ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 23, 1997 TAG: 9701240030
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
THIS is it for Glenvar's Josh Williamson.
As a point guard on two teams that have gone to the Group A semifinals and a player who made the Group A tennis singles semifinals, Williamson might be expected to go on to a college athletic career at some level.
Williamson, though, says that next year, he's decided to go to Virginia Tech. He'll prepare himself for life and not try and walk on for either the tennis or men's basketball team.
In making this decision, Williamson is breaking the hearts of a lot of Division III coaches who would love to have him.
For now, coach Art Lawrence will be the final recipient of Williamson's skills. That's because Lawrence is the coach of boys' basketball and tennis at Glenvar.
``I like old Mr. Lawrence. I don't get tired of him,'' said Williamson. It's a good thing because the Glenvar senior has gotten a lot of direction from the veteran coach.
Williamson has had a career full of pressure. In each case he's handled it like a seasoned pro.
He moved up to the boys' basketball varsity as a freshman after one game on the junior-varsity level. In the last two years, Williamson has been a key player, taking Glenvar first to a Group A runner-up position and to the semifinals last year.
In tennis, Williamson was the successor to Nick Varney, who dominated Group A tennis and led the Highlanders to four state titles. Williamson moved up from playing doubles with Varney, who was the 1994-95 Timesland Athlete of the Year, to the No.1 singles player, and he was able to lead the Highlanders to their fifth state crown.
In basketball this season, the Highlanders had a slow start after losing several outstanding seniors from last year's team and 6-foot-6 Seth Noonkester because of injuries. But Williamson is prospering, averaging 17.9 points a game, while shooting better than 51 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line.
Despite the fact that Williamson played point guard the last two years, he's not among the assist leaders. There's a reason.
``We moved him from point guard to inside and he's had to learn every position of our press offense and our press defense,'' said Lawrence. ``It was a tough adaptation, but a lot of it has to do with the teams we've played.''
Glenvar's 5-9 record is misleading because the only losses to Group A teams (three) have come against Floyd County and Parry McCluer, which are both unbeaten and were rated first and second in the state. The other six losses have been to Group AAA teams Riverside (N.C.) and Gar-Field, along with Group AA Lord Botetourt and William Byrd (twice each).
The Highlanders have beaten Group AAA Cave Spring. In other words, the schedule hasn't been easy, and Williamson, only 6-foot-1, has had to shift from point guard to center.
``I didn't want to play underneath. I can do more out front at guard, but with Seth being hurt, there was no choice. I'd rather handle the ball,'' said Williamson.
``It's new to Josh. You have a kid who is as tall as he is and it's tough to play inside and muscle around those big men,'' said Lawrence. ``He came in and talked to me when we moved him inside. Though it's his preference to play outside, he said, `I'll play anywhere you need me.'''
Playing inside wasn't completely alien to Williamson. ``In the sixth and seventh grades as well as AAU, I played underneath. It hasn't been that tough, but it's easier to score if you play guard,'' said Williamson.
Noonkester might be back soon, and Williamson sees better days ahead if that happens. Despite the record, Glenvar has lost just once in the Three Rivers District - to Floyd County - and will eventually get the Buffaloes at home.
There have been moments when Glenvar looked like the team of the last two years. The Highlanders had Botetourt by 15 points in one game, and lost. Then there was Roanoke County rival Cave Spring, which Glenvar upset 72-64 in the first round of the NationsBank Holiday Hoops Classic.
``I don't know how to explain that game,'' said Williamson, who shares that feeling with people who watched the game. ``Everyone shot well and played well. I don't know how to describe the game except I don't think it was a fluke. We handled their press. Coach [Rick] Crotts inspired us for that game because of his past experiences [as Cave Spring's head coach].''
In tennis, Varney's father, Nick Sr., saw Williamson playing baseball as a seventh-grader and convinced him to try tennis. Following the younger Varney the last two years was something like coming after a legendary sports figure in the Glenvar community. Varney was the other point guard for the Highlanders, and he also was an outstanding golfer.
``I never thought about it that way, taking Nick's place [in tennis],'' said Williamson. ``I don't feel as much pressure to play tennis. I guess that's because basketball gets a lot more publicity.''
Lawrence agrees. ``There are fewer decisions in tennis. I don't know which one he enjoys playing the most. It's probably a toss-up,'' said the Glenvar coach.
``I like whichever sport I'm playing,'' said Williamson.
As for his career coming to an end this year, that doesn't seem to faze Williamson. He is anything but melancholy about the end of four good years in Glenvar athletics.
Williamson is committed to Tech and isn't a Division I athletic prospect. It doesn't matter.
``I've wanted to go to Tech for a while," he said. "My father [Jimmy] went to Tech. My sister [Nicole] is at Tech. I don't want to go to a small Division III college and play basketball. I'm hoping to get on with my life.''
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. Glenvar High senior Josh Williamson,by CNBwho scored 30 points in Tuesday's game against Giles County, plays
both basketball and tennis for coach Art Lawrence. color.