THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 20, 1995 TAG: 9501190155
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Things this season have been greatly different for the Rock Academy boys basketball team - except for the team's winning ways.
Rock is playing under a new name - actually the school's original name - it has a new coach, and it has gone independent.
But at 13-3, the Eagles continue to be one of the strongest small private schools in the state - coming in this week at No. 3 in the Virginia Independent Schools Division II poll.
Last season, Rock was known as Teagle Academy. The Eagles dominated play in the Metro Conference. Mark Phelps was the coach and under his direction, the team won the conference and finished third in the VIS state tournament.
But because of tax laws, the school was informed it needed to reflect the name of the church it was affiliated with to keep the same tax status. So it was back to Rock Academy.
In the meantime, Phelps left for Atlantic Shores and has taken that school to the upper crust of the VIS Division I state poll.
Paul Thomas, who had served under Phelps as a junior varsity coach, took over the varsity position.
And during the offseason Rock left the Metro conference.
``We were kind of asked to leave, is the way I understand it,'' Thomas said. ``I've never really been told why, but I can't help but think that it was because we were too strong. I can't imagine any other reason why.
``But we created lots of ties with teams in several conferences over the years and we didn't have any trouble lining up plenty of games.''
Rock is playing 29 games this season. The Eagles were ranked second in the VIS poll last week, but lost to Tidewater Academy - ranked fourth in the state. Another loss came at the hands the VIS's No. 2 Division I team - Flint Hill - in the second round of the Holiday Prep Classic at Atlantic Shores.
``Losing (to Tidewater) showed the kids what can happen,'' said Thomas, who is assisted by Don Barnes. ``But we're not doing anything really different this season. We press and run, playing kind of a three-guard, two-forward offense.
``Sometimes it's two guards and three forwards. We play mostly zones, because we don't have to size to play man-to-man with teams for very long. We spend a lot of time on conditioning and the kids go to summer camps as a team and play in a summer league.
``And it all seems to be working rather well so far.''
The Eagles starting lineup is 5-foot-10 junior point guard Terrance Jones, who averages 12.4 points a game. Senior Emile Greene, 5-10, is the other guard, averaging 11.8. Nathan Hughes, 6-0 senior forward, averages 11.3, and Patrick Osborne (eight rebounds a game) and Aaron Brown are a pair of 6-1 senior center/forwards. Mike Phillips is a 6-1 junior forward who serves as the first player off the bench.
The team is currently without team captain C.L. Murphy, a speedy guard suffering from a broken wrist who was supposed to get his cast off Tuesday. It will likely be a couple of weeks before he returns. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Paul Thomas instructs his players at the Rock Church's Rock Academy
on how to keep their arms in the proper defensive positions.
by CNB