THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510050517
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
With All-American wide receiver James Roe's status listed as day-to-day, the Norfolk State Spartans could take on a different look Saturday when they host Bethune-Cookman at Foreman Field at 3:30 p.m.
Ronald Boone, the Spartans' 6-foot-5, 237-pound sophomore tight end, has been working out at Roe's wideout position in practice this week.
Boone caught eight passes for 133 yards in Saturday's 20-14 loss to Delaware State, with many of those receptions coming after Roe left the game with a sprained right ankle.
``Ronald knows the offense at that position and he's definitely an imposing target on the field,'' NSU coach Darnell Moore said. ``But James said (Tuesday) that he had very little soreness.
``I think he'll play. But if it's not in the best interest of James Roe, then we'll hold him out. But if I were a betting man, I'd bet on James Roe playing Saturday. He can play through pain.''
MORE FROM MOORE: Of the eight sacks given up by the Norfolk State offensive line against Delaware State, Moore said he could only find quarterback Aaron Sparrow at fault on one saying, ``the other seven shouldn't have happened.''
``We practice every week recognizing the blitzes a team is likely to throw at us and we just didn't do a good job stopping them,'' Moore said. ``Some of those sacks backed us up out of the red zone.
``The other thing that bothered me were dropped passes on crucial plays. But then again, you see guys who are paid millions of dollars to play on Sunday who drop passes. Still, we have to be more disciplined and committed in some aspects.''
REDSHIRT UPDATE: Unlike last year, Moore said he may be able to redshirt as many as seven freshmen this season and called it a key indicator that the Norfolk State program is maturing.
``Norfolk State hasn't been able to do that in quite some time,'' Moore said. ``Teams that compete for championships are usually playing with a good number of fifth-year seniors and that makes a difference.''
Among the players Moore hopes to redshirt are linebackers Ed Wyatt and Clarence Henderson, offensive linemen Chris Berry and Marquis Hicks, defensive backs Tarik Crews and Torrence Jackson and wide receiver Duriel Smith.
``Crews, Jackson and Smith all have 10.6 speed in the 100 and that's really going to help us in the future,'' Moore said.
NOTES: Virginia State's Rodney Granger, a junior from Portsmouth, completed 24 of 39 passes for 239 yards in the Trojans' 28-24 victory over Livingstone to be named CIAA back of the week. Other award winners included N.C. Central's Nikki Brannon (receiver), Bowie State's Brandon Flowers (offensive lineman), Livingstone's Quincy Morgan (defensive lineman), Fayetteville State's Darnell Cox (defensive back), Fayetteville State linebacker Cedric Gordon (newcomer) and Bowie State's Sherman Wood (coach).
Winston-Salem State's Richard Huntley broke the CIAA's career record for touchdowns last week when he scored in a 17-17 tie with Fayetteville State. Huntley now has 48, surpassing the 47 scored by Virginia Union's Judge Thomas. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
James Roe, above, ``can play through pain'' says NSU coach Darnell
Moore.
by CNB