THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 11, 1995 TAG: 9503110389
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
It is something most people experience.
But few are forced to handle losing a parent at the age of 17.
Just before Christmas, as the 1994-95 basketball season was set to get under way, Montoria Valentine's mother, Annie Carol, died of a massive stroke.
``If I were this kid, I don't think I would have lasted this long,'' Nansemond River coach Spencer Mayfield said. ``. . . To lose her at such a young age. . . . we thought we were going to lose him.''
If Valentine thought of quitting basketball, he never voiced it. But the body language was there.
``The first week he came back, you could tell he was missing something,'' Warriors' captain Maurice Fofana said. ``But after that, he just pulled it on up. If he was hurting, I think that is something he keeps behind doors.''
Prior to Valentine's return, Fofana made black wrist bands for the entire team to wear.
``It was just a way to let him know that anything he needed, if I could give it to him, I would try my best to do it,'' Fofana said.
``It meant a lot,'' Valentine said. ``Just to know that they were thinking about it.
``It was hard, but after a while it made me want to come back and play harder because that is what she would have wanted me to do.''
That is just what this 6-3 junior forward has done and hopes to continue tonight as the Warriors meet Warren County in a Group AA state quarterfinal game at Lakeland High at 7 p.m.
A first-team All-Bay Rivers District and All-Region I selection, Valentine has averaged nearly 17 points per game. And he has done it the way he has for three years - in virtual silence.
``He's a very quiet person,'' Fofana said. ``I never understood it, when I first started playing with him, he used to scare me because he never did say anything. Everybody else would be all hyped.''
Mayfield says the Valentine you see on the court today is the same young man he started coaching three years ago.
``He hasn't changed,'' Mayfield said. ``The only difference now is he is an older version. He has the same shooting ability, rebounding ability, ballhandling ability. . . . Now he is more mature and anything that is more mature is better.''
With that maturity has come the ability to perform anywhere on the court.
``There is no position Montoria cannot play,'' Mayfield said. ``He's the best point guard we've got and you've seen the point guards we've got. They are very, very, very good. Montoria is better than all of them.''
While sophomore Antoine Willie continues to grab the headlines, Valentine continues to do his job quietly with but one goal in mind - winning the Group AA state title.
It was with that thought in mind that Valentine picked up the slack when Willie got in foul trouble in the Region I semifinals against Franklin. Valentine scored 24 points in the 74-52 victory.
``I knew if we would have lost it would have been the last game,'' he said. ``I didn't want to lose.''
Valentine then scored 32 points from all over the court in the Warriors' 106-77 pounding of Bluestone in the Region I title game.
``I teach my kids to think positive and think ahead, but don't think too far past that night,'' Mayfield said. ``Everything revolves around this moment and if you don't do your job this moment there is no tomorrow.
``When they saw things get tight, he stepped up his game. He took off like a shot and everybody followed right behind him.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Montoria Valentine
by CNB