Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 27, 1990 TAG: 9005270298
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That's because Dalton doesn't play soccer for Cave Spring. He plays baseball.
Last Wednesday, Dalton was the starting shortstop as the Knights' baseball season ended with a 5-4 loss to George Washington-Danville in a Northwestern Region semifinal. This weekend, the 17-year-old is starting at sweeper for the under-19 Roanoke Star White team in the Crestar Festival Soccer Tournament.
"I get enjoyment out of both of them," Dalton said of his two sports. "They don't really interfere with each other. When I'm tired of one, the other is there."
During the fall and winter, Dalton plays with most of the valley's other top players for Star White, one of the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Club's select traveling team. He was good enough to make the Virginia 18 1/2 (years) Olympic Development team, the top level for state players in that age group.
But unlike his teammates, Dalton has no desire to play during the high school season. His thoughts turn to baseball, and his reasoning is simple.
"I like baseball better," he said. "I've been playing it a lot longer. It's more of a challenge to go in and play well every game. It's harder to be consistent in baseball. It's a team sport, but it's also one-on-one. At the plate, it's just you against the pitcher to see who wins the challenge."
Dalton won a lot of those challenges this season. He hit .463 with five home runs and 20 runs batted in for a Knights team that finished 17-5. Those statistics were good enough to earn him Roanoke Valley District player-of-the-year honors. He is virtually a lock to make All-Timesland.
"I've definitely worked harder at baseball over the years," said Dalton, who began playing baseball when he was about 10 years old. "There's more room for improvement in baseball. I think if I continue to improve I could play in college. It just depends on how hard I work."
The same can be said of his soccer.
"He could definitely get a Division I [college scholarship] full ride," said Danny Beamer, who coaches both Star White and the Olympic Development team. "It would be interesting to see how good he could be if he played soccer year-round."
But playing baseball doesn't really hurt Dalton's exposure in soccer. Scouts are just as likely to see him playing in a club tournament as in a high school game.
"About the only thing he misses [by not playing in high school] is the touch of the ball, but Dee's one of the best players in the state," Beamer said. "It doesn't take him long to get it back."
Dalton said he also is sure he could play soccer at the Division I level if "I devoted more time to it," but even with that in mind, "I'd rather play baseball."
Results from Saturday's matches in the Crestar Festival Soccer Tournament: BOYS 1980 Gold division
Kingsport 3, Roanoke 2; Prince William 1, Charlotte 0; Roanoke White 0, Midlothian 0; Charlotte 1, New River 1; Midlothian 2, Kingsport 0; Prince William 5, New River 0. 1980 Blue
Winston-Salem 1, FC Richmond 0; Kernersville 3, Chickahominy 1; Knoxville 3, Roanoke Green 0; Laurel 6, Richmond Strikers 0; Winston-Salem 7, Knoxville 1; Kernersville 0, Richmond Strikers 0; FC Richmond 3, Roanoke Green 2; Laurel 5, Chickahominy 0. 1979 Gold
Raleigh 2, Vista 0; Roanoke 1, Park Sharon 1; Raleigh 3, Atlantic 1; Roanoke 1, Pocoshock 0; Vista 2, Atlantic 2; Park Sharon 3, Pocoshock 1. 1979 Blue
Kernersville 2, FC Richmond 2; Guil-Rand 1, Chester 0; Reams 2, Greensboro 1; High Point 0, Richmond Strikers 0; Kernersville 2, Roanoke Green 0; Guil-Rand 4, Lafayette 2; Greensboro 0, Kingsport 0; New River 3, High Point 0; FC Richmond 4, Roanoke Green 0; Chester 2, Lafayette 0; Reams 5, Kingsport 0; Richmond Strikers 2, New River 1. 1978 Gold
Winston-Salem 1, Midlothian 1; Spotsylvania 2, Fairfax 0; Manassas 2, Chickahominy 1; Greensboro 1, Bethesda 1; Winston-Salem 1, Pocoshock 0; East Tennessee 4, Fairfax 2; Fort Lee 3, Manassas 0; Greensboro 1, Roanoke White 1; Pocoshock 3, Midlothian 1; East Tennessee 3, Spotsylvania 0; Fort Lee 2, Chickahominy 1; Roanoke White 4, Bethesda 1. 1978 Blue
