THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508270182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
After a lackluster offensive performance two weeks ago, Hampton Roads needed to show a little more punch going into next week's Mason-Dixon Football League rivalry against the Peninsula Poseidons.
So Saturday at CEL Field, the Sharks knocked out the Durham Cardinals, 51-7, to prove that the power was there.
``We had to do this tonight,'' said former Princess Anne standout James Rogers, who rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. ``Our offensive backs haven't done that good. But tonight, I felt nice and loose and our offensive line really opened up some holes for us.''
The rushing attack amassed 337 yards on 42 attempts, with Kevin Vines gaining 91 yards on 14 carries late in the game. Backup quarterback Dimitri Delgado finished with 59 on three attempts, including an exciting 45-yard touchdown jaunt through almost the entire Cardinals defense.
In a 35-13 victory over Baltimore two weeks ago, the Sharks (3-0 overall, 1-0 in the league) only scored 14 points; the rest came from special teams and the defense.
``We needed to come out and show (Peninsula) we're coming on hard,'' Rogers said. ``We're hungry. After that last game, it was important for us to perform well.''
Quarterback Kevin Johnson also had a good night, passing for 106 yards on 13 attempts, including a 36-yard scoring strike to Charles Mott and a 9-yarder to Savoye Cherry. Terrance Turner added Hampton Roads' final touchdown on a 3-yard dive late in the game.
Place-kicker Mike Morris ran his extra-point streak to 13 before missing on the Sharks' fourth touchdown. But he came back and nailed a 27-yard field goal and three more points-after.
The Sharks defense was again outstanding, allowing Durham (1-2, 1-1) only 52 yards total offense, shutting down the rushing attack for minus-32 yards. by CNB