THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 9, 1994 TAG: 9408090528
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
As if straight out of the movie ``Field of Dreams,'' Ocean Lakes High School's football field is carved out of an expansive cornfield.
The city of Virginia Beach built it.
The question remains: Will they come?
Fifty-six prospective football players did just that Monday afternoon as the Ocean Lakes Dolphins' first-year football team officially began to take shape.
Rather than practice on Day 1, the group went through organizational meetings for three hours.
Ocean Lakes is the third high school to open in Virginia Beach in six years, after Salem and Tallwood.
If Ocean Lakes head football coach Jim Prince learned anything from the other two openings, it is that starting a football program from scratch takes time.
``(Tallwood head coach) Kenny Barto gave me some pointers and a heads-up on some things to be prepared for,'' Prince said. ``Patience is the No. 1 thing.
``I'm not a very patient person. I want things done now.''
What Prince believes he must show the most patience with is late arrivals. He is convinced that since most of the Beach District's other teams begin practice next Monday, there are those who will show up at Ocean Lakes late.
They better not be too late, though. The Dolphins, who open their season Sept. 1 at Princess Anne, will move training camp to Dam Neck Fleet Combat Training Center for seven days beginning Thursday. It will be a week of three-a-day practices, living in barracks and getting to know one another.
It also offers Prince the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the military, the main element of the Ocean Lakes population base.
``We are pulling from four high schools (Green Run, First Colonial, Kellam and Cox) and five middle schools,'' Prince said. ``There are so many different cliques that we have to bring together. Plus, in getting the kids into that type of environment at Dam Neck, I'm sure to have a captive audience.''
There are no dreams of championship rings this season. In fact, Prince likes to quip that his team is ``so young that we don't have enough available baby-sitters for night practices.''
But Prince is determined not to be a first-year bust.
``We have some really good skill-position kids, even if they are young,'' said Prince. ``But we might be lacking in some big people.''
Prince said his team is ``65 percent ninth and 10th graders'' and said his most talented player could be a freshman - 6-foot-2 1/2, 185-pound Walter Amos, who was quarterback last year at Lynnhaven Middle School.
``I'm just glad we're going to Dam Neck for a week,'' Amos said. ``I think it could be a big advantage. I went through preseason with Lynnhaven last year and still didn't know who everybody was when the season started.''
Two proven football players living in the Ocean Lakes school zone, First Colonial's Marcus Wilcox and Green Run's Cedric Warren, have opted to remain at the schools where they played last year. Both are juniors whose teams should contend for the Beach District title.
There are a variety of ways in which students can go to a school out of their regular district.
``They would have helped tremendously,'' Prince said. ``We don't have one kid coming here who was an established player at another school. As it is, we'll probably have to have some younger guys in leadership roles.
``Of course, with as much turnover as takes place in the military, we could have a heck of a team walk in here tomorrow.'' by CNB