Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 3, 1991 TAG: 9102030065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Patrick Henry went 5,000 miles to play in Hawaii this past December. Now, Franklin County plans a two-week trip next summer to Brazil, where it will play in three tournaments, tour the country and get to know its people and customs.
The Eagles will take next year's team, but will offer the opportunity for past players to go if they pay their own expenses. Franklin County coach Ed Holstrom figures he will have to raise $25,000 for the trip.
"Our booster club puts on company picnics, and that's one activity," Holstrom said in describing one way to gather funds.
He also will use some of the strategy PH coach Woody Deans employed to raise the same amount for the Patriots' trip. The difference is that Holstrom has only a few months to raise the money, and Deans had more than a year.
"My biggest concern is what the air travel is going to cost. What with the war in the gulf, how will that affect things? But we're proceeding with our plans," Holstrom said.
Franklin County is returning a visit by a club team [high schools do not play basketball in Brazil] from Nova Friburgo in December, made possible in part by the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount. Franklin County played a game against that team and both squads went to the I-95 Tournament in Washington.
Holstrom remembers two things about the I-95 Tournament trip.
"One night both teams went to the Lincoln Memorial. It was cold, wet and damp. When you walk in, especially at night, it's kind of awe-inspiring," Holstrom said.
"The Brazilian leader [who spoke English] was reading the Gettysburg Address to his team in Portuguese and, pretty soon, their kids and our kids were standing around with their arms on each other's shoulders quietly listening to him."
The second story concerned a shopping trip Holstrom took with Antonio Baptista, the president of the Brazil club team. Before leaving for the tournament, the two had been shopping in Rocky Mount. Baptista wanted to buy an overcoat.
"I told him we'd go to an outlet [near Washington] after Christmas and everything would be marked down," Holstrom said. "That night, we went to mass and they passed the collection plate. At first, Antonio pulled out a $20 bill. Then he wrinkled his brow, frowned, put it back and got out a one-hundred-dollar bill [to contribute]."
With the rate of exchange, it was like a $1,700 contribution in Brazil.
A few days later in Northern Virginia, Holstrom wanted to take Baptista to the outlet. "He said, `No, you see when I went to church with you, I thought it's easy to give money. It means more to make a sacrifice, so to give thanks for our trip here, I sacrificed my coat [by giving $100].'
"That touched me. I thought, `What a super guy, what a great philosophy.' Later, I saw him with his two sons [Bruno and Marcos]. Everyone else [on the teams] had shopping bags full of things, but his sons were empty-handed.
"But Antonio had a shopping bag. I looked in and there was a coat. I told him, `I thought you weren't going to get a coat?' He said that was right. I made a sacrifice for my boys' trip here and they made a sacrifice for me," buying him a coat instead of things for themselves, Holstrom said.
\ While Salem has only a 5-8 record, it truthfully can be said the Spartans' boys' basketball team has played much better than expected. Before the season, Salem would have been favored to beat only North Cross.
During the year, the Spartans reversed an 11-point home-court loss to Christiansburg by winning 63-61 in overtime on the Blue Demons' court. This week, they beat Carroll County 46-45 in Hillsville after losing earlier at home to the Cavaliers 76-56.
Last year, Salem won but four games. "The biggest difference is our team is a more cohesive group. We've gotten better and I think teams took us for granted," Salem coach Len Mosser said.
Mark Byington, a freshman guard who is Salem's leading scorer now that sophomore Jason Pugh is sidelined by an injury, is another reason.
"He loves basketball. What most people are saying about him is how good is he going to be? He's going to be a very, very good basketball player," Mosser said.
\ Noting Timesland:
Bland's Patrick Smith, whose team is 11-2 and 11th in the Group A rankings, needs just 23 points to reach 1,000 for his career.
It's no contest as far as the Roanoke Valley District girls are concerned when playing teams from the Western District. The RVD holds a staggering 25-3 edge. It might be a bit misleading as none of the RVD teams have played Albemarle, which is 10-3 and in second place. However, the RVD is 8-2 against E.C. Glass, which leads the district.
by CNB