DATE: Sunday, November 9, 1997              TAG: 9711090146

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: PAUL WHITE

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   54 lines

NORFOLK STATE REPORT

Former QB Ferebee flourishing in new roll as receiver

Glenwood Ferebee says he still wants to play quarterback, but the way Liberty coach Sam Rutigliano talks, not only might the Flames sophomore never take another snap, he may also wind up thanking the coach for getting him out from behind center.

Ferebee, a former first-team All-Tidewater quarterback at Green Run who has been shifted to wideout at Liberty, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass Saturday, his second of the season, during the Flames' 17-6 victory over Norfolk State at Price Stadium.

``My first love is quarterback, but I'll do anything to get on the field and help the team,'' Ferebee said.

Rutigliano believes Ferebee helps the team most when he's catching passes, not throwing them.

``He worked out as a quarterback last year,'' the coach said. ``But you watch the way he runs, his athletic ability. ... His talent's so great at wide receiver. And I'll tell you, in the next two years, he's got a chance to be really outstanding there.''

NSU's aggression too much at times

Even though he ran for 144 yards, Stacy Nobles gave high marks to the Norfolk State defense.

``We knew they were going to bring it to us,'' Nobles said. ``They're very tough, very aggressive.''

At times, however, their aggressiveness worked against them. A first-quarter run blitz to stop a second-and-short play backfired when Nobles popped through the line and raced untouched for a 40-yard touchdown.

``We watched a lot of film on them,'' Nobles said. ``They came hard, but we were prepared.''

Sellers returns to form with big catch afternoon

Spartans receiver Tyrone Sellers, who had slumped after being among the MEAC's leading receivers earlier this year, snapped back to form by catching five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.

``The problem before was sometimes our line wouldn't hold up and our quarterback would have to run around and just throw it to the first person he saw,'' said Sellers, whose seven TD catches leads the MEAC. ``Most of the time, that wasn't me.''

Sellers was the man Saturday, especially on his 43-yard reception of a pass that actually appeared to be intercepted by Liberty's Marcus Harvey before Sellers wrestled it away in midair.

``I'd run too far down the field to let that ball be intercepted,'' Sellers said. ``I had to come away with something.''

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