THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 13, 1995 TAG: 9501130622
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
In rushing to a 9-0 record, the Granby Comets are off to the area's best start in boys basketball since Booker T. Washington began the 1991-92 season 17-0.
But head coach Jim Harvey points out that the Comets have played a schedule that doesn't allow quick comparisons or an accurate assessment of how the Comets match up with their Eastern District rivals.
Granby, ranked third in South Hampton Roads, has met only two Eastern Region teams, Deep Creek and Oscar Smith. Because of limited schedule openings and the state's limit of 20 regular-season games, lining up games with Beach District and Peninsula District teams has become difficult, if not impossible.
If anything, the early schedule has taught the Comets how to play on the road.
``Eleven of our first 12 games are away, and we'll only play six games at our place this season,'' Harvey said.
Thus, an uptown trip to fifth-ranked Maury tonight shouldn't bother the Comets. The big question is whether the Comets are ready to face a team as talented as the Commodores.
The flip side is, will the Commodores be able to match up with the burly Comets?
Spearheading the interior play for the Comets is 6-foot-5 senior Shawn Hobson, who leads the team in every statistical category and is averaging 19.6 points per game, second in the area behind Shawn Wilson of Booker T. Washington, who is averaging 22.8 a game.
With Hobson up front are 6-8, 230-pound junior Clifton Townes and 6-7 senior Toweh Ketter. Ketter is averaging 12 points a game, while Townes averages eight.
``The kids are looking forward to proving themselves in the Eastern District,'' Harvey said. ``We are not an entity until we do that. We've got to disregard what we've done to this point. It's a brand new season.''
SHOOTING THE 3s: Although no records have been kept to justify the claim, Booker T. Washington coach Barry Hamler figures his team's 12 3-point goals against Atlantic Shores Tuesday night might be the most by a South Hampton Roads Group AAA team since the 3-pointer came into existence.
Shawn Wilson, a 6-4 senior in Booker T.'s three-guard set, led the way with seven 3-pointers and finished with an season-high and area-high 38 points in the 95-67 victory.
``I think it's unique for a high school,'' Hamler said. ``We've got a unique bunch of players. We've got six guys who've made 3-pointers this year, and we're shooting 47 percent as a team from behind the 3-point line.''
The second-ranked Bookers get their next chance to display their long-range accuracy tonight when they host seventh-ranked Lake Taylor.
BIG SURPRISE: Salem's Sun Devils, picked to finish eighth in the Beach District in the preseason, have earned the Overachievers Award at the midway point of the season.
Heading into tonight's game at ninth-ranked Green Run, the Sun Devils are 7-2 overall, 6-2 in the district and are coming off a 59-41 upset of eighth-ranked Tallwood.
Tonight's winner will claim third place at the halfway point of the Beach schedule.
Unable to overpower opponents due to a size deficit, Salem is winning by making every possession count.
``This team is real far along in knowing how to play basketball,'' said Salem coach Bill Cochrane. ``We have to play smart every time down court. We can't have a lot of loose possessions.''
When the Sun Devils go with a small lineup, they have 6-2 Anthony Williams, 6-2 Samuel Skeeter and 6-foot Bernard Johnson up front and 5-11 Corey Irvin paired with one of three guards, all of whom are 5-11 or shorter: Richard Holland, Pete Blachford or Arthur Taylor.
``We're averaging between 10 and 12 turnovers a game while forcing opponents into 20-plus,'' Cochrane said.
If circumstances call for the Sun Devils to add some size, in comes 6-5 Matt Moeller, who had a season-high 12 points and 11 rebounds against Tallwood.
``This team has overachieved more than anybody could have dreamed,'' Cochrane said. ``And it's developing more confidence every week.''
JUMP SHOTS: In the evening's only other game pitting ranked teams, No. 1 Bayside (8-1, 7-0) faces No. 8 Tallwood (7-2, 7-1) in a key Beach District matchup. . . . No. 2 Booker T. Washington (8-1), No. 3 Granby (9-0), No. 5 Maury (9-2) and No. 7 Lake Taylor (8-1) give the Eastern District four teams that are ranked in the area's top seven. . . .
Churchland's D.J. Dunbar has already surpassed the 1,000-point career mark - he has 1,161. And Cox High's Matt Whalen appears to be in line to hit that mark. Whalen, who is averaging 17 points a game, needs 152 more points and the Falcons have 10 regular-season games remaining. by CNB