THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 9, 1995 TAG: 9503090577
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
When there's talk about turning the football program around, Duke University coach Fred Goldsmith tunes out.
``Listen,'' he said as he stepped behind the podium to headline the 49th annual Portsmouth Sports Club Jamboree Wednesday night, ``people seem to forget that Duke has a heck of a tradition in football.
``We may be the only university, or one of the few in the country, that has played in the Orange, Cotton, Sugar and Rose bowls.''
Goldsmith steered Duke to an 8-3 finish in his first season at the school in 1994. The Blue Devils went to the Hall of Fame Bowl and Goldsmith was chosen ACC coach of the year.
``We have made that commitment - to get things rolling again,'' he said.
The '95 season will test that commitment, he added. ``It's not too hard to sneak up one time on a team but now we've got to be able to go out and do it again.''
Goldsmith told the 260 persons in attendance at the Holiday-Inn Portside they ``would never believe how happy he was to be here.''
He had taken a commuter flight from Raleigh-Durham in turbulent weather and didn't arrive until minutes before the start of the jamboree.
``You are looking at a man who is really happy to have his feet on the ground,'' said Goldsmith.
The jamboree highlight was the presentation of the Sportsman of the Year award to District 6 Little League administrator Charles ``Butch'' Cuthriell.
``It's a nice feeling to be rewarded for doing a job you love. I am accepting this in behalf of the hundreds of volunteers who devote so much of their time to the success of the Little League program,'' said Cuthriell, 52. In addition to directing 10 area leagues for boys in baseball and girls in softball, Cuthriell also is a volunteer worker in the annual 5-K Run for Holiday House, has long been affiliated with the Naval Shipyard Golf Association and served for six years on the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. He is a past winner of the Mayor's Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Bill Knowles, former athletic director at Western Branch High School, was recognized as the outstanding Sports Club member.
Also honored were Old Dominion University's Petey Sessoms and Norfolk State's Lisa Risa as the top college athletes, Hampton University's Joe Taylor as the college coach of the year and Churchland's Mac Carroll as the high school coach of the year.
Scholarship awards were presented to Western Branch's Evelyn Benson, Churchland's Sean Paige and Wilson's LaVonya Blowe. by CNB