THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 25, 1994 TAG: 9408240149
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: N5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: FOOTBALL SPECIAL '94
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Larry Stepney says he spends a lot of time praying.
Praying that God will look down upon him and give him the gifts he needs to put Booker T. Washington atop the Eastern District.
``My Bible tells me if I ask, He'll give,'' Stepney said. ``I've been praying that I could get the right combination of athletes to win the district and state.''
At least part of that combination was found when Mike Beverly and Michael Basnight walked through the doors of Booker T.
Beverly, an All Prep League quarterback and strong safety last season, transferred from Norfolk Academy just before practice started.
Of the move, Beverly would only say that he wanted to play for the Bookers.
``I just felt like I wanted to come here,'' said the 6-foot, 175-pound senior. ``I know a lot of the people on the team from the passing league this summer.''
Beverly caught Stepney's eye this summer when he was playing with Norfolk Academy.
``When I saw him throw the ball I said `Who is this kid?' '' Stepney said.
Basnight, a 6-2, 215-pound senior running back, transferred from Columbia (N.C.) High School and brought some pretty impressive credentials with him.
Basnight rushed for more than 3,200 yards during his sophomore and junior years. Last season he totaled 1,700 yards.
``He is an exceptional athlete,'' Stepney said. ``He's big, he's solid and he's fast. He's a 4.4 sprinter. What can I say, he's got power and speed. The only thing we might need to work on is his work ethic.''
The two Michaels joined a club in its third season under Stepney and a team loaded with youth and skill players. Stepney returns 16 experienced juniors, including seven backs and receivers.
``We've been blessed with skill people,'' Stepney said. ``Last year we had guys who were looking for two, three or four yards a carry, just working it forward. These kids love to go for the end zone and they aren't satisfied unless they get there. Really, our running backs may be five deep.''
Stepney isn't ready to specify who will lead the pack, but certainly Basnight is a frontrunner.
And don't expect Beverly to start taking the snaps right away. He has some stiff competition in freshman Kevin Fuller.
Because Beverly is new to the program and had to miss some practices due to a death in the family, Stepney is listing the 6-foot, 180-pound freshman as his starter.
``Beverly runs well and he has happy feet. I like to see that in a quarterback,'' Stepney said. ``He has self confidence, but he's a little behind, but he's learning the system.''
``It doesn't bother me,'' Beverly said. ``I'm just going to have to work that much harder and work my way up to that position.''
All the Bookers lack are a few big, ``really big'' guys on the line.
``If we had maybe three or four or even five more linemen, big folks, really big players,'' Stepney said. ``I'd go out on a limb and say we'd pretty much be contenders to win the district.
``Everybody in the district has something somebody else doesn't have.''
To compensate Stepney and his coaching staff are working to make their strengths even stronger, keeping their linemen in the weight room and stressing team unity.
``The main thing we wanted to stress was team togetherness, respect, self-confidence and a winning attitude,'' Stepney said. ``That togetherness helps them look out for one another. We don't want to limit that attitude to football. We want them to carry a winning attitude into life.
``And we are keeping our big guys in the weight room.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Mike Basnight
215-pound running back
Kevin Fuller
Could challenge QB Beverly
Demetrius Whitehurst
210-pound linebacker returns
Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Mike Beverly was the All Prep League quarterback and safety last
year at Norfolk Academy. ``Beverly runs well and he has happy feet.
I like to see that in a quarterback,'' coach Larry Stepney said.
by CNB