Burlington 4, Salem 2; Hagerstown 3, Greensboro 2; Waldorf 4, Atlantic 0; FC Richmond 4, Raleigh 0; Waldorf 6, Burlington 1; FC Richmond 9, Greensboro 1; Atlantic 9, Salem 0; Raleigh 4, Hagerstown 1. 1978 Red
New River 3, Charlotte 1; H.B. Hornets 1, Roanoke Green 0; Richmond 4, New River 0; Kernersville 4, Roanoke Green 1; Richmond 4, Charlotte 1; Kernersville 2, H.B. Hornets 0. 1977 Gold
Roanoke White 2, Kingsport 0; Bowie 3, Greensboro 2; St. Giles 2, High Point 0; Midlothian 2, Raleigh 2; High Point 1, Roanoke White 1; Bowie 2, Midlothian 0; St.. Giles 4, Kingsport 0; Raleigh 4, Greensboro 2. 1977 Blue
Winston-Salem 3, Reams 2; Yorktown 2, Chester 2; Winston-Salem 1, Hill City Red 0; Waldorf, 5, Yorktown 1; Hill City 4, Reams 0; Waldorf 4, Chester 2. 1977 Red
Pocoshock 3, Kernersville Silver 2; FC Richmond 4, Winston-Salem 1; Richmond Strikers 6, Burlington 2; P.Y.S.L. 3, Kernersville White 1; Kernersville Silver 1, Roanoke Green 1; Winston-Salem 6, New River Rapids 0; Burlington 3, New River Rams 2; Kernersville White 5, Knoxville 1; Pocoshock 1, Roanoke Green 1; FC Richmond 9, New River Rapids 0; New River Rams 1, Richmond Strikers 0; P.Y.S.L. 1, Knoxville 0. 1976 Gold
Hampton 4, Roanoke White 1; Winston-Salem 2, Vienna 1; No. Montgomery 8, Fort Lee 1; McLean 2, Atlantic 1; Roanoke White 4, Beckley 3; Vienna 2, Chickahominy 2; No. Montgomery 1, Park Sharon 0; Atlantic 3, Kingsport 3; Hampton 6, Beckley 2; Winston-Salem 3, Chickahominy 3; Park Sharon 4, Fort Lee 1; McLean 1, Kingsport 1. 1976 Blue
New River 2, Midlothian 1; Lancaster 1, Virginia Beach 0; Rams 1, Hill City 0; Kernersville 2, Charleston 0; New River 2, Lancaster 0; Midlothian 2, Virginia Beach 1; Charleston 4, Hill City 1; Kernersville 5, Reams 0. 1976 Red
P.Y.S.L. 2, Richmond Strikers 1; High Point 3, Roanoke Green 1; FC Richmond 2, Hill City 1; Pocoshock 3, Radford 0; High Point 6, P.Y.S.L. 0; Roanoke Green 1, Richmond 0; Radford 3, Hill City 2; Pocoshock 4, FC Richmond 1. 1975 Gold
Raleigh 1, Atlantic 1; Roanoke 3, Charlotte 0; Raleigh 3, Johnson City 0; Twin City 4, Charlotte 1; Atlantic 4, Johnson City 2; Roanoke 1, Twin City 0. 1975 Blue
Kernersville 3, Charlotte 1; Winston-Salem 0, New Bern 0; Hagerstown 2, Hill City 1; West Virginia 4, Pocoshock 0; Hagerstown 2, Charlotte 0; West Virginia 4, Winston-Salem 1; Kernersville 5, Hill City 1; New Bern 3, Pocoshock 0. 1974 Gold
Roanoke 2, Winston-Salem 0; Kingsport 1, River City 0; Greensboro Kickers 1, Charlotte 0; Carey 2, Beckley 1; Roanoke 4, River City 2; Winston-Salem 5, Kingsport 4; Greensboro 1, Carey 1; Charlotte 3, Beckley 1. 1973 Gold
Winston-Salem 3, Bristol 2; Roanoke 1, Durham-Chapel Hill 1; Fairfield 4, Bristol 1; Roanoke 3, Kingsport 2; Fairfield 1, Winston-Salem 0; Durham-Chapel Hill 3, Kingsport 2. Under-19 Gold
Midlothian 3, ISA Celtics 0; Jacksonville 0, Roanoke Green 0; N. Knoxville 5, Fairfax 3; Kingsport 1, Park Sharon 0; Bethesda 1, Jacksonville 0; Roanoke White 12, Fairfax 1; ISA Celtics 2, Kingsport 1; Park Sharon 3, Midlothian 1; Roanoke Green 1, Bethesda 1; Roanoke White 9, N. Knoxville 0. GIRLS Under-12
Roanoke 2, Virginia Beach 1; Raleigh 3, Alexandria 0; Richmond 0, Calverton 0; MSI 1, Virginia Beach 0; Roanoke 1, Raleigh 0; Calverton 2, Alexandria 0; Richmond 1, MSI 1; Raleigh 3, Virginia Beach 0; Roanoke 2, Calverton 0; MSI 1, Alexandria 0; Richmond 0, Raleigh 0; Virginia Beach 2, Calverton 0; Roanoke 2, MSI 1; Richmond 1, Alexandria 1. Under-14
Raleigh 76 1, Kernersville 0; Durham-Chapel Hill 2, Raleigh Rebels 1; Calverton 3, Raleigh 77 2; McLean 5, Richmond 0; Raleigh 76 2, Prince William 0; Raleigh 77, Roanoke 0; Durham-Chapel Hill 4, Richmond 2; Prince William 4, Kernersville 0; Raleigh Rebels 1, McLean 1; Calverton 3, Roanoke 0. Under-16
Vienna 4, MSI Streak 0; Metuchen-Edison 2, Roanoke 1; Springfield 1, Vienna 1; Metuchen-Edison 1, MSI Streak 0; Roanoke 2, Springfield 0.
by CNB