THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 20, 1994 TAG: 9411200238
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
The Booker T. Washington Bookers came into Saturday's Eastern Region Division 5 semifinal so focused on stopping the running of Hampton quarterback Donald Curry they forgot about the Crabbers' other ballcarriers.
So while Curry did little, the rest of the Crabber backfield ran wild as Hampton held off the Bookers, 34-26, Saturday night at Darling Stadium.
Curry, the freshman sensation, accounted for just 53 yards rushing and passing. But Curry's slack was more than drawn up by Hampton running backs Carlos Ford, Chris Ricks and Darryl Smith, who, running behind one of the smallest offensive lines in the area, combined for 253 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
``They had a good scheme,'' Booker T. Washington coach Larry Stepney said. ``Their offensive coordinator did a great job.''
The Peninsula District champion Crabbers will face Southeastern District winner Deep Creek Friday at 8 p.m. at Western Branch High in a battle of 11-0 teams.
The Bookers ended their season at 6-5, but not before throwing a scare into the unbeaten Crabbers. Trailing, 21-0, midway through the second quarter, the Bookers settled down and dominated the second half. Hampton didn't secure the victory until Donald Curry intercepted Michael Beverly's desperation pass from the Hampton 37 with no time remaining.
``We let up a little bit,'' Hampton defensive back Ahmad Hawkins said.
Hampton coach Mike Smith also sensed a letdown, as he scolded his defense after the game. But the Bookers saw their rally not as a Hampton collapse but as a result of overcoming early jitters and getting their game together.
``We consider ourselves the Fighting Bookers,'' Stepney said. ``So we started playing Booker T. football and we fought back.''
Booker T. Washington running back Michael Basnight did much of the damage, powering his way to 159 yards on a season-high 22 carries and three touchdowns. So punishing were Basnight's runs that on one carry, it took all 11 Crabbers to bring him down.
Quarterback Michael Beverly added 109 yards through the air, including a seven-yard scoring pass to James Pope.
But the Bookers' inability to stop the Crabber running backs left them with too many points to make up. And when they finally began to corral Ford and Co., Curry started getting loose. His 13-yard scoring run accounted for Hampton's final touchdown, and he picked up a big first down to keep Hampton's late fourth-quarter drive alive. When the Bookers got the ball back, only eight seconds remained.
Turnovers also hampered the Bookers' effort. Booker T. Washington had only two players with playoff experience, and it showed as the Bookers committed three first-half turnovers. All led to Hampton touchdowns.
The most damaging came late in the first half, when Beverly threw a pitch behind Basnight. Basnight got a hand on the ball, but tipped it right to Hampton linebacker Steven Redfearn, who plucked it out of the air and returned it 45 yards before Paul Patterson tripped him up at the Bookers' six. On the next play, Ford produced his second straight six-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0.
Smith ran 74 yards for a score on Hampton's next possession before Basnight answered with a 52-yard touchdown run. Beverly ran in the two-point conversion, but the Bookers were unable to convert their other three two-point attempts. by CNB