THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 14, 1994 TAG: 9409140601
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
From the opening drive of Great Bridge's 33-18 upset of Kempsville last Friday, it was apparent that Wildcats running back Corey Holley was going to have a good night.
Holley carried the ball on 10 of the first 12 plays for 63 yards and a 2-yard touchdown leap. He finished the night with five touchdowns and 237 yards rushing, earning himself The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star boys Athlete of the Week honors.
True to his unassuming nature, Holley quickly tried to deflect credit for his performance to his teammates.
``My line was blocking real well,'' said Holley, a junior. ``I could basically pick my holes because they were wide open.''
Holley also scored touchdowns on the Wildcats' second and third possessions. His 3-and 4-yard runs gave Great Bridge a 20-0 halftime lead.
``It's not unusual to see Corey in a situation where he's scoring a lot or running well,'' said Great Bridge running backs coach Doug Picott.
``He certainly has the potential to have great nights all the time, because he's got all the tools - speed, agility, and good field awareness.''
``He came ready to play ball . . . but then again he's been ready all season,'' said Wildcats head coach Phil Webb. ``It goes to show that we have more than one back.''
Holley, who also starts in the defensive secondary, got the bulk of the carries because senior Monte Gorum, Great Bridge's leading returning rusher, was out with an ankle injury.
Kempsville controlled the ball for most of the third quarter and scored twice to cut the lead to 20-12. Then Holley, who had just three carries for 11 yards that period, took the game into his own hands.
On Great Bridge's first possession of the fourth quarter, Holley raced 76 yards to the 1. He scored his fourth touchdown on the next play, diving over the pile into the end zone.
``I knew we needed a big play,'' Holley said. ``I just ran behind the line until I saw an opening and made my cutback.''
Holley's fifth touchdown, a 21-yard run, came with 4:45 left to play and put the game out of reach. After a holding penalty left Great Bridge with a long first-and-goal, Holley took the ball and swept right, then cut back and then barreled into the end zone.
``Corey's quiet, and he doesn't say a lot, but he leads by example,'' Webb said. ``He just figured out what worked and stayed with it.'' by CNB