THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 17, 1994 TAG: 9409170509
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Two of the area's leading running backs went head-to-head on Friday night at Harbor Park.
It was expected that the sparks would fly as Booker T. Washington's Michael Basnight and Lake Taylor's Richard Johnson led their respective teams into the unofficial battle for the Eastern District title.
Instead they combined for 105 yards as the teams put on a defensive clinic and the ninth-ranked Booker's needed overtime to down the eighth-ranked Titans, 8-6, and claim bragging rights in Norfolk.
After regulation, the score was deadlocked at 0.
The Bookers earned the first chance to change that in overtime.
Michael Beverly overthrew his receiver on the first play, but undaunted Booker T. (2-1, 1-0 Eastern) ran the same play and Beverly connected with Dion Davis in the corner of the end zone to go up, 6-0.
Then it was up to head coach Larry Stepney.
He never hesitated.
``I said I'm going for two,'' Stepney said. ``I wanted (Lake Taylor) to have to go for two.''
Beverly hooked up with Kamal Gardner for the conversion and the pressure was on the Titans (1-2, 0-1).
``I thought even if they got the touchdown, we'd be OK,'' Stepney said. ``But I figured the way our defense had been they wouldn't get in for the conversion.''
He was right.
Johnson slipped off the right tackle and into the end zone.
The Titans tried the same play for the conversion. This time Johnson was stacked up and the Titans fell to the ground in disbelief.
The Titans had a touchdown called back for a penalty during their shocking loss to Wilson last week. The same thing happened Friday night and left coach Bert Harrell wondering if they can recover.
Ronyell Whitaker returned a Basnight punt for an apparent 60-yard TD early in the second half, but the Titans were called for clipping.
``We didn't move the ball like I thought we would,'' Harrell said. ``Penalties cost us the game. They were stupid penalties . . . the clipping on the touchdown. That's two weeks in a row that we have lost because of penalties. It's pretty disheartening. We'll see if we can come back, but I don't know.'' by CNB