BREAKS FALLING WILDCATS' WAY HAYNES
KEY IN NITRO'S SUCCESS
Publication: THE
Published: 09/16/1994
Page: P1B
Headline: BREAKS FALLING WILDCATS' WAY HAYNES KEY IN NITRO'S SUCCESS
Byline: MIKE WHITEFORD
The blocked extra-point kick - the one that preserved a 13-12
victory over Hurricane two weeks ago - perhaps signaled a season of
better luck for Nitro.
Or maybe it was the fumble recovery last week that allowed the
Wildcats to withstand a late George Washington threat and win 10-7
. Even in the season opener, a big defensive play in the final
seconds helped the Wildcats survive Winfield, 21-15.
As it happens, Nitro's Billy Haynes has been the Wildcats' angel
of good luck.
It was Haynes, a junior varsity player until this year, who
contributed to all three of those clutch plays as the Wildcats have
hurried to three straight victories for the first time in coach Greg
Cyrus' six-year tenure at the school.
"I hope I don't have to make a big play this week,' said
Haynes, looking ahead to tonight's 7:30 game at Poca.
"I hope we
win big enough that I won't have to.'
As the season began, Cyrus saw the chance of good things at
Nitro but did not expect such heroics from Haynes, a 5-foot-9,
163-pound senior split end and defensive back.
"He's an average player; he's probably a better wrestler than
he is a football player,' said Cyrus, referring to Haynes' regional
wrestling title last year. "This is his first time on the varsity
. He's been solid, very solid.'
In the season opener, Haynes latched on to a Winfield receiver
inside the Nitro 10 in the final seconds and did not allow him to
step out of bounds, which would have stopped the clock and given the
Generals one more play to either tie it or win it.
A week later, he sneaked through to block a Hurricane PAT kick
that would have tied the game and probably forced an overtime.
Last
week, as G.W. drove for either a game-tying field goal or go-ahead
touchdown, Haynes hit the ball-carrier, forcing a fumble that the
Wildcats' Brian Clark recovered inside the Nitro 5.
"We're getting more breaks this year than we did last year,'
said quarterback Dan Taylor, who leads the team in rushing. "Last
year, we would be the team that would lose on the last play. This
year, we're making the big plays.'
Nitro's big plays have not been confined to Haynes, a youngster
known to teammates and friends as Weasel.
Other Wildcats likewise have made big contributions:
Senior placekicker Jimmy Hall, a former soccer
player, kicked
field goals of 34 and 28 yards in the one-point win over Hurricane
and contributed a 26-yarder that proved decisive in the G.W. win. His
kickoffs travel, on the average, to the 4-yard-line.
Sophomore Ryan Blake intercepted two passes in the end zone
against Hurricane. Blake also rushed for 106 yards in the first half
against G.W.
Senior Scott Riddle, a 6-foot-5, 287-pound two-way lineman,
has emerged as a defensive force. "He's hustling all over the field
to make tackles,' said Cyrus. "He's quicker than
I thought he was,
and he just moves so well and gets to the ball.'
In addition,
for 233 yards in 40 attempts. Robbie Withrow has
picked up 184 yards
in 23 tries, and Nathan Casdorph has rushed for 92
yards on just 12
attempts. "We have four or five good runners,' said Cyrus.
"It's a little too early to tell,' the coach added, "but if
we win this (Poca) game and two or three more, then
we'll think we're
a pretty good football team.'
Cyrus knows not to work himself into a frenzy too
early. In
1991, the Wildcats compiled a 5-5 record and, returning a wealth of
experience, the team looked solid as the '92 season began.
But after two wins to open the season, the Wildcats lost eight
in a row. "Everything went to pot,' Cyrus recalled.
"Five or six
guys got hurt. A guy didn't get his grades. A kid got hurt in
a car wreck. We won our first two games and then ran out of
players.'
So for now, the Wildcats are thinking only about tonight's game
at Poca.
"It would be a big game for us to go 4-0,'
haven't been 4-0 at Nitro in a long time. It's been years since we
won four games.'
NITRO 4B Nitro 1B