THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 1, 1995 TAG: 9412300250
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
A tongue-in-cheek preview of the year ahead of us. . . .
JANUARY
Portsmouth Sports Club announces its Jamboree speaker, Phil Niekro, coach of the all-women Colorado Silver Bullets. He promises to bring film of the Silver Bullets' 7-2 win over the Richfield Rockets in what is believed to be the first victory by a professional women's baseball team over an all-male squad.
Russell Borjes, a basketball star earlier in the century at Wilson, officially retired after a lengthy sports writing career and announced he would open a jogging school. Runners will traverse a scenic course around Oak Grove cemetery.
FEBRUARY
Charles Town race track, which closed down on the last day of 1994, is purchased by former Washington Redskins linebacker Sam Huff. He confirms he will move the race track to Portsmouth if he can get approval from city and state officials.
Late snow cancels Court Street Academy basketball practice. Outdoor nets are frozen and ball will not go through hoop.
MARCH
Old Dominion University signs contract with Churchland High School after Truckers win state basketball title. ODU agrees to sponsor new Trucker Classic Christmas Tournament in exchange for pledge that D.J. Dunbar and Marvin Rodgers become future Monarchs.
Quarterback Aaron Sparrow reveals he is considering an offer from the Redskins and may bypass his senior year at Norfolk State. He said if he does agree to sign with the pro team he will not be a holdout as was Heath Shuler. Coming off a two-win season for the Redskins, Shuler said he was returning to Tennessee as the new head coach at Vanderbilt.
APRIL
Charlotte Smith of the University of North Carolina, who became only the second woman to dunk a basketball during a college game, becomes the first female to play in the PIT.
A photograph of Bucky Dodson pushing Gene Luke in a golf cart out of a hazard (a ditch) is selected as the top sports picture of the year nationally. Dodson says proceeds from sales of this picture will go for lessons to improve Luke's golf game and cart driving.
MAY
The Portsmouth Historical Association is up in arms over the proposal to demolish Frank D. Lawrence Stadium. Radio announcer Tony Mercurio, a legend in his own mind, says there is little doubt that the lighting system ``is antiquated.''
School board agrees to move ticket booth behind Churchland High School gymnasium to football stadium, replacing the inadequate press box. New artificial surface is placed on football field with built-in insect repellent.
JUNE
After winning his 13th City Amateur golf championship, J.P. Leigh announces he will try to win two more before turning professional again and joining the Seniors PGA Tour. ODU golf coach Murray Rudisill also says he is considering a leave of absence to play the Seniors circuit, pointing out it will give him a good opportunity to recruit grandsons of outstanding golfers.
City Council announces Crawford Bay Crew Classic will have to be discontinued because the waterway is being closed after Reno Casinos decides to bring in USS United States as a permanent floating casino between Portsmouth and Norfolk.
JULY
Heather Jeffries wins First Flight tournament and becomes first female to play in Eastern Amateur. Eastern Amateur is won by Brian Liebler.
Officials ponder removing Seawall and widening Elizabeth River after a fleet of 497 takes part in the eighth annual Cock Island Race and last boats are not in until 9 p.m., disrupting post-race party.
AUGUST
Major league umpires strike and Bullet Alexander supplies pinch-hit crews. Alexander prompts controversy with new speed-up rule. Limit of 20 minutes placed on any inning regardless of number of outs.
Chandler Harper, 81, registers the 14th ace of his golf career and announces he will come out with a sequel for his book - to be called ``My First 80 Years in Golf.''
SEPTEMBER
Seven-foot-six, 300-pound basketball player enrolls at Wilson and coach Tommy Kilpatrick requests gym doors be raised. ``He constantly suffers from headaches from hitting his head,'' said Kilpatrick.
Norcom football coach Joe Langston tells his players he will coach another year if they promise to win the state championship.
OCTOBER
Churchland cross country team is disqualified after winning state championship when it's discovered that the No. 2 finisher was actually co-coach Winston Brown, who was trying to push his Truckers to victory.
City agrees to put up floodlights at City Park golf course for third annual Haunted Holes of Night Light Golf Tournament in 1996 after Sheila Pittman makes hole-in-one in the second tournament and nobody saw it.
NOVEMBER
Officials from the Norfolk Water Department agree to leave construction material on Victory Blvd. for 2-K Barrel Walk at Tower Mall.
Western Branch football coach Lew Johnston writes letters to the other coaches in the Southeastern District, asking that a certain criteria be set up for the selection of the all-district football team. Wrote Johnston: ``Last year, I had the leading kick scorer in the conference and he didn't make the team as the kicker. I had a running back that was the highest overall scorer in the district and he didn't make the team. I had the second-leading receiver and he wasn't picked. Just wondering what the requirements will be this year?''
DECEMBER
Churchland basketball coach Mac Carroll has to cancel Truckers' scheduled trip to Paris, France as school board bans Christmas tournaments so that athletes can enjoy a holiday break. Carroll complains that his players already had passports, taken shots for the trip and purchased large amount of film to take pictures of Eiffel Tower.
Major shuffle on local athletic scene as Dr. L. Pettis Patton becomes sports director at WAVY-TV and Bruce Rader takes over as director of leisure services in Portsmouth. Rader demands play-by-play television coverage of Portsmouth Invitational Tournament by Channel 10.
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! ILLUSTRATION: File photo
Gene Luke steers as his golf cart gets a push from Bucky Dodson
after Luke got stuck in a ditch.
by CNB