The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 36

C4 THE NEWS JOURNAL FRIDAY, NOV. 13,1998 Dunn isn't finished just yet J. SEASON TO DATE: Ranked No. 2 in the country with a 7-0 record two weeks ago, Hampton has lost its last two games, falling to No. 1 4 in the latest Sports tack in the MEAC is led by by Montrell Coley, who has rushed for 711 yards and seven touchdowns.

He averages 5.7 yards per carry. DEFENSIVE LEADERS: Deon Hunt is one of the best linebackers in the conference and leads the Pirates with 93 tackles, 53 of them solo. Senior defensive end Charles Preston, at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, has 13 sacks. Free safety Donale Turner heads the secondary with four interceptions and 39 tackles. TEAM STATISTICS: The Pirates average 171 rushing yards and 186 passing yards per game.

Hampton has given up only eight rushing touchdowns all year and DelState has only rushed for eight touchdowns. Hampton opponents have made only 23 percent of their third-down conversions, while Hampton has converted 36 percent of the time. On fourth down, the Pirates have gone for it 16 times and been sue-1 cessfulonH. Doug Lesmerises man's lead to 14-13. But a bad snap on the extra point kept the Pirates from tying the game and sent them on to defeat.

The Pirates gave up 354 rushing yards, after giving up an average of less than 80 rushing yards per game before last week. THE SERIES: Hampton holds a 14-9 edge, having won the last three meetings. The series began in 1945, and the teams played 20 times until 1970, when both schools were members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The teams didn't meet again until 1995. DelState's last win was a 49-0 victory in 1970.

Del-State was an underdog at Hampton last season, but the Hornets almost pulled off the upset in a 24-20 defeat. OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Quarterback Roy Johnson has completed 118 of 223 passes for 1,571 yards and 13 touchdowns. Receiver Matt Williams has 40 catches and 495 yards, while Warren Broughton has hauled in five touchdowns. The running game for the most balanced at Network poll. The Pirates are tied for first in the MEAC with a 5-1 conference record, the same as Florida and Bethune-Cookman.

The Pirates should expect a postseason bid if they win out against Del-State and Mor Next: Hampton (7-2) at Delaware State (0-9), Saturday, 1 p.m. gan State. LASTWEEK: Hampton suffered its second consecutive defeat, falling to Bethune-Cookman. The Pirates scored a touchdown with four minutes left in the game to cut Bethune-Cook- 4 4 riHirmn Eagles tight end Jason Dunn wants to work on his birthday this year, when his team battles the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Nagy: Driven to By KEVIN NOONAN Staff reporter PHILADELPHIA Sunday is Jason Dunn's birthday.

And he'd love to celebrate No. 25 with a few big catches in the Eagles' game with the Washington Redskins at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. Actually, Dunn would be happy if a few passes were just thrown in his direction. The Eagles' tight end only has eight receptions in seven NFL games he didn't play in the first two because of a Next: Eagles (2-7) at 1 p.m. knee injury and that is starting to get to him.

Like Irving Fryar, another Eagles receiver who hasn't gotten as much action as he'd like, Dunn isn't pleased with the way his season has been going. And, like Fryar, Dunn said he isn't criticizing his coaches or quarterbacks, but simply wants a chance to contribute to a struggling offense. "I'm just not getting many opportunities to catch the ball," Dunn said. "If I get six throws a game, I'm going to show what I can do." It would help if he showed more when he did get the chance. Dunn's hands aren't the softest and he's dropped several passes, including a bomb down the middle against Arizona which would have scored a touchdown.

At the same time, that play showed what Dunn's speed can give to an offense and what it can do to a defense. But it was just a glimpse, as the Eagles haven't looked in his direction very often. "Each week we have plays designed for the tight end," coach Ray Rhodes said. "And we want to get the tight end involved more. But sometimes these things are dictated by coverages." Dunn's best year was his first year, after the Eagles drafted him in the second round out of Eastern Kentucky in 1996.

