THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410260177
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WHITNEY WEST, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
It's Halifax Academy vs. Isle of Wight Academy, and sprawled out on the sidelines is Isle of Wight linebacker Brett Fisher, 17, alternately wincing and grabbing his knee and begging assistant coach Mark Munford to put him back in the game.
Two weeks before, during a football game against Huguenot Academy near Richmond, Brett was taken to the hospital with a chipped bone in his knee - yet he missed only one game and started in a game two weeks after his injury.
This is not unusual for the Isle of Wight Academy varsity football team, one of the smaller high school football teams in the state. They have 24 players on the team - 16 excluding the eighth-grade boys. Only five players are seniors.
The Chargers' opponents are generally bigger teams, both in number and size. Fuqua School in Farmville has 33 players - 13 seniors and seven juniors. Broadwater Academy has 11 seniors; Chincoteague High has eight.
Greenbriar Christian Academy has 28 players with an average weight of 191. The average weight of the Chargers' players is 160.
However, the small size of the team belies its spirit and determination. The Chargers take a beating week in, week out, but every Friday night they come back determined that this time, they'll be on the giving end and not the receiving end.
Players say that being on such a small team has its advantages and disadvantages.
``You don't have tryouts,'' said senior Jeff Meitz, 17, who plays offensive and defensive tackle. ``Everybody has the chance to play a little bit.
``On the other hand, if one starting player gets hurt, it's hard to find a replacement.''
The Chargers do not have a regular kicker. Senior Andrew Gregory, 16, would have been the kicker, but he got hurt playing baseball before football season started.
Now, other players must do double-duty. Phillip Upton, 16, a linebacker, is also a placekicker. Defensive back and wide receivers Brandon Blythe, 17, and Dwayne Hall, 16, are also punters. And Richard Spady, 16, the team's only quarterback, kicks extra points and field goals.
People are always asking the Chargers why they do it.
``People don't understand why the players keep going out every Friday night and playing with as much excitement and intensity that the Chargers play with,'' Brett said. ``And until you put the pads on and get out there for yourself, then you will never understand.''
The team shares a bond, almost an unwritten law, that they will always keep their spirits up, encourage one another and work together. It's something fans can sense from the sidelines.
For instance, going into their homecoming game with a record of 0-5, the Chargers were up against an especially tough team - undefeated Broadwater Academy from the Eastern Shore. And what made this game even tougher was that Isle of Wight's junior varsity team pummeled Broadwater, 54-0, just two days before.
Broadwater was out for revenge. The Chargers hung in there - and at times even seemed to be enjoying themselves - right up to the very end when the score was 42-8.
The Chargers have some players who have been on both large and small teams.
Blythe transferred to Isle of Wight Academy at the beginning of his senior year this year. ``Being on a small team, I get more playing time than I did when I played at Windsor (High).''
In fact, most of Isle of Wight's players spend plenty of time on the field playing both offense and defense.
Brent Rose, 17, a senior running back and defensive back, said it's not too difficult to keep his spirits up while playing against larger and bigger teams.
``Size isn't everything,'' added senior linebacker J.L. Edwards, 18. ``Heart counts, too.'' MEMO: Whitney West is a junior at Isle of Wight Academy. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Isle of Wight Academy fullback Michael Rogers, left, and halfback
Brent Rose are keys in the Charger offense.
by CNB