ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996 TAG: 9604220097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
They know who's going to run it. They know who's going to throw it.
Now, just one other little thing: Who's going to catch it?
When Virginia Tech's football team wraps up spring practice today with the annual Maroon-White game at 3 p.m. at Lane Stadium, many of the trained eyes will be focused on the Hokies' inexperienced receiving corps.
"You can bet I'll be looking at 'em,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech's coach.
With the possible exception of the defensive line, Tech's biggest hole to fill off last year's best team in school history is at wideout. The Hokies definitely are hurting at receiver, where they lost deep-threat flanker Bryan Still and split end Jermaine Holmes to graduation.
"You're losing one guy who is a sure-fire NFL draft pick and another guy who could get drafted,'' Beamer said. "It ain't easy to replace those guys.''
Beamer and receiver coach Terry Strock do have a huge cast to choose from. Unfortunately, none have flashed all the skills that Still and Holmes brought to the table. The departed duo caught a combined 61 passes for 1,096 yards (nearly half of Tech's 2,206 receiving yards) and nine of the club's 14 receiving touchdowns.
Fifth-year senior Cornelius White, a backup flanker who has been moved to split end, has the best returning credentials (22 catches for 312 yards last year). But White was injured recently in drills, and will miss today's game.
Beamer said redshirt junior Michael Stuewe has been as steady as anybody in the spring. The former walk-on won't run past anybody, but he has "Allstate'' hands.
"Michael has been our most consistent guy so far,'' Beamer said. "If he can get his hands on it, he usually catches it.''
Other leading receiving candidates include redshirt junior Shawn Scales, sophomore Angelo Harrison and speed-burner redshirt freshman Marcus Gildersleeve.
"That kid can fly,'' said Jim Druckenmiller, Tech quarterback. "It's nice to have a guy who can run past some people and get deep like him.
"Yeah, he's fast. He still can't outrun my arm, though,'' added the rifle-armed Druckenmiller, grinning.
Other contenders include redshirt freshman Willie McGirt and fourth-year junior Cody Whipple, both former quarterbacks, and unheralded Chris Segaar and Edmund Tan.
"Both Segaar [a former kicker] and Tan have looked good to me,'' Druckenmiller said. "They've come out of nowhere, really.''
Beamer is expecting some more help this fall, when junior college transfer Walter Ford enters school.
"I think he's the kind of guy who can come in and solve some things right away,'' said Beamer of Ford, a former standout at Hampton High.
In order to get a good read on new personnel, Beamer elected to pit the first-team offense against the first-team defense in today's game.
"Our best defenders will be going against our best offensive players, which should make it really competitive,'' Beamer said.
"I figure this way myself and the coaches should be able to get a fairly accurate read on where some of the newcomers really are. You can tell a lot more when a guy has to go up against a first-team guy than if he was facing the second team.''
Besides Druckenmiller, the Maroon offense will include Tech's top three runners - tailbacks Ken Oxendine and Marcus Parker, and fullback Brian Edmonds.
The White defense will include such first-teamers as Myron Newsome, Tony Morrison, Antonio Banks, Torrian Gray and Loren Johnson.
Beamer, no doubt, will keep a close eye on the White defensive line, where Tech must replace everyone but All-America end Cornell Brown.
Brown has a bruised thigh and will not play.
Defensive coordinator Bud Foster will direct the Maroon squad, while offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle will handle the White. Beamer, the head man, will observe.
"I'm going to get a good look,'' Beamer said. "I especially want to take a look at the defensive line and receivers.''
The coach hopes they can catch something besides spring fever. It's called a football.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 linesby CNB