
DATE: Saturday, November 22, 1997           TAG: 9711220665

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   63 lines

KECOUGHTAN TOPS WESTERN BRANCH BRUINS OUTMUSCLED IN A TRENCH DUEL IN EASTERN REGION DIVISION 6 FINAL

CHESAPEAKE - Only Hampton has averaged more points than Western Branch and Kecoughtan among Eastern Region teams this season. So of course they waged a trench duel Friday night, one the Bruins were ill-equipped to win.

Kecoughtan's Chuck Forte rushed for two touchdowns and the Warriors shut down the Bruins' rushing attack after the first quarter to take a 14-7 victory in the Eastern Region Division 6 final at Oscar Smith.

The championship was the second straight for Kecoughtan (10-1), which will meet Varina (11-1) next Saturday in the state semi-finals. Western Branch finished 11-1.

Western Branch's game plan was to confuse Kecoughtan with the Wing-T and use its team speed to capitalize on the Warriors' mistakes.

That strategy worked once - on Keith Burnell's 76-yard run on the second play from scrimmage. That led to Western Branch's only touchdown, a 1-yard run by Marvin

Urquhart on fourth-and-goal. Michael Bright's extra point made it 7-0 with 5:21 left in the first quarter.

Then the Warriors wised up. They began sending their linebackers and breaking down plays in the backfield before they could get started. Western Branch gained 96 yards on its first drive, 93 the rest of the night.

Burnell finished with 88 yards on 15 carries.

``Every time we ran the ball we were one man from breaking a big run,'' he said.

Kecoughtan's strength up front slowly transferred to the offensive side as well. After being held to 20 yards on the ground in the first quarter, the Warriors rushed for 72 yards in the second quarter, 63 in the third quarter and 66 in the fourth quarter.

Kecoughtan finished with a 221-to-139 edge in rushing yards. Just as telling, the Warriors rushed 49 times to the Bruins' 31.

Forte was Kecoughtan's workhorse, carrying 20 times for 114 yrds and both TDs. His 4-yard run on the first play of the second quarter and Mark Tunstall's conversion tied the score at 7-7.

The drive began at the Western Branch 27 after the Bruins were forced to punt from their end zone.

Forte's game-winner was a 31-yard burst off left tackle. It capped a five-play, 55-yard drive to open the second half and was the Warriors' longest gain of the night.

``I've got to give it to my line,'' he said. ``I hit the hole and there was nobody around.''

Western Branch threatened only once after that. The Bruins drove from their 45 to the Kecoughtan 15 on the running and receiving of Rashad Cook. But on first down quarterback David Johnson fumbled the exchange and Bryan Hart recovered for Kecoughtan.

``It was a good snap,'' Johnson said. ``I was just too anxious to set up.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Western Branch's Rashad Cook rolls over after a run against

Kecoughtan Friday night at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake.

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Western Branch's Marvin Urquhart dives into the end zone in the

first quarter to give the Bruins an early lead over Kecoughtan on

Friday night.