THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240437
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 82 lines
The Southeastern District has been the biggest bully in South Hampton Roads in this decade, winning six region championships and three state titles.
The Southeastern still has the best teams, illustrated by top-ranked Deep Creek's and No. 2 Indian River's ride atop the poll.
But expansion (the addition of Hickory) and realignment (trading Norcom, Churchland and Wilson for Lakeland and Nansemond River) have diluted the district's top-to-bottom strength.
The Southeastern's record in non-district play, which ended last week, was only 10-12, and that includes Lakeland's two victories over Group AA teams. That compares to a 15-9 non-district record in 1994 and a 12-12 mark last year.
``I still think we're the best,'' Deep Creek coach Jerry Carter says. ``But I do think the quality has been diluted.''
Non-district records are only one indicator of overall strength and not always a good one.
The Beach District, which hasn't won a playoff game against another district since 1992, was 6-3 in non-district games this fall. But before anyone starts hailing a renaissance for Beach District football, it should be noted that four of those wins came against Great Bridge and Hickory, which are a combined 0-6.
The district expected to benefit the most from the changes was the Eastern, which was 15-15 against outside competition last year. This year the Eastern went 11-11, but five of those losses came against Deep Creek and Indian River.
Moreover, two of its new members, Churchland and Norcom, were a combined 5-1 outside the district and ranked in the Top 10. That seems like a pretty good payoff.
QUIZ: Deep Creek stretched its regular-season winning streak to 25 games Friday with a 28-0 win over Norcom. What is the state record for consecutive regular-season victories? Answer below.
BLOWOUT CITY: Hampton is averaging 52.5 points through four games with the expansion Woodside Wolverines up next, on Thursday night. Twice in four weeks, Hampton has broken the scoring record at Todd Stadium, putting up 67 points against Heritage and 74 last week against Denbigh.
So are the Crabbers on a state-record scoring pace?
Marshall Johnson, longtime Associated Press sports editor in Richmond, is the caretaker of most state records. But not even Johnson knows the record for the most points scored in a season by a team.
Area scoring records also are sketchy. But in 1969 Wilson averaged 42.5 points per game. The Presidents scored 64 against Granby, 56 against Oscar Smith, 53 against Indian River and 50 against Deep Creek. But a 31-24 loss to Great Bridge kept them out of the region playoffs in an era when only two teams qualified.
SHORT YARDAGE: Lakeland and Nansemond River have met twice yearly since opening in 1990. But neither Lakeland coach Ed Smither nor Nansemond River's Jerry Varacallo favors the arrangement, and there is a chance they could play only once next season. That would open up opponents for Norview and Booker T., which were forced to play each other twice . . . Nansemond River won its first game over a Group AAA opponent last week, rallying to beat Wilson 15-12. Varacallo says it took the Warriors three years to become a power in the Group AA Bay Rivers District and will take at least that long in Group AAA. The Warriors lost seven seniors to Suffolk's mandatory 2.0 GPA rule and have no middle school feeder system like the Chesapeake schools do. . . . Sidney Hazelwood, Nansemond-Suffolk's leading rusher, who was knocked out of last week's game against Richmond Collegiate with a dislocated shoulder, will be examined today and is expected to miss Friday's game against St. Christopher's. . . . Booker T. coach Larry Stepney blames an inexperienced offensive line for quarterback Dominique Perry's passing woes. Perry, last year's rookie quarterback of the year, has hit only 5 of 33 passes and is 1 of 18 the past two weeks. . . . There is a fine line between discipline and aggression. Hickory has been penalized only nine times for 63 yards, least in the area, but is 0-3. . . . Gretna, a Group AA school, lost its 44th consecutive game last Friday, breaking the state record held by Haysi.
MILESTONES: Indian River's James Boyd passed the 3,000-yard mark in career total offense (regular-season games only) with 120 yards against Booker T. Boyd has 1,834 yards passing and 1,200 yards rushing for a total of 3,034. Including playoffs, Boyd has 4,392 yards.
QUIZ ANSWER: Southampton won 69 straight regular-season games from 1972 to 1979. by CNB