ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 2, 1996 TAG: 9605020019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
Ex-Patrick Henry High School football and basketball standout Chris Combs, who went to Duke on a football scholarship, was running with the first-team defense before he suffered a dislocated kneecap that caused him to miss the last three weeks of spring practice.
``We knew he would fill out as soon as he stopped playing basketball,'' said Duke coach Fred Goldsmith, who moved Combs, a tight end and defensive end in high school, to defensive tackle. ``He's 6-6, 250-something and can run. But, gosh, he needed spring practice.''
Combs, who was redshirted this past season, underwent surgery April 9 when cartilage was removed arthroscopically and a ligament in his kneecap was reattached. It is expected he will be available for the start of preseason practice.
MORE SPRING FOOTBALL: When injuries sidelined both Florida State quarterbacks in the annual Garnet and Gold spring game, the Seminoles went to their No.3 quarterback, kicker Scott Bentley, who threw one touchdown pass and ran for another.
Projected starter Thad Busby twisted an ankle and No.2 quarterback Dan Kendra banged his right thumb on a helmet, although he returned later in the game. Bentley, who was 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts during a halftime exhibition, should be able to concentrate on kicking in the fall. The Seminoles signed two quarterback prospects.
Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary announced at the end of spring practice that redshirt freshman Joe Hamilton has moved ahead of 1995 backup Brandon Shaw as the Yellow Jackets' No. 1 quarterback. ``All that means is that Joe will take the first snap of preseason,'' O'Leary said.
RECRUITING: Herb Sendek's first signee as North Carolina State men's basketball coach is 6-foot-8 Damon Thornton, who averaged 14.5 points for Atlantic Shores Christian School in Virginia Beach.
North Carolina has signed one of the nation's premier big men, 6-10 Vassil Evtimov, who spent the last two seasons at Long Island Lutheran. Evtimov, from Bulgaria, will join three other foreign-born players on the Tar Heels' 1996-97 roster - Serge Zwikker (Netherlands), Ademola Okulaja (Nigeria) and transfer Makhtar Ndiaye (Senegal).
William and Mary has signed 6-5 Brian Brown from Cardinal Ritter in St. Louis, where he played with a couple of ACC signees in Loren Woods (Wake Forest) and Chris Carrawell (Duke). The Indians' latest signee is 5-11 Scottie Scott from Charleston, S.C.
HOYAS GET SHEFFEY: Oak Hill Academy point guard Ed Sheffey got some inside information before committing to Georgetown on Monday. All-American Allen Iverson told Sheffey he would turn pro, a decision that became official Wednesday.
East Carolina is likely to sign Warriors forward Randy Barnes, which would be the sixth Division I signee to come out of Oak Hill Academy this year. Other spring signees include guards Brett Carey with Western Carolina and Robbie Waldrop with Winthrop.
COACHING CAROUSEL: North Carolina-Asheville officials are expected to meet today in hopes of isolating two finalists for the position of head basketball coach that came open when Randy Wiel resigned to become the head coach at Middle Tennessee State.
Hampden-Sydney coach Tony Shaver, who, like Wiel, is a North Carolina alumnus, is the latest candidate to enter a picture that includes assistant coaches Chris Ferguson of Virginia Tech and Pete Herrmann of Virginia. Published reports that N.C. State assistant Eddie Biedenbach is the front-runner are said to be premature.
BERRY TO FUMA: Brooks Berry, a first-team All-Roanoke Valley District and All-Northwest Region basketball player, has decided to prep for a year at Fork Union Military Academy. Berry, a 6-5 forward, is in good shape academically, but hopes an extra year will improve his scholarship prospects.
BASEBALL RESURGENCE:Washington and Lee has won six consecutive games and eight of nine in lifting its record to 16-11, the most victories in a season for W&L since the Generals went 17-4-2 en route to a Southern Conference championship in 1935.
W&L, which never had been over .500 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play, carries an 11-5 conference record and a second seed into its Friday date with Virginia Wesleyan at the ODAC tournament in Lynchburg.
The Generals are led by seniors Graig Fantuzzi, who is batting .382 and has 17 stolen bases in 17 attempts, and Matt Ermigiotti, who has won five of his past six starts to improve his record to 6-4. Ermigiotti is batting .356.
Virginia (35-16) has won 11 of its past 12 games and 15 of 17 headed into a 10-day exam break. The Cavaliers beat George Washington 2-0 on Tuesday night behind Seth Greisinger, who tossed his second two-hit shutout in 12 days and is 9-1 with a 1.92 earned run average.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Evan Kaplow, given credit for the winning goal Saturday in Roanoke College's 13-12 victory over Hampden-Sydney in men's lacrosse, was merely an interested onlooker who never got in the game.
The winning goal was scored by freshman Danny Soi, who left his jersey at home but was able to persuade Kaplow, the Maroons' third-string goalie, to loan him his. The problem was, nobody notified the public-address announcer or the Hampden-Sydney sports information office.
LOCAL UPDATE: Bridgewater College junior Von Lewis, from Christiansburg, was first in the high jump, second in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump at the ODAC track and field meet. Bridgewater sophomore Willie Grayson, from Blacksburg, was second in the 200 meters.
LENGTH: Long : 101 linesby CNB