THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 1996 TAG: 9610150412
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 73 lines
Top-ranked Deep Creek's championship hopes received a jolt last week when fullback and linebacker James Green was diagnosed and treated for internal bleeding in his right calf.
Green is the Hornets' leading scorer with nine touchdowns and their best inside runner.
The initial prognosis was that he would miss the rest of the season. But after having the leg drained and the wound stitched there remains a possibility he might return.
``It's a big blow,'' coach Jerry Carter said. ``He was the best fullback we had.''
Henry Martin filled in at linebacker and Tyrone Hall received most of the carries at fullback in last week's 70-0 rout of Nansemond River. Hall, a 5-10, 180-pound sophomore, rushed for 160 yards in 11 carries and is averaging 10 yards per carry in limited action.
``Martin is a good linebacker and Hall is going to be good,'' Carter said. ``He just needs game experience.
It is believed that Green was hurt Sept. 27 against Oscar Smith when he was kicked in the back of the leg. But he didn't experience any pain until the following week's game against Hickory when he came out for a series complaining of a cramp and then returned.
It was originally diagnosed as a sprained ankle and it took two visits to the emergency room to get the correct diagnosis.
``Our trainer, Mickey Woodhouse, said in 21 years of treating athletic injuries this is only the second case of this he's ever seen,'' Carter said.
DAZZLING DELAYED DEBUT: For the past year-and-a-half, Dennis Anderson, a transfer from Norview, has been ineligible to play at Booker T. Washington. Last Friday night he finally put on the pads and he provided most of the fireworks as Booker T. opened its new stadium with a 41-0 rout of Wilson before a crowd of almost 4,000 fans.
Anderson caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Dominic Perry on the Bookers' first play from scrimmage, then, on Wilson's ensuing play, intercepted a pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. He finished the night with three interceptions on defense and three receptions for 105 yards on offense.
``I had to make up for lost time,'' said Anderson, a senior. ``The coaches told me we'd be throwing a straight fly to me on the first play and that I had better catch it. They wanted me to get off to a good start.
``Dominic put the ball on the money and there was never any doubt I was gonna catch it.''
Or that Anderson was back.
``I made history tonight,'' he said.
Just when people who remembered him as an all-district player two years ago were thinking that Dennis Anderson was history.
MILESTONES: Tallwood's Gilbert Harris moved past the 2,000-yard career passing mark against Kempsville. Harris, a senior, has completed 111 of 245 attempts for 2,037 yards and 15 TDs . . . First Colonial's Steve Tyler reached the 1,000-yard career receiving plateau against Green Run. Tyler, also a senior, has 76 catches for 1,022 yards and 8 TDs.
SHORT YARDAGE: Bayside's Lenny Walden made his first start on offense a memorable one by rushing for 188 yards and two TDs in a 38-33 upset of Ocean Lakes. Walden is the Marlins' fastest player, but he injured his back in the preseason and the coaching staff decided to use him on defense. He's pretty good there, too. He broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone that would have given the Dolphins the victory . . . Indian River's David Selby has caught only six passes, but five have gone for touchdowns.
BY THE NUMBERS: The large number of blowouts has created a perception that scoring is way up this season. In fact, the 23 teams that played in Group AAA last season (excluding Hickory, Lakeland and Nansemond River) have scored only 80 more points combined than they had at the same stage last season.
What's different is that there has been one game in the 70s, two in the 60s and five in the 50s. Through the first seven weeks of last season only one team scored more than 50 - Green Run - and the Stallions did it only once.
Teams showing the biggest increase in scoring are Norcom (+134), Deep Creek (+91) and Lake Taylor (+59). Teams showing the biggest decrease are Green Run (-179), Great Bridge (-82) and Tallwood (-65). by CNB