Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 5, 1991 TAG: 9103050111
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That's because Northside and his son, Vikings' point guard Chad Briscoe, will be playing Martinsville in a Region III basketball game that matches the state's No. 2 and No. 5 ranked Group AA teams.
Charlie Briscoe is pastor of the Mill Lane First Church of God, which holds regular Wednesday night prayer meetings.
"The board gave me permission to move prayer meeting to Tuesday night," said Briscoe, who will get to see his son play against Martinsville.
Wednesday night will be a light night for regional competition because the real effort to make the state tournament begins tonight with Timesland schools playing in all four boys' and one girls' regional tournament.
Tonight's menu is highlighted by a doubleheader at the Salem Civic Center, featuring Patrick Henry and William Fleming against a couple of tough invaders in the Group AAA Northwestern Region.
The Patriots, ranked No. 1 in Timesland, battle Woodbridge at 7, and Fleming takes on Albemarle at 8:30.
In tonight's other regional action:
Region IV - Marion and Carroll County open at home. The Scarlet Hurricane takes on Graham and Caroll County battle Lee.
Region III at Bassett - Alleghany is matched against Seminole District tournament champion Altavista.
Region C - A doubleheader at Emory & Henry features George Wythe against Floyd County in the opener, followed by James River challenging Lebanon.
Northwestern Region girls - Pulaski County travels to Stafford.
William Fleming and James River are a couple of teams that at the beginning of the year never figured to make the regional. Fleming lost 1990 Timesland player of the year Joe Fitzgerald to academic ineligibility, and had only one returning starter.
The Colonels started the year at 3-4, but won 12 of their last 15 games.
"It's a spectacular bunch of kids, but I never thought we'd get this far," said Fleming coach Burrall Paye.
Fleming faces Western District champion Albemarle, which was 19-2 before losing to Halifax County in the first round of the district tournament. The Patriots are led by 6-foot-3 DuPratt Johnson and 6-4 Travis Toms.
James River was the Group A runner-up a year ago, but didn't return a starter. The Knights started 2-4 but currently stand 17-7. James River lost the Pioneer District regular season title to Covington in a playoff game, however, the Knights reached the regionals by winning the district tournament, including a spectacular 49-48 comeback win over comeback against Glenvar in the title game.
"I didn't scout anyone during the season because I didn't think these kids would go anywhere," said James River coach John Shotwell.
"A lot of the games I thought we were gone, and all of a sudden, we're back in there. We were down 13-0 to Glenvar and 18-6 after the first quarter."
Patrick Henry faces a 19-3 Woodbridge club with three 6-6 players.
"They're big and anytime you run against someone who has something more than you do like height, it gives you a problem," said PH coach Woody Deans.
The Patriots' advantage is quickness and depth. One of Woodbridge's big players is guard Chad Anderson. Deans will probably have to counter him defensively with 6-5 swing man Tim Basham or 6-2 forward Troy Anderson.
Alleghany is another interesting team. The Mountaineers lost eight games - two to Blacksburg, three to Northside and two to Patrick Henry - against one of the tougher Group AA schedules.
In 6-6 center Jason Buzzard, the Mountaineers have one of the area's most underrated. Alleghany coach Jimmy Smith was upset that Buzzard was not selected to the All-Blue Ridge District first team. Considering Buzzard's 96 blocked shots in 22 games (4.36 per game), Smith could have a point.
"They asked for overall statistics in voting for the all district team, but that didn't include blocked shots," said Smith.
The Northside-Martinsville game looms as one of the week's best games. The Bulldogs beat the Vikings in a close game last year in the Region III semifinals.
Martinsville coach Husky Hall said stopping Chad Briscoe and John Baker, Timesland's second-leading scorer at 23.4 ppg, will be the keys to beating Northside.
"Northside's quick and comes out to get you," Hall said. "They're fundamentally sound and press more than they did a year ago."
Marion, trying to earn a repeat trip to the Group AA tournament, is a heavy favorite over Graham. If Marion wins, it must play at Blacksburg, which has one of Timesland's best juniors in John Maher.
Carroll County hasn't been to a Region IV tournament since the 1970s. The Cavaliers must approach the form they showed near Christmas when they won big at Marion if they want to make the state.
Floyd County has prospered under new coach Alan Cantrell. The Buffaloes handed Bland, the third-ranked team in Group A, two of its three losses.
George Wythe has been among the state's top 10 Group A teams all year. The Maroons did suffer two losses to league-rival Lebanon, including the Hogoheegee District title game.
The Pulaski County girls meet Stafford (18-4). Three of Stafford's losses came to Gar-Field, the team Cave Spring must beat at home Thursday for a fourth consecutive trip to the state. Gar-Field is led by 5-11 Charleta Beale, who averages 22.3 ppg and has signed with Virginia.
by CNB