Daily News-Record

STAUNTON - Legendary R.E. Lee High School basketball coach Paul Hatcher sat in a chair courtside surrounded by assistants and the Leemen's athletic director, planning for Friday night's Group AA semifinal matchup with Martinsville.

It wasn't an x's-and-o's session. On the agenda, instead, was the players' menu.

"We'll have subs - ham and turkey," one assistant said.

"Last year, all we could get was Taco Bell," cautioned another.

"So we'll have cheeseburgers and fries for 25," athletic director Kaye Roberts said.

Hatcher, a three-time state champion and the winningest coach in Virginia High School League history, turned and smiled.

"It's never easy," he said to a visitor.

It might seem like a trivial anecdote, but it encapsulates the challenge Hatcher and his Leemen face year after year. They are expected to contend for a title, but each championship run must be retooled, whether you're talking about dinner or star players.

This year, the defending Group AA champs had to recover from the graduation of star Tyler Crawford, now playing in the Big East for Georgetown.

It hasn't been a problem. The current squad -- though clearly led by Tyler's cousin, Region II Player of the Year Eli Crawford -- is deeper and more balanced than last year's title-taking team.

"This whole team is unselfish," Crawford said. "We try to play as a team and win as a team."

And win. And win. And win.

Lee has won 53 straight games dating back to last season and easily captured its 19th Valley District regular-season title under Hatcher. The Leemen also have collected district and regional tournament crowns this winter.

But while the foes Lee has zapped probably feel like they were hit by a freight train, Hatcher feels like he's zipping along on a TGV high-speed train.

"You really don't enjoy it, at least I don't, because there's always another game," Hatcher said. "This season has gone so quick. We're having a great year and, not that we aren't enjoying it, but it's almost over. Maybe I haven't enjoyed it enough along the way."

Then he paused, smiled, and added one more point.

"Of course, it's nice to still be playing."

And Hatcher plans to be back coaching again next year for his 38th season.

The Leemen will lose three seniors to graduation, two of them starters: forwards Keary Bonner and Jason Jordan, a first-team All-Region II selection.

While Bonner has his sights set on going to the Naval Academy and becoming a pilot, Hatcher said, Jordan might play college basketball. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during the regular season.

"He's got to get stronger," said Hatcher, who said Jordan has drawn interest from Division I, II and III schools but is still working to raise his SAT scores. "He's light, but he's battled some big kids all year. Right now, [Division] II or III would be the best thing. Maybe junior college would be good for him to get bigger."

A third senior, Ryan Knicely, prefers baseball, Hatcher said.

Crawford, and his 15.5 points per game will be back, along with nine other players.

"I hate to see those guys go," Hatcher said, "but we'll have 10 kids coming back next year from this team. Hopefully, the experiences they've had this year, and so far they've all been positive, they'll carry over. I think that's what helped this year's team is last year's experiences."

While Hatcher said next season's team will likely center more around Crawford, the veteran coach also is looking for increased production from some of this year's role players to keep the Lee machine churning out victories.

"Lawrence Lightfoot is going to make an impact next year," Hatcher said. "Logan Jones, Keon Scott, both those kids are very good guards. J.R. Ware's played a lot. And we've got two or three kids on J.V. that should help out. Next year's a long way away, but it doesn't look too bad, anyway."

Crawford picked out Thomas Nelson, a 6-foot-1 forward, as a junior-varsity player to watch. He said Nelson is a good inside presence but needs to improve his shot. Of course, Crawford said, he wasn't much of a shooter before getting in the gym with Hatcher.

"Paul Hatcher taught me how to shoot," Crawford said, the reverence for his coach palpable in his voice. "Next year, he'll be able to teach Thomas Nelson, if he makes the team."

Bend your knees, your elbow, extend your arms and follow through.

No matter what happens in Richmond this weekend - a fourth state title or not, Taco Bell or cheeseburgers - Paul Hatcher will start anew again next year.
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Record Number: 10ABB6F0678B273E