Road Runner revival

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001 | 11:30 a.m.

Cory Eatman has seen it all too many times before -- the look of supreme confidence on opponents' faces when they take the court for a game with Vo-Tech.

Last Friday, he finally saw something else, something he'd waited four years to see -- total shock on the faces of the Chaparral Cowboys, moments after losing to Eatman's Vo-Tech Road Runners.

"Just seeing the look on the other team's faces when the buzzer went off was a big confidence boost for us," Eatman said. "It was the biggest win since I've been here."

Added teammate Adam McAllister, "The locker room was crazy (afterward). We were hyped. We've always been close, but we've never pulled one off like that. It was great."

The 56-50 victory over Chaparral was the Road Runners' second in three days over a Class 4A opponent, coming on the heels of a 62-54 win at Basic. And while a two-game winning streak may not sound like much, it's something to be celebrated at a school that has won just one 4A game during the past two seasons.

"That was a huge accomplishment," Vo-Tech coach Jack Whitefoot said. "Teams always think we're an easy win, but now they know we're good enough to get them if they're not ready for us. We're starting to get a little bit of respect."

Most significantly, last week's success has put the Road Runners (8-8, 2-3 Southeast) in the thick of a wide-open Southeast Division battle, quite an accomplishment for a vocational school hardly known for its athletic prowess.

"We have to overcome so many things here that other schools don't worry about, like busing and kids who have jobs after school," Whitefoot said. "The focus here isn't near as much on being at the top. It's more of getting ready and getting the full potential out of the kids."

Whether Vo-Tech can make the next step and earn the school's first playoff berth in recent history remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: If there was ever a year for Road Runners fans to have hope, this is it.

Led by Eatman, a slashing 6-0 scorer, and McAllister, a 6-4 low-post threat, the squad consists almost entirely of veterans, most of whom have played together for three seasons.

"Our goal at the beginning of the season was to position ourselves for the playoffs," said Eatman, whose 18.5 points-per-game average has him among the area's top five scorers. "We're committed, everybody's got a role and we play together."

And Whitefoot hopes the team's recent success will only help his players elevate their play as they head into their final five league games.

"The kids are just really playing hard right now," Whitefoot said. "They are seeing what success they can have playing hard, and they want more."

Eatman admits that he's often wondered what his basketball career might have been like at Las Vegas High, the school closest to his home. But rather than dwell on the tough times, the Road Runners' co-captain is thankful for what he has learned in Vo-Tech's electronics program and content to enjoy the basketball team's sudden rise in the standings.

"When we were 1-20, 4-21 it was kind of hard to go through," Eatman said. "But things are starting to work out fine here. We're stepping up and playing well, finally getting some respect. We might as well enjoy it while we can."