DATE: Friday, August 22, 1997               TAG: 9708220834

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: HERTFORD                          LENGTH:   41 lines

RICHARD THACH TO BE THE NEW BASEBALL COACH AT PERQUIMANS

Perquimans County High School will turn to one of its own to take over the baseball program. Richard Thach, who grew up in Hertford and played baseball at the school, has been named head baseball coach.

Thach, who replaces Phil Woodell, was a physical education teacher and coach at Perquimans Middle School. Before that, he was a physical education teacher and baseball coach at Albemarle School in Elizabeth City. In six years at Albemarle, Thach won four Tarheel Independent Conference championships and one year finished second in the state among private schools.

Thach will teach physical education at Hertford Grammar School and will be an assistant football coach at the high school. He was a catcher at Perquimans from 1981-1985 and is a graduate of Barton College.

``We are very fortunate to have someone within the system who could step right in,'' said Harrell Thach (no relation), athletic director at Perquimans County High School. ``He is well known. He was an excellent baseball player and an excellent coach.''

Richard Thach will carry on a program that is rich in tradition. Woodell, who left to take a job at East Chapel Hill High, is one of his best friends.

``We've been good friends ever since I can remember. I hated to see him leave, but once he said he was going to leave, I wanted to put my name in the hat,'' Thach said. ``The community really gets involved here; it's a good place to be. It's been a strong program for 15 to 20 years when Pete Hunter was coach and when Phil was there.''

Thach said he will meet with the players in the next two to three weeks. He said he will stress fundamentals in trying to make Perquimans competitive in the reformed Northeastern Conference. The new conference will include baseball powerhouses such as Manteo, Currituck County, Williamston and Northside.

``I definitely believe in teaching and stressing the fundamentals. These are the same things and the details that help you win games. My main focus will be trying to get every player to work hard every day,'' he said.

``Hopefully we'll play hard every day and play to the best of our ability, and wins and losses will fall into place. There are some great schools and great coaches in the conference. You better be prepared every game.''

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