THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601090110
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Girl versus girl on the wrestling mat?
Look for it Saturday morning at Norfolk Collegiate, which hosts the Oak Duals. Among the teams included are Booker T. Washington, Cape Hatteras, Chincoteague, Halifax ``B,'' Norcom, Trinity Episcopal and Wilson beginning at 10:30 a.m.
And Wilson coach Tony Reynolds is making sure his team draws Booker T. Washington, setting up the first-ever dual between two girls in Hampton Roads high school history. The Bookers' Sherika Sadler and Wilson's Dana Worthington will meet at 112 pounds.
``If I had a dollar for every time Dana has mentioned her opponent's name, I'd be rich,'' Reynolds said. ``To my knowledge it's the first time a female will being going against a female in history. I'll have two or three video cameras going.''
Booker T. coach Rob Toran says Sadler is a good listener who's dedicated to practice.
``She's learned well,'' Toran said. ``She's got the best technique out of anyone in the wrestling room. . . . She is able to do things the guys can't do because of the structure of her body.''
Toran is optimistic about this weekend's tourney. The Bookers have had trouble with depth through the years, but this year are fielding a full squad, led by defending district champion Duwyne Williams, a 160-pounder. Williams, who finished fourth at regionals, is only a sophomore.
``I felt like we could have won it last year,'' Toran said of the Oak Duals. The Bookers led 21-9 in the final dual against Wilson, a team they had beaten two weeks earlier. But several disputed calls and one disqualification cost Booker T., which eventually lost 30-25.
``Hopefully we can go back and redeem ourselves,'' Toran said.
Still, Toran said, his team was happy to come home with a second-place trophy last year. ``Right now the kids are still learning to accept wrestling as a sport,'' said Toran, who noted Williams is the school's first district champ in six years.
Competing at the Virginia Duals, the big tourney in town this weekend, is still light years away, but Toran noted: ``In a couple more years if we can keep these kids together and not lose any of them, we'll be at districts and regionals, and maybe someday get an invitation to the Virginia Duals.''
WANTED: Experienced football coach who is able to work with inner-city kids. Must have a background as either a participant or a coach. Be prepared for a time commitment to your school and your program. Teaching and coaching philosophy must be consistent with that of the Norfolk public schools. Apply: Lake Taylor High School.
Today at Lake Taylor, principal John Osteen and a committee will interview the five candidates who answered that call in hopes of being the Titans' new football coach. Osteen expects to announce the team's new coach by Jan. 29. Lake Taylor is also interviewing for its athletic director position.
Former football coach and athletic director Bert Harrell vacated the post after 29 years to become the Virginia High School League coordinator for Norfolk Public Schools. Lake Taylor plans to hire a separate football coach and athletic director. Harrell is interim athletic director.
``I think I'll miss coaching on Friday nights; it's a unique experience,'' Harrell said from his downtown Norfolk office. ``I won't miss all the watching films, preparation and the hours spent on the practice field.''
Osteen would not say whether any of the candidates are Lake Taylor assistants, but Harrell said three of the prospective coaches are within the school system.
The Norfolk Academy track team travels to Richmond Saturday to compete in one of the oldest continuous meets in the country, the East Coast Invitational. The 30-year-old meet, originally run at the Coliseum, moved to the Arthur Ashe Center six years ago.
Norfolk Academy will take a dozen competitors to the meet, said coach Ken Lampert, and the spotlight will again be on junior Biren Roy. Roy won the recent Viking Relays and has a personal best in the mile of 4 minutes, 20 seconds.
``I've coached for 19 years and never coached a kid like him,'' Lampert said. ``He's one of the top 10 or 15 kids in the country in the mile.''
Others from Norfolk Academy expected to star include middle distance runners Dave Walker and Alex Diviras, Carrie Evans, hurdler Liz Enright and Shirley Au, who placed last year in the 300 meters. ILLUSTRATION: Bert Harrell
Outgoing Lake Taylor football coach
by CNB