High School Football Report

Each week, along with our new “Pilot at Practice” video feature, we’ll give you news and notes on high school football.

NORVIEW’S SIMS ON THE MEND

Norview RB Stephen Sims should be back to full strength when the Pilots host Meadowbrook on Friday.

Sims was limited to just four carries two weeks ago against Bethel after he suffered an arm injury. He rushed for only 14 yards but still is one of the top rushers in South Hampton Roads with 286 yards on 42 attempts.

“He’s ready to go,” Norview coach Robert Toran said. “The bye week really helped.”

Toran also expects Sims to get some scholarship offers soon. He’s getting interest from a number of schools, including Old Dominion, Richmond, Norfolk State and Hampton.

“He has a 2.9 grade-point average and is the top rusher returning from last season,” Toran said. “I don’t understand it. I’m not sure what’s going on but I think the offers will come.”

OSCAR SMITH IN THE POLLS

Oscar Smith moved up one spot in a major national poll this week.

The Tigers, who trounced King’s Fork 34-0, are No. 6 in the USA Today poll. They remained No. 7 in the ESPN poll and moved up to fifth in the Rivals.com poll.

HE SAID IT

“The same thing happened last year. We have some new linemen, so he didn’t trust his linemen. Now he’s starting to trust them and it’s really paying dividends.”

- Lakeland coach Glenwood Ferebee on RB Cedric Johnson, who leads South Hampton Roads with 390 yards and nine TDs.

SIMS’ ASCENT

Oscar Smith QB Phillip Sims continues to climb the career leaderboards. His 8,443 passing yards now rank third in Virginia High School League history, and he has moved into fourth place with 495 career completions.

As for South Hampton Roads’ career list – which counts only regular-season yards – Sims is second with 5,991 yards. Great Bridge’s Casey Turner leads with 7,667 yards.

Check out Wednesday’s Pilot for the complete leaderboards, and for a look at South Hampton Roads season team totals and the top five rushers.

LUCKY 13

What are the odds …

Late in the first half of Oscar Smith’s 34-0 win over King’s Fork, the Bulldogs were punting from their own 47.

Just after Michael Murray got the kick away, a whistle sounded. Players stopped in their tracks. The ball hit the ground and, with no one really chasing it, rolled until it stopped dead at the Tiger 13.

The officials ruled there was an inadvertent whistle on the play and told King’s Fork coach Joe Jones he had the option of taking the result of the play or re-kicking the ball. Jones decided it was better to pin the powerful Oscar Smith offense back on its own 13 than to risk another kick.

Just as the Tigers offense took the field, however, the refs huddled again. This time they ruled that Jones never really had the option of taking the kick and told him to replay the down.

Murray got off another punt. This one sailed by an Oscar Smith return man, hit the field, bounced, then rolled to a stop … at the Oscar Smith 13 – the exact place it came to rest the first time.

KING'S FORK-INDIAN RIVER MOVED

Because of lighting issues at King's Fork, the Bulldogs' football game against Indian River will be played at 7 p.m. Thursday at Nansemond River High School.

According to a Suffolk Schools release, the King's Fork stadium lights were included in a recent consumer product safety notice. The lights were examined and now are scheduled to be removed later this week as a safety precaution.

King's Fork's future home games have not yet been moved, but principals are working out alternate locations.

Norview's lights also were in question, and the Pilots will play Meadowbrook Friday at Lake Taylor.

- Compiled by Larry Rubama, Chic Riebel and Jami Frankenberry

Got an opinion on The Pilot’s new video venture with Cox Channel 11, or our coverage? E-mail jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com