THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 22, 1994 TAG: 9410220471
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Lorenzo Thompson couldn't repeat what Granby head coach Dave Hudak said to the Comets in the locker room at halftime.
All he could say was that the speech ``gave us a spark.''
That spark ignited the Comets to a 34-16 come-from-behind Eastern District win over 10th-ranked Norview Friday night at Harbor Park.
Granby was losing, 16-7, heading into the final period, before the Thompson-led Comets rolled off 27 unanswered points.
Thompson, who never touched the ball on offense until the second half when he racked up 90 yards on 11 carries, accounted for 18 of Granby's fourth-quarter points with a pair of interception returns for touchdowns and one 17-yard rushing score.
Choosing his words carefully, Hudak said he essentially told his players that they needed to come out and play 24 full minutes of football in the second half.
``That is something we haven't done yet,'' said Hudak, whose Comets moved to 1-1 in the district and 4-3 overall. ``It was gut-check time. You have to have guts to come back when you are down at the half.''
It also helps to have Thompson's talent and energy leading the team on both sides of the field.
Thompson had 10 solo tackles in the first half to lead the Granby defense, but the Pilots (1-2, 4-3) still managed to convert four of eight third downs. Two of those missed third downs were converted on fourth down, including a 17-yard Jorice Mason to Dennis Anderson pass play on 4th-and-six late in the second quarter to make it 16-7 at the half.
In the second half Norview failed to earn a single first down.
Thompson got the first of his interceptions with 9:54 left in the fourth with a big assist from Mike Urbaniak.
On third and four from the Norview 13, Urbaniak had Mason in his grasp. Mason tried to dump the ball off to avoid the sack, but the pass fell right into the hands of Thompson, who scampered in for the score to make it 16-14.
Thompson capped the Comets' next drive, a five-play, 60-yard possession, with a 17-yard run to give them the lead, 20-16, with 5:22 to play.
Granby put the game away in the final minute with a 27-yard pass from Anthony King to Roosevelt Westbrook and Thompson's 13-yard pickoff return. by CNB