|
Friday,
September 6, 2002
Intercity triple play at Hancock
Ironmen seek to avenge last
season's 29-6 defeat
By Jim Benson
Pantagraph staff
NORMAL -- Most players can't recall the score of a game the
previous year. They probably know the outcome, but the score usually
eludes them.
Not Normal Community.
Not against Bloomington.
The Ironmen have waited a year to avenge a loss -- make that a 29-6
loss -- to BHS. That chance comes today when NCHS and the Purple Raiders,
ranked No. 2 in the Class 6A state poll, renew their rivalry at 5:15 p.m.
in the second game of the Intercity Tripleheader at Hancock Stadium.
"I think we always take pride in ourselves in the way we
compete," said NCHS coach Hud Venerable. "We feel, even in
defeat, at least we competed hard. In that game, I felt we didn't compete
hard. I felt we let our heads down."
NCHS didn't let anything down in last week's season opener. The
Ironmen scored three first-quarter touchdowns and breezed past Urbana,
49-14.
NCHS unleashed a powerful running attack with Antoine Kennedy (149
yards) and Eric Scott (104 yards) leading the way.
BHS also ran the ball at will in its 39-22 defeat over Danville as
junior tailback James Wade sped for 238 yards on only 17 carries. That
score was slightly misleading as Danville scored all its points when the
Raiders started substituting in the fourth quarter.
As usual, the NCHS-BHS winner will have a head start on the Big 12
Conference West Division championship. Since 1985, the winner of this
game has either won or shared the league title.
When asked if the BHS linemen will be challenged by the NCHS fronts,
BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer said, "We've challenged everyone from the
coaching staff to the managers.
"Their (the Ironmen's) offensive unit moved the ball very well. I
felt their line got off and their running backs hit the holes, found
seams and kept their legs going. They have a couple backs running hard
from that tailback spot," Schmelzer added.
"Offensively, they were relatively conservative, yet successful.
The narrow splits can create difficulty for our line. It's a sound
system."
Wade's coming-out party didn't surprise Schmelzer.
"He's a different runner than last year. He's developing into the
runner we thought he might be at the end of his sophomore year,"
said Schmelzer. "He has a compact body (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) and
can take a hit. He's showing good quickness."
Venerable doesn't expect BHS to run quite so much against the
Ironmen's defense, which was led last week by linebacker Mike Eckhardt
and senior end Todd Harris. The NCHS defense knows senior quarterback
Andre Brown will be ready after going 6 of 21 for 81 yards against
Danville.
Last season, Brown burned the Ironmen. He completed 11 of 19 attempts
to seven different receivers for 173 yards.
"He's not your normal thrower. Andre has a tremendous arm that
you can't simulate," said Venerable. "He can throw 20 yards
further than most high school quarterbacks. It presents your defense a
lot of things to stop. They have two running backs in (fullback Damon)
Mehlberg and Wade who are great.
"You pick your poison when you're confronted with multiple
threats."
BHS' passing game has been slowed by injuries to tight end Dan Cotton
(hernia operation), split end Brandon Hughes (hamstring) and flanker
Rodney Hursey (ankle). Of the three, only Hursey will see action tonight.
On the other side, NCHS' passing game was virtually silent against
Urbana, partly because of the Ironmen's running prowess. NCHS quarterbacks
completed one of seven attempts.
"I think we need to be capable of throwing when we want to
throw," said Venerable.
|