ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 16, 1997 TAG: 9701170012
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
Let's see, Jaron Walker is Renita Walker's brother.
However, Renita Walker is not Shaunarey Walker's sister, even if people do think the two William Fleming girls' basketball players are related.
Do they mind being thought of as sisters?
``Not really, we're best friends,'' they answered in unison.
``I think they did rehearse it,'' said Fleming boys basketball coach Roland Lovelace, who had the Walkers last year as freshmen when he coached the girls team. ``They're good at talking. They can do that real well. They're also good athletes who listen to what the coaches tell them.
``They probably talked to each other last night and said if they ask this question, give this answer.''
Only it wasn't planned. It was completely spontaneous, they said. They usually blurt out the same answer at the same time when someone fires a question at them.
These are the Walkers, who play basketball for the Colonels. Going into this week, Jaron, a senior, was the sixth man for the Fleming boys, who are leading the Roanoke Valley District.
Renita Walker has scored 114 points, 11 more than Shaunarey. As freshmen last year, the Walkers were the top two scorers for Fleming as the Colonels made life tough for perennial RVD girls' powers Cave Spring and Pulaski County. They even beat the Cougars, who eventually went to the Group AAA state tournament.
Jaron Walker wasn't as fortunate. He was supposed to play for the boys team that went to the state semifinals last year. All that ended in one play in Fleming's first football game, when Walker caught a pass, scored a touchdown and tore two ligaments in his right knee, which put him out of sports for the year.
``My dad [John Walker] played football at Lucy Addison in 1972,'' said Jaron Walker. ``He didn't want me to play football because he was afraid I might get hurt.
``When the doctors told me I'd be out for a year, I almost cried. I went to therapy every morning. They told me I might not play basketball [again].''
But Walker did. Despite coming off the bench, he's the No. 3 scorer for the Colonels. He also gave up football to concentrate on basketball.
``He's done extremely well to have missed an entire year,'' said Lovelace. ``He's a high-energy guy when he comes in and gives the team a boost.''
``Being out here makes me happy. I like coming in off the bench to get the team pumped up,'' said Walker, who is one of the Colonels' top rebounders.
The female Walkers are working to improve their defense. ``They've always been good on offense and we're trying to get them to concentrate on their defense this year,'' said Fleming girls coach Cynthia Brown.
``If they continue to progress in their skills and knowledge of the game, they're Division I prospects [as guards].''
Renita Walker says Jaron and their father taught her all she knows about basketball. She was surprised at her early success a year ago when she averaged 9.8 points a game.
``I didn't think I'd be a factor,'' Renita said. ``All the other girls had played before. Since I was a freshman, I didn't think I'd get into the games as much.''
Shaunarey Walker led Fleming last year with 13.5 points a game, including a career-high 23 in a tough 52-48 loss to Pulaski County.
This year, Renita is a little ahead of last year's average, while Shaunarey is barely scoring in double figures. They are no longer a surprise to the rest of the RVD.
``We just haven't picked it up like we should,'' Shaunarey said. While people thought it would be easier for the pair to take up where they left off last year, that hasn't been the case.
``When we play Cave Spring and Pulaski County, we'll definitely have to pick it up,'' said Shaunarey about the difficulty in picking up the scoring as they did last year.
Both girls play volleyball, but Shaunarey says, ``We only play to keep in shape.'' There's no doubt which sport is favored by these two girls.
Jaron Walker says the two are ``boring.'' He smiles when he says it.
``We've been best friends for two or three years,'' said Shaunarey.
``We used to play against each other in rec ball. Then we became friends when we got to Ruffner [Middle School],'' said Renita.
Both Fleming teams figure to be a factor in the district races. With players like the Walkers, it's easy to predict that Fleming's teams should be a strong factor when tournament time comes around next month.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JANEL RHODA/Staff. The Walkers of William Flemingby CNBbasketball (from left): Shaunarey Walker, Jaron Walker and Renita
Walker. color.