
DATE: Wednesday, November 26, 1997          TAG: 9711260579

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAY LIDINGTON, STAFF WRITER  

                                            LENGTH:   67 lines

U.VA. TOGS GIVE CHARITY BOWL A DEJA VIEW

If the uniforms on this year's Joy Fund Charity Bowl players look familiar, you're probably a University of Virginia fan.

Former high school football players squaring off in Thursday's game will be wearing game and practice jerseys formerly used by the Cavaliers.

Teams of former high schoolers from the Southeastern District will face their counterparts from Beach and Eastern district schools for the 30th Charity Bowl at 11 a.m. at the Center for Effective Learning stadium. Proceeds from the game, concessions and donations will benefit The Virginian-Pilot's Joy Fund. For years, the game has been the single highest contributor to the fund, averaging about $10,000 per year.

Credit Charity Bowl chairman John Brett with the jerseys. He was installing new laundry facilities at the University of Virginia when he saw boxes of uniforms from the mid- to late 1980s waiting for a home.

Working with equipment manager Rich Abadie, he secured the donation of road white game jerseys with the orange ``V'' on the sleeve, which the Cavs wore during the Shawn Moore/Herman Moore era, and a set of blue practice jerseys.

So a major Division I university decides to donate several thousand dollars' worth of jerseys, enough to last several years, to a worthwhile cause. No problem, right?

Meet Beach-Eastern coach Ken Whitley, Virginia Tech Class of '66 and member of the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.

``Somebody like Ken will have a hard time putting on a U.Va. jersey,'' Brett said.

``It hurt my feelings real bad,'' said a laughing Whitley, the only player to compete in all 29 previous bowl games. ``The guys got mad at me because I picked the blue jerseys (without the ``V''). I can pretend it's not a Virginia shirt.''

College allegiances aside, the bowl is a ``charity'' game. Players get involved to have fun and get some exercise for a good cause - until game day.

``You've got to have fun, but it's all according to where your heart is,'' said Beach-Eastern split end Reggie Crosby, Booker T. Washington '86, a first-year Charity Bowler. ``You put on all this equipment and you've got to be serious.''

``On game day, we all put our game faces on,'' said Southeastern defensive tackle Lafayette Simons, Indian River '86, playing in his seventh Charity Bowl game. ``We take raising money more seriously. The game is just for enjoyment.''

A teammate, Dexter Stephenson, Manor '80, reminded Simons that he arrived for this year's first practice session vowing not to lose to the Beach-Eastern team for a seventh consecutive time this year.

``If we lose, we don't get upset. We laugh and joke about it,'' Simons confessed. ``It's bragging rights, I guess you could say.''

``This'll be the year, though,'' Stephenson said. ``Maybe the seven-year itch'll get'em.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

GAMEWATCH

What: 30th Joy Fund Charity Bowl

Who: Beach and Eastern district alumni vs. Southeastern District

alumni

When: 11 a.m. Thursday.

Where: Center for Effective Learning stadium, Witchduck Road

south of Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach.

Tickets: $4 available at all Virginian-Pilot offices, from

players and at the gate.

Graphic