THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408250143
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: S06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Football Special '94
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Ask head coach Ed Smither if running backs Reginald Wiggins and Dwayne Wiggins are related, and he'll start chuckling.
``Nope, no relation,'' Smither said.
How the Wiggins duo performs, however, will be very relative to Lakeland High's success this season.
The Cavaliers see themselves as title contenders in the Bay Rivers District and if they are to win it all they will need big seasons out of Reginald, a junior who ran for more than 1,000 yards last year, and Dwayne, a senior fullback who also plays middle linebacker.
``Reginald's got breakaway speed,'' Smith said. ``He had five runs of 50 yards or better last year.''
Smither rotated his star tailback a year ago with Antoine Riddick and felt Wiggins prospered at the end of the season by not being as banged up at the beginning.
``Reginald ran for over 100 yards in each of the last six games and part of that was because he was still fresh,'' Smither said.
Smither is toying with the idea of alternating Wiggins again, with good reason. The risk of bumps and bruises in the opening two weeks of the season are great as the Cavaliers open by hosting Nansemond River in a non-district game and follow that with a date with Lunenburg Central.
Both made it to the state finals of their respective divisions a year ago.
But if he platoons Reginald Wiggins early this season, it will be with junior Lindell Hunter this time. Riddick is penciled in at a tight end position.
Also operating in the backfield will be quarterback Jessie Bradshaw.
``He's got real potential and played on the JV last year,'' Smither said. ``Our backup QB (junior Calvin Maddrey) can throw but has never played football before.''
As has been the case with all Smither-coached teams, the Cavaliers will run the ball rather than throw it.
``In each of my 10 years, I've been blessed with good runners,'' Smither said. ``I've had a thousand-yard runner almost every year.''
Opening the holes for Wiggins should be a combination of Whitley Cisco, James Temple, Nathan Carr, Jamie Groves, Darius Bryant and Matthew Schenk. Carr, however, was to undergo an MRI for a lower back injury and his status is questionable.
Defensively, the Cavaliers will rotate those five or six linemen between three down-line positions in hopes of keeping them fresh.
``We've got 12 to 15 really good football players, but a lot of them are going to have to play two ways,'' Smither said. ``We could be very good if we don't get hurt, but we could have some tough second halves if we get tired.''
Clyde Edmond and Jonathan Thompson are penciled in at defensive end positions with Dwayne Myrick, Dwayne Wiggins and Schenk at the linebackers spots.
The defensive secondary should be composed of Reginald Wiggins, Monolito Johnson and Hunter.
Smither-coached teams have been in the playoffs seven of the last eight years, and the prospects improved when perennial Group AA power Tabb moved up to the Group AAA Peninsula District this season.
``I'd never beaten them,'' Smither said. ``We'd played some close, tough games but had never come out on top. A lot of the time that starts to affect your kids and they wonder if they can ever beat a team like that. A lot of the times people in this league conceded to Tabb and played for second place, and we had some real battles for second place.
``Now that battle will be for first.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Lakeland will need big seasons from fullback Dwayne Wiggins, left,
and tailback Reginald Wiggins. Last year, Reginald rushed for more
than 1,000 yards.
by CNB