DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711130690

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   74 lines

ROLLING THUNDER AT TALLWOOD WHEN THE LIONS RUN, THE EARTH SHUDDERS. HERE'S WHY.

At Tallwood High, if you're an offensive lineman and you don't weigh in the neighborhood of 300 pounds, you're a shrimp.

That's the way it goes when your team's starting tackles weigh 298 and 350 pounds and one of the guards weighs 315.

Oh, and that 298-pound tackle? Sometimes he lines up at fullback when the Lions use the Power-I formation. When he does, there's a little guy - 6-foot-6, 287 pounds - who takes his place up front.

``We did that against Salem,'' said 6-1, 297-pound senior Sherwin Joseph, the Lions' version of William ``Refrigerator'' Perry. ``When I got down in my stance, I heard one of Salem's players say, `Oh my God! Who's that in the backfield!' ''

The Lions (8-2) will line up their ``heavy jumbos'' - head coach Ken Barto's term for his heavyweights - against Kecoughtan High (8-1) on Friday night in the opening round of the Eastern Region Division 6 playoffs at Kellam High School.

And expectations will be high. They always are when you're so collectively big.

``When you've got a bunch of 300-pounders, you're expected to produce,'' said 6-foot senior tackle Brandon Langhorn, at 350 the heaviest of the heavies. ``We want to get 300-plus rushing (yards) every game. When we don't, we feel we haven't achieved our goal.''

The Lions' offense averaged 228.4 yards rushing this season, second in the area to Churchland's 232-yard average. And in three of the last five games, Tallwood did run for more than 300 yards, gaining 345 against Kempsville, 323 against Green Run and 309 against Bayside.

On two of the nights when the Lions surpassed 300 rushing yards, the playing surface was a muddy mess. Seems the monster trucks posing as Tallwood linemen have a distinct advantage over their smaller counterparts when the going gets slippery.

Is that rain the Lions see in Friday's forecast?

``Hey, when Lamar Stevens, our pulling guard, gets around the corner to block, you've got a 315-pounder against defensive backs that weigh 140 to 160 pounds,'' Barto said. ``And Lamar's quick enough to get around that corner and make that block.''

So what kind food does it take to fuel these wide bodies? Not as much as one might think.

``We eat our pregame meals at Golden Corral and, as a group, we eat light,'' said the 6-2 Stevens, a junior. ``Last time we went to dinner there, I had one serving of baked chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. I saw cornerbacks going back for seconds and thirds.

``My size is all hereditary. I've got a pair of uncles who are both 6-5 and over 300 pounds.''

One among the Tallwood bunch, however, professes to heavy-duty eating habits. John Dunn, the 287-pound sophomore, said he'll sometimes surpass even thirds.

``I eat, I always eat,'' Dunn said. ``Last week I had four platefuls before the game. But I try to stay away from fatty carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.''

Maybe its something in the water at Tallwood, but Barto says he could walk the hallways and find 10 others topping 300 pounds.

``But the ones I have are real athletes,'' he said.

The trend doesn't appear to be coming to an end any time soon.

Joining Dunn in the sophomore class is Steve Holloway, a 6-2, 285-pound offensive lineman called up from the junior varsity for the playoffs.

``I remember when I was playing at Deep Creek, I did everything I could to get bigger and I was only 215 pounds,'' Barto said. ``And I was the second-biggest guy on the team. Just look at these guys. It's hard to comprehend.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

L. TODD SPENCER

Tallwood's ``heavy jumbos,'' clockwise from top left: Stephen

Holloway, Jonathan Dunn, Brandon Langhorn, Lamar Stevens and Sherwin

Joseph.

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