THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 TAG: 9611120368
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By ROBIN BRINKLEY
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 81 lines
The champions are crowned, the playoffs are set and all that's left is for Football Report to name its coaches and rookies of the year.
Coach of the year: Indian River's Bob Parker is the ultimate players coach, blessed with an intuitive sense of what makes his team tick. He knows when to loosen the reins and when to pull back. He is not a prisoner of one system, rather he molds the system to his talent. He had superior talent this season and the reward was a 9-0 record, the school's first Southeastern District title and the No. 1 ranking.
Beach District
First Colonial's Frank Webster is the third winningest coach in state history and a future VHSL Hall of Famer. But after a disastrous 1995 there was speculation that he had lost his touch. When the Patriots went into a three-game swoon at midseason it was fashionable to write him off again. But the Patriots closed with four straight wins to finish 7-3, one game behind the leaders, and led the district in scoring.
Eastern District
Norcom's Joe Langston became only the third man to win championships in more than one South Hampton Roads Group AAA district, joining Ralph Gahagan and Webster. Langston won or shared four titles in the Southeastern. Like Webster, Langston's team rebounded from an uncharacteristic losing season to post a five-game improvement: 4-6 to 9-1. His best move, however, may have come off the field when he helped mobilize support for granting transfer students a waiver of the city's 2.0 GPA requirement.
TCIS
Norfolk Academy hasn't lost to an area team since Nansemond-Suffolk edged the Bulldogs 11-8 in 1990. In four TCIS victories plus a non-league win over Atlantic Shores this year Norfolk Academy averaged 44.4 points per game. The Bulldogs also showed they could come from behind, rallying from a 21-7 deficit to defeat long-time nemesis Fork Union 22-21. Credit Tom York, who is 54-20-2 in nine seasons.
Rookie of the year
Imagine learning four plays into the season that you are suddenly the quarterback of one of the top offenses in the region? That's what happened to Western Branch sophomore David Johnson when Daryl Walton tore knee ligaments against Norcom. Johnson, without benefit of working with the first team in preseason practice and scrimmages, threw a touchdown pass against the Greyhounds and went on to complete 48 percent of his passes for 658 yards and 10 TDs. He also rushed for 102 yards while directing the area's No. 2 offense.
Beach District
Kempsville had all of the makings of a contender in August with the exception of a punter/placekicker. Sophomore Ryan Quinn stepped up to fill those jobs and became a key figure in the Chiefs' drive to a co-championship with Tallwood. His 35 kicking points ranked fourth in the area and included key field goals in victories over Tallwood (21-20) and Cox (17-14). He also ranked among the top 10 punters for most of the season before slipping to 11th.
Eastern District
It's no secret why Churchland started 5-1 and finished 6-4. Freshman quarterback Chatame Ward rushed for 543 yards and eight TDs before breaking an arm in the sixth games against Maury and the Truckers were never quite the same. Ward's 204 yards rushing against Western Branch were the most this season by a quarterback.
TCIS
When Norfolk Academy coach Tom York needed a job done he turned to sophomore Bo Wilkinson. Need a first down? Give the ball to Bo. Wilkinson rushed for 889 yards on only 93 carries and scored 11 TDS.
Need a big catch? Throw it to Bo. Wilkinson caught 10 passes on a team that rarely threw.
Need a big play on special teams? Let Bo make it. Wilkinson averaged 34.5 yards per punt and kicked 13 extra points. He also returned a punt 71 yards for a TD.
Need a big defensive play? Turn Bo Lose. He emerged as the Bulldogs' best cover guy in the secondary and returned one interception for a TD.
MILESTONES: First Colonial's Dorman Miner passed for 290 yards against Kellam to finish his career with 2,192 yards . . . Lake Taylor's Ronyell Whitaker carried 17 times against Booker T. Washington to give him 500 for his career. He enters his senior season with 2,482 yards rushing.
TV TIME: Coach Bob Parker and halfback/quarterback/safety James Boyd of Indian River and coach John Bowles and tailback Zeb Clark of Kempsville will appear on Time Out with Jack and Chic at 8 p.m. Wednesday on Cox Channel 11 to discuss the region playoffs. by CNB