Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 2, 1993 TAG: 9308310328
SECTION: NEW RIVER VALLEY PREP FOOTBALL PAGE: PF-18 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NARROWS LENGTH: Medium
For it is Turner, a receiver who worked hard to parlay average physical skills into an all-district season a year ago, who personifies this year's Green Wave, a raw assortment of tough-minded head-butters not exactly brimming with overwhelming talent.
If a sixth straight Region C appearance could be in the offing for the Green Wave, which lost a bushel of talent from last year's 7-5 regional finalists, it will come as a result of some unheralded guys stepping forward.
Coach Don Lowe's second year at the helm finds him in charge of a squad that is relatively inexperienced on defense and pretty solid on the offensive front. It also is a team that knows about the playoff success of its predecessors.
"In the back of your mind, you hope" that the players will live up to established tradition, said Lowe. "But this team is unproven, untested."
And understated. And, perhaps, overachieving.
"I think we'll have a good football team even though we lost some good players," said Turner. "I think we're expected to keep the tradition going. We're young, but all of our underclassmen are very hard-working."
That's because they've probably watched Turner, a 6-0, 155-pounder (he added 10 pounds in the off-season) who believes he was picked as a first-team All-Mountain Empire split end last season because of his blocking talents. Honest.
"It wasn't my catching ability," said Turner, who caught 12 passes last season for 160 yards. "It was my blocking ability. I didn't have that many [receiving] yards. We run the ball more than we pass it, so I have to do a lot of blocking."
He'll be called on to do more of the same this year, what with the hard-charging Blankenship - with 1,057 yards and 17 touchdowns in 1992 - in the backfield.
Expect Turner to see more footballs flying his way, as well. White, a senior who completed 36 of 77 passes for 587 yards a year ago, should be an even better passer this fall.
"I think we'll go with the run more than the pass," said Turner, "but we can throw it."
If it works, the Green Wave passing game could disrupt opposing defenses, which almost assuredly will be keying on Blankenship, perhaps the best runner in a district stuffed with terrific running backs.
Blankenship, who isn't expected to be slowed by a shoulder injury he suffered while playing baseball in the U.S. Olympic Festival, and backfield chum Chad Fleeman provided Narrows more than 2,000 rushing yards last year. Now that Fleeman has graduated, one wonders: Is the Green Wave backfield half full or half empty? At least it has a great halfback.
"Maybe I'm not that smart," Lowe said in fluent coachspeak, "but if you have two thousand-yard rushers and you lose one, then you're missing a thousand yards.
"Everybody knows about Whitey. He's a very nice player to have, [and] we feel we're fortunate to have him, but no one can get through [the district race] with just one player."
That's where those aforementioned unheralded chaps come in. Jarrett Rhodes will switch from guard to center to anchor a fine offensive line that features some good young players such as junior tackle Jason Buckland, junior guard Brian Ballard and returning seniors Shannon Harman and Aaron Wall at left guard and left tackle, respectively.
The defense was probably hardest hit by graduation, especially up front. The secondary should be outstanding, with defensive backs Blankenship, White, Justin Rhodes and Brett Mosley coming back.
If the defense comes together, and if the offense stays healthy ("Depth, we have none," said Lowe), then the Green Wave faithful had better not start making any mid-November plans. They'll be watching playoff games then.
"We believe we've established quite a winning tradition here," said Lowe.
by CNB