Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 29, 1993 TAG: 9310290070
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
How would you feel if you or somebody you love were involved in the heartbreak of 25 years worth of futility against the same team? A quarter-century and Carroll County still hasn't gotten the best of Radford. Twenty-five straight years, 25 straight defeats.
Never in the history of the school. Not once. Perhaps there hasn't even been a moral victory.
Seems as if in 25 years, something would go right for the Cavaliers against the black and gold. But it hasn't happened. It appears it never will. Radford's joining the Group A Mountain Empire District next season and the Carroll County series will be discontinued.
So there it hangs around the necks of these Cavaliers (the ones who lost for the last time last week to Radford, by the count of 16-12) or perhaps stitched across their collective breast and that of their ancestors, in red lettering: zip-and-25.
Oh, they've had their chances. This year was one of them. Last year was another. Radford was down last year. Way down. Carroll County had a nice little team, only Radford won the game. It was the one game the Bobcats won all year.
Now, the last chance of revenge has evaporated, gone forever.
Twenty-five years is an awfully long time. Since Carroll County and Radford first started playing football, much has occurred.
A guy drove a golf ball on the moon.
The Berlin Wall was knocked down.
They found a way for bald guys to have hair that didn't blow off on the roller coaster.
Headphones became required exercise equipment.
Billy Ray Cyrus learned to dance.
Hammer learned to dance better.
Somebody spilled bleach on Madonna's head.
Crooks broke into a suite at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States said he didn't know them.
A fellow had the clever idea to sell rocks as pets.
A descendant of slaves became governor of Virginia and served four years in the former capital of the Confederacy. A woman ran for election to succeed him.
It was discovered that cheeseburgers are bad for you.
The pope went snow skiing.
Jose Canseco got a speeding ticket.
Disco rose.
Disco fell (mercifully).
Nolan Ryan threw seven no-hitters.
Mitch Williams threw a wild pitch.
Mike Ditka threw a fit.
Incredible flying objects were spotted in the skies of Baghdad. They weren't airborne rugs.
The president of South Africa won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The University of Virginia went to a bowl game.
New York City went to the dogs.
Pernell Whitaker got robbed.
Richlands High cheated at football.
A nice kid from Newport named Mike Williams pitched in the big leagues.
Pro baseball came and went in Pulaski.
Virginia Tech won the NIT.
The Radford School Board ruled that the city high school couldn't play big high schools like Carroll County anymore. Said that somebody could get hurt.
Ray Cox covers New River Valley sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News
by CNB