THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605180101
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Sports Editor
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Notes on a frayed white cuff. . . .
Old Dominion University and Norfolk State will be missing out on one of the nation's top women basketball players. And it's all because dad was successful in business and the family roots are now in the West.
One of Portsmouth's finest high school basketball players ever, Rodney Looney, was a visitor to his hometown last week.
Looney, a star at Norcom in the VIAA League in the early 1960s when many schools were segregated, was a three-time all-district and an all-state player. He had college offers from such collegiate powers as Duke, Wake Forest and Syracuse but elected to attend Virginia State. He was an All-CIAA player in the era of Bobby Dandridge.
He was drafted by both the NBA and the ABA but the 6-foot-5 Looney became an infantry lieutenant and went to Vietnam.
``Away from basketball for two years, I decided not to pursue a professional career but concentrate on business to take care of my family,'' said Looney. He kept his hand in basketball, playing AAU basketball in Florida and Connecticut. He's now a vice president of Aetna and handles an eight-state area from Seattle, Wash.
His 17-year-old daughter Shera, who is 6-3, was one of the nation's top recruits this year.
Couldn't dad talk her into playing for one of the colleges in his old back yard?
``She wanted to stay near home,'' said Rod. ``She has selected Cal-Santa Barbara.''
David Mitchell finished a solid season for the Christopher Newport baseball team, batting .333 and driving in 31 runs. He was third in the Dixie Conference in stolen bases with 26 and fourth in total hits with 53.
He was the team leader for Christopher Newport in runs batted in.
Mac Carroll, Churchland's boys basketball coach, is serving as interim athletic director for the remainder of the school year.
He is filling in for Bill Strickland, who underwent neck surgery.
Strickland had a neck fusion operation to relieve pain in his upper arms from an old injury. He says the recovery is coming along very well.
Reports drifting in from West Point say former Norcom defensive back Jermaine Granger has shown so well in spring practices he could be a starter on Army's football team this fall.
The 6-2, 195-pounder was highly endorsed by Norcom coach Joe Langston. Said Langston: ``I predict he will become an outstanding player at Army.''
The benefit barbecue at Wilson High School for Joe Ladisic, which had been scheduled for Friday, was postponed and rescheduled for Wednesday, June 5.
The barbecue will be in the school cafeteria from 3 until 7 p.m. with eat-in or take-out orders.
Many of the outstanding contributions to society made by athletes never make print.
Pro golfer Lanny Wadkins, who was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame here recently, heard a friend was in a nursing home in Richmond.
Wadkins, who now lives in Dallas, was making a holiday visit to his parents' home in Richmond. He spent four hours on Christmas Eve at the nursing home. by CNB