DUPONT EAGER FOR SHOT AT HOUSE
Publication:
Published: 10/22/1997
Page: P4B
Headline: DUPONT EAGER FOR SHOT AT HOUSE
Byline: TOM ALUISE
In losing to
Wildcat quarterback J.R. House carved up the Panther secondary for 307
yards and three touchdowns.
House completed 24-of-29
passes and used the game to become the
state's all-time leader in single-season passing yardage.
It wasn't a good night for
DuPont.
Friday at 7:30 p.m., the
7-1 Panthers get another shot at House and
6-1 Nitro when the Wildcats visit Belle for one of the state's premier
matchups.
The only problem for DuPont
is that Nitro is even better than last
year on offense and especially on defense, where the Wildcats allowed
close to four TDs per game a season ago when they
went 7-4 and made it
to the Class AAA playoffs.
Thus far this year, Nitro
is giving up 10.5 points per game.
"They've improved a
bunch since last year on the defensive side,'
DuPont Coach Dick Whitman said. "They're
definitely a playoff football
team. I think they're a couple notches above where they were last
year.
"They're improving
each week and we're catching them at a redhot
time.'
DuPont is rated fourth in
AAA in today's Secondary School Activities
Commission ratings, while Nitro is fifth. The Panthers are ranked
fourth in the Daily Mail Poll. Nitro is tied for sixth with Cabell
Midland.
DuPont is coming off a
21-12 victory over Ripley in which it played
three quarters without starters Lewis Tose and Kenny
Wright. Both are
expected back this week.
Nitro knocked off John
Marshall last week, 35-13, as House threw for
383 yards. Junior receiver Chris Martin caught 14 balls for a
state-record 305 yards. Four of his catches went for TDs.
In four games since
returning from Florida, House has completed
73-of-117 passes for 1,062 yards and 13 TDs. Martin
has caught 35
passes for 774 yards and nine TDs. Junior running
back Zack Collins is
the team's leader in catches with 44 for 352 yards and two TDs.
Collins also has rushed for 700 yards.
"J.R. is not only good
but that Martin is awesome,' Whitman said. "He
catches everything thrown to him. And Collins is another good
player.'
Whitman said Nitro's
sophisticated passing attack is the best he's
seen as a high school coach.
"Nitro is probably
going to score points on a few state conference
teams. They're that good,' Whitman said. "They've got the ideal skill
people for the offensive package (assistant coach Scott) Tinsley's
got. They've got the personnel.'
So, how do you stop the Wildcats?
"I don't think you can
stop it,' Whitman said. "You just try to slow
it down a little bit.'
That job will rest with
DuPont defenders such as Mike Hill, Tremain
Straughter and Melvin Smith. Hill, who has four interceptions, and
Straughter are the Panthers' top defensive
backs.
Smith will play in both the
secondary and at linebacker Friday.
DuPont's linebackers will have their hands full with Nitro's short
passing attack that employs the durable Collins.
"How they
(linebackers) drop and react to the football is one of the
key factors,' Whitman said.
Hill and Straughter said the Panthers will benefit if they can
intercept House early. A year of experience also will help.
"We hope to intercept
him a couple of times and get in the passing
lanes more,' Hill said. "We've got better pass coverages this year
and more experience.'
"If we can come out
and intercept him at the beginning of the game
that will put a lot of pressure on him,' said Straughter,
the
Panthers' 1,000-yard rusher, who's known more for his talents at
tailback. "And if we put some good licks on their
receivers it will
slow them down some.'
"You have to play
sound defensively,' Whitman said. "But at the
same
time you have to play a sound offensive game. We're going to have to
put a few points on the board.'