THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412040197
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Deep Creek got it only half-right Saturday, but that was enough to make E.C. Glass' afternoon turn out all wrong.
The Hornets exploded for 24 points in the first 24 minutes, then hung on to defeat the Hilltoppers, 24-17, in the Group AAA, Division 5 semifinals Saturday at City Stadium.
Fullback Deon Dyer ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Arnie Powell threw for 113 yards and a score for the Hornets, who will make their first appearance in the Division 5 state final Saturday against Patrick Henry-Ashland in Richmond.
The Hornets (13-0) didn't reach the final without a few anxious moments, however. After moving the ball at will for a half and building a 24-14 lead, Deep Creek's offensive machine broke down and produced little the rest of the way.
``People saw what we were capable of doing in streaks, but then we got into a situation where we were trying to sit on the lead and we didn't execute,'' Deep Creek coach Jerry Carter said. ``They almost caught us because of it.''
After running up nearly 300 yards total offense in the first half, the Hornets were held to just 65 in the second, including only 28 yards on 18 rushing attempts.
``I think they started stunting more linebackers, and we were messing up some, too,'' Deep Creek running back Lawrence Claiborne said. ``But in the fourth quarter, when it was time to put 'em away, we got the job done.''
After Torrey Wilson broke up a Hilltoppers fourth-down pass, the Hornets strung together runs by Dyer, Powell and Dee Harell to produce their only sustained drive of the half and run out the final 3:53.
``Coach just said it's on me and Dee,'' Dyer said. ``When I hear that, I know it's time to step up.''
The Hornets' defense also stepped up. The Hilltoppers scored just three points after halftime. That field goal, a 31-yarder by Marcus Beck set up by Cedrec Williams' second fumble of the game, came after the Hornets limited the Hilltoppers to minus-4 yards on the three previous plays.
The Hornets did a particularly effective job on E.C. Glass quarterback Andre Kendrick, who came in having accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense this season. Defensive end Vernon Boone (two sacks, two assisted sacks) spearheaded a controlled pass rush that forced the elusive Kendrick to pass rather than run. The junior finished with just six completions on 18 attempts, with two interceptions.
``I don't want to take anything away from him because he's an excellent athlete, but we've seen three quarterbacks at least his equal already,'' said Carter, referring to Hampton's Ronald Curry, Phoebus' Terrence Dunn and Granby's Anthony King.
Both teams came in hoping to avoid a high-scoring affair, but that's just what developed over the first 24 minutes.
The Hilltoppers struck first, as Kendrick ran a quarterback draw 52 yards for a touchdown less than four minutes into the game.
The Hornets took the ensuing kickoff and launched an 80-yard drive but came away with nothing when Williams lost a fumble at the Glass 10.
On Deep Creek's next possession, however, quarterback Arnie Powell hit Kendall Watson with a 57-yard bomb to tie the game, 7-7.
Another crisp Deep Creek drive set up kicker Joe Verdi for a 37-yard field-goal attempt as the first quarter expired. A delay-of-game penalty forced Verdi back another 5 yards, but the senior still cleared the uprights with room to spare to move the Hornets in front.
The Hilltoppers came right back with a 71-yard drive culminating in a 20-yard scoring pass from Kendrick to Marcus Banks. But Dyer's 3-yard scoring run with 5:10 remaining in the half gave the Hornets the lead for good at 17-14.
Only 2:17 remained when Deep Creek got the ball again, but a 14-yard Harrell run, a 19-yard yard pass from Powell to Jason Waters and a 35-yard Dyer burst had the Hornets in the end zone less than a minute later.
The offensive free-for-all ended after halftime, however, as both teams adjusted defensively. E.C. Glass started gambling, shooting linebackers into gaps to stuff the run. The Hornets inserted Dyer at linebacker in place of George Miller for better run support.
``I've been working on my defense, and (defensive) coach (John) Dukes has been telling me one of these days I was going to need it,'' Dyer said. ``What better time than today.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Deep Creek's Lawrence Claiborne drags E.C. Glass' Chris Matthews for
a few extra yards. ``When it was time to put them away, we got the
job done,'' Claiborne said.
by CNB