THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 13, 1995 TAG: 9509130530
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Tim Walston had heard all the talk.
Kellam's horrible . . . can't win a football game. That losing streak will last forever . . . it's already the longest in the area. Hey, come to Kellam's game Friday night . . . they've got a great band.
But Walston - and many of his teammates for that matter - tuned out the heartless ribbing.
``I just never listened to it,'' the senior quarterback/defensive end and three-year starter said. ``Nobody really ever said anything to my face, but I heard lots of talk.''
The Knights entered their season opener against Norview last Friday night with the longest losing streak in the area - 25 games. And after last year's 63-7 drubbing by the Pilots, nobody gave Kellam much of a chance.
But on a rainy night, Walston and his fellow Knights finally had a chance to quiet those who didn't believe in them. Kellam defeated the Pilots, 9-8, to halt a string of futility that had lasted more than two full seasons.
For most of the players, it was their first varsity victory in a black and gold uniform. The Knights' last win had come early in the fall of 1992, when the seniors were just freshmen.
``I knew it had to turn around sooner or later,'' said Walston. ``But I was beginning to wonder when.''
Walston scored Kellam's only touchdown and was relentless on defense, forcing the Pilots to run to the other side of the field. He played every down except for kickoffs and kickoff returns.
And because he is the silent leader on a team with no big stars, his coach - Chris Worst - thought him a worthy candidate for The Virginian-Pilot's male athlete of the week.
``He's never listened to any of that (negative talk) from anybody,'' Worst said. ``And he shows up every day and works harder and harder.
``I'm so proud of the way they've all handled all this.''
Now the Knights have something different to handle: success. Already there are whispers that the win over Norview was a fluke.
Let 'em talk, said Walston, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder who made the Virginian-Pilot's All-Tidewater baseball team last spring and carries a 3.7 GPA.
``We're used to it,'' he said. ``But we're never satisfied and we're working harder and harder. We won and now we have to really prove ourselves.'' by CNB