THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 9, 1995 TAG: 9502090577
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Granby boys basketball coach Jim Harvey has been replaced by acting coach Tim Sweeney in the middle of a heated Eastern District race and less than two weeks remaining in the regular season.
George Raiss, spokesman for the Norfolk Public Schools, said Wednesday that Harvey had been ``suspended pending an investigation by school system authorities.'' Raiss would not elaborate.
Meanwhile, Harvey said he had taken personal leave due to failing eyesight, saying he experienced loss of vision in his left eye and blurred vision in his right when he woke up Wednesday.
Granby principal Michael Caprio could not be reached for comment.
Harvey, 52, has coached basketball for 30 years at the college, junior college and high school levels and has been at Granby for the last eight years.
Sweeney, an assistant principal at Granby, coached at Norfolk Catholic for six years, winning three Tidewater Conference titles and leading the Crusaders to a state private schools championship in 1984.
Granby, which visits Lake Taylor Friday, is tied for first place in the Eastern District with Maury and Booker T. Washington at 4-2 and is 15-2 overall.
The Comets began the week ranked No. 2 in South Hampton Roads and fifth in the state, but lost to Maury, 58-53, Tuesday night.
``As long as we stick together as a team, we'll get through this,'' said Shawn Hobson, the area's leading scorer at 21.7 points per game. ``We've just got to play with confidence.''
Granby closes its Eastern District regular-season play against Booker T. Washington next Tuesday, then visits Indian River for a nondistrict game next Friday before the district playoffs.
``Sometimes I wish I had inherited a team of lesser talent,'' said Sweeney, 41, after his first practice with the Comets Wednesday evening. ``The expectations are high, and there is some immediate pressure to succeed.'' by CNB