THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509160415
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Kempsville's Zeb Clark awoke the ghost of D.J. Dozier with a stirring four-touchdown performance Friday night against First Colonial.
Clark, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior, took a pair of sweeps 43 and 66 yards, returned a kickoff 87 yards and returned an interception 27 yards in the Chiefs' 34-19 victory.
It was Kempsville's home opener and first Beach District game following a 26-6 win over Great Bridge last week. The defending district champion Chiefs have won 10 consecutive district games and 13 of their last 14.
``Zeb was awesome,'' said Hans Beene, an offensive guard and defensive tackle for the Chiefs.
Clark, who resembles the great Dozier in stature and style, rushed for 140 yards on only 12 carries as Kempsville shattered all the myths about ball control.
The Chiefs had the ball for only 19:07 and ran 37 plays from scrimmage to 63 for First Colonial.
Credit Kempsville's offensive line for its rushing dominance. Often the Chiefs' ballcarriers were five yards into the secondary before getting hit - if they got hit at all.
No one appeared to touch Clark on any of his touchdowns. Same thing for Trey Simkins on his 53-yard TD run on Kempsville's first play of the second half.
First Colonial (1-1, 1-1) led 13-6 when Jesse Harris kicked a 34-yard field goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with 1:12 left in the first half. But then the Patriots had to kickoff.
Clark took the ball at the 13, burst up the middle, slowed briefly to pick up a block near midfield, and accelerated toward the end zone.
Asked if the Chiefs' had a particular return set up, Clark said, ``Coach just told me to get in the end zone.''
Fred Sanders hit Simkins with the two-point conversion pass - Kempsville's only completion of the game - and the Chiefs led, 14-13, at halftime.
``They had the momentum and Zeb's return just turned it around,'' Kempsville coach John Bowles said.
First Colonial kept it close in the first half behind the pinpoint passing of Dorman Minor, who hit 9 of 13 for 113 yards and a touchdown. But Kempsville turned up the pressure in the second half and the front four of John Kazmierczak, Kevin Rucker, Been and Marcus Spence combined to drop Minor for 41 yards in losses.
He was 1 for 9 with an interception in the third quarter when Kempsville opened a 28-13 lead.
``It was kind of exciting,'' Beene said. ``Defensive lineman don't usually get much credit.''
Minor rallied to finish with 192 yards passing. Steven Tyler caught 10 passes for 106 yards and a TD. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
TAMARA VONINSKI/Staff
First Colonial's Om Sokhan fights off a hit by Kempsville's Alex
Lleces during Friday night's game at Kempsville High.
by CNB