THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 2, 1996 TAG: 9602020564
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
The championship picture in all five area leagues should start to crystallize in the next 10 days.
First up tonight is the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools, where Nansemond-Suffolk (15-4, 6-0) puts an eight-game winning streak on the line at Norfolk Academy (13-5, 7-0). The Bulldogs can clinch the regular-season title.
The Eastern and Bay Rivers districts should be next. Maury can win the Eastern title next Tuesday with a victory over Booker T. Washington. The same night Nansemond River plays host to archrival Lakeland. Nansemond River has beaten Lakeland twice and takes a one-game lead over the Cavaliers into tonight's action. Should that hold and the Warriors beat the Cavaliers again they would lead the Bay Rivers by two games with four to play.
The Southeastern won't be decided Tuesday but it will be sayonara for one of the three contenders when Oscar Smith visits Deep Creek. The Tigers and Hornets are a game behind Indian River.
The Beach race might be the furthest from conclusion but Cox can take a giant step toward the title Tuesday with a victory at home over second-place Tallwood.
RIM SHOTS: First Colonial's struggling program took another broadside this week when four players became academically ineligible and another was asked to leave the team. The Patriots are 2-33 over the past two seasons. . . . It's not often that two district leaders meet in February but that will be the case Saturday when No. 1 Maury plays host to No. 4 Cox. The Commodores (16-0, 4-0 Eastern District) have beaten the Falcons (12-3, 10-1 Beach) twice this season, 72-60 at Cox and 70-59 in the final of the Catholic Holiday Classic. . 49-40 last week. Cavaliers coach Gary Cason played at Bayside and was an assistant under Marlins' coach Ron Jenkins before taking the Cavaliers' job this season. ``I'm still on Cloud 9,'' Cason said. ``The kids knew it meant a lot to me.''
SPOTLIGHT ON BROOKS: For pure athleticism Green Run's Will Brooks has few peers among area players. The 6-5 senior, known for his soaring moves to the basket, punctuated his 32 points with three dunks in Tuesday's 79-64 rout of No. 3 Tallwood.
But the play that best blended his athletic and basketball skills was a reverse layup off an inbounds pass on which he outleaped two Lions for the ball, drove and laid it up over his head with two hands.
``Will has to be one of the 10 best players in the state,'' Green Run coach Mark Butts said. ``I see him do amazing stuff every day.''
Brooks is averaging 16.3 points and nearly nine rebounds and three blocks per game. He made five 3-pointers against Deep Creek and was 2 for 2 behind the arc in the win over Tallwood.
Brooks is being recruited by several Division I teams, but has yet to qualify academically, Butts said.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Nansemond River's Montoria Valentine averaged 15.4 points in leading the Warriors to an 8-0 record in Janaury. Valentine, a 6-3 senior forward, put together four consecutive games of 20 rebounds or more and had a triple double against Bruton.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The Eastern Region tournament starts Feb. 27 at the home sites of the four district champions. Quarterfinal matchups pair the Beach District against the Eastern and the Southeastern against the Peninsula. The semifinals will be Feb. 29 and the final Mar. 1, both at Churchland. by CNB