THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609270430
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: James C. Black
LENGTH: 41 lines
A field, a football and some players are all a team needs. Well, that's the thinking of Southampton Academy coach Dale Marks and many of his counterparts in eight-man football.
``There's a thinking of some people that this is flag football or eight-man football isn't real football,'' said Marks. ``I heard somewhere that Rashaam Salaam played eight-man football.''
Indeed.
Before Salaam won the Heisman Trophy award at Colorado, the Chicago Bears running back was scoring touchdowns for La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day High.
Marks is in his ninth overall year of leading the Raiders. In 1991, their program was in danger of being discontinued because of the team's small turnout.
Down in North Carolina, several private schools had similar problems and reduced their squads to eight-man teams. The Raiders did the same, joining the Colonial Carolina Conference.
Even currently in the CCC, some squads still find it difficult to field teams.
When Academy and North-east Academy (Lasker, N.C.) practice with their 12-member squads, they can't run a full scrimmage.
Wake dressed 23 players for its most recent game in Courtland, two less than the total amount of boys enrolled in grades 9 through 12 at Southampton Academy.
Despite the difference in roster sizes, Academy hung tough with Wake on the field last Friday night.
With less than 20 seconds left in the first half, Adam Webb broke down the left sideline for an 83-yard touchdown and a 14-12 lead. Academy (3-0) held on to win by the same score.
Marks said he has to be very careful where he plays his defensive ends. If an offensive player hits the corner before the end does, the defense can forget about making the play.
Oh, kind of like in an 11-man game!
KEYWORDS: HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL by CNB