THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9409280155
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
CLOSE CALLS IN Norcom's first two football games have prompted many to say the Greyhounds are not in the class with last year's state championship team.
The comparison at this early stage of the season irritates Norcom coach Joe Langston.
And, for what it may be worth, the critics could be wrong.
In last year's first two games, the Greyhounds blasted Booker T. Washington, 39-0, and Churchland, 42-7.
This year, Norcom opened with a 27-19 victory over Churchland and followed with a 15-13 win over Western Branch. Both the Truckers and the Bruins have their best teams in many years.
``We had three starters out for the Churchland game and five out for Western Branch,'' Langston said. ``We're getting back to full strength now.
``We try to get better every week, and we feel like we're doing that. We had only one pre-season scrimmage since one team cancelled out on us at the last minute.''
In game No. 3, Norcom blanked Oscar Smith, 26-0. The third game last year was a 13-7 Norcom victory over Western Branch.
Currently, the Greyhounds rank first in the Southeastern and second in the South Hampton Roads (behind Green Run) on defense. Norcom is second in the district in offense (behind Western Branch) and sixth in the South Hampton Roads.
``Eliminate the one long run Churchland broke against us in the first game and our defense would be No. 1,'' pointed out Langston.
Defensively, the Greyhounds have been receiving particularly solid play from tackles Lavar Bowers and Jermaine Bullock, linebacker Ricky Deberry and backs Rudy Howard and Jason Wells.
``At this time, I would say we are about right where we were last year,'' Langston added.
The statistic sheet for three games agrees with the coach. The comparison:
Total Offense
1993 - 123.7 rushing; 131.7 passing; 255.4 overall
1994 - 134.7 rushing; 110.6 passing; 245.3 overall
Total Defense
1993 - 54.0 rushing; 49.3 passing; 103.3 overall
1994 - 71.7 rushing; 50.3 passing; 122.0 overall
Langston is expecting to see Monte Gorum back in action when his Greyhounds play at Great Bridge Friday night.
Gorum was injured in the Wilcats' season-opener against Tallwood. He did not play used in Great Bridge's victory over Wilson last week.
As a junior ,Gorum rushed for 488 yards and four touchdowns in only 80 carries last year. The senior wingback averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
Despite three losses, Wilson still ranks among the offensive leaders in the area. The Presidents stand behind only Norcom in passing in the district, averaging 108 yards for four games.
Wilson also has spruced up its running game and is averaging 141.3 yards in rushing.
This week's match-up with Indian River obviously will have Wilson putting the ball in the air and the Braves keeping it on the ground. Indian River averages 216.3 in rushing and only 36.7 in passing.
Churchland, coming off its first victory over Western Branch since 1984, knows what it must do to get past undefeated Deep Creek: stop Deon Dyer.
The 235-pound Dyer, a junior, sparked the Hornets to a 4-0 start last year before suffering an ankle injury. He missed three games and played sparingly in two others as Deep Creek finished up 7-3 with a break-even record in the final six games.
Dyer has scored six touchdowns in the past two games. In last week's 27-13 win by Deep Creek over Granby, Dyer rushed for 93 yards and scored three times. The previous week against Wilson, he gained 92 yards and had three scores.
Churchland coach Ken Taylor is keeping his defensive strategy a secret. Before the Great Bridge game, he posted a copy of the Athlete of the Week story on the Wildcats' Corey Holley in each player's locker. Holley was limited to 62 yards rushing in 22 carries, and the Truckers blanked the Wildcats, 20-0. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Churchland pressured Western Branch's Daryl Walton last week and
defeated the Bruins for the first time since '84.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
[For picks see microfilm for this date.]
TOP GAMES
[For schedule, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB