Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170084
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Just when everything seemed to be clearly marked for postseason play, the final Friday of the regular season ruined a lot of plans.
Consider these plans reversed:
Pulaski County had a favorable seeding locked up for the Group AAA Division 5 Northwest tournament until Halifax County shocked G.W. Davnville 24-22. That gave E.C. Glass the Western District title and boosted the Hilltoppers past Pulaski County in the seedings.
Now Pulaski County, instead of getting a soft touch in Stafford for the first home game, catches a toughie in Stonewall Jackson-Manassas while the Hilltoppers meet Stafford. If both win, they'll play at Glass instead of in Dublin for the right to go to the Group AAA semifinals.
This isn't all bad for the Cougars. Since Glass and Pulaski County started playing in 1990, neither team has beaten the other one while it is at home. Earlier this season, Pulaski County played Glass in Dublin - and lost 14-6 to keep this streak Alive.
Giles was fighting with Lebanon for the top seed in Region C, but lost out. Now the Spartans catch Radford at home in a rematch of an earlier game that settled the Three Rivers District while Lebanon is home to fellow Hogoheegee member George Wythe.
If Giles and Lebanon both win, they'll play on the Blue Devils' turf for the Region C title. A year ago, Giles left home only for the state semifinals as it won the Group A Division 2 title. Still, Giles is Timesland's best hope for a public school state title.
Narrows, despite beating Fort Chiswell to create a three-way tie for the Mountain Empire District crown, will not get the No. 1 seed in Region C Division 1. Bland County locked that up with a victory over Craig County, so the Green Wave must hit the road to once-beaten Bath County. The Bears are Timesland's surprise team of the year and they'll be at home to Northwood, a third team from the Hogoheegee to make the playoffs.
Nothing could have changed faster than the Region III, Division 3 tournament. Everyone knew three of the teams going in - Rustburg, William Campbell and Dan River. The question was who would be the fourth team.
The scenario was this. The spot was Bassett's to win, but no one expected the Bengals to overcome twice-beaten Dan River. Bassett lost 40-14, but made a game of it until the final quarter.
Then it was Jefferson Forest's for the taking, but the Cavaliers had to upset Rustburg. No dice on this one as Jefferson Forest lost 20-14.
Then it was Magna Vista's to win. The Warriors lost at Patrick County, which was no surprise. It was Laurel Park's to win, but the Lancers lost at Fieldale-Collinsville in a mild surprise.
That sent the fourth spot back to Bassett, as the Bengals truly backed into the playoffs. Under new coach Jim Hall, this program is resurrected to a 6-4 finish and qualifies as Timesland's second surprise team behind Bland County.
the best bet for a Timesland VHSL state champion is Giles with an outside shot to Pulaski County. Both teams, though, will have to go through a who's who in the top 10 of the state polls to take the titles.
Finally, there's Region III, Division 4. Northside needed to beat Salem to play host to a game and a favorable first-round seeding. The Vikings lost 27-6 and in so doing earned a trip to No. 1 Amherst County, which pulverized Nelson County 62-21 Saturday in the regular season finale. To say the Vikings' task is monumental is putting it mildly.
Meanwhile, Salem, after an 0-3 start, has a home game against Patrick County, which is making its first trip to the playoffs.
Salem, for its comeback, is Timesland's No. 3 surprise team. Patrick County, led by Andy Stanley with about 2,000 rushing yards, will be no picnic.
GIVE ME A BREAK: Blacksburg's football team finishes 4-6. Yet the Indians are the No.1 team in the Region IV Division 4 playoffs. They'll get the most favorable playoff pairing and as long as they win, they'll play at home.
Meanwhile, the Indian girls' basketball team finished 12-12 as New River District champion. It will play host to either Grundy or Gate City, which didn't win their district titles. If the Indians survive that, they'll be back in the Group AA state tournament trying for a 3-peat state championship.
Meanwhile, Richlands and Marion both finished 19-1. They'll have to play each other in the semifinals for the right to join Blacksburg, should it win, in the state. Yet, they're the best teams in the region by record.
These are two good examples why the Group AA board will force regions III and IV to come up with a balance, even if it has to vote the Blue Ridge District into Region IV.
In no other Group AA region in the state can two teams from a school have a mediocre or worse record, yet come up with such a favorable playoff position. It happens in this case because there are only 12 teams in Region IV.
There have been other losing football teams in the playoffs. That's going to happen. This will be a first, for no other losing team has ever gone as the No. 1 ranked team in the region because it is the only district champion, which takes precedence over Virginia High School League point ratings in determining playoff seedings.
Blacksburg is to be envied. The rest of the state is to be pitied.
MIDNIGHT MADNESS: With basketball practice opening this week, Cave Spring believes it's the first high school in the state to hold what it is calling ``Mid-Knight Madness.'' Friday, the Knights will hold an extravaganza at their gym to introduce the boys' and girls' basketball teams at the stroke of midnight.
The cost of admission is $1 and there will be all kinds of contests involving fans and players as well as an array of NBA door prizes. Proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House of Roanoke and the Barbara Rhodes Memorial Scholarship fund, designed to help a recipient attend college.
HITS MILESTONE: Figures published after the Roanoke Catholic-North Cross football game indicated that Raider quarterback Hal Johnson might have just missed passing for 4,000 yards during his career.
These figures were based on the last three years only and he actually had 215 yards as a freshman that were not counted in his career total. Officially, Johnson winds up with 4,093 yards.
His best year came as a senior when he passed for 1,374 yards in nine games. In guiding North Cross to a Virginia Independent Schools Division I state title last year, Johnson had 1,303 yards through the air in 11 games. As a sophomore, he threw for 1,201 yards in 11 games when North Cross was the state runnerup to Lynchburg Christian.
by CNB