He didn't catch a lot of passes (15), but he caused a lot of damage with the ones he did, averaging 22.7 yards per reception. To put that into perspective, the current NFL leader in yards-per-catch is Atlanta's Tony Martin (19.1), a wide receiver. The two tight ends generally regarded as the best receivers are Denver's Shannon Sharpe and New England's Ben Coates, who are averag- Advertisement yf syjeX rT-P'p I'M 'M' lr T1-lf" "7t-frn; ing 12.2 and 9.8 yards, respectively. No wonder the Eagles coaches were excited about Dunn's second season. But he was never the kind of tight end preferred by offensive coordinator Jon Gruden, who benched Dunn in passing situations in favor of rookie Chad Lewis.

Gruden wanted a tight end who could read defenses and find soft spots in it, and Dunn's biggest asset is his defense-stretching speed. Dunn caught just seven passes in 1997, and his per-catch average fell to 13.3 yards. Gruden is now head coach in Oakland and Lewis was released earlier this season. "Last year was frustrating and it definitely worked on my mind," Dunn said. "We just didn't see eye to eye, and it was pretty obvious he didn't have much confidence in me.

And I'm not sure why. Let's just say I wasn't sorry when Gruden left." But his production hasn't picked up much, even though Lewis is gone, as well as veteran Jimmie Johnson. The only other tight ends on the roster are rookie Kaseem Sinceno, a free agent from Syracuse, and rookie Chris Fontenot, who signed with the Eagles on Oct. 29 and hasn't played a down. Even though Dunn isn't thrilled with the way his season has gone, he still prefers this year to last because Gruden is gone.

"When you're at the bottom of the barrel, how much lower can it get?" he said. EAGLE EYES: On Thursday, CB Troy Vincent practiced for the first time this week and Rhodes said he'll play vs. Washington. Vincent had a concussion last week vs. Detroit WR Irving Fryar didn't practice on Thursday, but Rhodes said he will work out today.

Advertisement come, first served basis and there will be no bidding, thus affording buyers the perfect opportunity to purchase a quality used car at the lowest possible price, including at least 4 vehicles, some valued as high as $4000 for as little as $99. There will be a tremendous selection of vehicles on hand. All vehicles will be on display at Winner Autocenter with pre-registration beginning today. On Saturday, November 14th registration The News JoumalJENNIFER CORBETT Hens QB Matt Nagy heads home after class Thursday. Nagy has made the most of his opportunity at Delaware, racking up numerous records.

Local Car Dealer Shocks "WE'RE SELLING CARS FOR $99." Dover Area Stoppers Express Disbelief But Dealer Remains succeed UD records tied by Nagy: Consecutive pass completions: 12 against West Chester, Sept. 19 200-yard passing games In a season: 8 Soon to fall? Nagy, with two games remaining, has completed 153 passes for 2,492 yards. He has a chance to surpass UD records for single-season passing yardage (2,795 by Rich Gannon in 1986) and single-season completions (201 by Gannon in ever was going to happen was going to happen. "Being the competitor I am, I didn't come to Delaware to be a backup quarterback. But I understood the coaches' decision when Brian started.

I wasn't ready. I needed to learn more about the offense." Last season, Ginn injured his shoulder before the final regular-season game. Nagy made his first varsity start against Lehigh and directed a 24-19 victory. Ginn returned for the first Division I-AA playoff game against Hofstra, but reinjured the shoulder in the Hens' victory. Nagy started the final two playoff games, a 16-7 victory over Georgia Southern and a 23-21 loss to McNeese State in the semifinals.

"Before he came here, I saw the tape of Manheim's game against Berwick in Matt's senior year and I was extremely impressed with his poise," Delaware coach Tubby Raymond said. "We knew he was going to be good, but what we didn't realize was how rapidly he was going to progress." When Ginn again won the starting job this season, Nagy graciously accepted the decision. Raymond had emphasized that he planned to give both relatively equal playing time throughout the season. Ginn broke his leg six minutes into the third game, against West Chester. Since then, the UD record book hasn't been safe.

