ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210071
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: College Notebook
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Nobody is sure what position Andre Kendrick will play in college, and that's what Virginia Tech likes about the first-team All-Group AAA quarterback.
Kendrick confirmed Wednesday he had committed to the Hokies after visiting Blacksburg during the weekend. He said Maryland was his second choice and that he also heard from Florida, Virginia and Pittsburgh.
Kendrick helped lead E.C. Glass High School of Lynchburg to the Group AAA Division 5 championship game and passed for 1,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 648 yards and 12 touchdowns.
At 5 feet 8 and 180 pounds, Kendrick is not viewed as a quarterback prospect in a drop-back passing scheme. The Hokies think he could play cornerback, wide receiver or running back, as well as return punts.
``If everything was so easy, it wouldn't be fun,'' Kendrick said. ``I knew this was the end of the road for me as a quarterback. It was hard enough seeing over the line in high school.''
Kendrick plays point guard for the Hilltoppers' basketball team and may be given the opportunity to play both sports in college.
The Hokies also are recruiting Glass defensive lineman Carl Bradley and Jefferson Forest offensive lineman Bert Horsley. Kendrick said he was ``pretty sure [Bradley] will be a Hokie.''
Tech has 19 known commitments, two of which will count against last year's 25-scholarship limit.
ALL-AMERICAN TO UVA: Tim Spruill, an all-purpose threat from Savage, Md., has canceled visits to Florida, North Carolina and Syracuse and given an oral commitment to Virginia.
Spruill played quarterback, running back, wide receiver and cornerback for Hammond High School, and also punted and returned kicks. ``In fact, I played all of those positions in the same game once,'' said Spruill, who hopes to play cornerback and returns kicks for the Cavaliers.
Spruill, rated the No.16 prospect in the country by SuperPrep magazine among those players classified as ``athletes,'' has been timed in 4.4 seconds for 40 yards. He is the 10th player to make a public commitment to the Cavaliers, who have landed three preseason All-Americans.
``What happened was, Virginia was always one of my choices,'' said Spruill, recruited for the Cavaliers by quarterbacks coach Joe Krivak. ``I switched the date of my Maryland visit so I could go see Virginia practice, and I was overwhelmed by the facilities and the academics. I decided, `Why prolong it?'''
MORE RECRUITING: Virginia Tech football recruit Cory Bird from Mays Landing, N.J., compiled a 32-2 record in winning the state wrestling championship last year at 170 pounds. Bird had 14 interceptions in his career at Oakcrest High School, but wants to play wide receiver at Tech.
nHaysi High School coach James Colley said All-Group A quarterback Jason Compton is ``leaning pretty heavy'' to VMI. Compton, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, passed for 2,053 yards and 33 touchdowns this year and broke Aaron Sparrow's state record for career touchdown passes with 87.
POINDEXTER HAILED: Redshirt freshman Anthony Poindexter, who played safety and linebacker for Virginia, was voted co-defensive MVP of Texas' all-opponent team. Poindexter was not on a ballot distributed by the Austin (Texas) American-Statesmen because he was not a starter, but the Longhorns' players made him a write-in selection.
UVA SUSPENSIONS: Virginia will have seven scholarship players available - only three of them frontcourt players - for tonight's men's basketball game with Virginia Commonwealth. Freshmen Scott Johnson and Darryl Presley have been suspended indefinitely for an undisclosed violation of team policy.
REVOLVING DOOR: North Carolina State was expected to announce Wednesday night that 6-8, 220-pound Tino Hunter, who began his college basketball career at Minnesota, has joined the team. Hunter played at Shaler High School in Pittsburgh with University of Cincinnati star Danny Fortson.
Hunter is one of three walk-ons on the Wolfpack's 16-player roster. Four players have become eligible for the second semester, including 6-9 Marco Harrison, named Mr. Basketball in Virginia last year by The Roanoke Times. Also, sophomore guards Ishua Benjamin and C.C. Harrison, are coming off academic suspension.
nDuke is down to seven scholarship players after senior forward Tony Moore flunked out of school. Trajan Langdon, a sophomore guard, earlier had made a decision to redshirt because of leg problems. ... Wake Forest has regained the services of sophomore guard Jerry Braswell, who started 21 of 30 games, before experiencing academic difficulties.
LOCAL UPDATE: Air Force Academy swimmer Shannon Goff, a junior from Cave Spring High School, tied a school record with a time of 57.39 seconds in the 100 backstroke.
Goff, one of the Falcons' co-captains, qualified for the NCAA meet last year in eight events. Another ex-Cave Spring swimmer, Indiana University senior Erica Quam, is a two-time Big Ten All-Academic selection.
nCynthia Martin, a senior from Pulaski County High School, is one of the co-captains of the women's basketball team at William and Mary. Martin has had the highest grade-point average on the team for the past three years.
GOING SOUTH: The American Automobile Association distributed results of a survey in which auto travel ``counselors'' in Virginia reported the most requested destination areas for December were New Orleans and Atlanta, sites of Tech and UVa's bowl appearances.
LENGTH: Medium: 99 linesby CNB