THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409180245
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
Before Saturday night's game against Norfolk State, Fayetteville State coach Jerome Harper said he knew that Aaron Sparrow could beat his team with ``a flick of his wrist.''
Actually, it was 19 flicks of the wrist, good for a Norfolk State school-record 341 yards and a record-tying four touchdown passes.
Sparrow, the Spartans' junior quarterback, put together arguably his finest game in a Norfolk State uniform, picking Fayetteville State apart in a 42-14 win at Foreman Field.
``He looked like the old Aaron,'' receiver James Roe said.
``He was in a zone, completing everything.''
Ten of Sparrow's completions went to Roe, for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
``I just thank God that I have him to throw to,'' Sparrow said.
Spartan fans can be thankful for both of them.
Sparrow was masterful, showing why he was considered one of the nation's top high school quarterbacks while at Wilson High in Portsmouth. He completed his first seven passes, good for 142 first-quarter yards.
Then, after a dry spell in the third quarter, he struck quickly with scoring passes to Roe and Marty Conner, turning a 14-14 game into a budding rout. Sparrow finished 19-of-32 for the game.
Roe, a junior, consistently found the gaps in Fayetteville's defense, and turned short gains into long ones with elusive running after the catch.
Both benefited from an improved offensive line and a defense that shut Fayetteville out for the final three quarters.
``It's just hard work,'' coach Darnell Moore said. ``The thing we stressed in practice was to improve every day.
``We didn't want to take a step backward.''
In blowing out Fayetteville, which was 6-5 a year ago, Norfolk State (2-1) took a great leap forward.
Two weeks ago, the Spartans were beaten, 54-6, in their season opener.
``We can play better,'' Moore said. ``If we don't keep getting hurt.''
The Spartans rang up 42 points despite playing without three offensive starters and a key reserve. The latest casualty was tailback Jeff Henderson, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in practice Friday and will miss the rest of the season.
With the offense hurting, Moore decied to bring the Spartans out in a no-huddle offense.
``We wanted to shake them up early,'' he said.
They did. On the second play from scrimmage, Sparrow found Brian Rountree open over the middle for a 47-yard gain.
Five plays later, Sparrow connected with Darius Blount from five yards out to put the Spartans up, 6-0.
Fayetteville answered behind the running of tailback Clifton Davis, and the score was tied at 14 at the end of the first quarter.
But instead of an offensive shoot-out, the game took on a grind-it-out tone for the most of the next two quarters.
The Spartans broke it open in a three-minute span late in the third and early in the fourth quarter with Sparrow's touchdown passes to Roe and Conner.
Norfolk State slammed the door with 5:44 left when linebacker Andre Nixon picked off a pass and ran it 26 yards for a touchdown.
Spartan reserve tailback Gerrod Mayo scored from 10 yards out with 1:51 left. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Aaron Sparrow
JIM WALKER/Staff
Norfolk State's John Quinerly slams into Fayetteville State defender
Robert Harrington in the Spartans' victory Saturday.
by CNB