ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 24, 1996 TAG: 9611260042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BRISTOL
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
There were three very touching moments about Lord Botetourt's second consecutive Group AA girls' basketball championship.
The Cavaliers always have been a close-knit team that made more friends than enemies, which isn't true of every successful team.
So it was a moment to be remembered when William Byrd junior Brandy Allen went around hugging Lord Botetourt players after they had disposed of Charlottesville on Saturday for the title. Allen's eyes were as red as those of the happy Cavaliers.
The night before and for 10 intense games between the two teams these past two years, Allen was the rival of Lord Botetourt and a disappointed state semifinal loser.
``Byrd supported us,'' said Hicks, noticing that Terriers coach Richard Thrasher and other Byrd players were congratulating the Cavaliers. ``Brandy and I are close. She probably feels like she won the state.''
The surprise, though, for Botetourt came when Marisa Michalski showed up shortly before Friday's semifinals. Michalski was the only senior on last year's state championship outfit and she drove nine hours from Wheeling, W.Va., where she attends college, to be at another big moment for her teammates.
``It was worth the trip,'' said Michalski, a grin on her face similar to last year, when she started for the Cavaliers.
``It was like a shot of adrenaline,'' said Botetourt coach David Wheat. ``Last year, Marisa didn't get all-district and she played her best basketball in the tournaments. This year Aimee Bird didn't get any recognition and she played a big part in our winning the state.''
``Her mom told me Marisa wasn't coming and then she shows up,'' said Hicks. ``It made all of us feel determined to win the state championship just seeing her.''
``When we saw her,'' said guard Sara Moore, ``we all ran up and asked if she could play. Her being here really helped.''
The third touching moment came with an expected visit by Wheat's oldest daughter, Amy. She made it only after a lot of last-minute maneuvering.
``She just passed the Texas bar and had her first court appearance Friday,'' said Wheat. ``She won, but she couldn't get here for the Byrd game.''
There was still hope for Saturday, though the Wheats had to wait until late Friday before Amy could make plans. That was because the Cavaliers had a tough semifinal game against William Byrd.
``She flew out of Dallas at 6 a.m. [Saturday]. She had to change planes and got to Greensboro, N.C., around 9,'' Wheat said of his daughter. ``Then she had to rent a car and drive three hours to be here.''
A LOT OF VICTORIES: For the past two years, Lord Botetourt has a 53-6 record and Byrd has given the Cavaliers five of those losses.
In fact, Botetourt has lost only to a Blue Ridge District team or a state championship outfit in the past three years. The Cavaliers were 15-6 in 1994 and other than league setbacks, they lost two games to Group AA champion Lee and one to Group A titlist Floyd County.
In the four years that Sara Moore has played for Lord Botetourt, the Cavaliers are 92-15 and all of the losses other than those in the Blue Ridge have come to state champions or teams that made a state tournament.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines KEYWORDS: 2DAby CNB