Norcom gets a pass in season opener

PORTSMOUTH

The pass was supposed to go toward the sideline.

But during a high school football game in which little went as expected, Da'Quan Saunders chose otherwise.

With his team in a fourth-quarter tie, Saunders threw over the middle to Isaac White for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 19.6 seconds left in third-ranked Norcom's 20-13 victory over Wilson in the season opener for both teams Tuesday night.

The fluttery pass, snagged by White in one-on-one coverage, capped the Greyhounds' improbable comeback in a game postponed from Friday because of Hurricane Irene.

On Tuesday, Saunders came off the bench in the second half, and completed only two passes - both on Norcom's final drive. He stepped up in the pocket and floated a pass to White, who outleaped a defender and waltzed into the end zone.

"I was supposed to look at the sideline first," said Saunders, a senior. "But I knew (White) was going to be open. I just let the ball go."

Wilson's Tavaris Waddler returned the ensuing kickoff to the Norcom 32, but the Greyhounds' Montel Chiles sacked Wilson quarterback Der'Woun Green to seal it.

Those two big plays ended a game that in recent years had been one-sided, with Norcom outscoring Wilson 224-20 in six consecutive wins.

The Greyhounds also entered Tuesday with 1,000-yard rusher Chavelle Atkins, who helped Norcom share the district title last season with Churchland.

But Wilson stymied Atkins throughout and scored two first-quarter touchdowns in a 10-second span. Green threw a 2-yarder to brother Der'Wounte and then pounced on a fumble in the end zone by Norcom quarterback Darron Downing.

The Greyhounds had minus-32 yards of offense during the first quarter and finished with 133 total yards.

"We were just in a funk all night," Norcom coach Larry Archie said. "But the credit goes to Wilson; they put us in a funk."

Norcom rallied with back-to-back scores in the second quarter while Der'Woun Green recovered after being knocked woozy on a tackle.

Atkins had a 3-yard TD run and Downing a 4-yarder to make it 13-13. The first score came one play after a Downing interception was called off because of a Wilson personal foul - one of the Presidents' five such penalties before halftime.

Wilson finished with 14 penalties for 113 yards.

Neither team moved the ball offensively after halftime until Norcom won the field-possession battle late in the fourth. On the second play of a drive that started at the Wilson 47, Saunders hurled the game-winner on a second-and-2.

"It was a wobbly pass," Saunders said, "but it got there before the defense."

Notable stats: N-Atkins 15-39, TD rushing; W-Der'Woun Green 11-19-1, 84 yards, TD passing.

#3 Norcom 20, Wilson 13

Norcom 0 13 0 7 — 20

Wilson 13 0 0 0 — 13

W—Der’Wounte Green 2 pass from Der’Woun Green (run failed)

W—Der’Woun Green fumble recovery (Boker kick)

N—Atkins 8 run (kick failed)

N—Downing 4 run (Wilson kick)

N—White 39 pass from Saunders (Wilson kick)

Norcom Wilson

First downs 11 8

Rushes-yards 29-79 26-45

Passing yards 54 89

Passing 3-8-1 11-20-1

Punts-avg. yards 2-41 5-24

Fumbles-lost 3-3 2-0

Penalties-yards 8-54 14-113

Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com