NITRO LOOKS TO AIR OUT DOTS 'D'
Publication:
Published: 11/01/1995
Page: 01B
Headline: NITRO LOOKS TO AIR OUT DOTS 'D'
Byline: TOM ALUISE
POCA - One thing stands between
Poca High's football team and an
undefeated regular season.
Air.
As in air
it out aerial attack airborne.
The 9-0 Dots travel to 3-6
Nitro Friday to face the Wildcats' pass-happy
offense. It is the season finale for Nitro and a playoff tuneup
for No.
1-rated Poca, Class AA's defending state champ.
There is no question the
defensive-minded Dots can stop the run. Teams
have not come close to establishing ground attacks against Poca's
senior-dominated defense.
The Dots have allowed fewer than one yard per rush this season. Poca
opponents have gained only 182 yards on the ground in nine games and
have scored but one rushing touchdown.
Five teams have failed to
score against the Dots.
"We get to the ball
real well,' said senior linebacker Bobby Lemley,
the club's leading tackler and a fearsome hitter. "We've
been playing
together since the eighth grade. And we've played close to the same
positions since. We cover our area and don't worry about anyone else -
just get to your spot and do your job.'
But how will Poca's defense react to flying footballs? Nitro freshman
quarterback J.R. House has passed for over 1,600 yards
this season.
And the chances of the Wildcats
trying to run against the Dots are about
the same as Mike Tyson getting an invitation to speak to the Boy Scouts
of America.
"I'm not sure yet, I
hope we do well,' said Poca senior defensive end
Seth Lyle, when asked how the Dots will react to House's offerings.
The 6-3, 190-pound Lyle
leads the Dots with seven sacks. Lemley is next
with six.
"Our line is getting
pressure on the quarterback and that helps,' said
Lyle. "This will be a test because they pass
almost every down.'
Two weeks ago, Hurricane QB
Brian Bennett completed 12 of 26 passes for
173 yards and a TD in the Redskins' 13-10 loss to Poca.
Bennett's
28-yard TD pass helped Hurricane take a 10-0 lead at halftime.
The Dots have allowed 586
passing yards this season, about 65 per game.
"We feel confident but
a lot of people don't feel confident in us,'
Lemley said of his team's pass defense. "We think we can stop the pass.
We've got big, strong and fast linemen, who can get to the quarterback.
That will be the key this week.'
The Dots' defensive line
includes Bobby Carter (6-0, 270), Anthony Brock
(6-0, 195), Casey Brown (6-1, 250), and Brad Knell (6-6, 260).
Lemley said the Dots' defense has lived up
to, if not surpassed, the
enormous expectations placed on it coming into this season.
Most of the starters from
last year's defense, the strength of the Dots'
12-2 state-championship squad, returned this year. Poca allowed only 13
points in four playoff games a season ago and posted shutouts in the
semifinals and finals.
"I think we've been
better (than last year),' Lemley said.
Lemley's dad, Poca
head coach Bob Lemley, said his players have adjusted
to the hype surrounding the season better than the coaching staff.
"They've handled it
pretty well, probably better than we have as
coaches,' he said. "Our guys just say, 'We're
going to win.' We
probably worry more than the kids do. I think they know exactly what's
going on on Fridays. But sometimes it's hard to read
them.
"What I want them to
do is keep getting better every week. That's what
we did last year.'
"I really don't think
about us being top of the hill,' Bobby Lemley
said. "We just go out and play and have fun.'