THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9611020632
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 77 lines
In a season noted for its blowouts, second-ranked Indian River turned in the most impressive one of all Friday night.
The Braves held top-ranked Deep Creek without an offensive touchdown in swatting the Hornets 34-7 before an overflow crowd at Indian River estimated at 9,000.
The Braves (8-0, 6-0) clinched at least a tie for their first Southeastern District championship while extending their winning streak to 14 games. Indian River can claim the title outright with a victory next week over Oscar Smith.
Deep Creek (8-1, 5-1) had its 30-game regular-season winning streak snapped like kindling.
``Like I said before, you've got to pay the toll when you come to Indian River,'' crowed Braves' linebacker Lance Bishop. ``We collected tonight.''
The margin of defeat was Deep Creek's worst since getting shellacked 35-7 by Indian River in 1993. But in every other way this was much worse.
Deep Creek came in averaging 44 points per game while allowing only 3.4. But the Braves held the Hornets to 137 total yards while allowing them to drive across midfield only twice.
Deep Creek's longest gain was 16 yards and came on its final possession.
``This is something you dream about,'' Indian River coach Bob Parker said. ``I've said all along we had a heckuva defense, but I didn't know how good their offense was.''
The Hornets' offensive futility took its toll on the defense, which spent too much time chasing Braves' quarterback Antwan Stukes. The slippery sophomore rushed 24 times for a game-high 164 yards and two touchdowns. Rashed Johnson added 106 yards and one TD as the Braves piled up 418 yards total offense, 300 on the ground.
The teams exchanged touchdowns on defense - the fifth for each this season - to start the game. Deep Creek's Kendall Watson scooped up Stukes' errant pitch and ran 5 yards to give the Hornets the early lead.
But Watson knew even then not to get overconfident.
``We didn't have a good week of practice,'' he said. ``We needed a wakeup call.''
A slap in the face would have sufficed.
James Boyd got the Braves rolling with a 65-yard intercption return of a pass by Arnie Powell.
``I was in the flat and there was nobody there,'' Boyd said. ``I don't know why he threw it. I guess because of the pressure.''
Powell had Bishop draped over him like a cape when he let the ball go.
Indian River took the lead for good on a 6-yard pass from Stukes to David Selby with 37.5 seconds left in the half. Selby set up the Braves at the Deep Creek 42 with a 22-yard punt return.
The second half was more of the same.
Indian River drove 81 yards in eight plays to go ahead 21-7 late in the third quarter. Johnson scored the TD on a 35-yard run up the middle.
The Braves drove 70 yards in nine plays on their next possession to make 28-7. The big play was a 42-yard pass from Boyd to Selby. Stukes scored the TD on a 5-yard keeper.
Stukes then capped the scoring by racing 52 yards. He started right, cut back and got a crunching block from wideout Brandon Lawrence at the 15 to coast into the end zone. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Mike Heffner/The Virginian-Pilot
[Rashed Johnson bolts past Deep Creek defenders...]
Photo by MIKE HEFFNER/The Virginian-Pilot
Indian River's David Selby hauls in a pass from Antwan Stukes in
front of Deep Creek's Chad Sorrell, left, and Teray Frost. by CNB