ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 25, 1997 TAG: 9701270093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
It has been 15 years since a Timesland team last won a state wrestling championship.
William Byrd was the last Timesland team to win in 1982 when the Terriers were Group AA kingpins. There never has been a Timesland state champion in the Group A or AAA classifications.
The wrestling drought is the longest Timesland has gone without a title in any sport, but that might end this winter.
Radford, which finished third in the Group A meet last year, appears to have a team that will challenge for the title when the state tournament is held at the Salem Civic Center Feb.14-15.
``They've got the best Group A team I've seen,'' said Franklin County coach Kris Kahila at the conclusion of the Big Orange tournament two weeks ago at Byrd. The Bobcats finished seventh, but this was a 14-team field with only one other Group A squad.
Radford had three wrestlers in championship matches and 160-pounder Peter Lee claimed the title. Ryan Hall (125) and Brian Hudson (130) lost to wrestlers who will be factors in state meets at a higher classification.
Radford coach Tony DeHart says his team can win the state, but he has three weight classes with no entries for the district tournaments that will be held next week. That means Radford will be hurting for depth.
``I'm hoping to take 11 wrestlers to the state this year. That's our goal,'' said DeHart, who was Timesland Coach of the Year last winter after building the program back into a state contender.
Maurice Vaughn, a 135-pounder, was only 9-9 coming into the week, but DeHart likes what he sees. ``It's his first year of wrestling and he's steadily improved since day one,'' said DeHart.
All of his wrestlers will make the regional tournament, because the Three Rivers District has only four teams. So Radford must do well to gain better seeds in the Region C, which could lead to more success and a place in the state.
DeHart feels his three Big Orange finalists, plus Mike Dunbar (145) have a chance at state titles. Hall will drop back to 119. Last year, Dunbar was a fourth place finisher at 145 while Lee was a runner-up at 152.
``Last year, we were shooting for the top five,'' said DeHart. ``I think this team is better, but then at times I don't think it's better. Wrestling is such a strange sport. You can go in as top dog, but one move here or there can hurt you.''
BOTETOURT CANDIDATE: There is a new candidate for the football job at Lord Botetourt. Pulaski County assistant Paul Wheeler has applied and could be No.1 on the Cavaliers' list according to two sources.
``All I did was send a letter of inquiry,'' said Wheeler. ``I'd like to look at the job, but I've had no contact whatsoever. I don't know anything about the job.''
No one who applies for the job will come with better credentials. Wheeler won two Group AA titles at Rustburg and took George Wythe to the Group A title game in 1983. He also coached at Virginia High and everywhere he's been, the program has been a factor in state play.
One other rumor has Wheeler going to Richlands, but there is no job opening there. Dennis Vaught still is the coach despite stories to the contrary and no one from Tazewell County has approached Wheeler or anyone else about that position.
NEW DATES: For the first time in years, the Roanoke Valley and Blue Ridge districts won't finish their tournaments with a Saturday tripleheader at the Salem Civic Center.
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's tournament opens Saturday, Feb.22, the date that the district tournaments were to end according to the Virginia High School League calendar.
In order to keep all the semifinals and championship games at the Salem Civic Center, the tripleheader will now be played Friday, Feb.21, starting with the RVD girls' championship game at 5:30 p.m.
Also, first-round games in both districts will be played at home sites on Tuesday, Feb.18. Semifinals in the district tournaments will be held at the Salem Civic Center the next two nights.
If either district has a playoff for the regular season championship, it will come Saturday, Feb.15 or Monday, Feb.17. If there is more than a two-way playoff for the title, some teams could play a lot of basketball that week.
NBA SCHEDULE: Most Timesland Group A basketball teams will be in trouble if the area gets much snow over the next few weeks. Games are backed up now because of recent bad weather and shifting exam schedules.
For instance, Glenvar plays five games in nine days starting Feb.4. Radford has six games in 11 days starting the same time. Those were the worst case scenarios coming into the week, though more postponed games were to be rescheduled and might leave some other schools with a slate of games that was equally testing.
TOUGH FINISH: Liberty was forced to postpone its visit to Cave Spring this past week because the Bedford County school had exams that were postponed by snow.
The game is scheduled to be made up Wednesday, Feb.12. For Cave Spring, it means an unbelievably tough finish going into the Roanoke Valley District tournament. The Knights play at Pulaski County on Jan.31 and that starts a two-week run that sees them play at Salem on Feb.5, at home against Patrick Henry on Feb.8, versus Liberty in the next game and at William Fleming on Feb.14.
For new Cave Spring coach Billy Hicks, this will be a crash course in tough games.
HOW ABOUT THOSE RAMS: Remember when Highland couldn't win a game? Before losing twice this week, it was unbeaten and ranked seventh in the Group A poll, a first for the tiny school from Monterey. Unbeaten Parry McCluer stopped the Rams' winning streak at eight in a battle of ranked teams. Highland then lost at Covington.
Athletic director Melvin Lindsey, who was both a girls' and boys' coach at Highland, says a janitor who had been around school as long as anyone recalls the school being ranked around 20 years ago.
``I was at home at 7:35 [Tuesday morning],'' said Lindsey. ``The man at the gas station called and asked, `Have you gotten the paper yet?'
``I said I hadn't. He told me Highland was ranked seventh. I kept telling people when I had some of these players in eighth grade to wait until their senior season.''
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