THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410260136
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
HERE, FOR YOUR consideration, are the Top 10 Reasons Deep Creek Will Beat Norcom:
10. Dependable kicking - Junior Joe Verdi has his own unconventional way of doing things. But you can't argue, because they've worked. Not only is Verdi solid on kickoffs and extra points, he also has a bionic leg - his 42-yard field goal into a crosswind against Indian River is the second-longest in South Hampton Roads this season.
9. They're the Road Warriors - The Hornets have dropped just one game on the road in the past two years, a 14-13 loss to Churchland.
8. Their linemen are quicker - And the seniors all have nifty names. Like Zollie Russell (6-0, 205), Dontrel Parker (6-0, 215), Tiernan Hughes (5-10, 230), and Marquis Hicks (6-2, 245).
7. Skyscrapers - As in sophomore quarterback Arnie Powell, who stands 6-4 and is still growing. At just 175, he's a bit of a beanpole, but that height allows him to see over the defenses for good reads. He's still making the errors of youth, but recently had his best game passing for 105 yards against Indian River.
6. Numbers don't lie - They just tend to mislead. The teams are basically equal in points for and against, but Deep Creek outgains Norcom on the ground by nearly 75 yards a game. That's a lot of short-yardage touchdowns. Although the Hornets give up more yards to their opponents, still. . .
5. The ``D'' in Deep Creek stands for defense - At least in the past four games. The Hornets have given up just 15 points to their last four opponents, including shutouts of Churchland, ranked fourth at the time, and Lake Taylor.
4. The ``D'' also stands for Deon Dyer - Still the first line of offense for Deep Creek, Dyer averages 6.9 yards per carry and ranks fifth in the district with 617 yards. He's also the kind of runner who'd rather go through a block than try to avoid it. Norcom defenders are in for some sore arms trying to wrap up the 6-0, 235 back.
3. A cast of thousands - OK, maybe not thousands, but you get the picture. Cedrec Williams is a double threat, catching passes as well as running out of the backfield. Lawrence Claiborne and Deodus Harrell also get their carries. Defensively, Kenny Manning, Torrey Wilson, George Miller, Diran Cowell and Vernon Boone are standouts.
2. They don't make mistakes - Which is a good thing, since Norcom takes advantage of every opportunity handed it. Powell has never been intercepted, and the Hornets have lost just one fumble in the past three games.
And the Number One reason Deep Creek will beat Norcom. . .
1. Revenge - On the field, of course. The Greyhounds embarrassed Deep Creek at home last year with a lopsided 22-0 win that dashed any playoff hopes for the Hornets. Norcom rubbed salt in the wound late in the game by feeding the ball to Terry Ricks so he could break the area's all-time rushing record.
Deep Creek has already shown it knows how to exact revenge, turning last year's close loss to Churchland into this year's 35-0 rout of the Truckers. They won't score nearly that many points against Norcom, but the final outcome is bound to be the same. ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Deep Creek defenders converge on Indian River's Shawndell Joyner
during the Hornets' 16-8 win. Indian River defeated Norcom, 14-13.
by CNB