THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 29, 1995 TAG: 9501280107
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
The return of basketball to Tidewater Community College rekindles memories of a big-time program that once flourished at the Frederick campus.
Full scholarship players came in for the eight years a team was fielded. Paul Meadows coached G3BL29TCC Murray the first team and Bob Hodges was at the helm for the other seven years.
Frederick never had a losing season. Four games were played against Old Dominion University - and all four times Frederick was the victor.
The gym seated more than 2,000 and was packed on many occasions.
Opponents included such colleges as East Carolina, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Elon, Atlantic Christian, High Point, Campbell, Wilmingham, Charlotte and RPI (now Virginia Commonwealth University).
Players included Edward ``Tex'' Murray, Jerry Gavin, Kenny Edwards, Steve Cottrell, Pete Watkins, Neil Hodges, Larry Joseph, Jerry Shell, Hal Stewart, John Sumner, Tom Jasper and Mike Schemering.
When Frederick converted to a community college in 1969, Jasper and Schemering moved on to William and Mary and won starting positions on the basketball team.
Murray, now 56 and a longtime coach and athletic director at Windsor High School, was among the first scholarship players at Frederick. The point guard had offers from such college teams as North Carolina State, Seton Hall and St. John's.
An outstanding high school athlete in Newark, N.J., Murray came to Frederick Military Academy to get his school grades in order for college. When Frederick College opened, he elected to follow his FMA coach, Meadows, across town and declined a scholarship grant from the legendary Everett Case at N.C. State.
``Back then Old Dominion didn't want to play us,'' recalled Murray, still a Portsmouth resident. ``We were paired in the SubLant Christmas Tournament and I can still remember the score of that game. We beat them, 111-82. Bud Metheny was the ODU coach.
``That was the only game I played against ODU. After I graduated, Sonny Allen became Old Dominion's coach and he didn't mind playing anybody. Frederick won the three games that were played, including home-and-home one year.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Murray
by CNB