Perhaps the greatest testimony to Nagy's character comes from the player whose misfortune became Nagy's good fortune. "Obviously, I'd like to be the one out there doing it," Ginn said. "But if I can't be, I can't think of anyone else other than Nagy doing it." Optimistic As Saturday, November 14" Sale Date Approaches. AP ffiaTIU SutccCD Elway'soutfor Monday's game Associated Press DENVER After 16 seasons, 228 games and 49,970 yards passing, John Elway has finally learned that discretion really is the better part of valor. Vowing to be smarter in the future when it comes to playing with injuries, the Denver Broncos quarterback ruled himself out of Monday night's game with AFC West rival Kansas City because of bruised rib cartilage.

"I'll miss this week," Elway said Thursday. "It's not something that I'm going to rush." RANDALL'S READY: Randall Cunningham's rapid recovery continued Thursday. The Minnesota Vikings upgraded their quarterback from questionable to probable, increasing the likelihood Cunningham will start Sunday against Cincinnati. Coach Dennis Green stopped short of naming Cunningham his starter. HEYWARD HAS SURGERY: Indianapolis Colts fullback Craig Heyward underwent more than 13 hours of brain surgery Thursday to remove a benign tumor from the base of his skull.

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FROM PAGE C1 began, but Nagy took over when Ginn suffered a broken leg in the third game and was lost for the season. Nagy seized the opportunity and has emerged as one of the Atlantic 10 Conference's top quarterbacks. He was chosen national player of the week in NCAA Division I-AA after last Saturday's 59-17 victory over Connecticut. Nagy passed for a school-record 556 yards in that game as the Hens kept alive their hopes for a I-AA playoff berth. Nagy's petitive in stincts have brought him much success, but they didn't serve him particularly well in his early years.

By his own admission, his temper would flare when things weren't going 3) at Richmond (7-2), Saturday, noon. right in his youth football days. "When he was playing midget football, I was told, 'Watch out for the temper said Bill Williams, his high school football coach. "But I never saw them. I guess it's called maturity.

Matt has always been a special kid who would do anything for anybody. "We have another kid who's foing to be a very good quarter-ack, and Matt worked with him some this summer. He is great with both young and older people." Nagy, in fact, wants to eventually become a coach. He is a health and physical education major, and clearly a sports junkie. According to Zeigler, Nagy spends much of his time away from the football field reading sports publications and watching sports shows on television.

He's also fond of video games. "It's not like he spends every minute in the library," Zeigler said, "but when there is a academic task, he gets it done." Nagy gives some of the credit for learning to manage his temper to his parents. They have been divorced since Matt was a toddler but shared a strong parental devotion to their son. He lived with his mother and frequently visited his father in New Jersey. Nagy said he was perhaps most influenced by his grandfather, the late Carl Ibach.

He died when Nagy was a high school sophomore. "He was always there for me, telling me what I did wrong and what I did right," Nagy said. "I had so much respect for him. When I let myself down, I felt badly because I knew that I had let him down. "I just wish he were here now.

I always wanted him to see me play in high school, but unfortunately he didn't get to." Nagy competed in a variety of sports before arriving at Manheim Central, but by his sophomore year he devoted himself strictly to football and basketball. Winters were for basketball, but the remainder of the year was for football: the high school season in the fall, conditioning and weight training in the spring and quarterback camps in the summer. He excelled in two seasons as the starter at Manheim Central, one of Pennsylvania's high school football strongholds. He passed for 3,728 yards and 41 touchdowns and ran for another 887 yards and 12 TDs in those seasons. As a senior, he won the Lancaster County MVP award.

