Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 4, 1995 TAG: 9511050020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
As the 10th anniversary of the great flood of 1985 approached, Patrick Henry shocked the Cougars 26-21 Friday in a Roanoke Valley District game played at Victory Stadium.
When the flood hit in 1985, Victory Stadium was submerged under much of the Roanoke River and the PH-Pulaski County game was shifted to Salem Stadium. The Patriots beat the Cougars that year and went on to the Group AAA state semifinals.
In Friday's victory, PH grabbed a share of first place in the RVD with Pulaski County and Cave Spring heading into the final week of the season. All three teams have 3-1 district records, with PH facing archrival William Fleming while the Cougars take on Cave Spring.
PH seemed to have Friday's game in hand, holding a 26-0 lead after three quarters following a first half in which the Patriots (5-4 overall) totally dominated the Cougars (6-3).
In that span, PH ran 35 plays to just 11 for Pulaski County, churned out 221 yards on the ground to 24 for the visitors and had 12 first downs while the defense yielded none.
Still, victory didn't come easily. The Cougars scored three touchdowns in a stirring last-quarter comeback and had the ball on their 34 only to throw four incomplete passes in trying to pull a miracle rally.
``It was absolutely a fantastic job by Patrick Henry,'' said Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks, who was the victim of the Patriots' flood-year victory. ``They outblocked and outplayed us. They took it to us and deserved to win.''
PH quarterback Raheem Barnwell scored the first two touchdowns, though it was junior running back Shawn Akers setting the tone with 28 yards on his first four carries.
Then Barnwell headed left, deked Pulaski County's Derrick Hunter and took off on a 49-yard touchdown run to make it 6-0.
``It was an option sweep,'' said Barnwell. ``Just after I got past one guy and saw I had one man to beat, I knew I was gone.''
It was a play the Patriots had hoped to exploit.
``We saw some things that other teams do on their run defense. We had seen them a couple of times and had tapes on them,'' said PH coach Ed Scott about the Patriots' success running.
After a punt, the Patriots drove 88 yards, keeping the ball the rest of the first quarter. On fourth-and-nine from the Pulaski County 31, Rashaun Martin ran the reverse, going outside for 24 yards that set up a 5-yard touchdown by Barnwell two plays later.
``That could go inside or outside,'' said Barnwell of the reverse, which was used some more in key situations.
The Patriots had another long drive for 56 yards before the half with Dan Ankoma scoring from the 6. Martin had two big reverse plays to spark the drive.
The PH defense, which had to share top billing with the offense, allowed two first downs to start the second half. Then the Patriots stuffed Pulaski County's offense, shutting off any shift in momentum.
PH didn't move either, but when the Cougars got the ball back, Barnwell pounced on a fumble. PH took time off the clock with a 39-yard drive for three first downs before Akers went up the middle for 19 yards and a 26-0 lead.
``That was really the key to the game,'' said Scott. ``We didn't allow them to come back and killed a lot of time with that drive.''
Strange things happened in the final 12 minutes, starting with a 44-yard Cougars scoring drive that ended when Jawan Clark scored from the 8.
PH had a bad snap on a punt attempt after that, setting up another Clark score barely two minutes later.
Then Pulaski County scored again with 3:10 left on Ron Branch's 11-yard pass to Jabbar Patterson, making it a five-point game.
The Cougars defense forced another punt, but PH's Mike Stevens put Pulaski County on its 34, where four incomplete passes settled the issue at last.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB