Booker T. Routs Western Branch 30-7
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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The
Greatest Show on Grass:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Spoiling
the home opener for the Western Branch Bruins at the Art Brandriff
Sport Complex in Chesapeake, the Booker T. Washington Bookers showed their 'Greatest
Show on Grass' from the summer does translate over into games in the fall with
a 30-7 rout in a pivotal non-district matchup.
Booker T. scored 30 unanswered points - - 23 of them coming in the
second half - - and racked up an astonishing 510 total yards of offense.
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"All it takes is a game like this, and all we have to do is roll from
here. Once they start believing like that,
they know we can't be stopped. They know
we can do anything now," said Booker T. Washington Head Football Coach
class=SpellE>Che
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>' Jacobs.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> "We laid the foundation last year.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We were one game away from the playoffs.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It kept the kids hungry, and we're finishing
off where we left off from last year. All
we're going to do is keep marching forward.
I'm going to tell you right now, look out.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Look out Virginia."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Booker T. Washington created plenty of buzz in the
off-season with their undefeated run in the Old Dominion 7 x 7 Passing
Tournament, and the question heading into the 2010 season was would they be as
exciting and effective in real games?
Also, how would their offensive and defensive line perform?
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Through one test, they've passed with flying
colors.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Everybody keeps saying Booker T. don't
have a line and they don't have this.
But we have a line, and we have the speed to go along with that
line. All we're trying to do is put
everything together on our way to the playoffs, but we're taking it one game at
a time," said Jacobs, a graduate of Booker T. Washington that is trying to make
the Bookers more than just a basketball power.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It's just our mindset.
I've been preaching be successful.
One thing about our kids, sometimes they doubt themselves, but that's
what I'm here for. Sometimes you can
call me a mind guy, and what I try to do is get in my kids heads, and let them
know we can be successful. We can do
this. We can battle with anybody from
the Beach on up to the Northern Region. My
coaches are wonderful, and I live and die by my coaches.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I've got good coaches upstairs, good coaches
downstairs, and we put a game-plan together and it works."
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Quick Strike Ability:
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The Bookers showed their explosiveness
with several quick strikes from the second quarter on, finishing with 348 yards
in the second half. In fact, Booker T.
had eight plays of 25 yards or more and ten plays that measured at least 18
yards, demoralizing the Western Branch defense with each big play, especially
two third down and long receptions by Lafayette
Smallwood of 40-plus yards.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I talked to my team during half-time and told them we
had to pick things up. We had to come
out in the second half, execute and I said to them I don't know why we were playing
to their level when we knew we were better than that," said Booker T. senior
quarterback Dominique Marsh.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Speed kills. And
it says the offensive line did a great job also.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Speed really kills.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It gave us confidence in passing league, and
it's carried over to the field."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The offensive line with Ryan Parker, Dynzell Miller,
class=SpellE>Ta'Darrius
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Stanley,
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Jerran Downing and Jamil 'Hummer' Lawson
from left to right allowed Marsh to be sacked only one all evening.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Marsh went on to throw for 280 yards on 11 completions
with three touchdowns and only one interception.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He also ran for a 27-yard touchdown, and the
Bookers did more than just passing the football.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Donte 'Truck' Capers
ran 16 times for 190 yards, breaking off runs of 58 and 71 yards.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Before the quarterback snapped the ball, I saw the
linebacker was inside and I felt I had the speed to get outside on those runs,"
stated Capers, who holds an offer from Louisville.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> "We're real confident.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dominique did a great job as the quarterback,
and as a co-leader I piggy backed on what he said."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>It wasn't one receiver doing the damage either.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> To go with Smallwood, Earl Norfleet hauled in a 66-yard
touchdown pass. Marcus Wade and Michael
Carey each had two receptions for over 30 yards.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Lamonti Charity caught
three balls for 59 yards.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"People have to realize these guys didn't just get like
this. They train hard, work hard and
they believe. That's the big difference
in this offense," remarked Jacobs. "Marsh
believes that anything that I call, he knows it's going to work.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> All he does is execute.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We had like four
dropped touchdown passes, and he was flawless tonight."
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Bookers Play Some Defense Too:
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Not only are the Bookers a high-octane
offensive attack, but their defense is better than some might think, at least
they in the second half on Thursday night they were.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> After giving up 240 yards in the first half
with 164 on the ground, Booker T. sharpened up in the second half, yielding a
mere 34 yards. The Bookers also forced
two turnovers in the second half with an interception by Carey and fumble
recovery by Deontre
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> McClee.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Our defensive coordinator came down from the booth and
was loud. He woke us up," Capers
noted.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Capers tallied four tackles, and linebackers
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Calvert Cook and Derrick Spruill combined for 15 stops.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Smallwood chipped in seven tackles and did
work in the secondary with four pass breakups.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"The only adjustment we made was we just had to settle
down," Jacobs added. "We were trying to
play according to their offense, and all we had to do was go base.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Once we went base defense, everything else
fell into place."
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Devastating Blow:
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Western Branch starting sophomore running
back Josh Marriner,
the younger of former Bruins standout and current William & Mary player
Courtland Marriner, was carted off the field with
1:35 to go in the first quarter with a broken fibula.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Although his backfield teammate
class=SpellE>Javon
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Ford, a junior, gained 70 yards on 18
carries, the loss of Marriner proved to be
deflating. Ford rushed for only six
yards on six attempts in the second half with the workload on his shoulders
alone. Marriner
had gained 23 yards on two touches in the first quarter before the injury.
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One Area to Correct:
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> As well as Booker T. moved the ball down
the field against the Bruins in the second half, they
did commit some penalties that kept from scoring more or being in position to
add to their total.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>I
keep telling my guys, the only person that can beat us is ourselves.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> All we have to do is minimize our mistakes,
the costly penalties and that just comes from the guys not thinking.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Once I get them to think this week coming up,
we're not going to have those penalties no more.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We just minimize our mistakes, and we can go
600 yards of offense. The offense is explosive
this year, very explosive," commented Jacobs.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Booker T. committed 11 penalties for 95 yards.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Nine penalties for 85 yards came during the
game's final two quarters.
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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
href="http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/914/982806.WMA">Postgame Audio with
Booker T. Coach Che' Jacobs
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Stats:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Booker
T. Washington 30:
Dominique Marsh - - 11-21 for 280Yds. 3-1TD/Int. ratio; 5Car.
36Yds. TD
Donte 'Truck' Capers - - 16Car. 190Yds; 4 Tackles
Lafayette Smallwood - - 2Rec. 89Yds. TD; 7 Tackles, 4PBU
Lamonti Charity - - 3Rec. 59Yds.
Michael Carey - - 2Rec. 33Yds; 4 Tackles, Defensive INT
Derrick Spruill - - 8 Tackles
Calvert Cook - - 1Rec. 5Yds. TD; 7 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Western
Branch 7:
Javon Ford - - 18Car. 70Yds.
Breon Giles - - 7-16 for 99Yds.
class=GramE>1-1TD/Int. ratio; 12Car. 57Yds.
Justin Wellons - - 2Rec. 45Yds.
Daniel Lucas - - 2Rec. 22Yds. TD
Sebastian Keppler & Caleb Reese - - 5 Tackles
each
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style='mso-special-character:line-break'>
style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Matthew
Hatfield has covered Eastern Region Basketball & Football since 2004 for
VirginiaPreps.com - the #1 High School Sports Site on the Rivals Network.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Check out Hatfield's website -
href="http://www.matthewhatfield.com">
style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>www.matthewhatfield.com
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> - for more on the pro and college
sports scene. To contact Matthew, please
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