HURRICANE WEATHERS NITRO BOMBARDMENT
Publication:
Published: 09/02/1995
Page: 01B
Headline: HURRICANE WEATHERS NITRO BOMBARDMENT
Byline: ANDY SPRADLING FOR THE DAILY MAIL
In the words of Hurricane
coach Gary Eggleton, Redskin quarterback Brian
Bennett "will do whatever it takes to win."
Against Nitro Friday night,
it was the steady, consistent play of the
senior that prevailed over the explosive, often careless, youthfulness
of the Wildcats.
Hurricane defeated Nitro
27-14 in a game between MSAC Gold Division
teams. Both teams now stand at 1-1.
After Nitro's opening drive
stalled on Hurricane's 2-yard line, the
Redskins owned the rest of the first half. Bennett rushed for the
Redskins' first two touchdowns and an early 14-0 lead.
"We knew we needed to
keep Bennett in the pocket," said Nitro Coach Greg
Cyrus. "He's dangerous when he runs."
Bennett possesses a
combination of strength and speed uncommon in most
high school quarterbacks. His size, 6-2, 200 pounds, is an asset.
"Brian does whatever
he has to do to make plays," says Eggleton.
"Pass,
run - he'll run over top of you. He's a funny guy, kind of quiet. He do
esn't get too high or too low. But he'll knock your
head off."
Bennett rushed for 46 yards
and passed for another 124 to lead a
balanced Hurricane offense. In proving wrong a preseason rap of having
no one to throw to, each of Bennett's five receptions went to different
receivers.
"He can hit people if
you give him time," said Cyrus. "We were giving
them no pressure up the gut."
From his free-safety
position, Bennett and the rest of the Redskins knew
they were in for an evening of pass defense. And they were not
disappointed, as Nitro's freshman quarterback J.R. House filled the air
with 41 pass attempts.
"We figured if House
threw the ball 30 times 3 to 5 of them would be
ours." explained Eggleton. "We also thought
coming in that no lead was
too safe. I can't believe he (House) is a freshman."
Three House passes did fall
into Redskin hands and numerous others were
tipped or batted away. But House did complete 22 of 41 passes for 271
yards, and there is no denying the potential not only of House, but of
the whole youthful Nitro team.
House's favorite target
last night, Ryan Blake, an elder on the team
though only a junior, caught 10 passes for 126 yards and rushed for 98
on 13 carries, making both Wildcat scores.
"That first drive, we
really needed that." said Cyrus. "You gotta
get it
over that last line to score. I was pleased with how hard we played.
They're getting a little better each week."
Next week George Washington
travels to Nitro while Hurricane hosts Man.