DATE: Tuesday, September 30, 1997           TAG: 9709300442
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ROBIN BRINKLEY

LENGTH: 78 lines

FOOTBALL REPORT Rare back-to-back losses heap trouble upon Indian River

What's wrong with Indian River?

South Hampton Roads' most successful football team in the '90s, with three region championships and one state title, has lost back-to-back games for the first time since 1992.

The Braves' disappointment over losing to Booker T. Washington two weeks ago became shock Friday when Nansemond River upset them 7-0. The Warriors, 2-12 since joining Group AAA, were embarrassed 63-0 by Indian River last year.

``We're in trouble,'' Braves coach Bob Parker says. ``If that team can beat you, anybody can.''

Most of the Braves' woes center around an offense that has scored only one touchdown in the past two weeks. Injuries have played a role; the Braves were without wideout David Blount and guard Nick Capolarello last week.

``We built our passing game around Blount,'' Parker says. ``With him in there I know we'd have won Friday night.''

Blount, who has a pulled hamstring, caught 10 passes, four for TDs, in the Braves' first two games. But he played little two weeks ago and not at all Friday.

Turnovers and penalties also have hurt. The Braves have committed 15 turnovers and had a touchdown called back against Nansemond River.

Nansemond River also uncovered an Indian River weakness when it caught Braves' running backs Deshone Nichols and Rashed Johnson from behind.

``We don't have the blazing speed we've had in the past,'' Parker says.

Others are struggling, too:

Kempsville, which has made three straight trips to the playoffs, is 1-3 and in last place in the Beach District.

Big plays have hurt the Chiefs, including a kickoff return and a punt return for TDs last week against Bayside. But the biggest blow was losing two-way starter Justin Sayko for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

``It took five guys to replace Justin on offense, defense and special teams,'' coach John Bowles says. ``He was an average player last year who had worked hard and had a chance to be a superstar.''

Hickory is the area's only winless Group AAA team at 0-4 and has been outscored 154-30. One culprit has been the schedule.

The Hawks' first four opponents - No. 1 Western Branch, No. 2 Norcom, Lake Taylor and Ocean Lakes - are a combined 13-3 and this week the Hawks play host to No. 6 Deep Creek.

Norcom knows Anderson is who to call to do it all

When TaRon Anderson transferred last year to Norcom from Tallwood he was greeted with great fanfare. Anderson had rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his first two seasons and figured to put up more huge numbers for the Greyhounds.

Anderson hasn't been as productive rushing for Norcom, but he might be the best all-around player in South Hampton Roads.

He leads Norcom's ground game with 282 yards and three TDs, in scoring with 30 points, is tied for first in receiving with seven catches for 89 yards and two TDs, completed his only pass attempt for a TD, leads the area in punting at 38.4 yards per kick and starts at linebacker on the area's co-leader in scoring defense.Bruins' tactics in blowout Bruins' tactics in blowout make Hickory coach bristle

Hickory coach Joey Habit says he was disappointed in Western Branch coach Lew Johnston for repeatedly trying to get the ball to wideout Emmett Johnson late in the Bruins' 54-10 blowout and for calling a timeout to put his defensive starters back in.

``Mike Smith does it at Hampton so I guess everybody else feels they need to do it, too,'' Habit said of running up the score.

Said Johnston: ``Ask him about a junior varsity game about six years ago.''

By the way, Habit says he likes Johnston and hopes the top-ranked Bruins win lots of games.

On a different note, Johnston says that Johnson and halfback Keith Burnell took unofficial recruiting visits to North Carolina last weekend after checking out Duke earlier. Burnell has 1,868 career rushing yards and needs 261 to pass Rick Corey as the Bruins' all-time leader.

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