
DATE: Saturday, November 22, 1997           TAG: 9711220661

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS                      LENGTH:   65 lines

BOOKER T. RUN OVER BY HAMPTON

Smoking is prohibited at all Newport News city facilities, but that didn't keep Ronald Curry from lighting up Booker T. Washington Friday night at Todd Stadium.

Curry, Hampton High's All-Everything quarterback, threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another touchdown as the Crabbers demolished the Bookers 40-0 in front of 7,041 in the Eastern Region Division 5 championship game.

The Crabbers (11-0) will host the winner of today's Central Region final between Lee-Davis and Patrick Henry-Ashland next Saturday at Todd Stadium in the state semifinals at 1:30 p.m.

The Crabbers went to the locker room leading 25-0 and two plays stood out as spirit breaking for the Bookers (10-2).

First, with the Crabbers leading 3-0, tailback Darnell Hollier dropped an option pitchout from Curry, only to have the ball bound off the turf back into his hands on a dead run that ended 33 yards later in the end zone. Most of Booker T.'s defensive unit froze when the ball hit the ground.

``We were thinking he'd fumbled it for sure,'' said Bookers coach Larry Stepney. ``Then he ran right by us.''

Hollier, who also scored on a 17-yard run in the third quarter, finished with 94 yards on 11 carries.

The other demoralizer came on a 13-yard scoring strike from one Curry to another - Ronald to cousin Almondo - on fourth down after Curry scrambled to buy time before finding his receiver along the backline.

``They are even better than they look on film,'' said Stepney. ``And that's pretty good.''

Curry ended Hampton's next possession with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Blizzard on a slant route.

The Crabbers weren't nearly as sharp in the second half, but didn't need to be. Not only did the Bookers fail to get into the end zone, they didn't make it to midfield until midway through the fourth quarter.

Hampton's excellent field position throughout limited Curry's numbers on the night, but not his efficiency. And while Booker T. had entered with the big reputation on defense, it was the Crabbers defensive unit that shined, particularly defensive end Jarritt Green who chased Bookers quarterback Dominic Perry all game.

``When there's a lot said about the other team's defense, that's when we like to show we have one too,'' said Ronald Curry, who played significantly at safety for the first time since partially separating his left shoulder a month ago.

Hampton limited the Bookers to 37 yards rushing and 88 yards through the air, most of that coming in the fourth quarter when Booker T. went almost exclusively with the pass.

``We were in unfamiliar territory in the regional final,'' Stepney said. ``We'll be back. And when we are, we'll be much stronger.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

Hampton receiver Almondo Curry pulls in a long pass early in the

game. Later he scored on a 13-yard pass from his cousin, Ronald

Curry.

Color Photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

Hampton's Darnell Hollier, who rushed for 94 yards on 11 carries and

scored two touchdowns, was stopped on this play by Ronald Marcus of

Booker T. Washington.