THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503010219
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Churchland boys basketball coach Mac Carroll kept one secret from his team before the Southeastern District tournament championship game.
He didn't think it would be beneficial to point out the last time Churchland had won the title.
Instead, Carroll focused on the game one year ago - when Indian River beat the Truckers at the buzzer for the crown.
Churchland went on to post a 72-54 victory Saturday. Afterward, the Truckers were told it was the first district tournament championship for Churchland since 1968, the very first year the tournament began.
``Hey, I wasn't even born,'' said Churchland's D. J. Dunbar, who was named the most valuable player in the eight-team field. Dunbar scored 53 points in the Truckers' three victories, 24 in the final game.
``I didn't see any point in saying it had been 27 years since we had won the district tournament,'' said Carroll. ``But I definitely wanted to remind my players that we thought we had won a year ago and then didn't win.''
The girls championship went to Oscar Smith on a 60-49 triumph over Great Bridge.
Afterward, Oscar Smith coach Patty Walsh was wondering when the Tigers had last won the tournament.
``This is my 15th year,'' she said. ``None of my teams ever won.''
The girls tournament didn't start until 1975. Oscar Smith had never won before.
The Tigers qualified for the Eastern Region by virtue of a runner-up finish in the tournament in 1977 - when regular-season winner Wilson also captured the tourney.
Kizzy Dunbar of Oscar Smith was picked as the tourney MVP. She had 83 points in three games, leading all scorers. Dunbar poured in 34 against Churchland in a semifinal victory over the regular-season champion Truckers and notched 26 in the final against Great Bridge.
Also selected on the girls' all-tournament team from Oscar Smith was Krystal Johnson. Other picks were Great Bridge's Carey Stafford and Lashelle Griffin and Churchland's Nicole Council.
Joining Dunbar on the boys' all-tournament team were Marvin Rodgers and Mike Holland of Churchland and Jason Capel and David Selby of Indian River. ILLUSTRATION: D.J. Dunbar
Kizzy Dunbar
by CNB