THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503100231
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
EVERYBODY WANTS TO win, says Duke football coach Fred Goldsmith, but the champions are those who are willing to prepare.
``Certainly there are those with more ability than others, but you'll find that those who really succeed are those who pay the price. It takes commitment,'' Goldsmith told the 260 in attendance at the 49th annual Portsmouth Sports Club Jamboree Wednesday night at Holiday Inn-Portside.
Goldsmith, picked as Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year after leading the Blue Devils to an 8-3 season in his first year at Duke, recalled his earlier coaching years at Rice.
When he went to Rice, he inherited a team that had lost its last 18 games.
``I knew we had to improve the defensive line,'' said the coach. ``And it had to be done with the players we had.
``I called two in and asked if they would mind making the change from offense to defense. The first player told me he would not (make the change). I told him we appreciated what he had done, but we wouldn't be needing him anymore.
``The second player said he didn't want to play defense. But if it would help the team become a winner he would do it.''
Rice went on to its first winning season in 28 years.
``The player who agreed to make that switch for the good of the team is now one of the most successful lawyers in Texas,'' said Goldsmith. ``The other fellow is in jail.''
The 51-year-old coach feels he has recruited ``a lot of blue chippers'' this year. He signed 25. Last year, after he accepted the Duke job, he recruited only 17 players.
``We go after a lot of the same athletes that the University of Virginia wants,'' he pointed out. ``We signed Doug Burt from Kecoughtan and another outstanding player from Roanoke.
``We had our eye on another big lineman in this state and so did Virginia. Michigan State got him away from both of us.
``We missed some good ones we wanted but we're pleased with our recruiting.
``We even got the No. 1 high school player in the state of Alabama.''
Charles ``Butch'' Cuthriell was honored as the city's Sportsman of the Year. Cuthriell is the administrator of the District 6 Little League program, heading up 10 area leagues.
``This is something I will remember all my life,'' said Cuthriell. ``It's a nice feeling to be rewarded for doing a job you love. I am accepting this on behalf of the hundreds of volunteers who devote so much of their time to the success of the Little League program.''
Bill Knowles, former athletic director at Western Branch High School, was selected as the outstanding Sports Club member. Knowles headed up the Sports Club's award programs in high school athletics. A member of the club's board of directors, Knowles also assisted in selling program advertisements.
A tearful Lisa Rice accepted the award as the outstanding female college athlete in the state. Rice set a national record for career assists in college basketball at all levels in leading Norfolk State to the CIAA championship.
Old Dominion's Petey Sessoms, honored as the top male college athlete for sparking the Monarchs to the CAA crown in basketball, said ``hopefully we can go make some hay in the NCAA.''
Sessoms' high school coach at Cradock, Mac Carroll, now head coach at Churchland, received the first Abe Goldblatt Memorial Award as the outstanding high school coach in the area. The trophy will recognize the longtime Virginian-Pilot sports writer, who died in November.
Joe Taylor, who guided Hampton University to a 10-1 football season, was honored as college coach of the year.
``We put a lot of emphasis on community and you'll see most of our football players from this area,'' said Taylor. ``This is the seventh coach of the year award I have received and it's starting to show around my mid-section.''
Scholarship awards were presented to Western Branch's Evelyn Benson, Churchland's Sean Paige and Wilson's LaVonya Blowe.
Bruce Rader, WAVY-TV sports director, served as master of ceremonies. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by GARY C. KNAPP
Former Duke great Clarence ``Ace'' Parker, left, and Duke football
coach Fred Goldsmith show off a rug made for Goldsmith by Cherry
Carpet.
Charles ``Butch'' Cuthriell and his wife, Margaret, display his
Sportsman of the Year award.
Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Mac Carroll, left, received the Abe Goldblatt Memorial Award. ODU's
Petey Sessoms was named the top male college athlete.
by CNB