THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410150095
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: John Gordon
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
It was as if a cold front had moved across Suffolk from west to east last Tuesday evening.
The front arrived at Lakeland High, first dumping torrents of turnovers that allowed Nansemond River to build up a 23-10 lead in a Bay Rivers District girls basketball game.
When it hit Nansemond River, it snowed.
Host Lakeland warmed up, rallied from a 13-point deficit and trailed by only four at halftime. Then the Cavaliers blanked the Warriors in the third quarter.
By the time the front had passed, the Cavaliers had stomped out a 46-33 victory.
Stephanie Odom, in her first year as head coach at Lakeland, called the front ``defense.''
``We have a motto,'' she said. ``Contest every shot.''
Even the shots the Cavs couldn't contest - those from the free throw line - wouldn't fall for Nansemond River. The Warriors were three for 11 from the charity stripe.
The turning point came in the second quarter when Lakeland began to rally. In the third period, the Cavaliers went on an 11-0 spree including Mary Debranski's field goal that put the hosts ahead to stay, 27-25 with 5:06 left.
POLSON NAMED MVP: Alan Polson was named most valuable player as his Rainey's Rangers captured the annual Peanut Fest softball tournament last week.
The Rangers, a Suffolk team, edged the USS Mississippi club from Norfolk, 10-8, in the tourney finals. Rainey's gained the finals by defeating Village Drugs, 12-6, and the Mississippi team nipped Tidewater Anesthesia, 8-6.
Tidewater Anesthesia took third and Village Drugs finished fourth in the tourney.
In games leading up to the playoffs, Rainey's beat Village Drugs, 10-5, nudged Tidewater Anesthesia, 9-8, and got by the USS Kearsarge, 5-4, but lost to the Mississippi, 13-3. The Mississippi also tipped the Kearsarge, 4-3, and trimmed Tidewater Anesthesia, 10-3, but fell to Village Drugs, 8-7.
Tidewater Anesthesia took a 4-3 win over the Kearsarge, but lost to Village Drugs, 8-7. The Kearsarge also whipped Village Drugs, 10-2.
Suffolk Land and Timber's slow pitch team ran the tournament, and coach Jerry Clark said the event was a major success.
Clark's club came in 38th out of 184 teams in the recent Class D World Series at Rock Hill, S.C. The coach said he thought it was a good finish considering it was the first time the local team had participated in the event.
CHOWAN REPORT: Two former area football stars are playing for Chowan College in Murfreesboro, N.C., and getting in some playing time although they are only freshmen.
Jeff Davis, a 5-11, 262-pound offensive guard out of Smithfield High, was a starter in the Braves' second game, but has been sidelined with an injured knee. Greg Zephir, a 5-10, 190-pound running back from Windsor, has 12 yards in four carries for Chowan, now 1-5. He has a pass reception for 8 yards.
HOMECOMING COMMITTEE NAMED: Ginger West Owen has been named chairman of the Suffolk Tennis Association's 40th homecoming celebration scheduled for Nov. 5.
Frances ``Hutchie'' West, who conducted the first tennis clinic here, is the honorary chairman.
Other members of the committee include Trudy Horton Cuthrell, Bill Peachy, Harry Cross, Jan Grover, Scherri Johnson, Patsy Mitchell Barnes, Pam Huber, Thomesine Ellis Draper, Suzie Slack, Sherry West Sackett, Dottie and David Holland, Charles Rice, Joan Scott, Bobby Morgan, Barbara Kayes and Howard Mast.
The homecoming program will begin at Lake Meade Landing's tennis complex at 10 a.m. with selected matchups. The STA's annual meeting and awards banquet will be at the Suffolk Shrine Club.
All local players, STA members and the public are invited. For more information, Call Mast at 683-2393 (work) or 539-3723 (home). by CNB