WILDCATS STILL HAVE STABLE OF
RECEIVERS
Publication:
Published: 08/27/1996
Page: P1B
Headline: WILDCATS STILL HAVE STABLE OF RECEIVERS
Byline: TOM ALUISE
As long as able-armed
quarterback J.R. House is taking snaps, there is
no question footballs will fly through the chemical haze hovering over
Nitro High's Underwood Field.
But with the Wildcats' top
two receivers electing to spend their
senior years elsewhere, Nitro entered 1996 preseason practice
wondering whether anyone would catch House's offerings.
"We haven't missed a
beat,' said first-year Nitro Coach Robert
"Little' Burdette, whose Cats open the season Friday at home against
Winfield.
Burdette admitted, though,
that it's still too early to tell just how
much, if any, the Wildcats will miss Jason Redman and Ryan Blake.
"We don't talk about
not having those guys,' he said. "But time will
tell whether we miss them.'
The speedy Redman, a
first-team Class AAA all-stater, transferred to
neighbor Poca. Redman caught 46 House passes last season for 934 yards
and five touchdowns as the Wildcats finished
4-6.
The versatile Blake, who's
now at George Washington, caught 50 balls
for 397 yards out of the backfield.
In losing the duo, Burdette
suddenly found himself having to replace
96 receptions and 1,331 yards. Blake and Redman ranked Nos. 1 and 2
respectively in catches in the entire Mountain State
Athletic
Conference. House threw for over 2,000 yards.
"We'll still have 90
catches,' Burdette said. "They'll just be
distributed between more than two kids.
"We've got the type of
team which doesn't have any stars.'
Chris Martin, a 5-foot-8,
140-pound sophomore; Robbie Sigman, a 5-9,
150-pound senior; David Bishop, a 5-11, 175-pound senior; and Isaac
Eastwood, a 6-2, 170-pound junior, have been House's chief targets
thus far.
In Saturday's grid-o-rama
scrimmage at Laidley Field, Martin caught
eight passes for 152 yards in four quarters of action against Capital
and Cabell Midland.
"He's a real good
athlete,' Burdette said. "He hurt his knee during
basketball season and lost a step. But that doesn't mean he's not real
fast. He runs good routes and very seldom does he drop it.'
Sigman also figures
prominently into Nitro's passing attack.
"Sigman for the most
part is going to catch it,' Burdette said. "He's
got great hands. And he works hard. His teammates voted him as one of
our captains.'
House, a 6-1, 190-pound
sophomore, also was voted one of the Wildcat
captains.
Burdette said House, a
second-team AAA all-stater as a freshman, has
improved over 1995. In Saturday's scrimmage, he completed 25-of-50
passes for 398 yards and three TDs - two to Eastwood. He threw three
interceptions. House was not sacked.
"He's better than he
was last year,' Burdette said. "He's just
throwing better. And he threw it great last year.
"He just throws it
right on the money. Being a line coach, the biggest
thing I like is he gets back there and just throws it. He's so much in
charge out there. He's really matured. He doesn't miss any calls.'