DATE: Saturday, October 11, 1997            TAG: 9710110512

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   50 lines

BURNELL PACES W. BRANCH PAST I. RIVER

For 45 minutes Friday night, Indian River contained Western Branch's Keith Burnell while staying within striking distance of the top-ranked Bruins.

Then Burnell, the leading rusher and scorer in South Hampton Roads, shook off the shackles. On consecutive carries he burst 51 yards and 41 yards to put the finishing touches on a 26-6 victory that virtually assured there will be a new champion in the Southeastern District.

The Bruins (6-0, 3-0) remain tied with Deep Creek (4-2, 3-0) for first place while defending champion Indian River (3-3, 1-2) is two games behind.

Western Branch coach Lew Johnston said his plan was to stay close for a half and drain the emotion from the Braves, who were playing under a ``must-win'' mandate from coach Bob Parker.

``Then we turned it over to Keith for the knockout in the fourth quarter,'' Johnston said.

Burnell finished with 164 yards in 16 carries, but he got 129 of those in only three attempts. Over one stretch of six carries he gained zero yards and had to be calmed by the referee after trying to go after an Indian River player he said was twisting his ankle.

But when the Bruins needed Burnell most he responded.

On Western Branch's first possession of the second half he ripped off a 37-yard run to the Indian River 19. That set up Rashad Cook's second touchdown, a 9-yard run that made it 14-0.

It stayed that way until Indian River's Deshone Nichols hit Marcellus Scott with a 24-yard halfback pass for the Braves' only score with 3:28 to play.

Indian River attempted an onside kick that Western Branch's Troy Outland fielded and returned to the 49. On the next play Burnell took a handoff around the right side, cut off the tight end and raced 51 yards to score.

Western Branch, which held the Braves to 67 yards rushing and made two interceptions, got the ball back on downs at the Indian River 41 with 2:19 remaining. They ran the same sweep for Burnell with the only difference being he took a wider route to the end zone.

``We did a good job defensively until the end,'' Parker said. ``I hated that we gave them two easy one. But they were good calls.''

Indian River played without quarterback/defensive back Antwan Stukes in the second half. He suffered a possible fractured collarbone on a keeper and spent the rest of the game with his arm in a sling. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

L. TODD SPENCER

Rashad Cook, who scored twice for Western Branch, gets taken down

here by Indian River's Derrick Moseley.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu