Friday, October 06, 2006
State hall short on athletic talent
Tiki and Ronde Barber are heading to the hall of fame.
No, not the big one in Canton, Ohio. The former Cave Spring athletes will be inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in Charlottesville on Oct. 17.
The Barber twins won't be able to attend the ceremony at the DoubleTree Hotel. Tiki and the New York Giants have a Monday night game the following week against the Dallas, while Ronde and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be preparing for a home game against Philadelphia.
At least the Barbers are going into Virginia's prep shrine.
Since the first class was inducted in 1990, only one other former athlete from a Timesland public school -- ex-Blacksburg football and basketball star Sidney Snell -- has been honored with a plaque on display at the Virginia High School League headquarters in Charlottesville.
That's it.
One.
The state's prep hall of fame, a joint effort by the VHSL and the Virginia High School Coaches Association, has inducted 169 members since its inception.
Among that number are coaches, administrators, teachers, trainers, VHSL staff members, sports writers and others who have contributed to welfare of high school sports.
This is certainly not to disparage the efforts of any of them.
There are just not enough athletes.
To date, only 33 have been inducted in 16 years. The only published criteria for athletes to be eligible is that are 10 years removed from graduation and that judging is based primarily on their achievements in high school.
It's just stunning that The Roanoke Times circulation area, which at one time numbered well over 50 high schools, has only one athlete in the state's high school hall of fame.
Girls are vastly under-represented. Only four female athletes are among the 33 chosen and the first wasn't inducted until 1998.
How about Glenvar's Trish Nervo, a four-time Group A cross country state champion from 1992-95 who starred at North Carolina? How about Martinsville's Dennis Mahan, who ended his high school football career in 1977 as the No. 2 all-time scorer in U.S. football history?
And where the heck is Calvin Talford, who in his senior year at Castlewood in 1987-88 scored five touchdowns in a football playoff game, was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, averaged more than 30 points in basketball before winning the college slam dunk title at East Tennessee State and set Group A track and field records in the high jump, long jump and triple jump that still stand?
None of them are in the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.
Yet.
WILLIAM BYRD 14, Cave Spring 7.
Byrd has two wins this year but neither one was in Vinton, where tonight's game is scheduled.LIBERTY 22, Jefferson Forest 20.
Liberty's Zach Webb should return from an elbow injury. JF has sputtered since a season-opening win over Patrick Henry.FRANKLIN COUNTY 17, Patrick Henry 13.
The Major League Baseball playoffs are under way, so what better time for the first game of a double dip this year between these two WVD teams?HIDDEN VALLEY 21, Alleghany 12.
Hidden Valley is looking to start 5-0 for a second straight year and keep it going this time.BLACKSBURG 31, Northside 14.
Blacksburg is probably Timesland's most improved team, but it might take a River Ridge District title to make the playoffs.GILES 40, Grayson County 12.
Don't be surprised if these two teams face each other in the first round of the playoffs in Pearisburg.NARROWS 34 Auburn 12.
Narrows has played a much tougher schedule, and it's not a stretch that the Green Wave could run the table from here.GLENVAR 48, Craig County 6.
Glenvar figures to complete a second straight sweep of Pioneer District teams before entering Three Rivers play.EASTERN MONTGOMERY 20, James River 19.
The one team EastMont has lost to, Fort Chiswell, is one of the two teams the Knights have beaten this year.RADFORD 20, Parry McCluer 13.
Radford's Norman Lineburg will coach only two more games at home after tonight, barring a playoff berth.STAUNTON RIVER 31, Appomattox County 18.
The Golden Eagles need to cash in tonight because next week's trip is to Amherst County.R.E. LEE-STAUNTON 24, Rockbridge County 20.
Lee is becoming known for more than just basketball, and running back Shay Nicholson might be the Valley District's best.FUQUA 23, North Cross 21.
Fuqua used to be one of the VIC's whipping boys, but at 5-1 the Farmville team's decision to leave the conference last year has worked out.ROANOKE CATHOLIC 28, Massanutten 7.
Massanutten -- that pretty much sounds like what the 0-5 Flying Colonels have in the win column this year.HALIFAX COUNTY 28, Bassett 14.
The unbeaten Blue Comets escaped Martinsville with a three-point win two weeks ago and play a third straight Piedmont District opponent.GEORGE WASHINGTON 33, Magna Vista 23.
GW needed a miracle comeback to defeat Magna Vista in overtime last year. This game is in Danville and the Eagles are coming off a loss.MARTINSVILLE 30, Gretna 25.
Gretna has hammered five Group AA teams this year but they have a combined record of 4-21 and the 'Dogs remember last year's 63-27 drubbing.LEBANON 26, Chilhowie 13.
The winner of this game will have a good shot of grabbing at least an at-large berth in Region C Division 2 by season's end.GEORGE WYTHE 45, Holston 6.
It's been a rare rebuilding season in Wytheville, so winless Holston could be a welcome sight on the Maroons' schedule.RURAL RETREAT 40, John Battle 20.
John Battle has won two straight games for the first time in the 21st century, but Rural Retreat is rolling now.BLAND COUNTY 29, Pocahontas 21.
The winner of this Mountain Empire District opener can entertain early thoughts of a playoff bid.RIVERHEADS 27, Bath County 15.
The 4-0 Gladiators have scored more points in two of their wins than the 40 Bath has put up total in four games.BUFFALO GAP 17, Covington 15.
Go with the Shenandoah District over the Pioneer if it's 50-50.RICHLANDS 48, Marion 14.
Richlands has scored 296 points in six games, 61 last week against Tazewell.CARROLL COUNTY 21, Abingdon 12.
Carroll County lost at home to William Byrd last week. Abingdon lost head coach Ray Gregory, who has been suspended indefinitely.Last week 18-5 .783
Overall 97-34 .740





