DATE: Saturday, November 15, 1997           TAG: 9711150395

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG                      LENGTH:   39 lines

OUT OF PLAYOFFS, TRIBE PLAYS FINALE FOR PRIDE AGAINST RICHMOND, W&M WILL TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

For the first time in four years, William and Mary heads into its final regular-season game with no hopes of advancing to postseason play.

The Tribe is 6-4, and must content itself with attempting to finish on a strong note, with a win over Richmond today at Zable Stadium.

``It's good that we're playing a traditional rival,'' coach Jimmye Laycock said. ``It really gives us something to focus in on.''

It's better than focusing on what might have been in a season that has been filled with one disappointment after another. The Tribe was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation three weeks into the season, but has gone 3-3 since quarterback Mike Cook went down with a knee injury Sept. 13.

``A lot of people say, `Cook went down, that's your season,' '' offensive tackle Sean Reid said. ``It wasn't. We just didn't get a lot of breaks, like we did last year.''

The bad breaks started the day Cook was hurt. In the same game, against VMI, backup quarterback Steve Fill also went down with an injury. Third-stringer Daron Pope, a redshirt freshman, was forced into action.

Pope played well the next week, against New Hampshire, but the Tribe lost 24-22 when tailback Alvin Porch fumbled into the end zone with time running down.

William and Mary snuck by Boston University the next week, but was flat in a loss to Northeastern. Fill led the team to wins over James Madison and Connecticut, but failed to move the offense in consecutive losses to Villanova and Delaware. Losing leading receiver Dave Conklin to a knee injury didn't help.

The Tribe had an open week last week, and Cook is expected to start today in the 107th meeting between William and Mary and Richmond.

Reid said beating Richmond (6-4) is motivation enough in any year. Seven wins is also the minimum for earning a spot on a wall of fame inside Zable Stadium.

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