THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411170209
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Editor's Column
TYPE: Lee Tolliver
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
There are some pretty outstanding athletes spearheading the charge three Beach District football teams will make into tonight's semifinal round of the Eastern Region Division 6 playoffs.
You've read about many of them during the last 11 weeks of the regular season.
There's Green Run quarterback Glenwood Ferebee, who is second among the area's passers with 1,112 yards and first in touchdown passes with 19.
And Kempsville running back Mike Pishioneri, second in the area in yards with 1,216 yards and first in scoring with 22 touchdowns.
And Tallwood freshman sensation TaRon Anderson - the first area freshman to rush for 1,000 yards since The Virginian-Pilot began keeping detailed statistics not too long before Anderson was born.
These are just some of the guys who make the headlines in the Saturday morning game stories.
But - and they would likely be the first to tell you - none would be doing what they are were it not for the outstanding efforts of the other guys on the team.
Football is a team sport in every sense of the word.
``No question,'' Green Run coach Elisha ``Cadillac'' Harris said. ``Without them out there, there is not a team.
``Unfortunately, people follow the ball. But these guys are the engine to this.''
``These guys'' are the unsung heros of the Beach's three playoff teams - the guys on the line who bash heads for 48 minutes so their teammate can dance in the end zone and celebrate the big touchdown. The guys who hobble off after a set of downs as the camera flashes down field.
The fellas who bash their heads week after week with the starters, playing the role of the next opponent so that their team might be better prepared.
For Green Run, it's guys like Elisee Charles, Ray Shupe, Troy Smith, Dave Tate, Bryan Hall, Daryl Cherry, John Saafi, Billy Higgins, Corey Cason, John Palbusa, Kenyan Mullen and a host of others.
For Kempsville, there is Kevin Eaton, Travis Williams, Brandon and Nick Reed, Donald Scott, Marcus Spence and Justin Jones. And in an attack that features little passing, what about receivers like Trey Simpkins and Marcus Garrett who block so well?
``We can't run some of our plays without them doing a good job of blocking,'' Chiefs coach John Bowles said.
And then there is Tallwood's Myro Booker, the guy who stopped two Great Bridge goal-line attacks in the season opener that coach Ken Barto said ``set the tone for this whole thing.''
And Lions defensive specialist Quentin Warwick and two-way end John Joseph.
``People read about John Vann and Alvin Wilson and all the things they do for our defense,'' Barto said. ``None of the stars could do what they do were it not for the others.''
Barto also mentioned another player who might not make the headlines too often - at least not in football.
Lions soccer standout Danny McVey decided to come out for the team in this his senior year. And his punting has been extraordinary. While he ranks fifth in the area for distance average, it was more of how he punts that makes him an unsung hero.
``His stats aren't as good as some punters, but nobody places the ball where a coach wants it like Danny did this year,'' Barto said. ``He punted and kicked off away from people better than anybody I've ever seen. He was a major factor in our success this season.''
So there you have it, a guy who sacrifices his own personal numbers - the kind of which might attract a college special teams coach or two - for the sake of the team.
The unsung hero.
The kind of which are the reason Kempsville, Green Run and Tallwood are in tonight's region playoffs. by CNB