“A big-time coach shows his true colors’”

It’s just one of those weeks when congratulations are in order.

And lest you think I am doing this to duck the demise of the Tar Heels, I”ll address that right up front.

The North Carolina basketball team was an embarrassment against Kansas and the North Carolina coach was an embarrassment in his subsequent support of Kansas in the Championship Game.

I never thought the Tar Heels had enough to go all the way, particularly against Memphis, whom I picked to take the crown after the Sweet Sixteen. Memphis was so long and so athletic at every position and I never understood how they could have dropped out of the top four even after the loss to Tennessee.

Carolina held a number one ranking after two home losses—one to unranked Maryland. Go figure.

Anyway, I picked Memphis to face the Heels in the final game, with Memphis taking it all. Nice job, Rich.

Frankly, I couldn’t have named but one player on the entire Kansas roster (Brandon Rush) before the semi-final game, but with the score 12-40 I had the names of all five burned into my small brain, plus a couple of the subs’. That big freshman, Cole Aldrich, is really going to be a player and just how embarrassing was it to be dunked on by a guy named Sasha? Twice!

And then Roy had to show his lack of loyalty.

Roy Williams is not only the head basketball coach at Chapel Hill, but also, and more importantly, an alumnus of the University of North Carolina.

Personally, I couldn’t coach a six-year-old on how to eat a chocolate chip cookie, but I know enough to be certain that wearing any but my own school’s colors is just plain wrong.

So, congrats to the Kansas Jay Hawks; great game plan, great execution for the win and great execution of Roy Williams’ reputation and character on two fronts.

Now all we need is for Butch Davis to show up for spring practice in “The U” gear.

Congrats to my sister Pat also. She had the chance to destroy me and was really quite conciliatory instead. I love my sister. Plus, I knew my brother-in-law couldn’t hold out. He’s speaking to me again. Sent me an e-mail stating that he had watched the Carolina/Kansas game until the score reached 12-30 and then switched over to a movie on WE.

Now I’ll get a week of e-mails on the greatness of Tiger Woods. Thank the good Lord he’s not a NASCAR fan.

But the true congratulations this week go to some local athletes and some citizen hero athletes.

Head football coach Jim Woodson has produced a bumper crop of college bound players this year. Emmett Brown, Taron Hampton, Nate Mullins, Kevin Price and Eric Watts are all bound for college teams.

We’ll have a full story on them as soon as their college recruiters return my calls.

Perhaps even more significant, head baseball Coach Gregg Conner can now claim two Division One scholarship athletes. Shortstop Brent Mikionis signed with VCU as a junior and will join Jesse Reid, who walked on and then earned scholarship money at VCU, next fall.

They are what I believe to be the first Powhatan athletes to win scholarships at a Division 1 school.

Fprmer PHS baseball player Kenny Murray is on the baseball roster at Tech but did not receive any scholarship money, so technically I guess Mikionis would be the first. But I know that if this is not truly the story I’ll get letters and phone calls. (I like letters and phone calls. They prove someone is reading this stuff.) No, JMU, William and Mary, Longwood and UR are not Division 1 schools. Regardless, this is really good stuff for the Powhatan High School programs.

The Ukrop’s 10K probably produced a couple of hundred local heroes, but I will give you the few I ran into; not on the course, but in the course of doing my daily writer thing.

YMCA Director Mary Kay Gates got ‘er done. She trained for, ran in and completed her first 10K at the age of 50.

Everyday citizen and County Building Official, Ralph Shelton completed the course, as did Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Beasley and his wife.

From an honors stand point, Mandy Ford probably led the pack. The PHS senior placed second overall in her age class. Now I know there is an 82-year-old Powhatan grandmother out there that I missed or six mother/daughter teams not mentioned, but these are the folks I came in contact with in just one day. 

Believe me, I congratulate anyone who ran, walked or even rode the entire distance.