MOUTH OF CAPITAL SAYS TEAM HAS
ARRIVED
Publication: THE
Published: 09/08/1989
Page: P2B
Headline: MOUTH OF CAPITAL SAYS TEAM HAS ARRIVED
Byline: GREG STONE
Nitro better crawl back into a hole somewhere. I'm ready to go
off. _ Todd Robinson.
That was the proclamation Thursday from the county's best player
and biggest mouth.
Capital High's Robinson, never one to run from pen and pad,
enters tonight's contest with Nitro, like the rest of the Cougars,
eager to erase the bittersweet taste of the Cougars' two
MISTAKE-FILLED OPENING WINS. CAPITAL'S DEFENSE DOMINATED BOTH
affairs (40-6 over
offense mostly featured talented ball carriers turning broken plays
into scores.
"There were too many I's,' Robinson said.
"Nobody wanted to
be together as a team. In our first two games, every touchdown we
got was a result of an individual play. We've come together this
week.'
Coach Roger Jefferson has put Capital through some head-knocking
the last couple of days. He had the first-team offense scrimmaging
live against the best of the rest, which at Capital is akin to
scrimmaging another good high school.
"We've added a little intensity this week,' said
"We haven't been having much fun so far. I don't like it when I
look up and see us score when it's just because of sheer talent. I
want to see us drive the ball down the field _ run
seven or
eight plays without screwing up.'
of a caretaker at a funeral. "I don't know if we as coaches have
taken it away from them or if they've heard all the talk about how
good they are.'
He said he wants to see improvement on the field tonight, and
not hear a lot of rah-rah stuff during warm-ups. "I don't mind all
the talking,' he said, "but my feeling is,
"Don't tell me, show me
.' Anybody can talk.'
Some players say the team's advance press billing was
detrimental. "It definitely went to our heads,' said Robert
Elswick, a 6-4, 220-pound senior defensive tackle.
"I think that's added some pressure,' said Joel Chapman, a.
6-4, 260-pound tackle who was ineligible at Charleston High last year
. "BUT THIS WEEK, WE BLANKED IT ALL OUT. IT TOOK
us up. It's like Coach says, "Whoever we play has everything to gain
AND NOTHING TO LOSE.''
Nitro has already gained a lot. A lot of girth. The Wildcats,
15-12 winners over Hurricane last week, feature a line that boasts
6-4, 305-pound Jamie Jones and 6-4, 250-pound J.C. Teetoff.
The
'Cats, along with possibly
to match Capital's size this year.
"Yeah, them being so big has made us concentrate more,' said
Lemere Whitestone, a 5-10, 220-pound guard.
Quarterback William King said one of the reasons for Capital's
shaky offensive performance last week against
The humidity on the banks of the Elk clouded his thinking, the QB
said.
Heat isn't the only thing that aggravates King. The high
expectations fans and media have hoisted upon the team also rankles
him, he said.
"If you don't go out and win every game 40-0 you're not doing
your job,' he said. "We beat
they're not bad. They've improved a lot since last year.'
Capital's roster includes 33 seniors.
them probably aren't sure of their role on the team, another
situation that may have led to the squad's late jelling. Maybe the
Cougars have too much experience.
"There's a lot of talent going to waste,' said senior halfback
Jerome Dean, the brother of senior fullback Al. "Thirty-three
SENIORS IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL. GUYS LIKE DAVID HOLT AND CHRIS MARTI n.
(backup running backs) would start right off the bat at other schools
.'
But they'd still have to play Capital.