"Coaches in the county were raving ebout him," UD recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach Gregg Perry said. "What heard about consistently was about his toughness, his being oblivious to pressure and how well he threw the ball and made great reads. I was a little concerned about recruiting a player who might not fit into our system, but after watching the tapes, he ran well enough Who: University of Delaware red-shirt sophomore quarterback Born: April 24, 1978 Hometown: Manheim, Pa. High school: Manheim Central High school achievements: Two-year starter for the Manheim Central football team, which reached the state semifinals each season, losing each time to Berwick. Threw for 3,728 yards and 41 touchdowns in his career and was named Lancaster County MVP.

Voted Central's outstanding senior athlete. Starting forward in basketball. to let us know we wouldn't have to give up the option with him." He was contacted initially by some I-A schools, including Illinois, Syracuse and Rutgers, but none kept up with him. Only New Hampshire and Delaware were courting him as the signing period approached. Williams, the Manheim Central coach, said he was surprised that Nagy wasn't pursued by more schools.

"Maybe they thought that he was an inch too short or a step too slow. I don't know," he said. "You know, coaches aren't always the smartest people in the world. I think he could have played a lot of places, but I'm not at all disappointed he's at Delaware." Nagy recalls becoming concerned about his football future because he hadn't received any firm scholarship offers by late in the recruiting season. He and his father talked about him spending a year at a prep school or a junior college or choosing to walk on somewhere.

But as Nagy neared what he feared would be his darkest hour, he received two offers at once. "I got a call from New Hampshire offering me a scholarship," Nagy said. "I heard the call-waiting click in while I was talking, and when I checked, it was coach Perry also offering me a scholarship." Nagy chose Delaware for a variety of reasons. He found the football tradition to be similar to that at Manheim High and he loved the facilities. UD coaches told him the Wing-T offense would be altered to take advantage of his passing skills.

He also felt comfortable with what he sensed was a family atmosphere on campus. Nagy was red-shirted as a freshman in 1996. Last season, he and Ginn began a battle for the starting job, a competition that was intense but not in an adversarial sense. "It wasn't like Brian and I went into the preseason saying, 'I'm going to beat that guy Nagy said. "We just both went out and did the best we could and what the biggest skeptics will become true believers when they prices dropping by $4000, as much as $7000.

right before their eyes! DOVER, DE Allen Stevens, General Manager of Winner Ford Hyundai Mitsubishi Autocenter announced plans today for a one-day sales event that will feature over 150 cars, trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles -some for as low as $99! The event, named the "Premier Slasher Sale" because several "Premier Slashers" will be literally slashing prices on used cars, right before buyers eyes, Is scheduled for this Saturday, November 14th. Rain Or Shine. Stevens offers a simple explanation for this unprec edented sale: "We are over-stocked with trade-ins, off-lease and program vehicles, so we are making available our entire inventory of over 150 cars, trucks, vans and sport utility Vehicles. It's that simple." He adds, "During this sales event we will offer unbelievable values on our used inventory, and some vehicles will sell for as low as Expect retail prices to be slashed by $4000 to $7000, if not more. Stevens also points out that these prices will be "as low or lower than wholesale auctions in many cases.

The problem with auctions is that the bidding often leads to inflated prices, thereby eliminating savings." During the Premier Slasher Sale, every vehicle be on sale. Sales are on a first Even see $5000 begins at 8:00 AM By 10:30 AM prospective buyers will have been given a personalized pass allowing them to inspect the vehiclesthat interest theni between 10:30 AM and 1 1:30 AM, at which time the slashing starts. The Premier Slasher will then, to give back to the commu-begin slashing posted prices nity that's eivenso much to on the vehicles. Whoever is sitting behind the wheel of the vehicle when the price is slashed will be given the first opportunity to purchase the vehicle at that price. "We believe that people will not only enjoy getting a great deal but they'll also have fun doing it, says Stevens.

Local bank representatives, credit union representatives and business managers will be on-hand to ar-.