the former Martinsville coach who retired last season, has 610 career wins, the most ever by a public school coach in Virginia.
will be around long enough to pass the 610 victories that Martinsville's Husky Hall had before he retired last year. Those are the most ever by a public school coach in the state.
``Husky and I are great friends,'' Littlepage said. ``I kid him about this. He told me he couldn't stay any longer, that he had to [retire].''
Ashford didn't take the Fleming job without experience as a head coach. He coached both the boys' and girls' teams at Floyd County. Now he has taken Fleming to the final four so that no matter what happens, the Colonels won't be considered under achievers.
Littlepage has a team considered by many to be his best club. The Blue Devils are 25-1 and compare favorably in size with William Fleming. Hopewell is led by guard James ``Rip'' Morse and 6-foot-4 Monsanto Pope, both of whom average nearly 20 points a game. That's about the same as 6-51/2 James Stokes (19.3 ppg), who is Fleming's only double-figure scorer. Stokes had a career-best 40 points in Fleming's 100-87 first-round overtime victory over J.E.B. Stuart.
``[Stokes has] been getting help from others,'' said Littlepage, who has observed Fleming's team. ``If one kid scores 40, he may not need much help. As for this being my best team, I usually stay away from comparisons. We may be somewhat overachievers, but I like the things that our team does.''
Ashford said Hopewell reminds him of Stuart.
``They may have a better inside player [Pope]. He's real strong. A linebacker type in football. We have to rebound the ball and shoot free throws a lot better than we did against Stuart.''
The Group AA semifinals are almost a replay of last year's final four. Three teams are the same, with Liberty again playing Nansemond River in the semifinals. The Warriors return four starters, including 6-1 junior guard Antoine Willie (25.7 ppg) and 6-4 senior Montorian Valentine (19.6 ppg).
Nansemond River (24-2) beat Liberty 78-68 last year and has won 22 in a row. The only losses were to Group AAA Green Run and Woodbridge early in the season.
``We've been saying all season we've got to make it back to the championship game,'' Willie said. ``We're here again to win it. Every game you play, the teams get better and better. So we'll have to play harder, play Nansemond River ball.''
Liberty (23-0) would prefer a wide-open game against the Warriors. Liberty struggled in beating Gate City in overtime in a first-round game.
``Hopefully, that will wake our kids up,'' said Liberty coach Mark Hanks. ``This is going to be tournament basketball, and it will be a little more physical. In an open-court game, which it should be, we have to neutralize them on the glass and we have to handle their pressure.''
Northside (17-8), which is in the semifinals for the fourth time in five years, lost to Nansemond River 84-57 in the title game last year. The Vikings have played one of Timesland's toughest schedules, including the best Group AAA teams in the area.
Lakeland (18-9), which will have an advantage inside thanks to 6-7 John Ricks, will present a big challenge to the Vikings, who rely on a perimeter game.
Ricks (11 ppg) is the third-leading scorer on his team behind 6-4 forward Damon Tillery (17 ppg) and guard Brian Baker (12.6 ppg). However, Ricks had a triple-double the last two games with double figures in blocks, rebounds and points. He blocked 12 shots in a 74-72 first-round victory over Fort Defiance.
``They've got the outside talent as well as inside,'' said Northside coach Billy Pope. ``They're Their size presents some situations we'll have to deal with.''
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