THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410190178
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
You probably can't name their starting quarterback, and their won/lost record doesn't evoke the same kind of pride - or misery - as their older siblings'.
Even though they toil in relative obscurity, junior varsity football teams in Chesapeake play the game just as hard as their varsity relatives. They don't get half as much glory, but the stakes, at least for the players and coaches, are the same.
Consider the junior varsity the training ground for future all-stars. It's like the minor leagues - players learn the intricacies of the game, hone their skills, and develop a team concept.
The junior varsity season is winding down, and two teams have remained undefeated - Oscar Smith and Western Branch. Both schools have easy games this week, then meet in a winner-take-all showdown for local bragging rights in the last game of the season.
OSCAR SMITH head coach Andy Overton and his crew are losing their hair over the Tigers' play this season. Literally.
Overton promised his players that if they won their first two games, they could shave Overton's head. Victories over Indian River (8-6) and Great Bridge (48-12) ensured that Overton's head would meet with the clippers.
Then, defensive coach Joe Kennedy went out on a limb and offered his hair in exchange for two more wins. The players responded with decisions over Wilson (28-0) and Churchland (20-16).
Now it's offensive coach Todd Nelson's turn. With a 24-22 win over Deep Creek already in the bag, should Oscar Smith defeat Norcom on Thursday, Nelson will be joining the ranks of Mr. Clean lookalikes.
``We don't have a lot of plays, but we seem to run them well. The kids have hung in there together,'' said Overton.
Sophomore Lavar Griffin has moved over to quarterback this year from his wide receiver position and adapted well, passing for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' win over Deep Creek.
Freshman tailback Jonah Gassaway leads the team in scoring, with Lavaughan Rice and Latron Cox also getting a share of the carries.
Defensively, Steve McKinney, William Cox, Antwoine McNair and Keyshaun Foote have been standouts.
WESTERN BRANCH, under the direction of Mike Donovan, has outscored opponents 147-50 in compiling a 5-0 record.
The Bruins haven't trailed a team all season, and after winning a difficult season opener, 20-12, over Deep Creek, the ``rest have been won pretty handily,'' according to Donovan.
Sophomore quarterback Jared Judy leads the offense, handing off to Jason Parker and a trio of freshmen - Rashad Cook, Omar Hurdle and Bryant Clemmons.
After winning only two games last season, the Bruins are off to the races in 1994. If Western Branch can get past Wilson on Thursday, it could set up a showdown of the unbeatens when the Bruins host Oscar Smith to wrap up the season.
Over at DEEP CREEK, first-year head coach Perez Gatling has the Hornets above .500 with a 3-2 mark. Their two losses have been to the district unbeatens.
``Against Western Branch, we were plagued with penalties . . . errors of youth,'' said Gatling, who has only eight sophomores on his team. ``Oscar Smith just flat-out beat us.''
Running back Terray Frost has gained more than 500 yards on the ground and leads the team in both rushing and scoring. He's joined in the backfield by fellow sophomore Terrance Mack. Freshman wide receiver Will Raynor leads Deep Creek in receptions.
Defensively, Brian Hatfield and Thomas Egley have provided leadership for freshman linebackers James Green and Tevann Taylor.
At 2-3, it's an off year for Great Bridge. The Wildcats have won easily over Wilson (25-8) and Norcom (20-8), but they haven't put up much of a fight in losses to Oscar Smith, Deep Creek and Western Branch.
``I'm very happy with the effort that we're getting from the kids,'' said head coach Mike Steele. ``Usually, you wouldn't find Great Bridge with three losses, but we have all ninth-graders this year, and they've had to learn an entirely new system.''
Halfback Rob Cornelius leads the team in rushing, taking the handoff from quarterback Chemonz Olds. Shawn Wright and Bobby Blunt anchor the defense.
``We knew we had good kids coming out, we just didn't know what we could expect of them,'' said Steele. ``This season has been a little different - usually we're fighting for the top, but right now we're kind of lounging around in the middle.''
INDIAN RIVER had the bad luck to open the year with Oscar Smith and lost, 8-6. Had the Braves pulled out a win, head coach Tim Wolf thinks the season might have played out differently.
``If we could have won that game, I think we could have rolled a little,'' said Wolf, in his first year as junior varsity coach.
After four straight losses to open the season, Wolf shook up his starting lineup and moved Kevin Chambly into the starting quarterback role. Indian River responded with a 26-16 win over Norcom.
``We just needed something done differently,'' said Wolf. ``Kevin is much more of a throwing quarterback - now I can pass on first, second or third down and have confidence the ball will get there.''
Freshman tailback Rashed Johnson leads the Braves in rushing and scoring, and 6-4 freshman wideout David Blount has the most receptions.
Freshman linebacker Timothy Vaughn leads in tackles, and two-way player Marty Page (offensive tackle/defensive end) provides leadership on the field. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Latron Cox, Jonathan Stevenson and quarterback Lavar Griffin
practice at Oscar Smith High School. The Tigers' junior varsity
squad is 5-0.
by CNB