THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508230126
SECTION: HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: KICKOFF '95
BEACH DISTRICT
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
A pair of near misses last year kept Salem from recording its first winning season after two years of playing .500 football.
And what upsets those two games would have been.
In back-to-back outings, the Sun Devils lost a 7-0 decision to Bayside and 2-0 to championship game-bound Green Run in a rain-soaked outing in which the Stallions were rendered virtually helpless.
The Sun Devils then won three of their last four games to salvage a 4-6 season - all done with a host of young, inexperienced talent.
The good news is that many of those players return.
``We had a pretty young team last year,'' fourth-year coach Billy McTyre said. ``We've got a lot of those players back this year.''
Before the season McTyre called last year's squad one of the best the school had ever put on the field. He is upping the ante this season with a similar statement.
``We should improve on last year,'' he said. ``From top to bottom, this could be the best (Salem) team ever on the field.''
Salem went to an I and Wing T formation toward the end of last year and the offense worked so well that McTyre is sticking with it. Paramount to it succeeding is the ability to throw and the coach says he has such talent - adding that he also has the right kind of receivers to go with the offense.
Jose Mojica is a senior quarterback who will likely get the call to start, although Luke Etheridge is a senior who missed last season with a broken arm.
Whoever gets the nod will have a host of targets in Dennis Freeman, James Edwards, Scott Corscadden, Gary Abra, Lance Duckworth and Trevell Archie.
When the quarterback isn't throwing, he'll have plenty of folks in the backfield to hand off to - namely fullback Johnny Carasella, halfback Arthur Taylor, tailback Curtis Sanders and newcomers Donald Eldredge, Richard Holland and Reggie Murphy.
``Eldredge is a real stud and Holland is fast,'' McTyre said.
Sanders, the team's leading rusher with 631 yards, good enough for 15th in the final area rankings - had three 100-yard outings.
Where Salem might have problems will be in the depth chart. Many of the offensive starters will also see some duty on defense - especially the line. There, David Hierholzer plays both tackle positions, Frank Pucci plays offensive guard and linebacker, John Horner is a center and defensive tackle, David Fowler is a offensive guard and defensive tackle and Craig Vaughn is an offensive tackle and defensive end.
And Salem lost one of its most promising two-way linemen when 6-foot-4, 220-pound Derrick Foreman broke a leg in two places during a practice.
``Worst accident I've ever seen,'' McTyre said. `` We'll miss him.''
An advantage on both sides of the line will be the Sun Devils' apparent speed.
``Nobody's going to run away from us,'' McTyre said. ``We've got total team speed - overall better than average, I'd say.
``We're not real big or deep, but if we can stay healthy, we should be pretty good.'' MEMO: [Special Section includes football teams for all area high schools.]
ILLUSTRATION: Curtis Sanders
Ran for 631 yards
James Edwards
An inviting target
SALEM HIGH SCHOOL
Head coach: Billy McTyre (4th year, 14-16)
Staff: Roscoe Coles, Chris Karvala, Mike DeWitt, Tim Eldredge,
Walter Drueitt
Last year: 4-6 overall, 4-5 district
Returning starters: Jose Mojica, QB/S, 6-1, 185, Sr.; Johnny
Carasella, FB/LB, 59-, 200, Jr.; Arthur Taylor, HB/S, 5-11, 170,
Sr.; Curtis Sanders, RB/LB, 5-10, 175, Sr.; Dennis Freeman, WB/DE,
6-1, 165, So.; James Edwards, WR/DB, 5-9, 150, Sr.; Gary Abra, WR/S,
6-1, 170, Sr.; lance Duckworth, WR, 5-10, 150, Sr.; David
Hierholzer, OT/DT, 6-2, 220, Sr.; Frank Pucci, OG/LB, 5-9, 190, Sr.;
John Horner, C/DT, 6-0, 230, Sr.; David Fowler, OG/Dt, 5-11, 200,
Sr.; Craig Vaughn, OT/DE, 6-2, 205, Jr.; Scott Corscadden, TE, 5-11,
170, Sr.
Top newcomers: Donald Eldredge, RB/LB, 5-10, 190, Jr.; Richard
Holland, WB/DE, 5-11, 150, Sr.; Trevell Archie, TE/LB, 5-11, 195,
Jr.; Luke Etheridge, QB, 5-10, 155, Sr.; Reggie Murphy, RB, 5-8,
150, Jr.
94 results (4-6):
Lake Taylor 30, Salem 7
Salem 39, Kellam 0
Tallwood 29, Salem 10
Kempsville 18, Salem 3
Bayside 7, Salem
Green Run 2, Salem 0
First Colonial 31, Salem 12
Salem 28, Princess Anne 19
Salem 30, Ocean Lakes 0
Salem 21, Cox 6
KEYWORDS: SUPPLEMENT SPECIAL SECTION by CNB