THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 2, 1996 TAG: 9604300126
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: Vicki Friedman
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Norfolk Public Schools continues its series of coaching clinics next week with football and field hockey. Virginia High School League coordinator Bert Harrell said the clinics are part of a larger plan to ``upgrade and update our coaching staff and to integrate the recreational people in with the high schools as part of our feeder system.'' Already softball, baseball, track and soccer clinics have been offered.
``We want to make sure our coaches get the latest techniques, practice strategies, game strategies,'' he said. ``We want to take our athletic programs to another level.''
The football clinic, conducted by the University of Virginia coaching staff, is from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday at the Marriott Hotel at Waterside. Registration is at 6:30 p.m. Among the coaches featured will be defensive coordinator Rick Lantz, offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien and defensive tackles coach Jerry Petercuskie.
Beth Anders and the Old Dominion coaching staff will conduct the field hockey clinic from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at Foreman Field. Anders is the winningest field hockey coach in NCAA history with a 284-37-7 record.
Clinics are open to all recreation, middle school, junior varsity and varsity coaches. They are free. For more information, call Harrell at 441-2394.
FAST PITCH: Right-hander Bobby Williams is the bright spot in baseball for Norview this spring. The junior, who coach Jim Newton describes as having ``an outstanding fastball and a change that he can spot,'' has Norview's only two wins at this writing against Gonzaga and Norfolk Christian.
``He's 2-3 and would be a lot better if not for our defense,'' Newton said.
Williams is also astute off the field, with a 2.9 GPA. Three days a week he takes science classes at Eastern Virginia Medical School to boast his chances for admission to U.Va.
TOUGH SKED: Maury girls soccer, unscored upon in the Eastern District, faces a slew of tough non-league games in the coming weeks including a first-ever meeting with the Southeastern District's best, Great Bridge, on Saturday. Great Bridge was not on the Commodores' schedule until their April 10 game against St. Rose of New Jersey was scrapped. Upcoming dates for Maury include top 10ers Tallwood on May 8 and Norfolk Academy on May 15.
The packed schedule at the end of the regular season is something coach Bob Mayer planned. ``Last year when we got to regionals, we hadn't played a game in a week and a half,'' he said. ``Now we have three good weeks of games before regionals.''
SCHOOL RECORD: The Eastern District's second-place girls soccer team, Granby, is on the path to 10 wins for the first time in school history. Granby, with eight wins at this writing, is led by senior forward Vaughn Bell, who has scored in every game she's played. Bell missed the Bayside and Oscar Smith games, two of Granby's losses.
THEY'RE GREEN: Norfolk Academy golf coach Toy Savage is hopeful for his golf team to finish strong after a 3-9 start. The Bulldogs have six rookies who had not played competitive golf before this season. Freshman Frank Baumann from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is alternating between the top two spots. ``He hits the ball a long way,'' Savage said. Baumann, who has not yet medaled, is aiming for consistency. by CNB