NITRO, GW GET THE BALL ROLLING
Publication: THE
Published: 08/26/1999
Page: P1B
Headline: NITRO, GW GET THE BALL ROLLING
Byline: RICK RYAN
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The two programs poised to
kick off the prep football season tonight
at Laidley Field stand at a crossroads.
Nitro comes off a storybook
season that included a 14-0 record, its
first-ever state championship and a bushel of passing and scoring
records that may not be broken for a long while.
Meanwhile, George
Washington, itself a past state champ (1982), tries
to dust off the aftereffects of a 1-9 season that ended with nine
straight losses. GW went a long way toward pulling that off at the
beginning of August drills, when 60 players were lured out for
practice.
So
tonight's game, which starts at 7:30 and begins a big weekend at
Laidley Field, may go a long way toward swaying the
fortunes of the
Wildcats and Patriots this season.
"I think we're better
than we'd thought we'd be at this time,' said
Nitro coach Robert "Little' Burdette, "especially with having lost 10
[seniors].'
Included in that group were
four first-team Class AAA all-staters -
quarterback J.R. House, who set state and national passing records;
receiver Chris Martin; linebacker Jesse Wisnewski;
and running back
Zack Collins.
"It's yet to be
determined what we'll do,' Burdette said, "but we're
better than we thought we'd be.'
Stepping under center for
Nitro will be a new, yet old quarterback -
6-foot-1, 210-pound junior Jason Ward. As a freshman in 1997, Ward
started the Wildcats' first four games before House
returned from
there; now, he's transferred back to Nitro.
Nitro also welcomed back a
pair of proven receivers in senior Jeff
Clark and junior Clarence Joyner.
yards and 14 touchdowns last season, while Joyner grabbed 57
receptions for 733 yards and eight scores.
Mix in the running of
318 yards and three TDs last year, and the threat of
tall, swift
receiver Steve Jones, another Capital transfer, and the Wildcats
arsenal again appears stocked.
"I think they're going
to run a little more than they have in the
past,' said GW coach Steve Edwards Jr. "They've had success running
the ball in their two scrimmages. But Ward knows the offense and they
still have some dangerous receivers.
"They have guys who
can run and catch - and it's tough to cover that
with your base, normal defense. We've got more games to get ready for
than just this one, so we can't spend a whole month on defending
Nitro. I guess we'll try to slow them down a little bit and score more
points.'
The Patriots will also be
replacing a veteran QB, following the
graduation of three-year starter Hollis Lewis. Senior Pete Ambrose and
junior Moore Capito are the likely successors.
Skill players returning for
GW include receivers John Pennington (42
catches, 791 yards, six TDs) and Phillip Crum (10
catches, 139 yards)
and fullback Michael Sykes (68 carries, 202 yards, five TDs).
Pennington had one of his
biggest games against Nitro last year,
catching seven passes for 124 yards and one TD in a 41-20 loss. Nitro,
however, was forced to come from behind twice in that game and was
upset by GW 14-13 the previous season with Ward at quarterback. The
Wildcats eked out a 28-26 victory over GW in 1996.
"We've been
competitive with them in the past,' Edwards said. "I
hope
our kids can keep that up.
"Our kids have to be
emotional and play hard, and I think they will. I
think they're excited for the challenge - playing the defending state
triple-A champions and playing them at home on the first night of the
season, with what should be a nice crowd to watch you play. What
better place to strut your stuff and show people
you're on the right
track to turning things around up on The Hill.'
One of Burdette's biggest
worries appears to be a rash of penalties
that plagued Nitro in its second scrimmage against
it won 21-14. In the first 23 plays, the 'Cats were whistled down six
times for 62 yards.
"I'm not happy with
the penalties,' Burdette said, "and I'm not happy
with the people who are supposed to be our leaders running around and
acting immature. It's my job to fix that.'
The contest is being billed
as the Kickoff Classic, with the winner
receiving a trophy being awarded by WVSPN. Also on the bill are a
tailgate party from 5-7 p.m. and pregame sky divers.