THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994               TAG: 9412040214
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: SPOTSYLVANIA, VA.                  LENGTH: Short :   43 lines

MENTAL MISTAKES WERE COSTLY IN NANSEMOND RIVER'S LOSS

Nansemond River nearly lost the regular-season title-clinching game against Lakeland because of mental mistakes.

They helped York stay in the game through the end in the Region I final.

The Warriors ended their season one week early with a 13-10 loss to Spotsylvania in the Group AA Division 4 state semifinal Saturday afternoon because of mental mistakes.

``I don't know what it is,'' coach Jerry Varacallo said. ``Offsides, a clip. Some of the kids making the penalties are first-year players, so a lot of experience comes in there.''

The Warriors mounted a charge late in the first half and reached the Knights' 23.

Leon Porter pitched out to Clarence Skinner who scammpered 14 yards to the 9.

But the Warriors were flagged for holding.

Porter was sacked on the next play for a 10-yard loss to bring up third-and-22 from the 39.

Then the Warriors were called for offsides and the ensuing pass was broken up. The Warriors had to punt.

The mistakes don't just appear when the Warriors are on offense.

Rocky Woolfolk had a 25-yard run to move the Knights from the 41 to the Nansemond River 16.

A personal foul on Nansemond River moved the Knights half the distance to the goal.

Two plays later Woolfolk scored.

Nansemond River was hit with six costly penatlies for 45 yards.

``It's the same thing we've been doing all year,'' Varacallo said. ``We get opportunities to score and we make mental mistakes and get penalties and stuff and we don't score.

``That has been our biggest problem all year I think. We kept telling them all year it was going to catch us sometime and it finally caught us.'' by CNB