DATE: Thursday, November 6, 1997            TAG: 9711040160

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 10   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAY LIDINGTON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  111 lines

SEASON TOUGHENED MAURY

Maury field hockey coach Kim Decker thinks her team's tough early season schedule prepared them well for this week's Eastern Region Tournament.

The Commodores played Tallwood, Ocean Lakes, Kellam, Bayside and Norfolk Academy, going 0-5 against those teams to start the year. But Decker said the losses paid off in terms of experience.

``Our losses were to tough competition so they could see what competition was out there,'' she said. ``Whether we won or not, that wasn't the point.''

Decker's team also needed time to adapt to their new coach, who took over the storied program this year.

``They needed time to get used to my philosophy and to each other,'' she said.

Eastern field hockey growing: Though Norfolk public school teams have fallen prey to the Beach District powerhouses in recent region tournaments, that may change.

With the inception of junior varsity field hockey programs this year in the Eastern District and middle school programs set to start next year, local teams will be better able to compete.

``It will get better as they start playing in the sixth grade,'' said Beanie Schleicher, coach of Eastern District runner-up Lake Taylor. ``The feeder program will get better and we will get stronger.''

What's next for Grover: With her third Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools tennis title secured, Norfolk Academy's Michell Grover now turns her attention to Mid-Atlantic youth tennis tournaments that start after Christmas.

Though the private schools have no state playoff structure and Grover has no chance to ultimately compete with her public-school tennis counterparts, she'll face many of those same in youth tournaments.

And even though Grover recently finished an undefeated run through the TCIS season, she said she'll have to tune up her game before the holidays.

``My game's not up to my potential,'' she said after her championship singles match against Norfolk Collegiate's Kimbrough Mauney.

``I'll have to start practicing very hard . . . working on different strokes and consistency and patience.''

Rebuilding or just reloading?: With all but one of her players returning next year, Norfolk Academy girls tennis coach Mary Peccie is already looking forward to the coming season.

Her team will return two juniors, including Grover, two sophomores and three freshmen. All this after a second-place finish in the TCIS team tournament at the end of the ``biggest rebuilding year I've had,'' Peccie said.

``I've been really proud of my girls,'' she said. ``In tight matches, they came out really strong. At the start of the year, I thought it would be really hard.''

Granby retains bragging rights: The Comets outshined rival Maury 30-19 in football on Halloween as QB Dexter Reid threw for five touchdowns and 219 yards on 18-of-26 passing.

It was the fourth consecutive Granby win against its rival in a series that dates back to 1939.

``We just needed to come out and send it out on a good note,'' Reid said of the Comets' season, which ends Friday. ``The line gave me good time to read the receivers.''

Atop Reid's favorite reads Friday was junior wide receiver Kevin Ott, a transfer student from California.

Ott caught nine Reid passes for 94 yards and scored two touchdowns.

``We played with our hearts and we played with our talent,'' Ott said. ``This is what we're capable of every time out.''

The 6-4 Ott has been with the team since the start of the year, but caught his first pass only two weeks ago.

``With his size and everything, he's a good target for me to hit,'' Reid said.

``He had to learn the system,'' said Granby coach Dave Hudak. ``Everybody had to get used to him and him to us. ``He's inspired the other receivers to keep up with him.

``Steadily, Dexter's gaining conidence in him.''

Eastern District runners falter: Boys individuals topped a thin field of Eastern District entrants into the state cross country meet Saturday in Warrenton.

Granby's Delano Harris heads the pack. He won the Eastern Region meet last week. Benjamin Booth of Churchland and Norview's Melvin ``Ping'' Williams were the only other district runners to qualify as individuals.

Neither Norfolk teams nor any local girls individuals qualified for the meet.

Local finishers at the region meet included:

Boys - 31, George Bowe, Norview; 35, Ron Smith, Norview; 37, Darnell Jefferson, Norview; 41, Timothy Otten, Maury; 46, Eric Bates, Granby; 54, Michael Brown, Granby; 56, Terry Gibbs, Maury; 60, Jamaal Dowling, Maury; 79, Peter Magnan, Maury; 91, Aaron Breeck, Granby; 106, Enright Marshall, Norview; 107, Scott Halstead, Norview; 108, Josh Whibley, Maury; 111, Barry Clark, Granby; 112, Mark Goccio, Granby; 117, Ron Campbell, Norview; 121, David Morton, Maury.

Girls - 17, Katie Connors, Maury; 25, Lucie Treto, Granby; 29, Angie Buchanan, Granby; 32, Meredith Bates, Granby; 34, Joy Martin, Granby; 51, Donna Gilmet, Granby; 66, Shannon Jones, Granby; 90, Sherita Bacon, Norview; 91, Kamala Jennings, Lake Taylor; 95, Lisa Radabaugh, Granby; 98, Loren Thompson, Lake Taylor; 99, Mary Young, Maury; 100, April Cullen, Lake Taylor; 101, Melissa Rogers, Lake Taylor; 103, Paige Whitten, Maury; 104, Heather Chance, Lake Taylor; 109, Amanda Hovland, Maury; 111, Danielle Weckerly, Maury. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JAY LIDINGTON

Michelle Grover returns a shot during the TCIS Girls Tennis

Championships. Grover defeated Kimbrough Mauney of Norfolk

Collegiate and was named tournament MVP in singles and doubles.

Kim Decker

Maury field hockey coach KEYWORDS: EASTERN DISTRICT NOTEBOOK

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