DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230720

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  114 lines

DEARTH OF QUALITY QBS NO PASSING FANCY

In this 91st anniversary season of the forward pass it's possible that no quarterback in South Hampton Roads will throw for 1,000 yards.

That probably shouldn't come as a surprise.

Apparently, it's easier to find and develop running backs and teach run-blocking schemes. The South Hampton Roads career rushing lead has changed hands five times since 1988. Buster O'Brien's career passing mark has stood since 1963.

O'Brien went from Princess Anne to Notre Dame. No quarterback from South Hampton Roads has signed with such a prominent college program since.

In fact, it's been five years since an area player took a snap from center in a Division I-A college game. That was Suffolk native and University of Virginia quarterback Bobby Goodman.

Two area quarterbacks - Arnie Powell at East Carolina and Gilbert Harris at Maryland - are on I-A rosters this year. Both are redshirt freshmen.

Whether they become top-flight college passers is problematical since neither Powell, from Deep Creek, nor Harris, from Tallwood, threw for 1,000 yards as high school seniors.

The 6-foot-5 Powell has the size and strength that recruiters drool over. But trapped in a Wing-T set that deployed one wide receiver, he attempted only 72 passes last season.

Harris threw 98 passes but completed three or fewer in six games. He was hurt by his receivers, who dropped numerous passes.

But even on Harris's busiest night - 18 attempts - he hardly felt arm-weary. Tallwood's system, like Deep Creek's and nearly every other area team's, is designed for a power rushing attack.

``It's kind of sad,'' said Tommy Rhodes, who played quarterback at Great Bridge and coached in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake before stepping down after the 1992 season. ``Some teams around here throw two or three times a game. It's like they think only two things can happen, an incompletion or an interception.''

It's been 30 years since Rhodes played for the Wildcats and he still ranks sixth among the area's all-time passing leaders (regular-season games only).

``I'm surprised,'' he said.

He shouldn't be. Four of the area's top nine career passers played in the '50s and '60s.

The best of the recent passing quarterbacks was Wilson's Aaron Sparrow, whose 5,182 yards are second to O'Brien's 5,435.

Sparrow played for Darnell Moore, who is now the coach at Norfolk State University.

``Offenses are run by coaches and coaches do what they know,'' Moore said. ``You're not going to find teams throwing the ball if their coach doesn't know the passing game.''

Moore said he's held mini-clinics on passing for three or four area high school coaches.

``They try it,'' he said. ``But as soon as something goes wrong, they go back to what they know.

``I've always liked passing because it's exciting. You can score from anywhere on the field. If there's two minutes left and you've got to go 90 yards, if all you can do is run you're in trouble.''

No school has produced more 1,000-yard passers in the '90s than Western Branch, and Bruins' coach Lew Johnston gives Moore the credit.

``Wilson had a nice mix of passing and running and was very successful with it,'' Johnston said. ``In 1991 we turned to that with T.J. Giles and things started clicking.''

Western Branch's string of four straight 1,000-yard passing seasons ended last year when senior Darryl Walton tore knee ligaments in the first game. David Johnson, a sophomore, filled in capably for Walton and it was reasonable to expect him to start a new 1,000-yard streak this season.

But Johnson has passed for only 413 yards, despite having the best completion percentage (48.1) of anyone in the area's top 10 passing leaders.

``In the past I've felt we had to move the ball and score more because we didn't know how many points we were going to give up,'' Johnston said. ``But with our defense this year I'm more willing to sit on a lead.''

The best pure passer in South Hampton Roads might be Norcom's Kevin Jones. A junior with 2,222 career passing yards and another season to go, he seems a cinch to end up in the area's all-time top 10.

Jones benefits from playing in a system that has produced several college quarterbacks, including Ron Jones at East Carolina and Rodney Granger at Virginia State.

``We feel like you have to be balanced on offense,'' Norcom coach Joe Langston said. ``Even if you are a real powerful running team you've got to be able to make people back off.''

Langston tabbed the 6-1 Jones to start midway through his freshman season.

``He was a big kid with a great arm and a good background. We said, `Hey, let's go with him,' the thinking being that he couldn't do anything but get better,'' Langston said.

Every school doesn't have a player with Jones' tools. But that is only one element that coaches look for in a quarterback.

``The first thing I look for is a leader,'' Langston said. ``Someone with strong character, who is not high strung and will stay within himself.''

That described Rod Richardson, the starting quarterback on the Greyhounds' 1993 state championship team. He wasn't a great passer but benefited from having great receivers in Larry Staton and Jay Clarke.

Richardson eventually earned an appointment to Army, where he became a starting defensive back.

That's been the quickest route to college for many area quarterbacks. Norview's James Whitley, Indian River's James Boyd and Granby's Anthony King all had solid offensive statistics in high school.

But it was athletic ability more than passing ability that prompted their coaches to put them behind center. And that athletic ability translated into defense in college.

``A lot of coaches look for the best athlete to play quarterback,'' NSU's Moore said. ``I always looked for the guy who could throw the ball the best.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

Aaron Sparrow

Photos

Tommy Rhodes

Bobby Goodman

Graphic

Passing on South Hampton Roads Quarterbacks

For complete copy, see microfilm

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