THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410120178
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOHN GORDON SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 154 lines
IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER Bay Rivers game of the year coming up Friday when another pair of state-ranked unbeatens - Southampton and York - battle for the undisputed league lead.
Coach Littleton Parker's Southampton Indians had to come from behind in beating previously undefeated Nansemond River, 19-7, in Suffolk last Friday. Meanwhile, York manhandled Franklin, 45-13, to keep its record unblemished in five outings.
Southampton is ranked fourth in the state Group AA poll, with three first place ballots, while York is rated fifth.
Although the game is at York, the Indians have proven they can win on the road as well as at home.
Once again, both Nansemond River and Lakeland are at home on the same night. Lakeland plays host to the winless Smithfield Packers, and Nansemond River's Warriors, which dropped to seventh in the state poll, will take on Poquoson at Arrowhead Stadium.
Windsor will have its homecoming and first Tri-Rivers District game against Charles City.
Southampton Academy also will celebrate homecoming as the Raiders face Wilson. Isle of Wight Academy, flush with a victory over Tidewater Academy, is at home against Fuqua School.
Two area schools play Saturday afternoon games as Franklin goes on the road against Bruton and Nansemond-Suffolk Academy visits Norfolk Academy. Nansemond-Suffolk vs. Norfolk Academy
Date: Oct. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Arrowhead Stadium
Records: Nansemond River (4-1, 1-1); Poquoson (1-4, 0-2)
Last year's result: Nansemond River won, 15-6.
Outlook: Coach Jerry Varacallo's Warriors can't let their loss to Southampton keep them down. If York should upset Southampton, Nansemond River could be back in the hunt, especially since the Falcons will battle the Warriors in two weeks.
However, Nansemond River can't be caught looking ahead either because Poquoson gave Lakeland a scare before succumbing, 20-15, last Friday. The Warriors blanked Lakeland, 16-0, but that was the season opener for both teams, and it didn't count in the district standings.
The Islanders' lone win is a paper victory - a forfeit over Nansemond-Suffolk Academy that wiped out a 19-14 loss. But coach Don Ward's charges are showing improvement with every game. Lakeland vs. Smithfield
Date: Oct. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Cavalier Park
Records: Lakeland (2-3, 1-1); Smithfield (0-5, 0-2)
Last year's result: Smithfield won, 36-22.
Outlook: Coach Ed Smither's Cavaliers must win the next three games to guarantee a break-even season because the last two games - York and Nansemond River - look ominous.
Granted Lakeland trimmed Poquoson, but the Cavaliers were trailing, 7-6, before Lindell Hunter returned the second half kickoff 85 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Hunter then put the proverbial icing on the cake with a 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
Smithfield, meanwhile, got its offense on track and scored more points against Bruton (28) than it had all season (20). The Packers still lost, 35-28, as the Panthers rang up more points than anyone else has mustered against Smithfield. Franklin vs. Bruton
Date: Oct. 15
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Site: Bruton's Bailey Field
Records: Franklin (1-4, 0-2); Bruton (3-2, 2-0).
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: Coach Kyle Neve's Panthers have been the Bay Rivers District's perennial doormat, but all of a sudden they are 2-0. And many coaches thought Franklin was going to be the darkhorse.
Bruton piled up 27 second-quarter points against Smithfield last Friday, and although the Packers rallied to take a 28-27 lead, the Panthers' Tyrone Jackson scored the winning touchdown with only two minutes remaining.
Meanwhile, Franklin was feeling the brunt of Brian Ginn's passing attack and Je'Ciskern Ramsey's running as the Broncos fell to York. Ginn threw for two TD's and ran for another while Ramsey added two more touchdowns. Southampton vs. York
Date: Oct. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: York
Records: Southampton (5-0, 2-0); York (5-0, 2-0)
Last year's result: Southampton won, 28-0.
Outlook: Coach Littleton Parker's Indians may have allowed Nansemond River to score the first points of the season against them last Friday, and they may have trailed for the first time this campaign, but their size and defense was simply too much for the host Warriors.
Southampton's defenders forced five Warrior turnovers - three interceptions and two fumbles. Offensively, it was junior fullback William Brown who provided enough punch to put Parker's charges ahead as he scored twice from the one-yard line.
Many thought York would be strictly a passing team with the likes of Brian Ginn at quarterback. But Bob Pearce's Falcons have a well-balanced attack and the game could develop into a ground battle between the district's two leading scorers - Brown and Je'Ciskern Ramsey. Windsor vs. Charles City
Date: Oct. 14 Time: 7:30 p.m. Site: Windsor High School Records: Windsor (4-1, 0-0); Charles City (0-5, 0-0) Last year's result: Windsor won, 48-0. Outlook: It will be the Tri-Rivers District opener for both teams, and it should be a victory for coach Tommy Austin's Dukes. Their only loss has come at the hands of Middlesex, and last Friday, they rolled over Mathews, 34-7. Coach Lonnie Hepburn, in his second season as coach of the Charles City Panthers, is winless in five outings. The last loss was a 42-6 disaster at Norfolk Academy as the undefeated Bulldogs scored the first five times they had the ball. Windsor's Wayne Briggs rushed for 220 yards and scored three touchdowns to help give Mathews its first loss. Dukes quarterback Jerome Ricks connected on six of eight passes for 104 yards. Nansemond-Suffolk vs. Norfolk Academy
Date: Oct. 15
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Norfolk Academy
Records: N-SA (1-5, 0-2); Norfolk Academy (4-0, 2-0)
Last year's result: Norfolk Academy won, 38-14.
Outlook: It looks grim for coach Terry Crigger's Saints who travel to Norfolk to take on the ranked Bulldogs in a Colonial Football Association contest. N-SA is coming off a narrow loss to Catholic while Norfolk Academy is fresh from a big victory over Charles City.
Lost fumbles killed the Saints' chances against Catholic. Nansemond-Suffolk had taken a 7-0 lead and was driving for another TD in the first quarter when the Saints fumbled away the ball on the 15.
Another N-SA fumble on a kickoff return set up Catholic with its winning TD late in the third quarter. Then in the fourth period, Walt Bondurant, suffering from a broken left hand, fumbled at the Crusader 23. Isle of Wight vs. Fuqua
Date: Oct. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Isle of Wight Stadium
Records: Isle of Wright (1-6); Fuqua School (5-2)
Last year's result: Did not play.
Outlook: Coach Dale Chapman's Chargers defeated Tidewater Academy at Wakefield, 34-6, for their first win of the season. Junior quarterback Richard Spady tossed three TD passes and ran for another.
Two of the touchdown passes went to senior tight end Brandon Blythe who hauled in four passes for 70 yards. Another junior, fullback Michael Rogers, rushed for 108 yards in only 16 carries.
However, IOW must win all three remaining games if the Chargers are going to improve on last season's 3-7 record. Standing in their way this week, though, are coach Lewis Fore's Falcons from Farmville who have lost only to Broadwater Academy, 24-22, and Brunswick Academy, 12-8. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Southampton receiver Raymond Brown stretches for the ball while
Nansemond River defender Donald Turner tries to keep him from
reaching it in the Bay Rivers District clash Friday night.
Southampton won the battle of the undefeated, 19-7.
by CNB