THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608250345
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: V29 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Preview: High school forecasts:
SOURCE: JAMES BLACK
LENGTH: 48 lines
NANSEMOND RIVER
COACH: Jerry Varacallo (13th year, 86-62).
STAFF MEMBERS: Dan O'Leary, Doug Dohey, Michael Watson, J.B. Varney, Vernon Lee, Kevin Beale.
WHERE THEY PLAY: Nansemond River High (capacity 4,000) on Nansemond Parkway in Suffolk.
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 8-5 overall, 6-4 Bay Rivers District.
RETURNING STARTERS: Vernon Woodson, So., RB/QB, 6-1, 185; Anthony Jones,Jr., TE/LB, 6-4, 220; Dammon Hill, Jr., LB/RB, 5-11, 175; Temetrius Robinson, Jr., RB/DB, 5-11, 195; Lamont Perry, Sr., WR/DB, 5-11, 170; James Worrell, Jr., WR, 6-1, 170.
TOP NEWCOMERS: Zeus Blankenship, Jr., QB, 6-1, 175; Antoine Worrell, Jr., OL/DL, 6-4, 250; Michael Britt, So., C/LB, 5-10, 185; Lavel Lawton, So., WR/OLB, 6-0, 175; Raymond Little; Fr., OL/DL, 6-3, 260; Travis Coates, So., OL/DL, 6-4, 290.
OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW: The Warriors have four juniors and a senior starting on offense but the unit has very little experience. Newcomer Blankenship will battle Woodson for the quarterback position. Woodson was 7-for-13 for 176 yards and three touchdowns in the air last season. He also he ran for 270 yards and three touchdowns in 28 carries. T. Robinson is expected to get time in the backfield but only had three carries last year. Worrell will start at wide receiver with Perry, who only had five catches for 33 yards. Varacallo also expects to get help from former junior varsity standouts A. Worrell, Britt, Lawton, Little and Coates. All could play on both sides of the ball.
DEFENSIVE OVERVIEW: Nansemond River, which moves up to Group AAA this fall, lost first-team all-Bay Rivers picks Chris White and Chris Thomas to graduation. Nose guard Hill expects to be the leader on the line, having notched 28 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks. Defensive back Perry had 29 tackles and three interceptions last season. The Warriors are without several non-graduated starters from last season including defensive end Lashaun Pugh and nose guard Curtis Barnes, who both made first team all-district as first-year varsity players.
COACH'S QUOTE: ``We're very young and inexperienced. This is probably the youngest team I have ever had and it is probably going to hurt us in the long run.''
IT'S A FACT: The Warriors won the last three Group AA Region I championships.
KEYWORDS: SPECIAL SECTION PREVIEW by CNB