Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 7, 1993 TAG: 9312070248
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SALEM LENGTH: Long
\ For Floyd County, it was a new experience.
For Blacksburg, it was old hat.
But for both, the reason to celebrate was the same - state high school championships in girls' basketball.
Each school won its title Saturday afternoon at the Salem Civic Center.
First Floyd County, with a 29-1 winning record for the year, beat Buffalo Gap 68-62 for the championship in Group A, the division for smaller schools.
"I can't describe it," said Floyd County senior center Lynette Nolley, who will attend Virginia Tech next year on a basketball scholarship. "I really can't. I don't know. I don't think it has sunk in yet."
Then Blacksburg, with a 26-2 record, defended its crown by turning back Charlottesville 49-42 in the Group AA division for medium-sized schools.
"The tradition here means a great deal," said Blacksburg senior point guard Mary Thorn, who has signed to play collegiate ball at East Carolina University next year. "The tradition means running plays and playing good defense. . . . We knew we could do it."
The Floyd County fans enjoyed the school's title almost as much of the players.
More than an hour before tip-off, about 50 people were lined-up, waiting for tickets to go on sale. By game time, close to 2,000 supporters almost filled one side of the civic center.
So many people were expected to attend the game that someone put a sign on U.S. 221 on the Floyd County-Roanke County line that read: "Last one out, Shut the gate."
And the weather even cooperated. A steady rain postponed the annual Floyd Christmas Parade, also scheduled for Saturday afternoon. So instead of being in conflict with the parade, the basketball team took part in it when it was held Sunday.
"This is a source of pride in Floyd for the whole county," said Floyd Mayor Skip Bishop, who also is a teacher and baseball coach at the high school. "I think this will bring the people closer together. It's something not very many communities can say they have had an opportunity to experience."
After the game, the team gathered at the home of coach Alan Cantrell to enjoy their accomplishments.
"We've almost been celebrating nonstop since last night," Cantrell said Sunday afternoon. "A lot of the parents and kids came over to the house. We stayed up real late. A few of the kids even stayed over and went to church with us."
Sunday morning the team also took time out to remember a player who wasn't in Salem. The Buffaloes had dedicated their season to Tangie Thomas, who would have been a junior this year. Thomas was the point guard on the junior varsity team last year but was killed in an automobile accident in June. The players held a service at Greasy Creek Cemetery and laid a wreath on her grave.
Then Monday night, the players were honored at the school's fall sports banquet. Besides winning the title, the Buffaloes set numerous offensive records, including most points in a game (89), most points in a tournament (245), most field goals in a tournament (92), most three-point baskets in a tournament (14) and most three-pointers by one person in a tournament (Leigh-Ann Pursifull with six).
They also won the most games of any Group A team since the eight-team state tournament format was instituted in 1986.
Blacksburg didn't have as many fans at the finals as Floyd County. The Indians' football playoff game meant a difficult choice for school supporters.
But the few hundred who rooted the girls' basketball team on to victory sometimes sounded like a few thousand with their chants of "Repeat, Repeat."
Blacksburg had more signs and longer banners than any other team. A few band members who were to have marched in the Blacksburg Christmas parade hurried to Salem to form a pep band when the parade was rained out.
School principal Alfred Smith made it to both games, leaving the Indians' football game at Rustburg at halftime and hurrying to Salem just in time to see the forth quarter.
"I want to thank you all for being here today, you're the best," Thorn announced to the crowd over the public address system after the award's ceremony.
After receiving their awards, the Indians piled into their school bus for the return trip to Blacksburg. And just like a year ago, they were greeted by police and rescue squad vehicles and given an official escort from the town limits to the high school.
"[The returnees from last year] had a feeling of confidence, they knew they could get the job done," said Blacksburg assistant coach Grant Smithers. "For them this is something that they will never forget. Mary Thorn said all the hard work was worth it.
"And the young girls just went crazy. They enjoyed it. They were happy to be a part of it. It was a neat feeling."
When they got back to school, the team stored their equipment and got back on the bus for attend a post-game pizza party for the players and their parents at Backstreets, just as they had done last year.
"It's an experience pulling up there in a school bus," said Blacksburg coach Mickey McGuigan.
Once the official party was over, some team members got together for impromptu gatherings to continue celebrating. By Sunday, the Indians also were being saluted by several local businesses which used their sign boards to pay tribute to the team's accomplishments.
"We should feel very fortunate to have the dedicated adults, coaches and community members that support these kids and let them accomplish things like this," Smith said.
Other planned activities included the upcoming fall sports banquet on Sunday and a long morning break Monday.
After all this celebrating, the first planned activity at each school for 1994 will be to figure out what each has to do to repeat these celebrations.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***