ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, November 22, 1996 TAG: 9611220050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
It's been a perfect week for the William Byrd and Lord Botetourt girls' basketball teams: Each squad won its Group AA quarterfinal meeting, and each gets the opportunity to meet for the 10th time in two seasons tonight in a state semifinal at 8:30 at Virginia High School in Bristol.
The Byrd-Botetourt girls' basketball series is taking its place in Timesland with other great rivalries. Pulaski County-Salem football is special anytime and anywhere it's played, and William Fleming-Patrick Henry boys' basketball in 1988 and Patrick Henry-Jefferson boys' basketball in 1970 also were among the most hotly contested.
Fleming in '88 and PH in '70 took to the limit two of the state's best Group AAA teams that eventually won state championships. The 1988 Patriots and the 1970 Magicians had some of their biggest games against their city rivals.
Because Virginia High School League pairings match neighboring regions in the semifinal round this year, Botetourt and Byrd won't have the chance to play for a state crown for the second consecutive year.
Veteran Lord Botetourt guard Sara Moore remembers finding out at a postgame meal after her team's 69-50 victory at Marion that the Terriers had blasted Richlands 65-43.
``There was a lot of clapping,'' said Moore. ``We were just excited and we had just won. We knew Byrd had a good chance of winning and we were ready to play them again..''
Maybe that's because the Terriers had walked away with a Region III championship after a 58-52 overtime victory over the Cavaliers the previous Saturday.
Sarah Moore of Byrd, a year younger than Botetourt's Sara, said, ``I know a lot of people are saying, `Good gosh, Lord Botetourt again.' And I say, `Yeah, the Blue Ridge is really strong and everybody is pumped on the team''' to play Botetourt again.
Byrd and Botetourt played their best games to earn this meeting. ``I'd rate our game [against Richlands] a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10,'' said Byrd coach Richard Thrasher. ``It's the best game we've played this year team-wise. We had a lot of people contribute.''
Botetourt coach David Wheat felt the same way about his team's performance. ``The game at Marion was our best in terms of intensity and execution. We put [tonight's game and a possible rematch with Byrd] out of our mind and concentrated on Marion.''
Last year, Byrd was the veteran team with its leading scorer a senior while Botetourt had only one senior starter. This season, Byrd doesn't have a senior on the team, while Botetourt's leading scorers - Moore and Sarah Hicks - graduate to start Division I careers next year.
Byrd's Moore never dreamed the Terriers would be in this position. ``This was our rebuilding year, sort of,'' she said. ``But here we are. We proved them wrong.''
Botetourt expected to be here. The Cavaliers just didn't think Byrd would give them their only losses in a 25-2 season. In a span of two years, Botetourt is 51-6, with Salem the only team besides Byrd to beat the Cavs.
``This game is just special because it shows how strong the Blue Ridge District is,'' said Botetourt's Moore. ``It's special because we played them in the state final last year and in the state semifinals this year.''
Wheat says he has to have Hicks and his Moore scoring, ``and at least one other player hitting points'' to win the game. In this year's Region III final, Sarah Moore was held to seven points.
Thrasher says despite the teams' familiarity with each other, there are things to be tried. ``You'll see Friday night. I won't tell you but we can change up,'' he said. ``Botetourt will do one thing and we'll try to counter it. Then they'll try to counter our moves.''
Leave it to Botetourt's Moore to put the game into perspective. Awaiting the winner will be either an unbeaten Charlottesville team or Louisa County.
``We look at this as one of the biggest games of the year,'' Moore said. ``Whoever wins will have to wake up the next morning and play whoever wins the other game in what really is the biggest game of the year.''
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by staff: William Byrd-Lord Botetourt girls'by CNBbasketball rivalry. KEYWORDS: MGR