Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 30, 1993 TAG: 9310300188
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
Shed no tears for Floyd's players, who played their Buffalo-sized hearts out only to see a five-game winning streak end and their playoff hopes dim a bit.
Better save those condolences for Narrows halfback Brett Mosley, who may have had one of the more anonymous 100-yard games of the year.
That's because running mate Whitey Blankenship carried 36 times for 245 yards and scored three times in leading the Green Wave to an important Mountain Empire District win.
Blankenship and Mosley, who had 118 yards and a 71-yard touchdown, accounted for all but two of the Green Wave's 365 yards of total offense. Blankenship had 163 yards in the second half.
"When the line's opening holes big enough for two people to fit through, I've got no choice but to run through them," Blankenship said.
Line play was key for Narrows (7-1 overall, 4-1 Mountain Empire District) on both sides of the ball, especially in the second half, when Blankenship ran wild on offense and the Green Wave defensive front stuffed Floyd's potent offense.
"Narrows controlled the line of scrimmage against us in the second half," Floyd County coach Winfred Beale said.
It was a tough loss for Beale's squad, which probably has to win both of its final games to earn a Region C Division 2 playoffs berth. The Buffaloes upset Narrows last year but missed the playoffs by one game.
"Last year [against Floyd], we were up 13-0 at the half, and they came back and did to us what we did to them tonight," said Blankenship. "We didn't want to have another letdown tonight."
That meant there would be no letting up for Blankenship, Timesland's leading rusher, who passed the 1,300-yard mark. His 30-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter gave Narrows a 23-9 lead and some breathing room.
The Green Wave appeared to be ready to put away the game when it got the ball back with six minutes left, but Floyd's Toby Dixon blocked a punt and the Buffaloes were back in business.
Quarterback Monty Moran hit Phillip Marshall with a 21-yard pass down to the Narrows 3-yard line, from where he scored to make it 23-15 with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left.
Floyd couldn't recover an onsides kick, and Narrows ran down the clock. Blankenship capped a 6-play 58-yard drive with a 1-yard score that accounted for the final margin.
"I told the line to give it all they had for just a little bit more," said Blankenship. "Three minutes is a long time."
Floyd (6-2, 5-2) reached the Narrows 10-yard line or closer on three drives in the first half but scored only one touchdown. That came when Moran led the Buffaloes on a 39-yard march in the waning moments of the second quarter and scored on a 2-yard run to make it 14-9 at the half.
Blankenship capped the Green Wave's first drive of the night with his 16-yard touchdown run. Adam Lowe, who had a 32-yard field goal in the second half, kicked the extra point to put the Wave ahead 7-0.
After getting to the Narrows 3-yard line, the Buffaloes settled for Peter Bucklin's 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
Narrows made it 14-3 one play later when Mosley took a quick handoff up the middle, broke two tackles and was off on a 71-yard touchdown run.
"That was the key," said Lowe. "He showed them that he has big-play potential." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB