THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408240147
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: S09 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Football Special '94
SOURCE: BY JOHN GORDON, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
None of the three Bay Rivers District teams on the Peninsula will win the district crown - it says here in small print - but they could cast some big votes in determining who does.
York, with 12 returning starters on offense and defense and a coach who has been around for a while, could split the south-of-the-James vote before November's election time. Poquoson lost 22 seniors and its head coach. And Bruton is still rebuilding after finally stopping the state's longest losing streak last season.
A brief look at the three schools:
This is the fifth year of Bob Pearce's second tour at York. He was at the Yorktown school from 1977 through 1981, serving as head coach the last season, before going to Poquoson.
Last year, the Falcons were 4-6 overall and 3-5 in the district, but Pearce is putting in the Wing-T offense this season to take advantage of his blue-chip quarterback, Brian Ginn.
Reportedly the best passer in Virginia, Ginn should eclipse the 4,000-yard mark this season. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior carries a 3.0 grade-point average.
Two juniors - Joe Johnson and Jecisken Ramsey - return at running back, and senior tight end/wide receiver Jody Kelly snagged 48 receptions last season.
Key linemen include center Derek Barlow, along with tackles Austin Moon and Mike Balthazrr.
Don Ward does not work in the school system but has been working with the Poquoson football team for 13 years. So when John Cerminara resigned last May, officials asked Ward to take the head job, and he did.
He lost 22 seniors but has 18 lettermen coming back, including seven starters - all of whom play both ways.
Key to the Islanders' success will be senior fullback Mike Chavin and junior tailback Ron Bottoms. Although Bottoms had to leave the team midway through the 1993 season because of his father's death and his own physical problems, he still led the team in rushing.
Other top returnees include senior split end Forrest Holloway, who had a knee injury last year, senior tackles Richard Bennett and John Roberts and senior guard Travis Morris.
However, Ward has changed the offense from the I formation to the Wing-T because he said the Islanders don't have the necessary big linemen to run the I. The defense will remain a stacked four, or 4-4.
Kyle Neve, who was head coach at Surry two years ago, is in his second season at the Bay Rivers' perennial doormat, Bruton. When the Panthers beat Class A Rappahannock in the third game of last season, it halted Virginia's longest losing streak at 25.
Bruton went on to lose its next seven games to finish 1-9, but Neve (pronounced Knave) said he sees some light at the end of the tunnel. He just hopes it's not the 3:10 to Norfolk.
It's still a rebuilding situation in Williamsburg, but this should be a better year. The Panthers will be stronger at linebacker and running back, but they need to fill some holes in the offensive and defensive lines.
Key returnees include senior fullback/linebacker Tyrone Jackson, senior guard/linebacker Darius Parker, junior quarterback Keith Campbell and senior tackle Mike Cross.
Other top personnel are senior linebacker Joe Brooks, sophomore flanker/cornerback Tony James and sophomore tailback Jermaine Burke. by CNB