the Cafe
 |
     |
lose state tournament berth, too
With the Henlopen Conference Southern Division football title and a state Division II playoff berth at stake in Smyrna Saturday, Nov. 21, 1998, Indian River High School turned in perhaps its worst performance of the season.
And nearly got away with it.
But the heartbreak that seemed inevitable all afternoon finally arrived with 18.2 seconds remaining when Smyrna's B.J. Wilson kicked a wind-aided 25-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 9-7 upset victory.
IR's defeat in a game that was suspended Friday night in the first quarter due to lighting failures gave Delmar (7-3) its fourth consecutive Southern Division championship. Despite finishing with an 8-2 overall record and having three wins over Division I opponents, the Indians did not have enough points to earn an at-large playoff berth.
"I'm very disappointed. The kids worked real hard for it and I wanted it for them," IR coach George Bethard said. "They just broke their backs all year and I would have liked for them to have had a little reward."
They nearly did, carrying a slim 7-6 lead deep into the fourth quarter. But with 2:45 left in the game, Smyrna took over at its own 44 yard line after a 12-yard IR punt and began its march to victory.
A 26-yard completion from Bobby Volkert to Brian Nabb got the Eagles to the IR 27 before a pass interference penalty near the goal line moved the ball to the 11.
Smyrna managed just four yards on its next three plays and on fourth down turned to Wilson, who banged the ball through the uprights to put the Eagles ahead 9-7.
IR's final two plays resulted in an incomplete pass and an interception.
The loss devastated many IR players, who stood stunned and sobbing during the postgame team meeting. Quarterback Shawn Watkins lay face down in one end zone for nearly five minutes after the game.
"I think the kids are great. I think they have a lot of heart and class," Bethard said. "They worked to get where they are. We just don't have super studs. We have a couple good athletes and the linemen really trained. They all made a difference."
The Indians struggled moving the ball all afternoon, managing just 86 yards total offense and four first downs in the game. They were also flagged for 10 penalties totalling 93 yards.
Their lone scoring drive covered just 34 yards following a Smyrna fumble in the second quarter.
"The penalties killed us. We're driving right down the field, we've got a 10-yard penalty and then a 15-yard penalty," Bethard said. "And then that interference penalty down there, I'll have to watch the tape on that."
Not helping matters was the absence of two starters -- standout running back Antoine Stratton and tight end Kendrell Marshall. Stratton was forced to sit out the game after being ejected during last week's win over Lake Forest and Marshall missed the game because of academic reasons.
"When you go from having a premier tight end and a premier running back in the conference and maybe the state to having nothing, it makes it tough," Bethard said.
Fullback Ryan Shelton managed 53 yards on 10 carries but Watkins completed just three of 10 passes for 22 yards and threw three interceptions.
Smyrna, meanwhile, rolled up 276 yards total offense and got 104 rushing yards on 10 carries from Mike Pennewell. Volkert was 5-of-11 passing for 70 yards but the Eagles had trouble scoring against IR's stingy defense. They also hurt themselves with eight penalties covering 41 yards.
IR took a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter after Buster Belote recovered a Volkert fumble at the Smyrna 34. A 15-yard pass from Watkins to Paul Parsons and a roughing the passer penalty against Smyrna moved the Indians to the 8 yard line. Three plays later, Belote scored from two yards out with 6:53 left in the first half.
The Eagles twice drove inside the IR 35 late in the second quarter but came away empty each time.
Smyrna struck quickly in the second half, however, when Pennewell raced 80 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter. But Wilson's extra point attempt hit the upright and allowed the Indians to preserve a 7-6 lead.
IR would not get a second-half first down until early in the fourth quarter. On that drive, Shelton ran 29 yards and Watkins 14 to move the team to the Smyrna 29. But a clipping penalty on a failed option play resulted in a 23-yard loss and killed the threat. The Indians would not get another first down the remainder of the game.
Smyrna's Scott Slack had two interceptions in the second half, including one on the game's final play. Bennie Coleman also intercepted Watkins.
One of the few bright spots for the Indians was the punting of Shelton, who had kicks of 78 and 62 yards to pin Smyrna deep in its own territory. His 78-yard boot in the third quarter backed the Eagles up to their own 9 yard line.
The game actually began Friday night in a steady rain but was suspended midway through the first quarter when three light towers on the home side of the field went dark. After a 45-minute delay and the installation of temporary lighting, the game was ready to resume when a light tower on the visitor's side failed and caused the contest to be suspended until Saturday.
Brought to you by:
Mid-Atlantic Beach Guide