DATE: Wednesday, May 7, 1997                TAG: 9705070752

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   50 lines

HICKORY, W. BRANCH TIE, BUT HAWKS WIN DISTRICT SOCCER TITLE NEWEST CHESAPEAKE HIGH SCHOOL WINS THE CROWN IN ITS 1ST YEAR.

It wasn't a victory, but it was just as sweet.

Hickory's 1-1 tie with Western Branch Tuesday gave the Hawks the Southeastern District boys soccer regular season title in the school's first year. Had Western Branch won, the Bruins would have claimed the championship.

As it was, after a pair of mandatory 5-minute overtimes, it was the sixth-ranked Hawks that earned the district's automatic berth to the Eastern Region tournament in two weeks.

No.8 Western Branch (9-1-4 overall and 5-0-2 in the district) must now fight its way through the district tournament if it expects a region spot.

That the top two teams in the league battled to a tie is no surprise, but the fact that the affair saw only two goals scored is. Between the two teams, four of the top scorers in South Hampton Roads were on the field.

``I'm not surprised, really,'' said Hawks midfielder Travis Cook, who scored his team's goal on a penalty kick just three minutes into the contest. ``They had a tough defense . . . big, strong and fast. We knew they were a skilled team coming in.''

After Cook beat Bruins keeper Bud Shumate to the lower left corner, Western Branch answered 7 1/2 minutes later when David Early scored unassisted. Hawks keeper Donnie Lawlis had fisted away Steve Collett's throw in, only to have Early boot in a high floater over his head for the goal.

At that point, less than halfway through the first half, the game looked as if it would be high-scoring.

But both teams hunkered down.

Western Branch ended up with the most quality chances, forcing Lawlis to make five saves - one that stopped a screaming blast by Collett.

The Bruins also hit the post once and had another close-range shot miss by inches. And Hawks defender Josh Dunavant had to make a great save of a blast by Ryan Woodard that had beaten Lawlis.

Hickory (11-2-1, 6-0-1) had most of its shots fade right or left or sail over the crossbar. Only Brad Cashman's free kick early in the game made it to Shumate.

``No, it's not a win, but it's a district championship,'' said Robbie Gobble, the Hawks' leading scorer. ``It was a tough game, but we deserve it. They have a really good team, but we have a better one.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

L. TODD SPENCER

Western Branch's Steve Collett, left, goes up against Hickory's

Jason Miller Tuesday in game that decided the Southeastern District

champion.

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