THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 7, 1996 TAG: 9603070149
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
NANSEMOND RIVER basketball player Montoria Valentine has made getting postseason honors look as easy as he made rebounding in Bay Rivers District look this season.
The 6-foot-3 senior, the district player of the year, earned Region I player of the year over the weekend.
Valentine, who led the district in rebounding for the second straight year, averages 19.4 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and four blocked shots for a Warriors team that won its second straight Region I championship Saturday. Nansemond River (23-2), the defending state champion, will play Caroline on Saturday at Lakeland at 7 p.m. in a state quarterfinal.
Antoine Willie (junior, Nansemond River), Shawn Tann (senior, Southampton), Julius Smith (senior, Greensville County) and Michael Stokes (junior, Greensville County) joined Valentine on the Region I first team.
Willie scores 25.3 points, while adding four rebounds, four assists and five steals per game. Tann had more than 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game for the Indians, who lost to Nansemond River in a region semifinal.
Smith averaged 19.3 points and 10 rebounds per game, while Stokes added 17 points and 11 assists per game for a Greensville County team that went unbeaten before being knocked off by Lakeland in a region semifinal.
Damon Tillery (Lakeland), Sidney Gainey (Franklin), Otha Davis (Greensville County), Antwain Haskins (Nottoway) and Alphonso Davis (Bluestone) were named to the second team.
Nansemond River's Spencer Mayfield and Greensville County's Terry Hill earned co-coach of the year honors.
WARRIORS' DOMINANCE: The Nansemond River boys basketball team has won 20 straight games over Bay Rivers District teams, but the Warriors say that's not because of lack of competition.
``We think the Bay Rivers is the hardest district to play in,'' said Nansemond River guard Maurice Fofana after Saturday's 72-52 win in the region final over Lakeland in Emporia. ``We know we've got to play well every night. Other teams that take the Bay Rivers lightly end up on the short end of the stick.''
UPSET CITY: If you don't believe Fofana, just ask Greensville County. The Eagles were 21-0 before losing to the Cavaliers 65-61 in a region semifinal Friday.
``I can't explain how I feel,'' Lakeland's John Ricks said after the upset. ``I guess they just weren't ready, and weren't expecting us to play good.''
The win earned Lakeland its first boys basketball state quarterfinal appearance. The Cavaliers play Fort Defiance at Spotswood High on Saturday at 7 p.m.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Coach John Fuller had only one excuse for his team losing for the fifth time this season against Nansemond River on Saturday. ``We just for some reason do not play well against them,'' said Fuller, who added that he didn't think his team was drained after the upset of Greensville County on Friday. ``We never do play well against them.''
Said Ricks, ``We tried to come out relaxed. They wanted it more than we did.''
ALL-STAR: Windsor's Wayne Briggs was chosen last week to play in the Viriginia High School Coaches Association football all-star game for seniors in July at Hampton's Darling Stadium.
``We're excited for Wayne,'' said Dukes coach Tommy Austin, adding that Briggs is the first Windsor player since the 1970s to be chosen. ``It's an honor to be selected from the rest of all the seniors. They only pick 66 (33 each from the east and west) out of the however-many hundred in the state.''
Briggs, a running back, set records for the Dukes in single-season and career rushing yardage and career rushing touchdowns last season. He gained 2,319 yards and scored 36 touchdowns for a Windsor team that went 10-3 and lost in a Group A state semifinal. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Montoria Valentine, Nan. River
Region I player of the year
Antoine Willie, Nan. River
Region I first team
Shawn Tann, Southampton
Region I first team
by CNB