THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411110817
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHIC RIEBEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
As championship games go, it was hardly one for the ages. Norfolk Academy overpowered Catholic, 44-12, in workman-like fashion Thursday night to win the first Colonial Football Association title.
What the Bulldog players, particularly the seniors, will remember most was the season itself.
``It was a great year, truly unbelievable,'' said senior offensive lineman Luke Constantinides, whose blocking helped Norfolk Academy (8-1 overall, 4-0 CFA) amass a whopping 436 yards in total offense. ``It was one unit, working together, through the highs and the lows.''
The highs included a 21-19 victory over Fork Union a week ago that clinched a share of the Virginia Prep League championship. That win took such an expenditure of energy that Bulldog coach Tom York wasn't sure how his team would respond to the title challenge from Catholic (4-5, 2-2).
``We felt we had the better talent, but we still had to come out here to play,'' he said.
To their credit, the Bulldogs did just that. Academy, which has not lost to the Crusaders in York's six-year tenure, scored on every possession and took a 44-0 lead before Catholic got on the scoreboard.
``It was strictly business,'' said Constantinides.
Damien Taylor and Ted Galloway were the business leaders.
Damien Taylor, one half of a talented brother combination in the backfield, closed out a brilliant career with a 14-carry effort that produced 181 yards and three touchdowns, including a 96-yard TD on his final run.
Galloway, a sophomore quarterback who didn't figure in the picture until Mike Beverly transferred to Booker T. Washington and Drew McKnight went down with a broken wrist, completed four of six passes for 107 yards and two TDs.
Galloway's touchdown tosses went to Hunter Sims (61 yards) and Hannon Wright (18 yards).
Adam Raper scored Academy's other touchdown on a 2-yard run.
Norfolk Academy weathered a strong performance by the Crusaders' Jimmy Whitehead. The senior completed 13 of 25 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, but much of the damage came late.
Like Damien Taylor, Whitehead went out with a bang. The last pass of his high school career was a hook-and-lateral that went 24 yards for a touchdown with just seven seconds left on the clock.
But the night belonged to the Bulldogs.
``I'm really proud of the way this team played,'' said York. ``It may sound kind of corny, but this was a special season. It's the kind of season you remember for the rest of your life.'' by CNB