ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610250001
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
Ernie Bradd is hanging up his notebook and putting the whistle back around his neck.
Bradd, the commissioner of the Western Virginia Football Officials' Association is leaving that post and coming back as a referee. He'll have no problem going back on the field as he has occasionally filled in when needed and worked middle school or junior varsity games.
The WVFOA handles games for teams from the Roanoke Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Three Rivers and Pioneer districts as well as several private schools in Timesland.
Bradd had two years left on his contract, which was renewed last year. His work was piling up, since he is also the commissioner for boys' and girls' basketball, softball and baseball umpires. It is especially tough in the fall, when football and girls' basketball share the same season.
``It just takes a lot of time,'' said Bradd, who along with his wife, Carol, has run the WVFOA for seven years, following in Harry Bushkar's footsteps. ``We just want to slow down. It's been very hectic, so I told them three weeks ago.''
Monday, a new commissioner will be elected for a three-year term starting next year. The leading candidates, in alphabetical order, seem to be Jim Barley, Steve Fleshman, Emory Perdue and Charles Redd.
Because commissioners of officials' associations across the state make assignments, they are often accused of favoritism by the people who elect them.
Coaches gripe if they feel an official misses a call, and often call and ask the commissioner to watch tapes of the game. Commissioners are also a link between the Virginia High School League and coaches.
Being a commissioner means being part psychologist, part public relations expert and someone who can end any argument by saying, ``I might not always be right, but I'm commissioner.'' To this end, Bradd, 58, seemed to be an expert in moving through all the rough spots.
``You have to do what you think is right and go with it,'' said Bradd. ``Every one [of the officials] want a good game, but not every one can have a good game. Coaches are a big part of this, but I think I have a great relationship with all the coaches.''
He has been head of girls' basketball since 1982 and boys' basketball since 1986 when he retired from the railroad after it sought to transfer him to Atlanta.
FUTILITY STRING: It's hard to understand why Franklin County decided to axe football coach Horace Green with three games left if he was such a good guy, as athletic director Jerry Little stressed in talking about the move.
It certainly won't save the program if the past 18 years are an indication. It's been that long since Red Stickney's Franklin County team went 6-4 in 1978, the last time the Eagles came out on the plus side of the ledger.
Only one school in the state has a longer futility string. St.Paul in far Southwest hasn't had a winning season since 1973. Both Franklin County and St.Paul have gone 5-5 on occasion.
Consider that even Craig County, the successor to New Castle High; Shawsville, and Staunton River have had winning seasons since Franklin County last managed one. Craig County, Staunton River, and Shawsville were the three Timesland schools other than Franklin County that have had the most trouble winning.
The only school with more football futility than either Franklin County or St.Paul is John F. Kennedy of Richmond. That school has gone 16 years without either a winning or break-even season. JFK's losing streak was broken up, from 1973-78 and 1986-95. From 1979-85, JFK became Kennedy-Armstrong and actually had a winning season.
Falls Church (15), James Wood (14) and Gretna (13) are behind Franklin County as teams with a long list of consecutive losing seasons.
EARLY PRACTICE: When Radford's Norm Lineburg was inducted into the Virginia High School League/ Virginia High School Coaches' Association Hall of Fame last Wednesday in Charlottesville, it meant he'd have to give up a day of practice, right? Wrong.
Lineburg pulled Radford's football team out on the field at 6 a.m. prior to the opening of school.
``When I came to school [around 6:15 a.m.], I thought someone left the lights on at the football field,'' said Radford principal Buddy Martin. ``I came around the corner, expecting to turn the lights off. It was foggy. Then all of a sudden, I saw a jersey come through the fog [and realized they were practicing].''
Lineburg said standing at the end of the field, all he could see were shadows on the 50-yard line. ``We had a blast. The kids came in from 5-5:30 a.m. We finished at 7:10 because first period is 7:40,'' Lineburg said.
Lineburg has sired four future coaches - his four sons. Mark Lineburg, head coach of Brookville, was only an hour away and came to the induction ceremony after the Bees' practice.
Wayne, an assistant at William and Mary, left after drills and arrived late. Paul, an assistant at Cave Spring, was excused from practice. Robert, a basketball assistant at Southern Methodist University, couldn't make it because of distance and the fact that practice opened the day before.
A LAST APPEAL: Patrick Henry was hoping to get an extra year of eligibility based on hardship for track star Louis Booker, a big reason for the Patriots' success last year.
School principal Dr. Betty Lee appealed to the VHSL since Booker missed one season because of illness. Because he took classes, the missed year counted against the eight semesters he's eligible to play athletics.
Lee said she was told by VHSL executive director Ken Tilley that he'll deny her appeal. Lee said that when she receives written notification from Tilley, she'll make one last appeal to the VHSL executive committee.
HOME COOKING? What gives in the Blue Ridge District girls' basketball race? Co-leaders Lord Botetourt and Northside, along with third place William Byrd, have four district losses among them and all of them have come at home.
Lord Botetourt and William Byrd swapped home losses while the Terriers dropped a home game to the Vikings. Northside lost at home to Lord Botetourt.
If this persists, there will be a three-way tie because Byrd must play at Northside while the Vikings go to Lord Botetourt. Assuming the home losses continue among these three and they beat the rest of the league home and away, they'll all have two losses when the regular season ends Oct.31.
LENGTH: Long : 112 linesby CNB