ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609190096
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEITH POMPEY STAFF WRITER
You can't tell that this is a light day of practice.
Sure, the Salem High School girls' basketball team's workout is an hour and a half, instead of the normal 2 1/2. But inside the Spartans' Gym, 11 athletes execute like a state championship is on the line as they drip with sweat.
Suddenly, Lindsay Carroll drains a 3-pointer and coach Dee Wright yells, "You go girl."
That's nothing compared to what co-captains Sarah Palmer and Mandy Williams are doing. No matter how hard a teammate executes a drill, her performance is overshadowed by Palmer. The 6-foot center always sprints a step quicker and jumps an inch higher. She even dives for loose balls.
"I just want to do my best at practice," said the junior. "I always try to give 100 percent. I just want to make myself a better player."
Meanwhile, Williams shows why she makes her teammates better. The 5-4 point guard, who recently re-injured her right hand, can't scrimmage today. Instead of skipping practice, she stays for encouragement.
"Good rebound. Great shot. Nice pass," Williams says to her teammates.
But why does she want to watch?
"Ms. Wright told us that she is looking for someone to step up and lead the team. I want to be that person. I think I will have to be more of a leader this year."
She is. They both are.
The Spartans (5-1 as of Monday) are a young team without any seniors. Instead, the nucleus is made up of players from last season's undefeated junior varsity team. And Palmer and Williams are the only returning varsity starters.
"This year, I am going lead by my actions," said Palmer, averaging 16.4 points a game. "Mandy is going to be more a vocal leader."
Wright wouldn't have it any other way.
Salem has a 39-13 record and one state tournament appearance since they joined the team in '94.
During that time, Palmer has scored nearly 700 points. And she was a finalist for the Timesland Sizzlin' Sophomore.
"Some of the moves that she'd made just opened our eyes as coaches off the bench," said Wright. "She has the moves and the ability.
"I think she could be a Division I prospect. She can handle the ball. She likes facing the basket. She likes the outside shot."
However, Wright feels no one plays with more heart than Williams.
"In the 20 years that I have been coaching, I have never seen a kid play in the pain that she has played in," said Wright. "She is going to give 100 percent no matter what."
Williams partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a routine play in the '95 regular-season finale against Lord Bototourt.
"I was dribbling the ball, then I went to take a jump shot and [the knee] just went out on me," said Williams.
Then, three days later, she played in playoff game against William Byrd.
"It wasn't that bad," the junior said. "It was just one of those things that you have to put in the back of your mind."
She still plays with pain. Even with a brace, her knee gave out several times this year. That's one reason Williams, averaging 7.6 points and five assists, missed the game against Laurel Park on Sept. 12. Her absence was costly. The Spartans lost 48-45, despite Palmer's 16 points.
As a result, Williams is eager to step back on the court.
In the past, "my role was to run the offense and play good defense," says Williams. "I'm not the type of person to go out and score 23 points. That's not me.
"But this year, I'm trying to get more into the offense."
Scoring points has never been a problem for Palmer.
As a little girl, she would go to the park and play against boys. At first they didn't respect her. Then, they bet people to play Palmer in a game of one-on-one. And finally, she earned a reputation of having a deadly 3-pointer.
"I think playing against the guys has helped me," says Palmer. "It was always fun because of all the pressure they had of not getting scored on by a girl. And I really learned a lot."
Now, Wright hopes her two co-captains can teach their teammates a few things.
That shouldn't be a problem. Salem has the best of both worlds. One captain leads by example, while the other is vocal.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff Salem High juniors and co-captainsby CNBMandy Williams (left) and Sarah Palmer, the only returning varsity
starters on the team, are developing different leadership styles.