THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 3, 1994 TAG: 9409030636
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Deon Dyer won the running-back battle against Michael Basnight, but Deep Creek needed an opportunistic defense and a big break in the closing seconds to win the war against Booker T. Washington.
Dyer ran for 165 yards and the game-winning touchdown as the third-ranked Hornets held off the 10th-ranked Bookers, 13-12, Friday at Deep Creek.
Dyer's 5-yard scoring run late in the third quarter gave the Hornets (1-0) their one-point advantage. The Hornets then got fourth-quarter, goal-line interceptions from Diron Cowell and Darryl Huskey to thwart Bookers' scoring drives.
But the Hornets still almost let the game get away. Deep Creek had the ball with seven seconds remaining and, the Bookers out of timeouts, needed only to down the ball to end the game. But quarterback Arnie Powell mishandled the snap and Booker T. Washington recovered at the Hornets' 28 with three seconds left.
Basnight came on to try a 45-yard field goal, but time expired before the snap. Booker T. Washington coaches protested, claiming an official walked between the Bookers' center and the holder just as the ball was to be snapped.
But the official disagreed, picked up the ball and ran off the field.
``Believe it or not, (Basnight) would have made that,'' Booker T. Washington coach Larry Stepney said. ``He makes 'em all the time in practice.''
The loss continued a frustrating trend for the Bookers (0-1), who lost three games by one point last season.
``We simply have to learn to take advantage of every opportunity,'' Stepney said.
Basnight made the most of his opportunities, however. The senior transfer from North Carolina gained 147 yards on 16 carries and scored both Booker T. Washington touchdowns.
His second score came on a dazzling, broken-field, 75-yard run to end the first half.
``Basnight was just exceptional tonight,'' Booker T. Washington coach Larry Stepney said. ``And he's going to get a lot better.''
Even Dyer tipped his hat to the Bookers' 208-pound tailback.
``He's strong, a very motivated runner,'' Dyer said. ``He doesn't quit.''
Ultimately, however, Deep Creek stopped Basnight by keeping him off the field. After seeing their first-half efforts to run wide thwarted by the speed of Booker T. Washington's defenders, the Hornets spent the second half stuffing the 230-pound Dyer down the Bookers' throats and ate up several minutes on each drive. Dyer carried the ball 18 times for 120 yards in the second half alone.
Basnight, meanwhile, had just eight second-half carries and only four before the Bookers' final drive.
Basnight's first score came on a 19-yard pass from Michael Beverly in the first quarter, but his extra-point attempt missed wide left.
The Hornets answered in the second quarter on a 45-yard scoring pass from Powell to Kendall Watson. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by Ian Martin
Deep Creek's Arnie Powell dives into Booker T. Washington
defenders.
by CNB