ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM THE ROANOKE TIMES
Brad Lopez beats out his former boss, Bobby Martin, among others for the Lancers' football job.
Brad Lopez, who has been a football and boys' tennis assistant coach at Bassett for seven years, has been named football coach at Laurel Park.
School officials had recommended that Benjamin Boyd, an assistant coach at R.E. Lee-Staunton, or Bobby Martin, an assistant on the Lancers' staff, fill the position left vacant when Eddie Crabtree resigned. However, Lopez was interviewed as a finalist by school superintendent John David Martin and was named to the position.
Lopez will be trying to turn around a Laurel Park program that has gone 2-18 the past two years.
Bassett has been very successful during the same span, winning seven games and participating in the postseason Division 3 playoffs each year. While at Bassett, Lopez served as an assistant when Martin was the Bengals' head coach. Martin gave up that job to concentrate on boys' basketball, but was dismissed after this past basketball season in a controversial move.
Meanwhile, Tim Sarver, head coach at Harrisonburg for 11 years, turned down an offer to become Lord Botetourt's football coach.
Sarver would have been a good catch for Lord Botetourt. His Blue Streaks teams have gone to the playoffs in seven of the 11 years he has been head coach.
Sarver, who has property in Botetourt County, applied for the Cavaliers' position that was vacated when Andy Ward was dismissed this past fall. After being offered the position, he faxed his decision to Lord Botetourt officials Monday .
Sarver, whose Blue Streaks lost to eventual Division 3 champion James Monroe on a desperation pass in a state semifinal this past fall, said he wanted to settle in Botetourt County and raise his three children there, but had to turn down the job because it would have meant a substantial pay cut.
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