THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 22, 1994 TAG: 9410220460
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
It was another in a series of Western Branch-Lake Taylor shootouts, but this time, the Bruins kept shooting until the Titans couldn't return fire.
The sixth-ranked Bruins rallied for 22 unanswered points in the second half and rolled past No. 9 Lake Taylor, 36-21, on a Homecoming Friday night at Western Branch.
The Titans staged a big-play clinic in the second quarter and led, 21-14, at the half. But the Bruins dominated the final 24 minutes, outgaining the Titans, 193 yards to 60, and limiting Lake Taylor to just two second-half first downs.
``At halftime, we got in there and just decided to put them on their butts and start playing some football,'' Bruins offensive tackle Todd Hollowell said.
The result was the most points Lake Taylor has allowed since a 56-12 loss to First Colonial in 1990. Western Branch's 411 total yards were 31 more than any Titan team has allowed since Bert Harrell returned as head coach in 1992.
Western Branch quarterback Daryl Walton threw for 129 yards and three touchdowns, and Shyrone Stith ran for 189 yards and a score as the Bruins kept their marginal Division 5 playoff hopes alive.
``We know we've got to win all our games,'' said Western Branch's Lorenzo Ferguson. ``We just have to play good, hard football, nonstop, and see what happens.''
Last year's Lake Taylor-Western Branch game, a 30-20 knock-down, drag-out affair, was one of the most entertaining games of the season. Friday, however, the teams opened up as though they were out to do that game one better.
The Bruins set the tone on their opening series with a slick, eight-play, 74-yard drive that ended with Walton tossing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Leiker.
The Titans answered with shifty Ronyell Whitaker (121 yards rushing), who scored on runs of of 48 and 33 yards.
Western Branch countered with a ``look-what-I-found'' 60-yard bomb from Walton to tight end Calvin Diggs. Walton threw into double coverage and his pass was tipped by Kelley and bobbled by the Titans' Reggie Hawkins before Diggs plucked it out of the air and bolted into the end zone.
``I've never have anything like that happen before,'' Diggs said.
Undaunted, the Titans regained the momentum after recovering a Dre' Bly fumble. Quarterback Mario Elliott lobbed the ball just over Bly's outstretched hand and into the grasp of Brian Kelley, who took it the rest of the way for a 52-yard scoring play.
The fun stopped for Lake Taylor in the second half, however, as the Bruins finally solved the Titans' veer and bottled up Whitaker and Co. The Titans were held without a first down until midway in the fourth quarter and didn't get the ball past midfield until their final series.
Meanwhile, the Bruins, the area leaders in total offense and points per game, kept on coming. Stith tied the game with a twisting 49-yard scoring run in the third quarter. The touchdown was the 16th of the season for Stith, who leads the area in scoring.
The Bruins moved in front with a 69-yard drive which culminated in a 3-yard touchdown pass from Walton to Lorenzo Ferguson.
After getting stuffed on yet another series, the Titans tried to jumpstart their attack with some trickery. With Elliott in punt formation, the Titans snapped short to upback Whitaker. But the Bruins nailed Whitaker short of a first down and took over on the Lake Taylor 32.
Three plays later, Bly finished the Titans off with an 18-yard scoring run. He then flipped a pass to kicker Dan Dussia for the 2-point conversion.
Bly went on to intercept an Elliott pass at the Western Branch 15, and the Bruins ran out the final 5:03. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Western Branch's Shyrone Stith, left, tries top elude Lake Taylor's
LePortre Jasper. The Bruins rolled up 22 unanswered points in the
second half to make theirs a good homecoming night.
by CNB