THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511110684
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Lakeland quarterback Lindell Hunter stepped out of the shadows of his more heralded teammate Reginald Wiggins on Friday night, turning in a dazzling all-around performance in the Cavaliers' 34-20 victory over Nansemond River at Lakeland.
Hunter returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, scored on runs of 66 and 11 yards and picked off a pass to foil the Warriors' final drive as the Cavaliers won their sixth straight and secured the top seed in the Division 4 playoffs.
``This being Senior Night and all, I was really pysched coming into this game,'' said Hunter, who didn't attempt a pass. ``I just felt like if I worked hard, things were going to happen tonight.''
The game closed out the Suffolk schools' six-year run in the Bay Rivers District. Both schools will move into the Group AAA Southeastern District next season.
Lakeland (7-3, 6-1) will host York in the opening round of the Division 4 playoffs. Last week, the Cavaliers pummeled the Falcons 48-10.
Nansemond River (6-4, 5-2) will play Greensville County in the first playoff round. The site has yet to be determined.
Friday's victory also gave the Cavaliers, who had lost five in a row to the Warriors coming into the season, a 2-0 record against Nansemond River this season.
``We have nothing to prove to them anymore,'' Hunter said.
The Warriors, who seemed strangely distracted for such a big game, spent much of Friday committing every sin they'd spent the week guarding against. Mindful of Hunter's 90-yard kickoff return a week ago against York, they had vowed not to kick to him.
But after Clarence Skinner's 73-yard touchdown run had given the Warriors a 6-0 lead, they let Hunter get his hands on a kickoff and he burned them down the right sideline.
The Warriors also committed three major penalties on Lakeland's next scoring drive, had four turnovers and jumped offsides on a fourth-and-4 to extend the Cavaliers' final scoring drive.
``We just had a lot of mental mistakes that killed us,'' Nansemond River coach Jerry Varacallo said. ``We're undisciplined, I guess you'd say.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Photo]
MICHAEL KESTNER/The Virginian-Pilot
Johnta Knight of Nansemond River attempts to push away Lakeland
defender Anthony Dildy.
by CNB