THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 5, 1994 TAG: 9411050946
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
The Green Run Stallions unveiled their secret weapon Friday night and his name is Lanier Washington.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior caught five passes for 145 yards, including touchdown passes of 58 and 51 yards, as Green Run came from behind to beat visiting Tallwood, 37-19.
The victory sets up a Green Run-Kempsville showdown Thursday for the Beach District title. Kempsville beat Bayside Friday, 32-27.
Green Run (9-0 overall, 8-0 district) will enter with a 13-game winning streak. Kempsville (8-1, 8-0) has won eight straight.
It's a safe bet Washington will be used at full strength from here out.
``He's pretty good, isn't he?'' smiled Stallions coach Cadillac Harris.
Washington, who'd previously caught just two passes for six yards, moved to the area from Jacksonville, N.C., in September after his father received a military transfer.
``I was getting a little antsy,'' Washington said of his inactivity. ``But the coaching staff kept telling me to hang in there and I'd get my chance.''
Washington's chance came when standout Stallions receiver Plaxico Burress sustained an ankle injury two weeks ago.
Burress is off crutches and could be back next week. If so, Harris may opt to use both in the same set. The Stallions, ranked No. 2 in South Hampton Roads, showed the offense that could do it in the second half, lining up four wideouts in the run-and-shoot.
Tallwood (7-2, 6-2) forced the Stallions to use all their tricks by jumping to a 13-0 lead.
The fifth-ranked Lions pulled some fancy tricks of their own as John Joseph went 25 yards on a reverse on the opening kickoff and freshman running back TaRon Anderson followed by hitting Waymond Favors on a halfback option pass for 21 yards to get Tallwood to the Green Run 37. Nine plays later, Anderson scored on a 1-yard run.
Green Run's Larry Jordan fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Stallions 25 and three plays later Anderson, who finished with 133 yards on 28 carries, scored on a 17-yard run.
Once Green Run had the ball, Stallions quarterback Glenwood Ferebee went to the air.
The Stallions scored on their opening two possessions on fly patterns up the right side to Washington, cutting the Lions' lead to 13-12.
Tallwood, however, answered with a 26-yard swing pass from Gilbert Harris to Alvin Wilson to take a 19-12 lead with 34 seconds remaining in the half.
That turned out to be more than enough time after Green Run's Roger Lee returned the kickoff 75 yards to the Tallwood 20.
Ferebee hit Washington for a 15-yard gain down the left side and then found tight end Ben Root over the middle for a 5-yard score. The Stallions, who'd flubbed their first two extra-point attempts, went for two and Jordan barreled in on the left side for a 20-19 halftime lead.
Ferebee's 217 yards passing - he was 11-for-20 - upped his career total to 3,818 yards, two shy of Deep Creek's Jackie Young (1966-68) for third place on the area's all-time Group AAA passing list.
The Stallions increased the lead to 27-19 in the third quarter when a quick pass to Joseph slipped through his hands and right into Lee's and the two-way back raced 50 yards with the interception for a touchdown.
``Play of the game,'' Harris said. ``My hat's off to Roger Lee.''
The Stallions added a 22-yard field goal by Chad Stackpole and a 35-yard Ferebee-to-Root touchdown pass to close out the scoring.
``I was real happy with the way we rallied in the second half,'' Harris said. ``We were poised and showed character.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by L. TODD SPENCER, Staff
Roger Lee's 75-yard kickoff return in the last minute of the first
half set up Green Run for a go-ahead touchdown and conversion.
by CNB