ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997 TAG: 9701060027
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
When Pulaski County invades Cave Spring tonight for the first meeting of the two perennial girls' basketball powers, the game will have more meaning than usual.
First, one of these teams, based on early December play, has the best chance along with boys' teams from Liberty and unbeaten Floyd County to make the state tournament's final four at the Vines Center on March 15-16.
Between the two girls' teams, they have just one loss. Pulaski County lost a close game at James Madison, a perennial state power that has finished as the Group AAA state runner-up or champion several times the past few years.
Secondly, only one of these teams can make the state tournament. The Northwest Region changed formats and divided into sub-regions to cut down on travel. Teams from the Roanoke Valley District and Western District will play in one part of the region while schools from the Cardinal and Commonwealth districts play in the other part.
The survivor in each set of those Northwest regional playoffs qualify for the finals and the state tournament. So, unlike past years when district champions and runners-up were in opposite regional brackets with the hope of making their way to the finals, only one team from a district can make the state.
Both Pulaski County and Cave Spring have beaten Albemarle. The Knights also destroyed George Washington-Danville. Those are the two top Western District girls' teams, so it's natural to assume that Pulaski County and Cave Spring are the teams to beat in this part of the regional.
Finally, tonight's game is more important than usual because the RVD has changed formats. Until this year, the five RVD teams played each other three times in a season. Now they're playing only twice. In past years, a team could lose a game and come back to win twice for the regular-season championship and automatic berth in the region.
Both coaches think their teams are improved over last year, when Pulaski County made the state tournament and lost a quarterfinal battle to James Madison.
``We have 11 kids and we're playing 11 people,'' said Cave Spring coach Linda Long. ``We're quicker than last year. But it's obvious Pulaski County is better. Anytime you have everyone back, you'll be better.''
Pulaski County coach Buddy Farris, a perfectionist, isn't so sure that's true. ``Our intensity isn't like it was last year. If we don't get it together, we'll get it put on us. It seems like last year we had something to prove. Sometimes when you win, you feel you're unbeatable and I get the feeling we feel that way,'' said Farris.
``Cave Spring has size, quickness and a bench. They have the whole package.
BIG SATURDAYS: This is the first of three big Saturday nights for high school athletics.
Next weekend at William Byrd, Timesland's biggest regular-season wrestling meet, the Big Orange, is set for a two-day run Friday and Saturday. That will tell something about the strengths of Byrd, Northside and Lord Botetourt in the Blue Ridge District as measured against perennial Roanoke Valley District favorite Franklin County.
Two weeks from tonight, the Crestar Classic basketball event will be held at the Salem Civic Center with four top teams from across the state meeting four local teams in a one-day affair.
The first game at 3 p.m. sends Northside against Group AA semifinalist Nansemond River, which has Antoine Willie, the state's player of the year in that classification last winter. Nansemond River is now playing in Group AAA.
At 4:45, William Fleming meets Potomac, and Patrick Henry takes on Woodbridge at 6:30 in a battle of RVD teams against two top Northwest Region teams from Northern Virginia. The final game sends Salem against Beckley (W.Va.).
Ex-Patrick Henry boys' coach Woody Deans has lined up defending Group AA state champion Liberty as one of the teams for the Crestar Classic in 1997.
FOUL SHOOTING: Speaking of Liberty, the Minutemen (6-1) are off to a fast start, though they've already lost one more game than in 1995-96. Coach Mark Hanks is concerned about his team's free-throw shooting. Going into Friday's game against Staunton River, the Minutemen were shooting 52 percent from the line. Last year, the Minutemen made 66.7 percent of their free throws.
The current figure might have been lower had it not been for Raymond Arrington and Kelly Garrett, the only players with at least 2.5 attempts a game shooting over 70 percent.
ANOTHER YEAR: There was good news for Patrick Henry boys' track coach Jeff Johnson just before Christmas when the Virginia High School League overturned an earlier decision and permitted Louis Booker another year of track eligibility. Booker missed one track season because of illness and was over the limit in completing his eligibility within the number of semesters he has been in school.
Booker won the 500-meter state indoor crown, but a pulled right hamstring slowed him in the Group AAA outdoor state track meet and might have cost the runner-up Patriots a title.
This year, he'll join Shawn Akers, James Hickenbotham and Chad Giles to give the Patriots four fine runners. Johnson says he won't try to run Booker in both the 400-meter and 4x100-meter relay, which are too close and might have caused Booker's hamstring problem.
``Like Michael Johnson [in the Olympics], Louis will be a 200- and 400-meter runner,'' said Jeff Johnson. ``With him back, I believe we have a chance to win the state [outdoor] title.''
Johnson, a football assistant for 11 years under four head coaches at PH, has applied for the head coaching vacancy. The deadline has passed for applications and interviews will begin this month.
HE'LL BE MISSED: Alfred Mitchell, who passed away this week, was a top football player at William Fleming. He played in the same backfield with one of Roanoke's best players ever, Mike Dow.
His old coach, Don Lee, remembers Mitchell for being an outstanding team player who meant a lot to the team. His best game came in 1970 when he scored a couple of touchdowns as the Colonels beat George Washington-Danville to claim the Northwest Region title. In those days, there were no state playoffs.
Mitchell's daughter, Revonda Barber, plays basketball on the William Fleming girls' team.
LENGTH: Long : 111 linesby CNB