NORTH-SOUTH NOTEBOOK SOUTH OFFENSE MISSED A CERTAIN TOUCH

Publication: THE SUNDAY GAZETTE-MAIL
Published: 06/27/1999
Page: P1D
Headline: NORTH-SOUTH NOTEBOOK SOUTH OFFENSE MISSED A CERTAIN TOUCH
Byline: JIM WORKMAN

FOR THE SUNDAY GAZETTE-MAIL

The South's wide-open Nitro offense was as much a star attraction as
any of the players on the field in the North-South All-Star Football
Classic.

With Nitro head coach Robert "Little' Burdette and Nitro offensive
coordinator Scott Tinsley on the sidelines, the Cardinals were
expected to run the exciting brand of football that led the Wildcats
to a Class AAA state championship.

But, until a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass to former Wildcat
receiver Chris Martin, the fireworks just didn't materialize.

The Nitro offense was installed in just one week. And, of course, J.R.
House, the record-setting quarterback for Nitro's title run, wasn't
playing.

"The communication part, we did,' said Tinsley. "We just didn't
execute. It's a tough offense to master. But we learned it. Timing and
practice, though, is so much different than at game time.

"Kris Byus [of Scott] was a wishbone quarterback and Hollis Lewis
[from George Washington] was a veer quarterback. They had to learn to
be drop back quarterbacks in just a week.'

"In practice it looked easy,' said Lewis. "There was a lot to learn
in a week. But their coverage had us locked up tonight. Just when you
think you've got it, you come into the game and get kind of confused.
We aren't J.R. House and we can't do what he did in just one week.'