THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 12, 1994 TAG: 9408120731
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER AND RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
David Abbott, the Beach District's baseball player of the year last spring and a standout wide receiver at Green Run, is practicing with the Ocean Lakes football team.
Green Run football coach Elisha ``Cadillac'' Harris is still holding out hope that Abbott will reconsider and return to Green Run.
Abbott lives in the Ocean Lakes zone, but has senior option to attend Green Run since Ocean Lakes is a first-year school.
``I'm shocked and surprised,'' Harris said. ``I expected him back for his senior year. I guess we'll see if he comes out for our practice on Monday.''
Abbott can return to Green Run only if he hasn't officially enrolled at Ocean Lakes. Abbott and Ocean Lakes coach Jim Prince were unavailable for comment.
Abbott caught 22 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns last fall. He also kicked 10 extra points.
He was even better in baseball. He batted .308 with 21 RBIs and was 4-1 with three saves and a 0.72 ERA.
Abbott is expected to play quarterback if he stays at Ocean Lakes. Another factor in favor of the Dolphins is the presence of former Green Run baseball coach Gary Spedden.
Harris said losing Abbott would have a definite impact on the Stallions.
``His playing for Ocean Lakes would change things, yes,'' Harris said.
TYMARK TITANS: Booker T. Washington boys basketball coach Barry Hamler has unveiled another sterling field for this winter's edition of the Tymark/Burger King Classic.
Perennial national contender Southern of Baltimore, Martin Luther King of Brooklyn and Maine Central Institute highlight the out-of-town talent that the Tymark/Burger King will bring together.
The other out-of-town entries include Petersburg, which knocked Churchland out of last year's state playoffs, Episcopal of Alexandria, Hertford County (N.C.) and Paul Roberson of Brooklyn.
Local teams entered are Booker T. Washington, Indian River, Bayside, Deep Creek, First Colonial, Granby, Lake Taylor, Norview and Atlantic Shores.
Indian River's Jason Capel, a 6-foot-6 freshman and the son of Old Dominion coach Jeff Capel, will make his area debut in the Tymark.
Other players to watch include 6-9 Antric Klaiber of Episcopal, 6-8 Luther Clay and 6-6 Llewyn Cole of Maine Central and 6-8 Marco Harrison of Petersburg.
``I think it's the best Tymark yet,'' Hamler said. ``It will be the most high school talent ever assembled in the city of Norfolk at one time.''
The tournament begins at Booker T. on Thursday, Dec. 8, with four games beginning at 4 p.m. The four-game setup repeats itself with different teams the next evening.
Saturday's eight-game marathon, which will take place either at ODU or Norfolk State University, will begin at 9 a.m.
Pairings will be decided the first week of September when the coaches from the respective local teams convene. In addition, the tournament will award a minimum of seven $1,000 scholarships in conjunction with the Tymark/Burger King Classic Youth Scholarship Day. Hamler said he hopes the number of scholarships reaches 15 by tournament time.
NEW COACH: Jeff Ballance has been named baseball coach at Green Run, replacing Spedden.
Green Run won the Beach District title last spring and reached the Eastern Region semifinals after spending much of the season as the area's No. 1-ranked team. The Stallions lost to Western Branch in the regionals to complete a 21-3 season.
Ballance, who led Princess Anne to a Beach District title in 1982 as a player, said he realizes he's walking into a program that is on an upward swing.
``I'm definitely not going to change what's not broken,'' said Ballance, who has also joined the football coaching staff at Green Run after holding a variety of coaching positions in Virginia Beach the last few years.
``The kids are all fired up about baseball here. I intend to continue the aggressive philosophy, good work ethic and fundamentally sound system Gary installed and the kids want it and expect it.'' by CNB