THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 10, 1995 TAG: 9511090108
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 27 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
THE FOOTBALL SEASON for Wilson High School this year might be best summed up in two words:
Murphy's Law.
According to this proposition, if there is a possibility for something to go wrong, it will go wrong. And that's the way it has gone for the Presidents.
Such as a recent game when one of the players, on the team bus headed for a game, felt like he couldn't breathe.
Game jitters? Nope, it was discovered that he had pneumonia.
At the same game, another player broke a finger in warm-ups. Another broke his hand in the game.
That's the way things generally happen to losing teams.
And Wilson is a losing team. The Presidents have struggled through a winless season.
Maybe it's been even tougher on head coach Joe Ladisic than the team.
``Rather than a football coach, I feel like a shepherd trying to bring the sheep together,'' said Ladisic.
With a squad of 35, Ladisic has kept the Presidents competitive. Two losses came by a single touchdown. Another was just by a single point.
``It's been a struggle for the seniors,'' said Ladisic. ``There is no next year for them. Their motivation has been to give their very best in hopes of getting scholarship help.
``But for the others, we have tried to mold a togetherness and build a base for the seasons ahead. We are losing only five players from this squad. And many of the youngsters have been getting experience that can only help them in the future.''
Ladisic dropped five players from the squad because they missed practices or did not follow team policy. He admits their presence might have brought a victory or two.
``But it would not have been better for the program down the line,'' he said. ``We can't have one set of rules for some players and another set for others.
``In the long run, a team will be better when players attend practices as they should and develop attitudes that are helpful in building the team.''
He elected to bring up eight junior varsity players.
Twice at Wilson, Ladisic has stepped in as head coach at inopportune times. After the Presidents won the state championship with a 14-0 record in 1991, Darnell Moore resigned to accept a coaching position at Norfolk State University. Moore was the winningest coach in Wilson history with 106 victories and two state titles.
Ladisic, who had been an assistant coach for seven years, succeeded Moore. Only a sprinkling of starters returned from the '91 championship team and Wilson battled to a 1-9 record.
The only victory was over Manor. And the next year Manor and Wilson merged with former Manor coach Jenson Baker taking the reins of the new school and Ladisic again in an assistant's position.
After a pair of two-win seasons, Baker joined Moore's staff at Norfolk State and Ladisic was elevated to head coach.
``We lost 15 players from the 1994 team,'' said Ladisic. ``And it's been a learning experience for our youngsters.
``But we will be a better team next year because of it.
``We also have some players who are really progressing and can be among the best in the district.''
Ladisic feels Wilson's move into the Eastern District next season will be helpful.
This year, Wilson lost to Granby by six points, Lake Taylor by one point and Booker T. Washington by 15. ``But we were just a touchdown behind Booker T. well into the last quarter,'' he pointed out.
``We showed we already are competitive with those teams.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JIM WALKER
Wilson football coach Joe Ladisic supervises his team's workout.
``We lost 15 players from the 1994 team,'' said Ladisic. ``And it's
been a learning experience for our youngsters.''
BRIEFLY
The Olympian Sports Club will have its 40th anniversary banquet
on Saturday at the Drydock Club beginning at 7 p.m.
Featured speaker will be Walter ``Doc'' Hurley.
Admission is a $20 donation. For information, call George Eason
(487-6185), Andrew Shepherd at 484-4274 or Berlyn Howard at
547-8698.
by CNB