ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 18, 1997 TAG: 9702180123
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
The history of the Patrick Henry High-William Fleming boys' basketball rivalry is a long and illustrious one, full of stirring defensive stands, last-second shots and heroics of every description.
The latest installment of the series did not fit the usual pattern.
In a game that was thoroughly forgettable for all but the participants, the Colonels pinned back the ears of their cross-city rivals in a 72-36 rout Monday night at Franklin County High School.
Fleming thus took the rubber match of three games this season. The Colonels and PH finished the regular season with identical records in district games, so Monday's contest was required to determine the top seed in this week's Roanoke Valley District tournament and the corresponding automatic berth in the Northwest Region tournament.
The teams resume play Thursday when the district tournament opens at the Salem Civic Center. Fleming (15-5) takes on the winner of tonight's Cave Spring-Franklin County first-round matchup in Thursday's 7 p.m. opener. Patrick Henry (16-5) will face Pulaski County in the nightcap.
The Patriots will have to exorcise a pile of bad memories before that game.
``We'll be back,'' said Jack Esworthy, PH's coach.
Esworthy and his assistant coaches must have wondered where their team went Monday.
Give Fleming the credit. To a man, the Colonels richly deserved it. They played brilliantly from start to finish.
``In the last two games with PH, we didn't start playing what we call `Fleming basketball' until the last four or five minutes of the game,'' said Roland Lovelace, the Colonels' coach. ``Tonight we played Fleming basketball the whole time.''
Credit for that went right straight to the top, Colonels player Brad Dunleavy said.
``Coach had us really ready to play,'' he said. ``We worked hard on our defense like we always do and it paid off for us.''
PH was defended, to be sure. The Patriots managed only 11 field goals.
``That was as good as I've seen Fleming play,'' Esworthy said. ``There was no secret to it. They outrebounded us, outhustled us, and there was not one loose ball that they didn't beat us to. That, and they didn't give us any open shots. We didn't do anything right.''
Dunleavy scored 19 points, six of those coming on a pair of 3-pointers. He left the game late after being banged on the leg, but departed the court under his own power.
``Just a charley horse,'' he said.
Fleming's only other double-figure scorer was Charles Burnette, with 10 points. PH countered with 14 from Boo Battle.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB