THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509030165
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Deep Creek lost two fumbles, threw an interception and didn't complete a pass in Saturday's rescheduled season-opener against Booker T. Washington at Chittum Field.
For a lesser team that would have spelled disaster. But the Hornets - ranked No. 1 in South Hampton Roads and No. 24 by USA Today - simply turned up the defensive pressure and fed the ball to fullback Deon Dyer when it mattered most, helping them to a 20-7 victory.
Dyer carried 16 times for 80 yards and scored on runs of 4 and 17 yards in the fourth quarter as the Hornets overcame a 7-6 deficit.
``We were fired up to play last night and it took a lot out of us when we didn't,'' Dyer said.
The game was postponed when three banks of lights wouldn't come on. Deep Creek suffered a similar power outage Saturday.
``It was hard to get motivated,'' he said. ``But in the second half we realized we had to take it to them.''
The moment of truth came with 4:19 left in the third quarter when Booker T.'s Chester Jones bulled over from the 1 and Jaynard Tillman kicked the extra point to put the Bookers in front, 7-6.
It took the Bookers 11 plays to drive 23 yards after Delvin Young recovered an errant pitchout by Deep Creek quarterback Arnie Powell. Twice the Bookers converted on fourth down and once on third.
Booker T. appeared to be in control when Dominic Perry hit Kevin Fuller for a 16-yard gain to the Bookers' 47. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, Deep Creek's Andre Thomas knocked the ball loose from Perry and linebacker Kevin Parker picked it up and returned it to the Booker T. 22.
``I saw the quarterback roll out,'' Thomas said. ``I ripped back to the inside and stuck my helmet in real hard and made the hit.''
The Hornets, with the help of an encroachment penalty, needed only three plays to take the lead.
The Bookers never recovered. On the next series, Deep Creek's Doug Norris and Steve Verdi made tackles behind the line and on third down a harried Perry dumped the ball off to his center. That drew an illegal forward pass penalty and loss of down.
Deep Creek took over after a punt at the Booker T. 34 with 7:41 remaining. Two runs by Angelo Sykes gained 8 yards and then Dyer took over. He powered off the left side for 9 yards and then burst 17 for the touchdown.
The Hornets led 6-0 at halftime on a 49-yard run by Teray Frost. The Bookers eschewed a punt on fourth-and-10 at their own 49 with 26 seconds left and Perry threw incomplete.
On the next play Frost took a pitchout around right end, cut back and beat the pursuit to the end zone.
``We should have punted,'' Booker T. coach Larry Stepney said. ``I second-guessed myself.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Deep Creek's Darryl Huskey watches a potential interception bounce
away during the Hornets' 20-7 victory.
by CNB