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Sherrill provides spark as Indians blank Bears
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Published: October 11, 2008
HICKORY - St. Stephens High had one gaping hole to plug in its backfield Friday night.
Antonio Sherrill filled it nicely.
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight after starting tailback Caleb Peterson went down with a broken ankle suffered in practice on Monday, Sherrill made sure there was no let down in the Indians' ground attack, running for 147 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns to lead St. Stephens to a 33-0 homecoming win over Bunker Hill.
The Indians scored early and often against the Bears, posting 23 points less than nine minutes into the game.
Sherrill set the tone early with a 35-yard run that accomplished two things. It gave his team a 7-0 lead in the opening two minutes, but perhaps more importantly allowed the St. Stephens junior to take a deep breath.
"I knew I had to step up, and I really didn't worry about it (starting at tailback)," said Sherrill. "After (the scoring run) I said 'Now I can relax.'
"I knew the (offensive) line was going to play a good game, and they just made the holes."
Sherrill gained 97 yards in the opening quarter to help prevent a running game that was averaging 155 yards a game coming in from sputtering.
But Sherrill wasn't the only player in the Indians' backfield under the microscope.
Tanner Miller made his first start at quarterback in hopes of bringing a steady hand to the St. Stephens offense, said head coach Fred Whalen. Miller delivered by completing 3-of-5 passes for 55 yards and running for 30 yards and two scores.
"Tanner had been playing really well on the (junior varsity), and we wanted to give him an opportunity on the varsity to lead the team," said Whalen. "We thought maybe we'd be getting a little more consistency bringing him up."
The youthful tandem accounted for all four of the Indians' touchdowns with Miller following Sherrill's score with an 8-yard TD run with nine minutes, seven seconds remaining in the first quarter that gave St. Stephens (5-2, 3-2 CVAC) a 16-0 lead.
Sandwiched between those scores was a safety against Bunker Hill (1-6, 1-4) when Cameron Beard was called for intentional grounding while scrambling in his own end zone.
The Indians extended their advantage to 23-0 on a 37-yard dash by Sherrill at the 3:02 mark of the first quarter. And after a second-quarter 33-yard field goal by Brandon Hall, Miller provided St. Stephens its final score with a 6-yard run in the third quarter.
Helping relieve the pressure on Sherrill and Miller was a stifling defensive effort by the Indians. St. Stephens limited the Bears to 126 yards, including just 37 in the second half.
Bunker Hill's longest play came on a 16-yard run by Davontaye Wilson in the third quarter.
Bunker Hill head coach Ron Turner didn't mince words when describing the performances turned in by both teams.
"Physically, the just outplayed us," said Turner. "We couldn't run the ball or pass the ball and that's about it.
"Fred Whalen and his staff did an unbelievable job of getting the most out of their kids all night."
Also hampering the Bears' chances was a field position battle that had a decided edge in favor of the Indians.
Eight of the Bears' 10 possessions began at their 20 or worse, with three of their first five starting at the 6, 1 and 10, respectively.
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