THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606140222
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 32 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 65 lines
THE BRANDON Middle School Chargers found themselves in an unfamiliar position in the city championship football game. They were behind for the first time this year. Unbeaten in six games, Brandon rolled up 117 points on offense and allowed zero - not a typo, that's 0 - on defense, but they had to play a lot of catch up against the Lynnhaven Blues before posting a 25-16 victory.
Coach Scott Lambert watched his team warm up and talked about a dream season. He gave equal credit to his high-powered offense and stingy defense.
``We have some good people, good athletes,'' said Lambert. ``We came so close last year and lost.''
Brandon has complied a 17-2 record in the past three seasons, but it couldn't get any closer than the next-to-the-last-game of the season. Brandon lost to Salem in 1994 and 1995. The final score was 7-6 last year.
Lambert called Jon Brady, a fullback/linebacker; Jovon Sanderlin, a running back/cornerback; and Robert Stellon, a two-way lineman, his key players.
It took 3 1/2 quarters and a 62-yard run by a player playing out of position, but Brandon eventually took control of the game.
Trailing by 16-13, the Chargers started a drive on their own 35-yard line. Lambert inserted Marcus McClary, normally a safety on defense, in the backfield. McClary took a pitchout, ran left, shook off a tackle at midfield and didn't stop until he crossed the goal line. The touchdown gave Brandon its first lead in the game, 19-16. Brandon added another score after Lynnhaven fumbled on their own 28-yard line. Jon Brady's 3-yard run concluded the scoring.
Lynnhaven shocked Brandon by scoring first, but this didn't surprise Lynnhaven coach John Baumgardner. His team went 4-2 overall; 4-1 in the Northern Division.
Before the game, when asked about Brandon's impressive performance, Baumgardner acknowledged the Chargers strength and went on to say: ``We're confident. We scrimmaged Bayside and held them to six points, and they scored a lot more than that against everybody. We're just going to have to play like I know we can play.''
They did. The Blues went ahead on the first of Josh Owens' two touchdown runs. Owens' 30-yard run on Lynnhaven's first possession put the Blues ahead, 6-0. Brandon came back to tie the score at 6-6 on an 18-yard play-action touchdown pass from Tony Miller to Adrian Cuffee. The Chargers touchdown was set up by a crunching ground game.
A few plays later, Miller's errant pass was intercepted by Lynnhaven defensive back Clenard Beasley, who returned it to Brandon's 42-yard line. Owens ran for his second touchdown on the next play and the Blues went up, 13-6.
Miller threw for another touchdown to Rovon Moore to again tie the score, 13-13, at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Lynnhaven's Harlan Hendricks kicked a 31-yard field goal to give the Blues their final points.
All that remained were McClary's heroics and an end-of-the-game drive that put away the win for Brandon.
Lambert sounded both proud and relieved after the game.
``It was closer than we expected,'' he said. ``I looked at our guys' eyes after Lynnhaven scored and they looked like they couldn't believe it.''
His players may have been overconfident, he said.
``We scrimmaged them and beat them pretty badly, so I think the guys thought all they had to do was show up. You don't want them to think like that, but it's hard to stop them.
``We were bigger and stronger and I think we just wore them down.'' by CNB