Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 21, 1993 TAG: 9301210165
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-11 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
UNBEATEN SHAWNEE WRESTLERS FOCUS ON BASICS
In case you're wondering:What's the deal with these unbeaten Shawsville High wrestlers?
That question was posed recently to the Shawnees' coach, Mike Blevins, who subsequently became quite nervous and agitated.
Then he became evasive.
"I don't want to talk too much," he said.
How come?
"I'm afraid I might say something to cause my ship to sink," he said.
Since the Shawnees so far have evaded the slings and arrows of opposing wrestlers, it would seem they could remain standing though a slip of the coach's lip. Never fear for Blevins, though. He's more careful than a surgeon who has the Pope on the table.
The essentials:
Blevins, a state champion 185-pounder out of Chilhowie High in 1981, asked to start a wrestling program when he came to Shawsville last year.
The first season, Shawsville was a respectable 3-4. This year, they've gone 9-0 in dual and triangular meets with an assortment of Group A as well as AA teams. All 13 weight classes are filled and there are 22 wrestlers available to the varsity and another eight who can be classified as JV.
The studs have been Alan Trout (112), Daniel Hatcher (119), Troy Argabright (140), Scott Holleman (152) and heavyweight Stacy Bibb. All five have 11-2 records.
There is no big secret to the success, Blevins said.
"We use basic moves. We drill them until they're perfect. I'm not trying to teach them the whole wrestling book in one year. When I think they're ready to try something new, then and only then will I introduce it."
The Shawnees will have a shot at the championship of the four-team Mountain Empire District. Matches with Floyd County and Grayson County loom in the next couple of weeks.
After a year's hiatus, the Southwest Virginia Football Journal will resume publication for the 1993 season. Work began Monday on the annual pigskin preview for Roanoke and points west, publisher John Hale said.
"We're probably going to cut it down in size from the first edition," he said.
The target is about 50 pages, figuring on two team feature stories per page. Among the highlights will be a Southwest Virginia top-10 (all classifications) and a top-50 players list.
The prevailing gag in Radford is that they're going to can the wrestling team and start a ski team next year.
"Every time I turn around, we've got somebody going to Massanutten, to Snowshoe, to Boone, N.C.," Bobcats coach Buddy Shull said. "We even had a kid go to Vail, Colo., one Christmas."
So that's what they mean when they say some Radford kid has put the chill on an opponent. Snow joke.
A major Floyd County concern going into this basketball season was to replace point guard and 1991-92 Mountain Empire District most valuable player Travis Crawford.
So far, the Buffaloes started the week 6-2 overall and in the league, with two narrow losses at Grayson County and at Galax. Key to the success has been new point guard Monty Moran.
"He's stepped in there and done great," Buffs coach Alan Cantrell said. "He can score six or eight points a game if you need it, run the team [4.1 assists per game], and play great defense."
At first glance, Shawsville High basketball is a catastrophe of epic proportions. Add up the records of the eighth grade, junior varsity and varsity and you have a composite 4-29 record.
But things may not be as bad as they seem, varsity coach Tracy Poff said.
"I can't ask the guys to do any more," he said. "I'm tickled to death with how far they've come."
Come again? The Shawnees are shooting an atrocious 38 percent from the floor and an appalling 42 percent from the free throw line and are sputtering along with a 2-10 record. Poff is not dismayed.
"We're playing hard and hustling. We do a good job of playing defense. We do a good job of boxing out. We're getting good shots - I'd say 80 percent of our shots are coming from inside the paint. We just can't get them to fall."
Obviously, what the Shawnees really need is a go-to guy. In the meantime, Keith Martin, a senior forward, is serving in that capacity. He's averaging about 10 points and seven rebounds per game.
Chris Lucas has taken a job as the assistant baseball coach at Christiansburg. He also will have as yet undetermined football-coaching responsibilities.
Lucas, a college student, moves over to Christiansburg from Blacksburg, his alma mater, where he served as JV baseball coach and worked with the football team.
In baseball, he'll be moving into a nice situation at Christiansburg. Blue Demons coach Kirk Litton welcomes back seven starters including all his pitchers.
Ray Cox covers New River Valley sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News