ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 TAG: 9703260068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
Liberty's Mark Hanks and ``Peanut'' Arrington still are reaping the benefits of a state title season.
Liberty capped its second consecutive state championship season with some individual honors Tuesday, when Mark Hanks was chosen as Group AA coach of the year and Raymond ``Peanut'' Arrington was named to the first team by The Associated Press.
Hanks guided Liberty to a 28-1 mark this season, capped by a 77-71 victory over Spotswood in the Group AA championship game. The Minutemen are 53-1 the past two seasons, losing only to private powerhouse Oak Hill Academy at the Arby's Classic in Bristol, Tenn.
Arrington, a 6-foot-3 forward, averaged better than 19 points and was at his best in the clutch for the Minutemen. Against Spotswood, he hit eight free throws in the final 4:45 and finished with 26 points.
Liberty's Robert Carson was an honorable-mention choice. (Complete team in Scoreboard. B4)
The state's Group AA player of the year, Michael Crawford of James Wood, drew a lot of attention this season - and not just from the state sportswriters who voted him to the first team. Most opponents threw the box-and-one and other gimmick defenses at Crawford, but few could contain him.
The senior guard averaged 29.5 points, leading James Wood to a 16-6 record in a season when no one else on his team averaged as many as 10 points. Crawford, a 6-foot guard, never scored fewer than 23 points and had 38 in a loss to state semifinalist Fauquier.
The rest of the first team included 6-3 Charlie Hatter of Stuarts Draft, 6-9 Josh Shoemaker of Gate City and 6-2 Richard Bruce of Spotswood.
Hatter led the Jefferson District with a 28.2-point scoring average, topped the 40-point mark twice and the 30-point mark eight times. He also averaged 7.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Shoemaker averaged 20.4 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Despite his size, he sometimes moved outside and ran the Gate City offense.
Bruce averaged 23.3 points and seven rebounds, making 44.6 percent of his 3-point shots and 82.9 percent of his free throws. He scored nine points in a 48-second span during the title game and finished with 25 points.
The second team consists of Corey Reynolds of Patrick County, Hajj Turner of Charlottesville, Zach Yoder of Broadway, Chauncey Walker of William Campbell and John Parker of King George.
Philip Klaus of Blacksburg and Leander Preston of Martinsville joined Carson among the honorable-mention selections.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Hanks, Arrington. color. KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB