THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608250333
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: V28 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Preview: High school forecasts:
SOURCE: VICKI L. FRIEDMAN
LENGTH: 49 lines
GRANBY
COACH: Dave Hudak (11th season, 43-57)
STAFF MEMBERS: Hank Sawyer, Jim Satterfield, John Cerminara, Jeff Crook, Mike Burnett, Steve Versprille
WHERE THEY PLAY: Home games at Chittum Field (capacity 8,000), 6401 Chesapeake Blvd., Norfolk, and Harbor Park.
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 7-3 overall, 3-1 in the district, league champion.
RETURNING STARTERS: Will Cromer, Sr., WR, 6-3, 190; Anthony Cromer, So., FB, 5-10, 220; Anthony Allen, Sr., OG-DT, 6-1, 195; Alex Sunkins, Sr., HB, 5-9, 175; Eddie Dodson, Jr., OT, 6-3, 240; DeShawn Griffin, Sr., LB, 5-10, 175; Darvin Alexander, Sr., DB, 6-1, 170.
TOP NEWCOMERS: Deonte Hundley, Sr., WR-DB, 6-1, 165; Dexter Reid, So., QB, 5-10, 165; Nathaniel Knight, So., OG, 6-0, 245; Travis Thornton, Sr., DT, 6-4, 210; Mike Reid, Jr., OT-DT, 6-4, 255; Jasper Owens, So., HB-DB, 5-11, 170; James Boddie, Sr., C, 5-10, 175.
OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW: Granby will be King-less this season and feeling the impact. Anthony King, now at Penn State, was second in the area in total offense with 755 yards of rushing and 965 yards of passing in leading Granby to the district title. Without him, Granby will go back to a team-oriented attack. The Comets will employ a modified wing-T that uses a lot of motion. The primary back will be Sunkins, who gained 667 yards last season. Hudak will look to surround new quarterback Reid with other runners while gradually increasing his role. Will Cromer picked up some experience late in the '95 season and will be a target of Reid's.
DEFENSIVE OVERVIEW: Unlike the offense, little will change on the Granby defense, a 5-2 formation. The defense will also suffer the loss of King at cornerback and three of the four starting linebackers. Still there is Griffin, a two-year starter at linebacker, and Hudak says much of the defense rests with him. Last year's veteran line was key in the Comets finishing fourth in scoring defense with a 9.4-point average. Hundley, who nursed a knee injury last season, should be key at defensive back.
COACH'S QUOTE: ``I don't like the word rebuilding, but it seems like after a championship, it's inevitable. It all falls on the players' shoulders, on how far they would like to go, on what kind of season they would like to have.''
IT'S A FACT: This is the 30th anniversary of Granby's state championship team.
KEYWORDS: SPECIAL SECTION PREVIEW by CNB