THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609270304
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COURTLAND LENGTH: 72 lines
JARED WEBB, his brother Adam, and their 10 Southampton Academy teammates were preparing to face Wake Christian last Friday in an eight-man football game.
Parallel to Pillow Field, behind the narrow three-tier press box, some younger children started their own football game.
``It's a real family atmosphere,'' said Carolyn Beale, mother of Academy offensive guard/linebacker Michael Beale. ``For the children, it's like one big playground.
``People come here to socialize. Sometimes, I feel like people do more socializing than paying attention to the football game.''
At Pillow for football games, friends, neighbors and relatives are as much a part of the game as the players on the field.
Behind the south end zone, a congregation of folks hung out.
On the right side of the stands, parents and children sat at the picnic tables and ate their hamburgers, hot dogs and other goodies.
In the bleachers, little girls sported light blue ``SAs'' on the right side of their faces. On the left cheek was No. 1.
And various people on the sidelines, at the bleachers and in the food booth wore shirts that read, ``Raiders Go Rock The House.''
``Go Raiders, get yourselves pumped up,'' Beale yells from the back of the bleachers.
In additional to their lively and loud voices, a few of the mothers use their cow bells to cheer on the team.
``The cheerleaders furnished them and we drive people crazy,'' Beale said, with a camcorder and boom box at her side.`` Sometimes you see people get up and move.''
At halftime, there was no huge band playing renditions of Stevie Wonder and R. Kelly like many public schools do. However, a performance was given.
Most of the children - with a few parents sprinkled in - went to the 50-yard line and did the latest dance craze, ``The Macarena.''
If ``The Macarena,'' - banned at Wake (N.C.) County games because of its pelvic thrust - wasn't enough, half of the aforementioned crowd did the ``Hokey Pokey.''
``We have tried to get a (school) band but from a realistic standpoint, that's not possible,'' Southampton Academy coach Dale Marks said. Just like football, it's a numbers thing.
Nansemond River High's band, considered to be among the best in the area, has 80 members.
But Southampton Academy has only 41 students.
With the Raiders clinging to their 14-12 lead late in the fourth quarter against Wake, kids played behind the bleachers and beat one another with cushioned pads.
Moments later, defensive back Bland Pope made the game-clinching interception for the Raiders.
In the press box, public address announcer Emmett Babb pulled out a cigar to imitate a famous former NBA coach.
``Red Auerbach did it when the (Boston) Celtics won,'' Babb said while blowing smoke from his stogie.
And when the final seconds elapsed on a victory that ran the Raiders' record to 3-0, the home fans invaded the field.
``Coach of the year,'' a woman, wearing a gray Southampton Academy sweatshirt said. ``Make sure you vote for him as coach of the year.''
But this woman is more than a fan. She is Marks' wife and she was doing her part to keep the family atmosphere spirit alive. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Southampton Academy's quarterback Bland Pope finds running room in a
game against Wake Christian Academy.
Robert Poland, left, and John Michael Glover keep a close eye on the
eight-man football game at Southampton Academy Friday night. by CNB