By Tim Tassa — Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — While some of his blocking mates conceal Mohawks beneath their blue Shenandoah helmets, quarterback Vern Lunsford sported a style more suited to his personality.

Lunsford said lineman Sean McKenzie crafted his new-found hairdo prior to last Saturday's loss to Ferrum, and still strutted the zig-zags buzzed onto the back of his scalp during interviews on Wednesday.

Said Lunsford, who closely mimicked Charlie Sheen as pitcher Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn in "Major League," "I'm a wild thing at heart."

The variation in appearance, however, is all that's different regarding Shenandoah's quarterback position this season. After frequent changes the last two years because of injuries or dismissal, Lunsford will make his 10th straight start as quarterback for the Hornets on Saturday against Christopher Newport at Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium.

"How 'bout that," responded Lunsford, when told he'll be starting what is equivalent to a full season.

"One-year vet."

Controlling a passing game that's yielded greater results than in recent history, the early grace period is over. Through four games this season he has compiled a 103.45 efficiency rating, completing 50-of-90 passes for two touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions.

In comparison, the Hornets completed 70 passes all of last season, with Lunsford starting the final five games and stabilizing a situation in flux following the departure of quarterback Richard Glick.

"Vern is very, very smart. He knows where to put the ball," Shenandoah head coach Paul Barnes said.

"Vern doesn't make excuses and he understands that we have to get better, and he has. He works as hard as anybody I've ever had here in the passing game, so that's why I think we're throwing the ball better."

Despite a strong start to the season — Lunsford completed 60 percent or more of his attempts in the first three games — Lunsford struggled in Saturday's 14-12 loss to the Panthers.

Lunsford alluded to slippery conditions as a contributing factor to his 11-of-29, 78-yard performance. However, he did not make excuses for the offense's lack of execution, including the failure to convert a critical fourth-and-4 at the Ferrum 14 in the third quarter.

"It was a tough game to put the ball in the air," Lunsford said.

"We didn't execute very well. We had a lot more chances I left out there. No excuses for that. We could've played a lot sharper."

Still, much of Shenandoah's improvement on offense this season has been a product of stability — and ability — at quarterback, despite just a 1-3 record. Through four games, Lunsford's Hornets out-totaled last year's group in points scored, and he is top six all-time for yardage, touchdowns, attempts and efficiency in a season.

"I think we're a different team than we were last year offensively already; I think people can see that. We're competing a lot better with teams than we did last year," Lunsford said.

"I feel like we can move the ball and I feel like we need to put points up. We just need to be sharper and I think we'll be fine."

* HIGHS AND LOWS: According to Barnes, it took a first-ever for the Hornets' football program to elevate their play against Ferrum.

Trailing 14-0 after a Lunsford interception and Panthers touchdown, B.J. Smoot received the ensuing kickoff at the Hornets' 15-yard line and sprinted his way to pay dirt.

Smoot's 85-yard kickoff return with 6:07 left in the second quarter was the first in Shenandoah football history, and lessened its deficit to a single-possession game.

"We just needed something to get us going again and when B.J. took it — and then I saw him on the kicker and I said there's no way this kicker is going to get that — it just put the emotion back up on the board," Barnes said.

"Those plays are big plays, and they give you emotion and a lot of energy and just raised your level again."

The Hornets' special teams exuberance collided with a deflating missed extra point just moments later by kicker Nic Hoover. The points ultimately loomed large, according to Barnes, who was forced to try for a two-point conversion to tie the game after a fourth-quarter touchdown.

* DEFENSE ADJUSTS: Last year the Hornets were burned by Ferrum's counter play. This time they knew it was coming.

By enforcing an odd front on the line of scrimmage and allowing linebacker Joe Lunsford the ability to shift the front, the Hornets limited the Panthers to just 69 total yards and zero points in the second half.

Linebacker C.J. Madison said the counter play was called minimally in the first half and Shenandoah prepared for it at halftime.

"Instead of just always lining up in the same thing all the time we were slanting and angling the second half," defensive coordinator Brock McCullough said.

"That was pretty much our adjustment — our linebackers just did their jobs and stayed home through all the counter things."

* Contact Tim Tassa at ttassa@nvdaily.com