Football: News and notes after Week 2

Coleman takes Tigers’ top spot

Oscar Smith running back J.C. Coleman became the school’s all-time leading rusher with last week’s 301-yard night against Great Bridge. Including playoff games, Coleman has 3,258 yards and 44 touchdowns in his three-year varsity career. The senior, committed to Virginia Tech, has 457 yards in two games this season and scored a school-record five TDs in the 48-20 win over Great Bridge.

“We pretty much ran the ball right at them and took control of the game,” Coleman said.

Oscar Smith coach Richard Morgan said it was a no-brainer to keep running Coleman.

“In the second half, they played a three-man line and played everyone 20 yards deep,” Morgan said. “You do that against us and you’re going to get J.C. Coleman running right down the field.”

By the numbers

7-1: The Peninsula District’s record last week against teams from the Eastern District. Only two Eastern District teams – Booker T. Washington (vs. Denbigh) and Norview (vs. Heritage) – picked up wins this season in 10 games against Peninsula squads.

Bayside’s offensive line improved

Bayside, still without two projected starters on the offensive line, thinks it corrected some of the issues that led to the Marlins’ blowout loss to Salem in the season opener.

Starting center Raphael Shields was lost for the year with a torn ACL against Salem and Derek Taitano, a second-team All-Tidewater pick last season as a junior, has yet to play this season. Coach Darnell Moore said he couldn’t discuss the reasons for Taitano’s absence.

Moore eliminated some of the calls the offensive line usually made at the line of scrimmage in last week’s 33-20 win over Green Run.

“I’ve got a freshman (Elijah Alford) playing right tackle,” Moore said. “He did a real nice job. We’ve done some things to try to simplify it for them.”

The Marlins also rolled QB Deion Stitt away from pressure more often against Green Run. Bayside still allowed three sacks, but that was six fewer than during the loss to Salem. The Marlins also churned out two long drives, almost entirely on the ground, to ice the game in the fourth quarter.

He said it

“I just want them to go home and get some rest and battle back from these injuries. I probably won’t even show them the film from the game.” - Booker T. Washington coach Che Jacobs, after a 39-7 loss to Warwick – the Bookers’ third game in 10 days. Booker T. Washington now has 14 days off.

– Larry Rubama, Chris Carlson and Jami Frankenberry

Top 10 poll 

The Virginian-Pilot’s South Hampton Roads high school football poll, as voted upon by Pilot football staffers Jami Frankenberry, Larry Rubama, Lee Tolliver, Chris Carlson, Ray Nimmo and Paul Eldert (first-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, voting points and previous rank):

1. Oscar Smith (4); 1-1; 54; 1

2. Salem (2); 2-0; 53; 2

3. Ocean Lakes; 2-0; 51; 4 

4. Norcom; 2-1; 35; 3

5. Bayside; 1-1; 29; 6

6. Great Bridge; 1-1; 28; 5 

7. Grassfield; 2-0; 27; 7

8. Landstown; 2-0; 25; 8

9. Lakeland; 2-0; 13; –

10. Bishop Sullivan; 3-0; 4; –

Dropped out: Green run (1-1), Booker T. washington (2-1).

Also receiving votes: Booker T. Washington 3, Greenbrier Christian 3, Green Run 2, Lake Taylor 2, Western Branch 1.