THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9409220556
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
After 13 years of dominating the Eastern District, the girls tennis pack has finally caught the Maury Commodores.
Last week, Booker T. Washington nipped maury, 5-4, snapping a string of more than 100 straight district victories by the Commodores since 1981.
``I guess it was just our day,'' Bookers' coach Paul Palombo said.
Then Tuesday, Granby handed Maury a 7-2 loss. Now, after 13 straight league crowns, the Commodores find themselves in third place, in danger of not qualifying for the Eastern Region tournament.
``We're young and inexperienced and it shows,'' Maury coach Mike Pugh said.
The Bookers' victory over Maury was particularly sweet for Sharon McClannan and Donna Self, the No. 1 doubles team that won the deciding match. The two seniors have absorbed more than their share of beatings at the hands of the Commodores.
``A couple of years ago, when we first got on the team and couldn't get the ball over the net, we didn't think we'd ever beat them,'' McClannan said. ``But we've progressed a lot since then, more than we thought we would. We felt this would be our year.''
McClannan and Self also won the deciding match in the Bookers' 5-4 victory over Granby.
``I can't even count how many times they've come through for us,'' Palombo said.
The Bookers are currently 4-0 in the district, continuing a remarkable rise in Palombo's six years as coach. Before Palombo arrived, Booker T. Washington had won just four matches in six years. Since he took over, they've gone 54-17.
Still, there's no time for celebrating yet. Today, Granby hosts the Bookers at 2:45 p.m. in a rematch of their Sept. 6 encounter. And if Tuesday's results are any indication, the Comets (3-1 in the district) have improved significantly.
It's also too early to count out Maury. Even Palombo concedes that the Bookers' 5-4 victory, which included four three-set matches, ``could have gone either way.'' And while Tuesday's 7-2 decision gives the impression Granby won easily, the reality is:
The match took nearly seven hours;
Granby's No. 1 player, Elaine McCall, rallied from 6-1 down in the third-set tiebreaker to win over Jennifer Warren;
The Comets won two other third-set tiebreakers and another match, 7-6, 7-6;
Maury's No. 6 player had to retire in the first set because of an injury.
``It will be really interesting when we play those teams again,'' Pugh said.
GOLF REPORT: Cox High's golf regularly contends for the state championship. But near the middle of each season the Falcons have to face the Kempsville Chiefs. Each year they find out that while they may be the best team in the Beach, that doesn't make them unbeatable.
It happened again Tuesday for the third time in as many years when Kempsville posted a 325-329 victory over the Falcons at Kempsville Greens. Neither team played well. Cox's Matthew Paulson birdied the last two holes to shoot 79, the low individual score of the day.
Cox had been normally shooting below 310 as a team, meaning four scores averaging 77 per man. But there's something about the Cox-Kempsville rivalry that can bring out the worst in the Falcons.
Cox's loss, it's first of the district season, adds that much more importance to today's match against Kellam at Bow Creek. The Knights have two district losses, as do First Colonial, Kempsville and Princess Anne. First Colonial and Kempsville also play today at Bow Creek.
If Kellam can upset Cox - Kellam's top player Adam Dixon has regularly been breaking par this fall - there would be a four-way tie for first in the district.
If the regular season ends next Thursday in a tie, a Friday playoff is tentatively planned. The regular season winner automatically qualifies for the Eastern Region championships. All other Eastern Region bids will be decided in the district tournament, to be played Oct. 3-4.
CROSS COUNTRY: A handful of area teams will participate in Saturday's Christopher Newport Invitational at Newport News Park, an event featuring 26 teams and more than 580 runners
Lakeland, Wilson, Ocean Lakes, Bayside, Churchland, Cox and Green Run's boys teams will compete, and all but Cox and Wilson will field girls teams. The girls race begins at 11:15 a.m., followed by the boys A race at noon and the boys B and C race at 12:30.
HAVE TEAM, WILL TRAVEL: Maury boys basketball coach Jack Baker wants to put another team on his schedule, home or away. For more information, call Baker at 441-2611. MEMO: Staff writer Rich Radford contributed to this report. by CNB