Thursday, July 22, 2010
High school notebook: Pioneers' Thacker chooses WCU
varsity.roanoke.com
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Nancy Thacker will not be on the recruiting radar when her senior year begins at Fort Chiswell.
That's because the 5-foot-10 combo guard has already made an oral commitment to sign a scholarship with Western Carolina.
Thacker, the Mountain Empire District player of the year and a second-team VHSCA All-Group A selection, was offered by WCU late this spring following her play with the Abingdon-based Nautilus Express AAU team.
Her other early offers came from Gardner-Webb and several Division II schools. The Fort Chiswell star saw no need to wait for other potential suitors.
"I wanted to go ahead and make my decision," Thacker said. "I had already visited twice. I was sure, and I was ready."
Thacker has scored 1,160 career points at Fort Chiswell, playing point guard and shooting guard. She had a 42-point game against Giles and shot 54.5 percent from the 3-point range.
Thacker is projected to play both spots at WCU, a Southern Conference school which finished 7-23 last year under first-year coach Karen Middleton, a former Stanford assistant.
Ex-NFL player Taylor joins North Cross staff
Shannon Taylor is putting on his hard hat again.
The former football star at Patrick Henry and UVa has joined the football coaching staff at North Cross as the defensive coordinator under first-year coach Stephen Alexander.
Taylor, 35, was a sixth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in the 2000 NFL draft. He had a four-year NFL career with three teams, starting two games as linebacker in 2002 for the Baltimore Ravens.
"He's a huge asset," said Alexander, a former assistant at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg. "One of the big things I'm excited about is he's a Roanoke guy. I'm coming into a new town. He's known in the city. He's respected in the city."
Taylor has spent the last several years coaching AAU girls basketball for the Roanoke Hawks, but he has stayed involved with football.
"I worked the UVa football camps this summer, and I've worked with the rec program," the 1994 PH graduate said. "I'm staying around it. I'm staying fresh."
Taylor coached at William Fleming under Keith Smith several years ago and is looking forward to running the defense at North Cross.
"I'm a defensive coordinator," Taylor said. "I enjoyed coaching with Coach Smith, but ultimately it was his say. Now I've got sole responsibility of the defense."
Taylor said another former PH and UVa player -- Devon "Boo" Battle -- also will join the North Cross staff as a defensive line coach. Former Northside assistant Stan Adams will help coach quarterbacks.
Rural Retreat change leaves Moore in charge
Quinton Hensley has moved up. So has Chris Moore.
Hensley, the football coach at Rural Retreat for the past six seasons, has become an assistant principal at the Wythe County school.
Moore, 32, a 1996 Rural Retreat graduate, is the new head coach after spending the last 11 seasons as an assistant.
Moore said he was prepared for the promotion once Hensley's move to administration became official.
"We knew it was a possibility, so I was kind of getting myself ready," said Moore, a star linebacker at Rural Retreat under former coach Dean Rhea.
Moore got an early start on his coaching career. An injury curtailed his plans to play at Emory & Henry, where he became a student-assistant during his freshman year under Lou Wacker.
"I was 18 years old, and I was coaching All-Americans," Moore said. "They were looking at me like, 'What are you doing out here?' "
Moore, who will move to the high school as a U.S. history teacher, said he will opt for a veer offense and a 3-5 defense while serving as the defensive coordinator. Assistant Levi Davidson will run the offense.
Hensley posted a 41-32 record in six seasons at Rural Retreat, reaching three straight Group A Division 1 semifinal games from 2004-06. Rhea did not have a losing season in 18 years with the Indians. Rhea retired as Rural Retreat's athletic director this spring.
"I've been blessed," Moore said. "Being around Dean Rhea and Quinton Hensley, you've got to learn a little bit."
Moore's promotion puts a new spin on Rural Retreat's rivalry with George Wythe and its head coach, H.S. Ingo.
"He's my Sunday School teacher," Moore said.
Around Timesland
New Pulaski County football coach Todd Jones will meet with players, their parents and community members at 7:30 tonight at the school's Little Theater.
Jones, a Pulaski County graduate who led Essex to the Group AA Division 2 championship, will briefly cover his football philosophies in his remarks.
