By The Continuous News Desk

Published: October 14, 2007

Aren’t these guys due a good break at some point?
Poor J.I. Burton. Just when you think it’s due a whopping stroke of luck, it gets another big obstacle in its path.
No, it’s not going to stop the Raiders from winning, at least for now. But Jaycob Coleman’s season-ending elbow injury is a blow the four-time Region D, Division 1 champion didn’t need.
The versatile Coleman is precisely the type of player few Division 1 schools offer—a legitimate game-changer who can affect a game on every play.
“He’s our leading receiver, one of the best defensive players in the state and really helps our special teams,“ Burton coach Jim Adams said after Friday night’s 32-14 win at Honaker.
“There’s no way you can replace him.“
It will be easier for the Raiders to make up for his loss on offense. Sophomore Martinez Miles can go 0-to-60 yards in just seconds and Jaymil Sensabaugh can break open a game on any touch.
Yet both will have to work on ball security. Burton put it on the ground a couple of times at Honaker, losing fumbles at its 32 and 27, respectively.
“We thought that might be a concern,“ Adams said of the fumbles.
Tackling 101
Neither of the aforementioned fumbles, though, cost the Raiders a single point. That’s because their defense rose up each time and denied the Tigers.
Of all the things Burton does well on defense, tackling is at the list’s top. Few high school teams anywhere form tackle as soundly as the Raiders.
Honaker tailback Logan Ball finished with 88 yards on 20 carries, but he got 33 of those on his last run of the game, a touchdown which made the score 32-14.
Ball is one of the best running backs in Group A, but he broke few tackles against Burton. This is a team which wraps up and brings you down.
“We work on [tackling] drills every day in practice,“ Raiders safety/quarterback Ethan Stewart said.
The Raiders get lower than the ball carrier almost every time. Unlike many teams or players who think the way to tackle is just to collide with someone as hard as possible and figure the impact will do the job, they wrap up.
Audibles
1. Having survived one playoff elimination game Friday at J.J. Kelly, Powell Valley now has another one this week against Gate City. There is simply no room for error in Division 2, especially if Honaker beats Haysi on Oct. 22 and wins the Black Diamond title to take away a possible wild card spot.
2. This is clearly a down year for the Southwest District. Even if Graham or Richlands makes it out of Region IV, Division 3, it’s hard to see either one winning a state semifinal game unless they get more dynamic offensively. And by week seven or eight, it’s hard to change who you are.
3. Maybe it’s because of the awful call they got in last year’s state championship game, but Burton fans are now overreacting on routine flags which go against their team. A simple procedure call at Honaker Friday night was greeted with profanities and prolonged booing—and this was with a 25-7 lead.
4. Few athletes are as good and polished an interview as Burton QB Ethan Stewart. If southwest Virginia writers elected an All-Interview team, he’d be at the head of the list, no doubt about it.
5. I just can’t stop marveling at how plush the TenCate Grass artificial surface is at Honaker, which used to have one of the area’s worst fields. It’s so soft that players get tackled and bounce forward for a yard or two.