For a generation of area prep sports fans most familiar with Allen Iverson's crossover dribble or Ronald Curry's rushing and passing brilliance, the names Doug Dickinson and Newport News High School may bring only questioning glances. But for older fans, those words conjure a magical time and place. Thirty years ago, Dickinson punctuated that era with what is arguably the greatest performance in Virginia High School League athletics history. In leading now-defunct Newport News to its 26th state Group 1-A (now AAA) outdoor track and field title, Dickinson won four individual titles and outscored the entire second-place team, Carver, 28-17. More impressive: In a year (1969) when Joe Namath "guaranteed" that his New York Jets would upset the supposedly-invincible Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, Dickinson told his coach, Charlie Nuttycombe, that he would break five records in the state meet. He then went out and broke four and tied another. "Doug had what was called . . . the X -Factor," said Nuttycombe, co-coach with Julie Conn of the 1969 Newport News team. "He knew what he was capable of doing and he did it." Unlike Namath, who told the world of his intentions, Dickinson shared his plans only with Nuttycombe. The pair rode by themselves to all of the big meets in Nuttycombe's Volkswagen, so that Dickinson could maintain his focus. On the way to the '69 Eastern Region meet, Dickinson told Nuttycombe that he would do only enough to assure the Typhoon the title. Dickinson, who own ed 15 indoor and outdoor individual state titles to that point, did win three events at the regional - the low hurdles, high hurdles and long jump - and the Typhoon edged city rival Huntington, 38-33 1/2, for the championship. But Dickinson was beaten in his specialty, the triple jump, and was a surprising third in the 100-yard dash. In his article on the regional meet, Perry Jennifer of the Daily Press described Dickinson as "not up to his usual high standards." The memory brings a smile to Nuttycombe' s face. "Doug told me on the drive over to the regionals, 'I'm going to set those suckers up for the state meet,' " Nuttycombe said. "On the way back, he said, 'I'm going to break five records and win four events at the state meet.' "Doug admitted that he didn't think he could beat (Lane High's) Kent Merritt in the 100, but he added that Merritt was going to have to break the record by more than he did to win the race." Merritt did just that in the state meet, capturing the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds. Dickinson's 9.7 also bettered the previous state meet mark of 9.8. Nuttycombe figures that if Dickinson were running on the rubberized tracks of today, his time would convert to a 10.5 or 10.6 over 100 meters, putting him well ahead of the 10.86 that wo n the event at last Saturday's state Group AAA meet. It is more difficult to surmise where his record- breaking performances in the 110-yard high hurdles (14.3) and 180-yard low hurdles (18.9) would place him today. There is absolutely no doubt, however, where he stands in comparison to today's long and triple jumpers. Dickinson's winning triple jump of 48-6 3/4 at the '69 meet is 12 1/2 inches better than this year's winning mark at the state AAA meet. The 24-0 3/4 long jump he posted is nearly a half-foot farther than the 23-7 that was good for first this year. Like Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics, Dickinson used his sixth and final long jump to win the event and break the meet record. The 33-year-old mark he bettered on that "perfect" May afternoon at W illiam and Mary's Cary Field had been set by Benton Dodd, the same year that Owens won his gold medal in Berlin. Dodd was one of the many "ghosts and legends" of Newport News track and field about whom Dickinson had heard during four years of motivation a l speeches from Nuttycombe and Conn. Dickinson called the pair, with whom he is enshrined in the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, "two of the greatest track coaches in the nation." "Every one of those speeches was like a history lesson on the tradition of Newport News High School track," said Dickinson, a local insurance agent and a former track coach at Menchville High. "They would talk to us in front of the trophy case, and they would reiterate the accomplishments of every athlete who came before you. "By the time they were finished, you felt like one of the Spartans going off to war." The battles, according to Dickinson, took place in practice, which he called "very serious and very important." In fact, Dickinson said fist-fights were common practice occurrences. The Typhoon won more than 40 state indoor and outdoor titles, and its warriors are legendary. Fred Anspach and Billy Schroding dominated state sprinting in the early 1960s, while Don Carroll owned the shot put and discus; in 1961, John McC o rmack became the first pole vaulter in the state to top 14 feet - the winning mark in this year's state AAA meet - while in 1967 David Cutler became the first state vaulter over 15 feet. David Cutler and Jimmy Cutler preceded Dickinson as state low hurdles champs in '67 and '68, respectively. Pole vaulter John Whitcomb and two-miler Irvin Lyerly were also gold medalists in 1969 as Newport News won its final state championship. The school closed in 1971. "Every day was like Christmas," Dickinson s a id of his track days. "And if you had a good Christmas (on meet days), the day after Christmas felt pretty good too. "There was such a camaraderie that you always had a fear of letting your teammates down. It was hard not to be a good athlete at Newport News High School." None was better than Dickinson, who won 19 individual state indoor and outdoor track titles. And Dickinson was never better than on May 17, 1969. "Doug Dickinson," Nuttycombe said, "is the greatest track and field athlete in the state of Virginia this century."