Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 17, 1994 TAG: 9410030018
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE ASHLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD NEWS
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
But before the Indians could digest a second consecutive big non-district victory, Cave Spring escaped the trap and came away with a 12-7 victory. The Knights improved their record to 3-0, and while they dominated play for much of the game, this one never came easy.
Blacksburg (1-2) had the ball but five of the first 24 minutes of play, yet ran to the locker room with a 7-6 lead, thanks to Jim Reemsnyder's 21-yard return of a punt blocked by teammate Darron Oliver with 1 minute, 29 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Indians could thank the generous Knights, who in addition to the blocked punt, threw an interception, lost a fumble and were penalized seven times for 85 yards during the game. Cave Spring had 100 yards total offense to 55 for Blacksburg in the first half, but Knights coach Steve Spangler wasn't worried. Yet.
``I'm not a ranter and a raver,'' Spangler said. ``I just told them at halftime we would have to execute. We have to play flawless football to come out on top. We can't afford mistakes.''
On its first possession of the second half, Cave Spring drove 74 yards, only to fumble inside at the Indians' 9-yard line. An ineligible-receiver-downfield call on the next possession negated a 42-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Lang to Billy Frantz, and entering the fourth quarter the Knights still trailed 7-6.
The Blacksburg offense, which came to life in the second half, was moving the football when Nathan Manning stepped in front of Greg Shockley's pass in the flat and carried the interception 38 yards to the Indians' 18.
``[Shockley] never took his eyes off [receiver Shane] Beamer,'' Manning said. ``I was just playing my zone. You can't just look at one receiver all the time.''
On the next play, Cave Spring tailback Anthony Woollums slipped through the middle and galloped into the end zone to give the Knights their first lead, with 8:36 to play. The ensuing two-point pass play failed.
Shockley began to march the Indians downfield again, but on a key third down that man - Manning - knocked down a pass and forced a punt with 5:30 left.
The Indians' defense held, and Stephen Hunt's 21-yard punt return left Blacksburg at the Cave Spring 25 with 3:20 remaining.
Shockley carried the ball on three of the next four plays and hit Reemsnyder with a short pass to move the Indians, coming off a victory over Salem, to the Knights' 6 six with 54 seconds left. An illegal-motion penalty moved the ball back to the 11 and two Shockley passes to a corner of the end zone fell incomplete - a diving Reemsnyder just missing the connection on third down and Cave Spring's Dusty Beekman batting the ball away on fourth down with 34 seconds to play.
``We made too many mistakes to win,'' said Dave Crist, the Indians' coach. ``They took advantage.
``We got down there at the end, but we just couldn't finish it off. We never quit.''
by CNB