CAPITAL NUKES NITRO 56-20 COUGARS ON
TRACK IN WIN
Publication: THE SUNDAY GAZETTE-MAIL
Published: 11/17/1996
Page: P1D
Headline: CAPITAL NUKES NITRO 56-20 COUGARS ON TRACK IN WIN
Byline: RICK RYAN
SUNDAY GAZETTE-MAIL
They held a football game
at Laidley Field Saturday afternoon and a
track meet broke out.
At least, it must have
seemed that way to Nitro.
Play
after play, Capital's running backs were in the clear, sprinting
downfield with the football. And when the Cougars finally hit the
finish line, they had rolled up 453 yards rushing and taken a 56-20
victory over the Wildcats in a Class AAA first-round playoff game at
Laidley Field. An estimated crowed of 3,000 attended.
"That was something
else,' said Capital coach Roger Jefferson.
The defending state
champion Cougars (10-1) will now meet Herbert
Hoover (9-2) in the quarterfinals next weekend at Laidley
Field. The
day and kickoff time will be determined today.
To get there, the Cougars
had to withstand a record-breaking assault
by Nitro quarterback J.R. House, who ended his sophomore season the
way he started it - filling the air with footballs.
House, a leading Kennedy
Award candidate, completed 37 of 61 attempts
for 376 yards and three touchdowns. All of those numbers either set or
tied state records for a preliminary round game. But he was
intercepted four times, sacked four times and pressured mightily by
Capital's relentless front line.
"They were killing us
early,'
were making their first playoff appearance in 36 years.
"But we
changed our coverages there and it really hurt them.
I think it
confused them a little bit. We adjusted and got more pressure on J.R.
"I think our offensive
and defensive coaches did a good job of making
those adjustments.'
The game was entertaining
much of the way, especially in the first
half before the Cougars had hit their stride.
Willie Hampton, Capital's
252-pound fullback, lumbered 49 and 43 yards
for scores, while speedy Ricky Sherrod bolted 32 and 98 yards for
touchdowns. Each back went over 100 yards in economical fashion, with
Sherrod gaining 163 on just seven carries and Hampton 108 on four
attempts.
House, meanwhile, countered
with first-half TD tosses of 48 yards to
Chris Martin and 22 yards to Robbie Sigman. Those
strikes brought
Nitro (7-4) within 21-14 late in the first quarter.
Even though Capital's lead
ballooned to 42-14 by halftime, the
Wildcats were still clawing. House was picked off twice to end
promising drives, once by Adam Withrow at the Capital
2 and then by
Scott Canada in his own end zone with 20 seconds left before halftime.
"I thought that was a big
play by
gotten that last one before halftime, they'd have momentum. And then
they got the kick to start the second half.'
But while Capital's coaches
found the right answers to deal with
House, Nitro never solved, or slowed, the Cougars' ground game.
Capital averaged nearly 10 yards on its 46 carries and its only pass
attempt also went the distance, with Ken Brooks hitting tight end
David Kinney for a 32-yard score.
"They are just so good
on offense,' said Nitro coach Robert Burdette.
"I don't know anyone who's going to stop them.
"We knew we were
pretty much outmanned. We tried to create some havoc
on their offensive line by bringing people up and grabbing their
guards. But it didn't take very long to find out that it didn't
matter. Their backs were beating us anyway.'
Cougars.
"They were diving at
our ankles the whole time,'
"You've got to be able to break ankle tackles.'
Capital, holding a 49-14
advantage, began substituting freely midway
into the third quarter. But House and his band of receivers didn't
quit.
Three Wildcats
gained more than 100 yards in receptions. Martin had
117 on seven grabs, Sigman 105 on nine catches and
Isaac Eastwood 101
on eight balls. Running back Zack Collins had a record 12 catches for
39 yards.
"We told our kids at
halftime that we had to keep fighting,' Burdette
said. "We said to quit looking at the scoreboard
and play.'
After Saturday's offensive
orgy, it's safe to say that each side left
its impression on the other.
"We really thought
they would bring pressure,' House said. "They
aren't real great on covering, but they can hit you in the mouth.'
And Hampton, who as a
defensive lineman exhausted himself chasing
after House, hopes that
"I hope they run the
ball,'
ball.'