THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409150154
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOHN GORDON, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 137 lines
BOTH LAKELAND AND Nansemond River are at home Friday, but Nansemond-Suffolk Academy travels to Gates County, N.C., for its football game.
Franklin plays host to Windsor, Southampton High will battle Greensville at home and Southampton Academy entertains Parrott, but Isle of Wight Academy is on the road against Huguenot Academy.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
THE RIVER vs. BRUNSWICK Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Nansemond River's Arrowhead Stadium
Records: Nansemond River (1-0); Brunswick (1-2).
Last year's result: Nansemond River blanked Brunswick, 19-0
Outlook: This game should be a better test of how far the Warriors are going in the Bay Rivers District. Although this will be a non-district contest, Brunswick was shut out by Southampton last week, 28-0, while Nansemond River stopped Lakeland, 16-0.
If Clarence Skinner doesn't get the big head after his big game against Lakeland, coach Jerry Varacallo's charges should win handily. Although they are only sophomores, Skinner and running back Dejuan Gambrell saw a lot of action as freshmen last season.
Varacallo was pleased with Skinner's running, especially since he was coming off a tender ankle, but the coach was not enthusiastic about last week's victory because of penalties and other rookie mistakes.
``It was sloppy and it was ugly, but it was a win,'' he said. ``We expected a lot of mistakes in the first game, but this was too much.
``We lost a lot of yardage on penalties. Rookie mistakes are going to happen and we have to look at them as things that are going to happen in the first game.
``The penalties happened at key moments. And those dead ball fouls? That's not supposed to happen.''
Warrior quarterback Leon Porter was intercepted three times, but still completed four others, one for a touchdown. Varacallo chalked up the interceptions to ``first gameitis.''
``The wrong play was called in the huddle on one interception,'' he said. ``Then we threw into coverage twice on the other two.''
Varacallo was pleased with Nansemond River's defense, but was concerned that the offense didn't score more. After Porter's touchdown pass to Donald Turner 1:21 into the game, the Warriors didn't tally again until late in the fourth quarter.
``We let them (Lakeland) hang around too long,'' he said.
LUNENBURG vs. LAKELAND
Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Cavalier Park
Records: Lakeland (0-1); Lunenburg (1-0) Last year's result: Did not play.
Outlook: This is a rebuilding year for the visiting Chargers, a perennial Group A powerhouse, according to coach Chippie Chappell. They are replacing 20 starters from last season when they were runners-up for the state championship. Only an offensive guard and a defensive tackle return.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that the last time Chappell had to rebuild was in 1986, and Lunenburg went on to win two state crowns in a row, tying one game out of 28.
And judging from last week's opener against Park View of South Hill, not much has been lost in the translation. Lunenburg survived, 34-0.
For obvious reasons, no one in Group A wants to play Lunenburg unless they have to, but fortunately the Victoria school sits in the middle of a Group AA district. And while the Chargers are not ready for AAA competition, all of their non-district games are against AA squads.
Trouble is it is becoming tougher to find AA teams that will take on this dynasty, and Lunenburg will pack up some 45 players and ride 105 miles down here to face Lakeland.
Chappell usually carries 33 on the varsity, but he is bringing some of his 34 jayvees. He had a little better turnout this season because in recent years, only 55 to 60 have come out for football.
FRANKLIN vs. WINDSOR
Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Armory Field
Records: Franklin (1-1); Windsor (1-0)
Last year's result: Windsor won, 30-13
Outlook: This is an interesting matchup primarily because Broncos coach Joe Jones shifted from Windsor this summer and his new charges will be battling some players that he used to coach. And it is another Group AA team facing a Group A school. Technically, Franklin is Group A size, but petitioned for the right to play in the Group AA Bay Rivers District, leaving Franklin's old Tidewater District rival, Windsor, behind.
After losing their opener at Northampton, 24-6, the Broncos bounced back and nipped Greensville County, 14-9, in overtime as quarterback Mike Williams connected with Clay Council on a 15-yard touchdown pass, and then ran for a two-point conversion.
The visiting Dukes, who opened the campaign with a 26-12 victory at Cumberland, were idle last week.
SOUTHAMPTON vs. GREENSVILLE
Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Southampton High
Records: Southampton (1-0); Greensville County (1-1)
Last year's result: Southampton won, 18-14
Outlook: Coach Littleton Parker's Indians opened with a 28-0 shutout over Brunswick, and should have good success against Greensville County, which fell to Franklin, 14-9, in overtime.
As expected, junior fullback William Brown rushed for two touchdowns and gained 91 yards in 21 carries to lead Southampton.
NANSEMOND-SUFFOLK vs. GATES COUNTY Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Gates County High athletic field
Records: Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (1-1), Gates County (0-3)
Last year's result: Gates County won, 18-14
Outlook: Coach Terry Crigger's Saints will be looking for revenge again this week when they travel to Gatesville to battle Gates County High, which nipped N-SA last season.
The Saints fell in their opener at Atlantic Shores, but bounced back to Poquoson of the Group AA Bay Rivers District, 19-14, as Walt Bondurant tallied on a five-yard run with time running out.
However, don't let Gates County's winless record deceive you. It is a Class A outfit and two of those losses were to Class AA Edenton and Manteo. The other defeat was at the hands of Robbinsville, a perennial Class A powerhouse from western North Carolina.
ISLE OF WIGHT ACADEMY vs. HUGUENOT Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Huguenot Academy in Powhatan
Records: Isle of Wight (0-3); Huguenot (1-2)
Last year's result: Huguenot won 42-0.
Outlook: Although Huguenot played all of their games at 8 p.m. in the past, they have rescheduled their games to 7:30 p.m. this season.
The Rebels lost their first two games to Broadwater Academy and Benedictine, but rebounded to nip Highland Springs, 34-32, last Friday.
Coach Dale Chapman's Chargers, on the other hand, have lost to Atlantic Shores, Kenston Forest and Greenbrier Christian Academy. The Gators trimmed Isle of Wight in the battle of winless teams, 33-12, last Friday. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Lakeland running back Reginald Wiggins looks for some room against a
tough Nansemond River defense Friday night.
by CNB