ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605280104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
It might be the Moore, the merrier when it comes to deciding the Timesland girls' athlete of the year this spring.
A pair of Moores - Carrie of Patrick Henry and Sara of Lord Botetourt - are two of the top candidates for the award that will be presented at a banquet June 9 at the Holiday Inn-Tanglewood.
Carrie Moore was the Timesland girls' soccer player of the year as a junior and is a leading candidate to retain that honor. She also played on the Patriots' Group AAA runner-up volleyball team. In indoor track, she was the Roanoke Valley District runner-up in the 500-meter dash. In girls' basketball, she led the Patriots in scoring.
Just as busy is Sara Moore, who has a chance to become only the third junior to win the award in the 11 years it has been presented, joining Cave Spring's Ronde Tiki and Ronde Barber (1992). In basketball, Sara Moore was the point guard for Lord Botetourt's Group AA championship team, earning All-Timesland and second-team All-Group AA honors. During the winter, Moore was an honorable-mention All-Blue Ridge District selection in volleyball.
This spring, the Cavaliers stadout has been everywhere. She is the starting second baseman on the Blue Ridge District softball championship team. She hit about .350 during the regular season and is a standout on defense.
Without practicing for track and field, Sara Moore won Region III championships in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs May 18. She had the second-fastest times in Timesland among Group AA runners in those events, behind only Blacksburg's Sarah Hendricks. The rivals went head-to-head Saturday at the Group AA meet in Harrisonburg.
There might have been a third Moore competing for the Timesland award if not for a knee injury. Salem's Amy Moore, the B'nai B'rith Athletics and Achievement overall winner, is an outstanding soccer and volleyball player. She had to give up basketball, though, after two operations to repair a damaged anterior cruciate ligament.
Another contender is Trish Nervo, Glenvar's standout distance runner. While Nervo doesn't have the athletic variety of Carrie and Sara Moore, she has won four consecutive girls' Group A and Metro cross country titles. Saturday, she was trying to defend her Group A titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 in Charlottesville. If successful, she would have won five of five state track titles she sought, starting as a sophomore when she ran only the 3,200.
Nervo's lack of versatility as an athlete might be compensated for by the national attention she earned by finishing fourth in an elite field at the Foot Locker cross country meet in December.
Other girls in contention going into the spring sports included: William Byrd's Cathy Smith, an All-Timesland performer in basketball and volleyball; Floyd County's Melissa Cantrell, who was The Associated Press' Group A girls' basketball player of the year; Radford's Charlee Taylor, who is a multisport star for Radford; Blacksburg's April Rogers, a talented basketball and volleyball player; and Auburn's Crystal Moles, also a multisport star.
Among the boys, William Byrd's Michael Berry, Fort Chiswell's Michael White, Bassett's Devonne Claybrooks and Fieldale-Collinsville's Delvin Joyce got a fast start as All-Timesland football players.
During the winter, Clayubrooks, Joyce and White were outstanding basketball players. Berry, struggling to regain his form after breaking a wrist following football, was a reserve for Byrd.
If it comes down to spring sports, Berry is a two-time All-Group AA soccer player who figures to repeat as All-Timesland in that sport. He was named Region III's player of the year.
White is one of Timesland's leading baseball players in several statistical categories and, like Sara Moore, did well in track through the Mountain Empire District meet. However, he failed to qualify for the Group A meet.
Glenvar's Eric East, the B'nai B'rith boys' winner, is outstanding in three sports, but suffered through an injury-plagued football season that might have cost him a better shot at making All-Timesland. If he makes a run, it will be in baseball, his strongest sport.
Liberty's J.J. Coles and Gregg Reynolds have the strongest credentials coming out of winter sports. In the fall, they teamed as quarterback and wide receiver, respectively, to make All-Timesland as the Minutemen reached the Group AA playoffs for the first time. In basketball, Coles and Reynolds were the guards as Liberty went unbeaten and won the Group AA title. Coles was All-Timesland, and Reynolds made the game-winning shot to beat defending champion Nansemond River in a state semifinal.
However, neither is competing in a spring sport. Coles tried to play baseball for the first time, but that didn't work out. Reynolds, whose best sport is baseball, also didn't make it through the season. That opens the door for other athletes to challenge this duo.
NETSCAPE: Timesland has its usual strong team and individual tennis entries this week, but the most interesting are in Group AA girls' and boys' play starting Wednesday.
Among the girls, once-beaten Jill Archer of Salem and unbeaten freshman Yasamine Hilu of Blacksburg are in opposite brackets in the semifinals at Salem. The only loss for Archer, the Group AA runner-up a year ago, was to Hilu in a third-set tie-breaker.
Among the boys, unbeaten Blacksburg battles unbeaten William Byrd in a team semifinal Wednesday at Handley High School in Winchester. This assures Timesland of at least one team going for a state title Thursday.
In Group A, Glenvar's boys seek their fifth consecutive state title at Tapphannock and Radford's girls hope to win the state tournament in their home town at Radford University.
QUICK SWITCH: James River freshman Jeremy Sink, usually a starting catcher, tried pitching recently and threw a four-hitter in his first start to beat Highland 8-5. Sink also matched his opponents' hits total, going 4-for-4 and driving in two runs.
HOT BATS: When Cave Spring plays host to a Northwest Region softball game, don't sit behind the outfield fence if you value life and limb. The Knights have socked 20 homers in 21 games this spring.
LEFT OFF: It's tough to keep up with all the all-star teams. When the Region III boys' soccer team was announced, Salem's Matt Tucker inadvertently was omitted from the list of first-team fullbacks.
SETTING IT STRAIGHT: Bassett's Bobby Martin is one of the leading candidates for the boys' basketball coaching job at McMichael, which is a public and not a private school in North Carolina.
Also, while former Roanoke College coach Ed Green never was offered the E.C. Glass boys' basketball job, he would have been one of the two or three finalists if he had not obejcted to teaching special education. Glass has a history of interviewing very few candidates for its job and bringing back only two or three for a final session. Green had passed muster to earn a second grilling by those picking the Hilltoppers' new coach.
LENGTH: Long : 117 linesby CNB