CONVENTIONAL 'CATS STOMP SC 42-6
Publication: THE
Published: 09/11/1999
Page: P1B
Headline: CONVENTIONAL 'CATS STOMP SC 42-6
Byline: MIKE WHITEFORD
After just three games, the Nitro Wildcats seem to be adjusting nicely
to what coach Robert Burdette calls a traditional
offense.
The Wildcats ran for
259 yards, completed passes whenever necessary
and, given a boost by a 21-point third quarter, breezed past
Charleston
crowd attended.
"That's the best we've
looked,' said Nitro coach Robert Burdette.
In addition, the Wildcats
(2-1) intercepted three passes, recovered an
SC fumble and thwarted a Black Eagle fake field-goal try, which, for
an instant, looked like a game-tying touchdown. SC didn't score until
the fourth quarter.
Leading the refurbished
Nitro offense was freshman quarterback Derek
Midkiff, a 5-foot-8, 160-pounder, who completed
9-of-11 passes for 114
yards and two touchdowns to Jeff Clark in his second game as QB. And
he didn't throw an interception, Burdette noted approvingly.
"We're really happy
with Derek Midkiff,' said the Nitro coach. "He
was in there as a freshman and played a great game. He took care of
the ball.'
Midkiff was given a bit of relief on
Nitro's opening series when
junior Jason Ward, the team's starting quarterback in the season
opener, entered the game and completed a key third-down pass to Chad
Daniels. It kept the drive alive, leading to a Wildcat touchdown.
Tailback Chris Creamer, a
5-11, 175-pound senior, carried 18 times for
175 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yarder in which he
scurried to his right, cut back to the middle and outraced the SC
secondary.
All in all, the Wildcats
looked well-rounded, efficient and
conventional.
"We came out the first
half of the first game with the offense that we
had been running,' he said, referring to the J.R. House passing
predominance that produced national and state records and a state
championship last year. "Now we've gone more to, I guess you'd say, a
traditional offense. It's balanced or heavy on the run.'
opening snap of the second half, and Chuck Pauley recovered. On the
ensuing play, Midkiff hit
Nitro lead.
"Our kids weren't
ready to play, and that was my fault,' said SC
coach Todd Chevalier. "I have to take 100 percent
of the blame. We
didn't get our kids ready to play. We did move the football on them.
Defensively, we weren't there. We were doing a lot of arm-tackling.
Again, I have to take the blame.'
The fumble and subsequent
Nitro TD to open the second half were
especially damaging, said Chevalier.
"That killed us,' he
said. "I couldn't tell you what happened. I
don't know if the center pulled out too quick or the
quarterback
pulled out too quick, but they jumped on that, and on the very next
play they go to the end zone and make it 21-0. And that took all the
wind out of us.'
After Nitro scored on its
opening possession of the game, the Black
Eagles drove impressively. After an Antoine Desmond kickoff return to
the SC 44, the Black Eagles moved to the Nitro 10, where they
positioned themselves for an apparent field-goal try.
But quarterback Justin
Gray, the holder, took the snap, ran to his
left and nearly reached the end zone, but
bounds at the 2. Nitro then drove 98 yards for the TD, and the Black
Eagles never threatened again until the fourth quarter.
"We had to take five
steps backward tonight,' said Chevalier. "Why we
did, I don't know. Maybe it was something I did, coaching-wise. I
never thought we'd lose like this, especially after the effort our
kids gave us last week against
the state, and we played them toe-to-toe except for one quarter.'
Pauley, a 6-foot, 190-pound
junior, carried nine times for 41 yards,
including a 16-yard TD run in which he dragged tacklers into the end
zone. Daniels added 47 yards on 11 carries, mostly in the second half,
and scored the Wildcats' final TD on a 3-yard run.
Desmond led SC with 84
yards on 20 carries. Eddie Whitehead scored the
Black Eagle touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Gray with 10:01 left in
the game.