Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 29, 1993 TAG: 9304290039
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Caldwell said in Roanoke last week that he hopes the Deacons resemble his former school, Penn State, in at least one regard.
"Not in style of play," he said. "We hope to throw the ball quite often - more than Penn State. But in a no-nonsense view of the program, yes, there will be similarities. [There will be] no earrings. No hats indoors."
No earrings?
"There has been no opposition to that from the [returning] players or recruits," Caldwell said. "The feedback we're getting is that they want discipline."
Caldwell inherits a team that won seven of its last eight games, including a 39-35 Independence Bowl victory over Oregon, to finish 8-4. However, the Deacons lose quarterback Keith West, All-ACC offensive tackle Ben Coleman and seven defensive starters.
"I watched every game [on film]," said Caldwell, who addressed the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Wake Forest Alumni Association, "but, unfortunately, a lot of the backups didn't get a chance to play. Not many of the starters got hurt.
"Don't get me wrong, though. The cupboard's not bare."
Caldwell, who coached the quarterbacks at Penn State from 1986-92, has received considerable attention as the first black head coach in the ACC and one of only three black coaches in Division I-A. He has learned to accept it.
"It's been good for the institution because it's more publicity than Wake Forest would have gotten otherwise," Caldwell, 38, said, "but my career has been super to this point. There's no way you can ignore race, but, in my case, I don't think it ever became an issue."
\ IN THE ACC: The top two quarterbacks in the ACC might be Florida State's Charlie Ward and North Carolina's Mike Thomas, both of whom missed spring practice after shoulder operations.
Ward, the 1992 ACC player of the year, is expected to wear a sling for four weeks after surgery April 2 on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Thomas missed spring practice after injuring his left shoulder lifting weights.
When 6-foot-4, 320-pound Clemson offensive guard Stacy Seegars had an appendectomy this spring, doctors could not find his appendix at first because it was covered with so many layers of muscle.
\ COMINGS AND GOINGS: Quarterback Mike Cawley, selected to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Fabulous 22 as a senior at Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School, has transferred from Syracuse to James Madison. He will take advantage of a new NCAA rule permitting instant eligibility for transfers from Division I-A to I-AA.
\ COACHING HOTLINE: William and Mary basketball coach Chuck Swenson is among those said to be interested in the opening at Northwestern, which was rejected in its bid to hire Duke assistant coach Tommy Amaker.
Northwestern is looking for a successor to Bill Foster, who stepped down earlier as Wildcats coach but is serving as interim athletic director. Foster once was Duke's head coach, although Amaker did not play under him.
Amaker, 27, said he was not prepared to leave Durham, N.C., where his wife of one year is a psychiatrist. Fellow Duke assistant Mike Brey is one of the leading contenders for the vacancy at Vanderbilt, and former Blue Devils aide Bob Bender is the new head coach at Washington.
\ RECRUITING: Florida State recruit Gentry Sparks, a 6-6 wing player from Tallahassee, Fla., is one of several promising prospects who have committed to new Hargrave Military Academy coach Michael Byrnes, a former Ferrum and Roanoke College assistant. Sparks, who has not met Proposition 48 eligibility guidelines, will be joined by Rickards High School teammate Avery Curry.
\ LACROSSE: Virginia trailed Roanoke College 4-3 after one period Wednesday before high-scoring Maroons attackman Brett Smith was assessed a three-minute illegal-stick penalty. UVa scored three times while Smith was out and held him scoreless thereafter in a 16-7 victory.
Roanoke College reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division III women's tournament last year, but chances are not favorable for either Roanoke or Washington and Lee this year. Only eight teams receive bids, and neither Roanoke nor W&L, which upset the Maroons last week, is ranked in the top 10.
\ BASEBALL: Early postponements had the feared effect on Washington and Lee's pitching staff. The Generals' earned-run average soared to 8.09 and their record was 4-15 after a 12-game season-ending losing streak.
W&L received a lift from sophomore Geren Steiner, starting quarterback for the Generals' football team. Steiner, who did not play baseball as a freshman, started at second base and batted .286. Another football player, sophomore third baseman Duane Van Arsdale, hit .329.
Terry Taylor, a senior from Jefferson Forest High School, is batting .360 with a team-high 40 runs batted in for Longwood College, which hopes seven straight victories and an overall record of 26-7-1 will be good enough for a third straight NCAA Division II tournament bid.
by CNB