ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701100121
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DALEVILLE
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
The second year of Lord Botetourt boys' basketball under coach Ed Purdy has been different in that the Cavaliers have discovered the art of winning games.
When Purdy took over for longtime coach Don Meredith a year ago, the Cavaliers had few veterans left to play in the tough Blue Ridge District. As a result, Lord Botetourt struggled to a 5-14 record with Wesley Cox, a junior football star, leading the offense with 175 points for the season. Cox is no longer around after a shoulder injury late in the fall sidetracked his basketball career.
However, the Cavaliers' basketball program is doing quite well. Just over a month into the season, the Cavaliers have already bettered last year's win total with a 6-2 record.
Junior guards Michael Yates (127 points) and Sean Osborne (129) are well on their way to topping Cox's 1995-96 scoring.
``Last year, we returned seven points [from the 1995 team],'' said Purdy. ``This year, we returned almost 25 points. You know how it is when you can't put it in the [basket.] You won't win.''
Yates is playing his first full season with the varsity after a brief appearance last year. He discovered he wasn't ready, at that point in his career, for prime-time exposure.
``I played in the first few games,'' Yates recalls. ``And the next three games, I lost playing time. I didn't feel as if I was helping the team. So I wanted to go back down to help the junior varsity and improve my game.''
Yates' improvement is a big reason why Lord Botetourt is winning games.
``I haven't felt any pressure this year,'' said Yates, who led the team in scoring until Osborne hit a career-high 29 points last week in a 69-49 victory over Alleghany.
``It was just a matter of growing up,'' admitted Yates, who led the junior varsity in scoring a year ago.
``My parents supported whatever I wanted to do. Still it was a tough few days after I asked coach to play on the JV.''
Osborne took a different approach toward improving his game. He worked in the weight room and honed his shooting skills. It paid off as he went 8-of-10 from the field in his big game against Alleghany.
``I wanted to be stronger and I think working on the weights worked,'' said Osborne, who started in about half of Botetourt's games a year ago.
Osborne had played junior varsity basketball the year before, so he knew what Yates was doing. ``There's a big difference between varsity and junior varsity, but I never thought about asking to go back down,'' said Osborne. ``I asked Michael why when he wanted to go down and what he said made sense.''
The two juniors are friends off the court and each one competes in another sport. Yates plays baseball while Osborne participates on the soccer team and was the placekicker for the Cavaliers' football team that made the Region III Division 4 playoffs.
Osborne's smorgasbord of sports activity doesn't provide him with a favorite. ``It depends what sport I'm in and whatever I'm playing at the time is my favorite,'' he said.
Purdy is another matter. After years of being an assistant to his friend and longtime Botetourt coach Don Meredith, Purdy was an immediate and popular choice as a replacement. The school wasted little time in hiring him once Meredith decided to retire.
Purdy also stepped in the last two years as an assistant coach for girls' basketball coach David Wheat as the Cavaliers won a pair of Group AA state championships.
``The only pressure I feel is what I put on myself. I don't feel pressure from other people,'' said Purdy, who learned from Meredith not to get down when things don't go right.
``We ended up being a competitive team [last year]. That was a good sign after the way we started [0-5]. I think a lot of people had to get used to a different man on the bench as far as the head coach and personality. My personality isn't like Don's, not that his is bad and mine is good.
``We're different people. I didn't want to go out and be a Don Meredith. I was going to be Ed Purdy, regardless of the outcome.
``I'm not a big talker like Don was. We get in and out [of the dressing room] quickly. I don't have as much air as he had. Our philosophies in basketball are close and together.''
Purdy says he's having fun coaching this team. ``These kids want to work, want to improve and that's encouraging as far as being a coach. We've been through some slack years, even when Don was here. The kids might not have been dedicated. But these kids will take care of themselves.''
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS STAFF. Lord Botetourt coach Edby CNBPurdy with two players who have helped turn his team around: juniors
Michael Yates (left) and Sean Osborne. Just over a month into the
season, the Cavaliers have already bettered last year's win total
with a 6-2 record. color.