THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508130279
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Sports Editor
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Coaches in the Portsmouth high schools have mixed emotions about the apparent ending of longtime ties with Chesapeake teams and a new future aligned with schools in Norfolk.
The Eastern Region principals met Wednesday at Churchland High School and endorsed Virginia High School League Plan 2, which will place Norcom, Wilson and Churchland in the Eastern District with the five Norfolk schools beginning in the 1996-97 school year.
This plan has been designed for a minimum of three years.
There was little support for VHSL Plan 1, which would bracket schools by size. Under Plan 1, Churchland would remain in the Southeastern District and Wilson and Norcom would move into Group 2, a district that would include Grafton, Poquoson, Smithfield, Lakeland, York and Tabb. Even Churchland opposed this plan.
Before any action becomes official, the plan must have the approval of the Redistricting and Reclassification Committee of the VHSL and final sanctioning by the 26-member VHSL Executive Committee. The redistricting committee will meet in Charlottesville Aug. 22.
Churchland football coach Ken Taylor views the merger of Portsmouth and Norfolk schools as ``good and bad.''
``The level of football in Norfolk is quite similar to ours,'' said Taylor. ``Those teams are not as deep in players as the larger Chesapeake schools. But my concern is the lack of fans the Norfolk schools bring when they play in Portsmouth. Since we've starting playing them, they have not brought the crowds the Chesapeake teams bring.''
Wilson football coach Joe Ladisic also is concerned about fan apathy.
``Our crowds have come from playing the Chesapeake schools,'' he said. ``We have some long-standing rivalries with them. We've had poor attendance in games against the Norfolk schools. Getting people in the stands is my biggest concern.''
Joe Langston, who is athletic director as well as head football coach at Norcom, said the poorest draws on his schedule were games against two Norfolk schools.
``We definitely are against Norcom playing in Group 2,'' he said. ``I don't think I could even be a part of that. Hopefully, this other plan will work out.''
If the new alignment is approved, Portsmouth schools still will have some openings on their schedules to play Chesapeake teams.
In addition to five games with the Norfolk schools and the two games against crosstown foes, the city schools can schedule three games against teams from Chesapeake.
This season, Norcom will be playing Booker T. Washington, Norview and Granby. The next year, the Greyhounds will add Maury and Lake Taylor and will drop two Chesapeake foes from a list that now includes all five teams in that city.
Wilson has games this year with Granby, Lake Taylor and Booker T. Washington. The Presidents will add games against Maury and Norview and drop two games from a current schedule that includes all five Chesapeake teams.
Churchland will be adding games next year against Maury and Granby. The Truckers already play the other three Norfolk teams. Churchland must drop two games from a schedule that also includes all five Chesapeake schools. by CNB