THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996 TAG: 9604170155
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, SUN SPORTS EDITOR FRANKLIN
DATELINE: FRANKLIN LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
FOR THE PAST FEW years, Franklin High soccer practices have been full of high drama. Not because of anything that happened during the two-hour sessions. The drills and all that running were boring.
Mark Evans, or more specifically his haircut, was what caused the excitement. Evans had his coach and teammates wondering what ``do'' he would show up with next. Among the things shaved into Evans' head over the past three seasons: soccer ball panels; his jersey number; Franklin High School's initials; and, according to coach Greg Lomax, ``a swirly thing that started at the top of his head and made you dizzy just looking at it.''
Now Evans, a senior forward, sits before a recent practice with a neatly cropped head of hair. No dizzying swirls. No initials. Just plain, short, reddish-blond hair.
``I guess it was time to tone it down a little bit,'' Evans said. ``When I had those weird haircuts, I got funny looks. I got tired of people thinking I was a weirdo. I guess I've matured as a person, too.''
While he and his coach say his personality has been toned down, Evans' soccer has not. The 18-year-old has spurred the Broncos to a 3-0 start before Tuesday's game against Greensville County by scoring nine goals and six assists.
``I'm finishing a lot better this year,'' said Evans, who had 16 goals last season. ``I took a lot of shots last year and didn't score as much. I'm taking a lot better shots and scoring more now.''
Evans also is being more unselfish this season. Last spring, he had just four assists.
``He's really grown up,'' Lomax said. ``He's not trying to put all the focus on him. He's playing more of a team game.''
Not playing a team game cost Franklin last season. The Broncos finished 1-4-2 in the Bay Rivers and missed the district tournament. In the two previous seasons, Franklin had gone 29-3 and made it to the Region I tournament two straight years.
``Everybody wanted to be the main goal scorer and wanted individual stats over team stats last year,'' Evans said. ``There was plenty of talent, we just couldn't put it together.''
Evans said that playing in a league at the College of William and Mary during the summer went a long way in helping him become a more unselfish player. Evans was one of three high school players in the league. The rest were college players.
``It really helped me to play with people who were older and better than me,'' he said. ``I learned that I needed to do more moving when I didn't have the ball to try to create scoring chances for the team and myself.''
Evans said he felt it would be up to him to get the Broncos back in postseason play.
``I was trying to come in and help the team any way I could by improving my passing and vision - knowing what's around me,'' said Evans, who has received recruiting interest from Virginia Wesleyan and Mount Olive. ``I expected the team to pull together more and so far we've done that.''
Lomax said that Evans has improved his stats despite being double- and triple-teamed.
``Last year, nobody knew who he was,'' Lomax said. ``Now, everybody knows about him. When a team puts three players on him he knows somebody else is open so he's giving it up more and getting more goals.''
This season, it's Mark Evans' soccer skills that are getting people's attention - not his haircuts. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Mark Evans has spurred Franklin High to a 3-0 start, scoring nine
goals.
by CNB