THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610120546
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 59 lines
It's official. Antwan Stukes, the sophomore with the Columbia blue shoes and the Ronald Curry-type moves, is Indian River's quarterback and All-Everything James Boyd is a halfback.
Unless, that is, the No. 2 ranked Braves face a desperate two-minute drill - Boyd's specialty - or coach Bob Parker simply changes his mind. Which isn't likely after Friday night.
Stukes, in his first route-going performance at quarterback, comleted 5 of 7 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 20 times for 86 yards and another score to lead the Braves (5-0, 3-0) past sixth-ranked Western Branch 24-12.
And Boyd? All he did was rush for a career-high 178 yards and score two TDs as the Braves extended their area-best winning streak to 11 games and remained tied with Deep Creek for first place in the Southeastern District.
``Coach told me on Monday it was my turn to come out at quarterback,'' said Stukes, who had taken some snaps in every game in relief of Boyd. ``I just did my thing.''
Indian River needed only three plays to score - Stukes ran 16 yards around right end on an option for the touchdown - and the Braves never trailed. They led 18-0 at halftime and 24-6 when the Bruins tacked on a meaningless TD with five seconds to play.
Western Branch had a couple of chances to get back in the game. However the Braves thwarted their first try with a magnificent goal-line stand and a mixup with the officials killed the second chance.
Trailing 12-0, the Bruins had a first down at the Indian River 1 late in the first half. But Lance Bishop dropped Marvin Urquhart for a 4-yard loss on first down; David Selby stopped Keith Burnell for no gain on second down; Boyd ran down Rashad Cook after a 1-yard gain on third down.
Then on fourth-and-goal at the 4, Urquhart was dragged down at the 1 by a host of Braves.
Four plays later Boyd burst 88 yards up the middle to make it 18-0.
The second pivotal moment for Western Branch came late in the third quarter with Indian River leading 18-6. The Braves' David Selby muffed a punt and the Bruins' Omar Barnhill recovered at the Indian River 21.
Indian River was called for clipping on the play. But instead of taking the ball, the Bruins accepted the penalty setting up a 4th and 12 at the 36. Quarterback David Johnson then bobbled the exchange from center and Indian River took over at its own 38.
``Our kids, four or five of them, said we wanted the ball,'' Johnston said. ``But the ref heard otherwise. I'm very upset.''
The Braves' top-ranked defense held the Bruins to 200 yards total offense, 72 of which came on the last drive. Burnell, Cook and Urquhart, who each rushed for more than 100 yards last week against Lakeland, were held to a combined 105. ILLUSTRATION: MIKE HEFFNER
The Virginian-Pilot
Indian River quarterback Antwan Stukes ``just did my thing'' Friday
night against Western Branch, rushing for 86 yards and one touchdown
while passing for 125 yards and two scores in a 24-12 Southeastern
District victory for the undefeated Braves. by CNB