NITRO TO 13-10 COMEBACK WIN OVER GENERALS

Publication: CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
Published: 08/25/1990
Page: P3B
Headline: NITRO TO 13-10 COMEBACK WIN OVER GENERALS
Byline: WILBUR JENKINS

Just three years ago, Boom McKinney had a broken leg and
wondered if he'd ever play football again.
Friday, Nitro High School's 5-8 senior running back was spoiling
the debut of Winfield head coach Jimmy Tribble.
McKinney rumbled 79 yards for the winning touchdown and finished
with 108 yards on seven carries in leading his Wildcats to a 13-10
come-from-behind victory over Winfield at Underwood Field.
"I broke my leg in ninth grade playing street basketball when I.
came down on someone's foot,' McKinney said. "The doctors wouldn't
let me play for awhile and I sort of slacked off in my grades.'
McKinney's run made him the night's leading rusher. Nitro's
defense, meanwhile, had the difficult task of trying to stop the
running and passing of Winfield quarterback Cary Crouch.
After each team failed to move the ball on its first possession,.
Winfield and Crouch marched down field, starting on their own 46-yard
line.
The drive, which was kept alive by a Nitro penalty and a.
fourth-down pass from Crouch to tight end Jason Kerr, ended in kicker
Gorka Roma's 24-yard field goal with 2:14 left in the first quarter
"I don't think we were able to hit anybody tonight,' Nitro.
head coach Greg Cyrus said. "We might have hit somebody late in the
game but as for the first half, there was no way.'
Winfield took advantage of a Nitro turnover to score again in
the second quarter.
The Generals picked up a fumble at the Wildcats' 31 and scored
quickly with Scott Witt running 13 yards for the TD with 11:22 to
play in the half. Winfield had a 10-0 lead.
"I thought our boys hung in there all night long,' said.
Tribble, who succeeded Leon McCoy at the Generals' helm. "They're a
young ball team and they're going to win their share of games.'
The Generals' chances of padding their lead took a serious blow
when Crouch sprained his left ankle and left the game with 6:38 to
play in the half. He was replaced by Richard Boehm.
"Cary is going to get his ankle X-rayed but it looks like it's.
just a sprain,' Tribble said. "He should come back for next week's
game.'
Nitro's first touchdown came with 1:18 left in the first half
when quarterback Craig Oxley found junior Brandon Sneed on a slant
pattern 13 yards out to make it 10-7.
"I thought that drive right before the half gave us a little
momentum going into the second half,' Cyrus said. "We were happy.
just being down by three. We didn't scream and yell and go nuts. We
just regrouped and did our job.'
McKinney's heroics came early in the third quarter after a short
punt by Winfield. McKinney slashed off the left side, cut back to.
the right and outran two Winfield defenders for his 79-yard touchdown
sprint, which ended the night's scoring.

"It was a fullback lead up the middle,' McKinney said. "The
linebacker was blitzing inside so I ran out wide. I thought they
were going to catch me because I started getting cramps about the 25
.'
Nitro's victory represented Cyrus' first-ever over Winfield.
Cyrus previously coached at Sissonville.
Nitro will visit Hurricane next week while the Generals face
Scott at home.