Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 14, 1993 TAG: 9310160107
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
\ BIGGEST SURPRISE: Maybe William Byrd's 15-14 victory over Salem shocked some people, but the Spartans had been living dangerously for several weeks.
Salem beat Graham and Rockbridge County in close games, but the Spartans weren't showing that old killer instinct. If Marcus Parker receives medical clearance and returns to action Oct. 22 against Alleghany as expected, it might be the boost the Spartans need to make the Group AA playoffs again.
No, the biggest surprise has to be Liberty, which is 5-1 after a victory over Jefferson Forest.
Two years ago, when the Minutemen began looking for a coach, Mike Scharnus was at Carroll County. He got a call telling him about the opening and that it could be a great job.
Scharnus had made Carroll County football respectable and was looking to move to a Group AA position where he could compete for a state title or a Group AAA job.
Liberty has the athletes to compete with the top Seminole District schools, but the Minutemen never have been consistent winners. John Walker, now the principal at Jefferson Forest, turned out teams that won five or six games a year. After he left, Liberty sometimes won only two or three times a season.
Scharnus got a real shock last year in his first season at Liberty. He was greeted by mammoth lineman John Huffman, who was transfering from Chancellor, where he had been an outstanding sophomore. Scharnus listed him on his preseason prospectus as his top player.
Less than a week later, Huffman had moved through Bedford and transferred to Northside, where he is doing well as a lineman this year. Jim Hickam, the Vikings' coach, says Huffman is being pursued by several colleges.
Liberty went 5-5, but the Minutemen won their final three games after giving Brookville fits in a 24-9 loss.
Liberty lost 20-13 to Rustburg in this year's opener and has not lost since. The defense has given up 47 points in five games.
The measure of improvement? In four previous seasons against Jefferson Forest under coach Bob Christmas, the Minutemen had been outscored 159-47.
On Friday, Liberty faces Brookville, a team that had last week off. Tough games back-to-back still might be out of reach for the Minutemen, but a spot in the playoffs this year isn't. Scharnus truly has produced the surprise of the first half.
\ SURPRISE NO. 2: Alleghany's Todd Wheatley and the whole Mountaineers team. Everyone knew what kind of athlete Wheatley would be at 6 feet 5 and 240 pounds, but they didn't know he could run as quickly as he does. For Alleghany, he's almost like a big wide receiver, and the colleges are starting to like him even more, one area high school coach says.
Wheatley has four touchdown receptions, one for 70 yards. Alleghany is 5-1, and if the Mountaineers can beat Salem in two weeks, they will be in a good position to win the Blue Ridge District title.
William Byrd is unbeaten in the district after its victory over Salem, and it catches Alleghany at home. Still, the Terriers must play Northside and Rockbridge County, two teams Alleghany has faced. Alleghany is winning despite the loss of outstanding running back Phillip Godfrey, who gave up football. Coach Tom McIntyre has done quite a job rebuilding the program, even though he didn't accomplish it as quickly as Scharnus did at Liberty.
\ BEST TEAM: Is there any doubt that Pulaski County is the best team in Timesland? Right now, the Cougars seem to be the area's best hope for a state title.
The 1992 Group AAA Division 6 state champions might have a hard time repeating, though. That's because GW-Danville is likely to go unbeaten and win the Western District. If the Eagles do that, they probably will have more Virginia High School League ratings points than Pulaski County, and if the teams meet in the Northwestern Region playoffs, the game will be in Danville instead of Dublin, where it was played last year.
Having seen both teams, I say Pulaski County is much better than GW-Danville. Will that still be true in six weeks? That's why they have the playoffs.
Runners-up honors go to Magna Vista and/or Martinsville. Those two schools are headed toward a season-ending showdown with unbeaten records. If they make it, the Piedmont District matchup will be something to watch. Martinsville is a young team that will be good for a few years.
Magna Vista has skilled players back as the Warriors seek another shot at a state title after losing to Group AA Division 3 champion Jefferson Forest in the regional final last year.
\ BEST INDIVIDUAL: Narrows' Whitey Blankenship makes the most offensive noise with touchdowns and yards each week, but if I was picking a player to build a Timesland team around, I'd choose Pulaski County quarterback Andre Eaves or Patrick Henry quarterback Shannon Taylor.
Runner-up choices would be William Fleming running back Eddie Jones, Magna Vista quarterback Evan Penn and Giles tailback Raypheal Milton. The sleeper might be Fleming quarterback Al Holland Jr., who is playing on a gimpy leg after a baseball injury. Holland was Fleming's kicker, but he can't do that now because of the injury.
\ GIRLS' BASKETBALL: The team to watch is George Wythe. The Maroons lost nine in a row after squeezing by Fort Chiswell 57-56 in their opener. It seemed Wythe, which finished second in the Group A state tournament a year ago was destined for a poor season.
Forget it. Coach Mary Copenhaver's team was playing with only half a deck. The Maroons were young except for Stacey Green, one of Timesland's better players. But Green missed the first seven games with a severely sprained ankle.
Since returning, Green has averaged 17 points a game. Wythe is 2-3, one of the losses in overtime to unbeaten Rural Retreat, ranked fifth in Timesland's High Five.
Wythe might not be highly seeded for the Hogoheegee District tournament, so some higher-ranked team may get a nasty surprise if it has to play the Maroons in the first round.
The biggest surprise has been Rural Retreat. The Indians (12-0) were one of two teams still unbeaten in Timesland coming into this week. Two years ago, Rural Retreat won only two games during the regular season. The Indians won nine last fall.
The best individual in fall girls' basketball is open for debate. I like Floyd County's Lynette Nolley, a Division I sleeper because she is tall enough to play a swing position and also has a consistent shot and decent quickness. Nolley, committed to Virginia Tech, will make the Hokies look good.
Bassett's Kim Hairston, Lord Botetourt's Jenny Gates, Martinsville's Keenya Hairston and Samantha Ferguson, Christiansburg's Rebecca McNeil, Blacksburg's Mary Thorn and Green are other girls who are having great falls.
Memo: also ran in Neighbors.