Thursday, November 29, 2007
Virginia AAA Division 6 Semifinal
No. 2 Westfield (13-0) at Oscar Smith (13-0)
in Chesapeake, Saturday, 3 p.m.
Last meeting: None.
Last time in state semis: Westfield beat Hylton 24-14 in 2003. Oscar Smith has advanced for the first time.
The winner: Advances to face the Woodbridge-Hermitage winner in the state final at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville.
Of note: Oscar Smith's field is named after three graduates who played in the NFL: Ed Beard (linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers from 1965-72), Steve DeLong (defensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears from 1965-72) and Kenny Easley (safety with the Seahawks from 1981-87).
Westfield Coach Tom Verbanic's assessment of Oscar Smith: "Extremely athletic," he said with a chuckle.
It's not just coachspeak. The Tigers, with a big-play offense and attacking defense, boast three Division I receivers -- Todd Harrelson (North Carolina), Kerry Boykins (Maryland) and Jamal Wilson (Marshall or Northern Illinois, his coach said).
A fourth receiver, junior Tim Smith, is receiving similar attention, giving sophomore quarterback Phillip Sims plenty of targets and senior running back Lonnie Andrews ample help.
That receiving quartet also makes up the secondary and returns kicks. Oscar Smith Coach Richard Morgan said his team has scored about 10 touchdowns on special teams this season.
This much is certain: If Westfield players exit the field to the sound of bells, they lost. One of the Tigers' traditions is to huddle near the "victory bell" after a game, and each player rings it after a win. An older bell cracked, apparently from too much ringing in recent years. Oscar Smith won 61 of its past 70 games.
The trip of more than 200 miles to Chesapeake is one that some Westfield players have taken before. The Bulldogs scrimmaged at Oscar Smith in 2005, the kind of preseason road trip that Verbanic likes to schedule just to give his players a taste of what it's like to travel a long distance to a playoff game. Because of that distance, the starting time for Saturday's game was changed to 3 p.m. from 1:30.
Westfield, which won the state title in 2003, knocked off West Springfield in the Northern Region championship last week by rolling up 522 rushing yards and breaking the region title game scoring record in a 58-34 win. Seniors Steven Tabot, Brian Kennedy and Brandon Ferrell gained most of the yardage.
Westfield might not have Division I commitments playing receiver, but seniors Johnny Pickett and David Kruchko have been fine targets for quarterback Mike Glennon, who is bound for North Carolina State.
Oscar Smith junior linebacker Perry Jones, the Southeastern District defensive player of the year, established a new school record for tackles previously held by brother Joe, now an assistant in the program. The other inside linebacker, junior Jerod Askew, also is part of a first-team defense that allowed only 33 points all season (the backups gave up 28).
Oscar Smith had lost in the Eastern Region final the past three years, and fell behind 9-0 to unbeaten Salem in last week's final at Norfolk State before pulling out a 17-9 win. Salem handed the Tigers a 33-7 loss in the 2006 region final.
After chasing the region title for so long, Morgan said there is no chance that his Tigers feel that they have accomplished their goal.
"We're so close, there's no satisfaction now," he said. "They're still striving for more. I'm not too worried about complacency or satisfaction. I think they're still a hungry group."
Like the Northern Region, the Eastern also went to an expanded playoff format this season, so each team had to win three postseason games to reach the state semis. The Central and Northwest regions did not add a semifinal round.
Westfield is vying to become the eighth consecutive Concorde District team to reach the Division 6 state final. That run includes Robinson, which was not a member of the Concorde when it reached the state final in 2001 and 2004 but is in the Concorde now.
-- PRESTON WILLIAMS
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