THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 4, 1994 TAG: 9410040559
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Kellam football coach Chris Worst has become the target of a harrassment campaign that is apparently designed to drive him from his job.
Kellam has lost 19 consecutive games dating back to 1992 and is 0-14 since Worst took over last season.
Worst said he has received unsigned hate mail and had ``For Sale'' signs placed in his yard.
``It's been going on strong since the Salem game,'' Worst said of the 39-0 loss three weeks ago. ``It's not fair. We're doing the best we can with the kids we have. For somebody to resort to this when they obviously don't understand the problems, I just can't believe somebody would do this kind of thing.
``But I guess it comes with the territory.''
One letter writer stated he was ``ashamed my kid has to play for a guy like you,'' leaving Worst to think the only thing he could: A parent of one of his players is spearheading the campaign.
``We are a team and I have shared the letters with the team,'' Worst said. ``I want them to know that as coaches, we walk the halls just like they do and we're getting the same type stuff.''
CRABBING AT HIGH TIDE: It's been four years since Hampton won an Eastern Region title and six years since the once mighty Crabbers won a state title.
But the Crabbers look like they are ready to rebound from what, for them, have been sub-par seasons. And they have a freshman quarterback showing them the way.
Ronald Curry, a 6-foot-3, 186-pounder, has been Mr. Everything for the Crabbers thus far. Before the Crabbers' thrilling 29-28 victory over Tabb last week, Curry was already being compared to former state player of the year Allen Iverson, now at Georgetown.
Like Iverson, Curry excels at both football and basketball. But he's starring in football at an earlier point in his career than even Iverson did.
Curry ran for two touchdowns and an all-important two-point conversion in the victory over Tabb, which improved Hampton's record to 5-0. He also completed 9-of-18 passes for 115 yards and connected on a two-point conversion pass.
In five games, Curry has run for 340 yards and six touchdowns while passing for 671 yards and five touchdowns. He's been intercepted three times.
RECORD-SETTING: Booker T. Washington's 40-0 victory over Bayside the week before last was the Bookers' largest margin of victory since at least 1969, the first year for which The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star has game-by-game statistics.
It was also only the third time the Bookers scored 40 points in a game during that 26-year stretch, the others being a 40-14 victory over Bayside in 1985 and a 40-14 victory over Manor in 1980.
The Bookers' three-game winning streak matches the second-longest since 1969 and their longest came in 1984 when the Bookers won five straight and were unbeaten in eight straight games. Buffalo Bills' defensive end Bruce Smith starred on that team.
Matching those streaks could be tough. The Bookers' streak could reach four with a victory over Granby this week, then a date with defending state Division 5 champion Norcom at Chittum Field awaits.
MILESTONES: Western Branch senior Dre Bly needs 54 yards rushing Friday against Wilson to reach 1,000 yards rushing for his career. But more importantly, Bly is a two-way threat. He's caught 35 passes for 774 yards and a combination of 280 yards rushing and receiving will put him over the 2,000 mark combined for his career. . . . Princess Anne junior Mike Majette needs 40 yards rushing against Green Run to reach the 2,000 yard mark for career rushing . . . Green Run junior Plaxico Burress needs 51 yards receiving to reach 1,000 yards receiving for his career. MEMO: Staff writer Lee Tolliver contributed to this report. by CNB