Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 1, 1993 TAG: 9310010010
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
We were reminded of all this recently when reports arrived from Somalia of the gallant exploits of U.S. Army Warrant Officer G. Dale Shrader.
It will be recalled that Shrader, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the famous 105th Airborne Division, was shot down last week with four crewmen. Three of the crewmen were killed, but, according to accounts provided by Shrader's wife and a fellow Army officer, Shrader was able to land the stricken chopper between two buildings. Then, with explosion and fire surrounding him, he pulled his co-pilot from the wreckage.
The two of them barricaded themselves in a building and defended the position with small-arms fire until help arrived. Shrader and his co-pilot survived, but Shrader had to be treated for second- and third-degree burns on his arm, neck and face and a broken wrist.
It is the stuff of which high military honor is made.
None of this is any surprise to those of us who knew Shrader in his younger days. Then, as now, he was a man of stout fiber. Shrader, you see, was quite an athlete for Narrows High back in the early 1980s.
A big, strong kid, well past 200 pounds of gristle, Shrader was an offensive and defensive lineman and occasional fullback for the Green Wave. As a fullback, he was a terrifying sight from ground level as he prepared to deliver a block or perhaps punch the football forward in a short-yardage situation.
The sharpest memory of him, though, is as a baseball player. A right-hander, he had a high school fastball that was well above average and a curve that induced a queasy feeling in batters on both sides of the plate.
Armed with a bat, Shrader could do considerable harm to an incoming delivery.
"He hit some of the longest home runs I've seen," said his coach, Keith Rowland.
Shrader went on to be a charter member of the Radford University baseball team, where he impressed his teammates with more muscular work at the plate. One of those playing associates was Roanoke Times & World-News sportswriter Ralph Berrier. Said he:
"I swear Dale could hit it 500 feet."
\ CALL A RETREAT: Christiansburg's 24-14 football loss at Radford was painful enough for the Blue Demons, even if they hadn't been subjected to a scene straight out of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom."
"We had a time out and I was running out on the field when I heard this big uproar in the crowd behind me," Christiansburg coach Mike Cole said. "I didn't know what it was, so I didn't pay any attention."
"It" was a skunk, which had appeared when a trash can it had been foraging in was overturned. After causing widespread panic on the Blue Demons sideline, the black and white beast started to make it's way onto the field. Cole was not amused.
"I told [the players in the huddle] to forget about the skunk, because we had a ballgame to worry about," Cole said. "But I could tell that I didn't have their undivided attention."
At length, the skunk departed the premises - at its leisure - and order was restored.
\ WHERE'S THE INSTANT REPLAY WHEN WE NEED IT: Also in the Radford-Christiansburg game, Radford punter Casey Underwood turned a play the likes of which few had seen before.
The snap went over his head and landed about 10 yards beyond him. He raced back, retrieved it, eluded two defenders by reversing his field, and booted the ball for a substantial gain with his left [nonkicking] foot.
"I've seen the film many times and I still can't figure out how he did it," said Radford assistant Wayne Frye.
\ DON'T WE KNOW YOU?: Pulaski County made an inspired choice when it tapped retired Assistant Principal Ray Dunavant to be its new baseball coach. Dunavant, who coached baseball, basketball and football for 13 years at old Dublin and Fries highs, had a 152-67 baseball record at the two schools before moving into administration when the new high school opened.
\ TALES OF THE GRIDIRON: This week, Blacksburg was trailing Northside 7-0 in the fourth quarter when quarterback Greg Shockley connected with Jay Safford for a touchdown from 2 yards out. On the conversion attempt, the Indians were penalized 5 yards for illegal procedure. The subsequent kick failed and Blacksburg went on to lose 7-6.
Several weeks ago, Carroll County was playing Abingdon when the Cavaliers scored a touchdown to tie the score 6-6. Carroll County missed the point-after kick, but was whistled prior to that for a motion penalty. Given a reprieve, the Cavs made the second kick and won the game 7-6.
\ WASTED PLAYS AND A WASTED NIGHT: Blacksburg lost a football game it could have or perhaps should have won against Northside, but that was not a reflection on the play of Indians linebacker Tony Wheeler. Blacksburg assistant coach Vaughn Phipps pointed out that Wheeler had been in on 22 tackles and overall had played one of the best games he'd ever seen.
More heartache for Blacksburg came when it was discovered that running back Nick Burroughs had injured a shoulder and will be lost for about two weeks.
Ray Cox covers New River Valley sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News
by CNB