HERBERT HOOVER BRINGS DOWN HOUSE
45-20
Publication: THE
Published: 11/02/1996
Page: P1C
Headline: HERBERT HOOVER BRINGS DOWN HOUSE 45-20
Byline: MIKE WHITEFORD
By the second half, Herbert
Hoover had figured out precisely how to
cope with J.R. House and the Nitro Wildcats.
Early in the third quarter,
the Huskies began intercepting House
passes, controlled both the clock and the ball and, as it turns out,
waltzed to a 45-20 victory Friday night at
In a game where the
momentum changed more quickly than Magic Johnson's
retirement plans, the Huskies outscored the Wildcats 38-0 in the
second half, thereby erasing a 20-7 halftime deficit.
Never mind that House, a
sophomore quarterback, threw for 457 yards to
unofficially break the state single-game record of 454 held by
After throwing for 350
yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on
180of-29 passing in the first half, House found the
bit more challenging in the second half. In the final 16 minutes, he
passed for just 107 yards - much of it in the game's final minutes -
and threw three interceptions.
All in all, he completed 28
of 48 and raised his season's passing
total to 3,107 yards to surpass the state record of 2,952 set by New
Martinsville's Aaron Cisar in 1992.
"That's the first time
this year we've been shut out for a half,'
said Nitro coach Robert Burdette. "Their guys
played a lot harder in
the second half, and their second-half adjustments were probably
better than mine.'
The No. 14 Huskies improved
to 8-1, and the No. 6 Wildcats slipped to
7-2.
The Huskies rushed for only
28 yards in the first half but ran almost
at will in the second. Bo Weese, a 5-foot-9,
175-pound tailback, led
the way with 148 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, and quarterback
Adam Samples added 84 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
Samples also completed 9 of
15 passes for 155 yards, including a
65-yard touchdown to Josh Summerfield. Chad Wehrle
contributed 49
yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Justin Teel kicked a
34-yard field goal and all six conversions.
Mike Jennings intercepted
two House passes and Summerfield had one -
all of which led directly to Hoover touchdowns.
"At halftime the
coaches just told us to keep our heads up, not get
down and we'll win,' said Weese.
"The offensive line blocked a lot
better in the second half.'
"We weren't getting
any pressure on House in the first half,' said
half, we got back into our offense and played more aggressively.'
After a rocky first-half
start, the Wildcats scored three consecutive
touchdowns - on House passes to Isaac Eastwood for 25 yards, Chris
Martin for 11 and Eastwood again for 3.
The Wildcats came
within a whisker of another touchdown, but Martin,
after catching a House pass and scampering 54 yards to the
fumbled out of the end zone, giving the Huskies possession at their
own 20.
The Huskies opened the
second half by driving 85 yards - highlighted
by Weese's 42-yard run to the Nitro 25 - for a TD on
Samples' 11-yard
run.
And after Summerfield's
interception at the
were off and running again, scoring a Wehrle's
15-yard run for a 21-20
lead.
"We've been playing
well offensively,' said Cowley.
"I thought we could
score on them.'
Washington. Nitro, which is already assured of its first winning
season since 1983, will play at Poca.