ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 16, 1996 TAG: 9611180120
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MONETA
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
THE GOLDEN EAGLES strike quickly in dispatching the Cavaliers 44-7 in the Region III football playoffs.
If football teams were given awards for honesty, Staunton River already would have a prize in its trophy case. The Golden Eagles did exactly what everyone knew they would Friday night in the Group AA Region III semifinals.
It was Kevin Martin left and Kevin Martin right, or Jarrett Ferguson left and Jarrett Ferguson right. Not much mystery there. The final score didn't leave much unsolved either. Staunton River, in its first football playoff game, romped over visiting Lord Botetourt 44-7.
``We're not trying to trick anybody,'' said Golden Eagles coach Bob Gray. ``We line up and run it at you. We're doing the same thing we did August 5th."
That means giving the ball to Martin and Ferguson. Ferguson ran 39 yards on a counter play to give Staunton River (10-1) a 7-0 lead barely two minutes into the first quarter. The tandem set up Jeremy Wright's 1-yard touchdown run three minutes later for a 14-0 lead.
At that point, the Golden Eagles pulled out a play that looked like it tricked the Cavaliers (8-3). Danny Thomas threw a quick pass to Wright, who turned downfield and saw nothing but the end zone, 74 yards away. Wright went the whole way untouched for a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
``I don't know how to say this without sounding bad,'' Gray said, ``but they couldn't stop us.''
It was understandable if Lord Botetourt had trouble getting started.
The Cavaliers brought some mystery into the game with star running back Wesley Cox's playing status uncertain. He was determined to play, however, and gained 137 yards on 10 carries, including a 90-yard run for a touchdown. But he aggravated his bruised shoulder during his first run of the second half and did not return.
Meanwhile, Martin and Ferguson kept on going. Martin finished with 24 carries for 177 yards and a touchdown, and Ferguson had 12 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Added to that was Thomas' passing performance: 4-of-6 for 114 yards and one touchdown.
Staunton River's defense tried to outdo the offense as the game progressed. The Golden Eagles sacked Cavaliers quarterback Seth Myers on three consecutive plays to start the second half. Then, after Myers ran 65 yards to the Staunton River 4-yard line with 2:45 left in the third, the Golden Eagles recovered a fumble on the next play.
Everyone knew it was the Golden Eagles' night by the midpoint of the fourth quarter. Myers tried a sidearm dump pass at his own goal line, but Staunton River defensive tackle Jeremaine Thomas intercepted the ball and scored the final touchdown.
``It's great for the kids,'' Gray said of the victory. ``The first time you do something, it's tremendous.''
The Golden Eagles got the victory by doing the same thing many times over - handing the ball to their backs.
``They get outside and make things happen,'' said Lord Botetourt coach Andy Ward. ``You know where it's going to go.''
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB