Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 25, 1995 TAG: 9511270052
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem, refusing to lose until it had run out of strength and players, made an amazing rally in the second quarter and was one pass and a field goal away from pulling out victory in regulation.
When it went to overtime, Amherst County's Maurice Clark scored from the 1 on the second play after Camm Jackson set up the touchdown with a 9-yard run. Salem didn't get close to a touchdown when Seth Moore's fourth down pass was intercepted after Brent Humphrey seemed to be shoved down. No flag was thrown.
``They're better than we are. Our defense never could really handle them. Then I thought we got tired. All our kids go both ways and they just keep coming at you,'' said Salem coach Willis White, who received applause from some fans as he boarded the Spartans' bus outside the field house for the trip back to the school.
If Salem hadn't had to overcome a horrific start, the Spartans (10-2) might have reversed last year's 55-19 loss at Amherst County in this game. On the third play, Clark went around end for a 59-yard touchdown.
Then Moore, on his first offensive play, fumbled to the Lancers and T.J. Cashwell scored three plays later from the 11 to make it 14-0. It was similar to last year when a fumble helped Amherst County score on the game's third play.
Moore overcame his bad start and dominated the rest of the half. By the end of the game, the Salem senior had accounted for 193 yards total offense and forced the Lancers (10-2) to ditch their 4-3 defense for a five-man front.
Moore started operating on the Lancers with a 72-yard drive. He hit two passes and ran the last 15 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-7.
``After that, we saw we could play with them. That drive relieved some pressure. But I'm not sure how many fans believed that at 14-0,'' said Moore.
The pressure went right back on three plays later. Clark, who rushed for 176 yards on just six carries in the first 24 minutes, raced around right end again for a 91-yard touchdown after Salem had backed up the Lancers with a third down on their 9.
Going into the second quarter, Salem was down 21-7 and hadn't stopped Amherst County. Then the Spartans had their best 12 minutes of the year, scoring 19 unanswered points to take a 26-21 lead at intermission.
Ricky Eubanks started the rally, returning a kick after Amherst County's third touchdown to the Lancer 23. Salem scored eight plays later with Chris Huff going over from the 1.
Keith Bishop recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Lancer 30 and five plays later, Moore connected with Humphrey on a 14-yard scoring pass. A high snap, though, nullified the extra point, leaving Salem down 21-20.
On Amherst County's third play after the kickoff, Matt Edwards recovered a fumble on the Spartan 46 to set up Salem's fourth touchdown. Moore hit Eubanks for 20 yards with 54 seconds left in the half, making it 26-21.
``I think we got big-headed by the two quick touchdowns,'' Clark said. ``We realized they wanted to play. Coach [Mickey] Crouch gave us a talk at halftime and I think we got so pumped up and decided to play.''
``You can't print what I told them,'' said Crouch. ``We made the adjustments. I guess they worked. They scored 26 points the first half and only three in the second half.''
By the third quarter, the fast-break offenses had slowed from fatigue. Both teams had to punt for the first time, but Amherst County managed a touchdown when Jackson rolled in on a 30-yard run and then Clark ran a two-point conversion to make it 29-26 with 5:39 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans tied it up after Clark lost a fumble at the Lancer 14. Amherst County's defense held for three plays, but freshman Brett Gresham's 31-yard field goal tied the game 29-29.
Neither team threatened in the final quarter, but with 47 seconds left, the Spartans got the ball on their 23. Moore passed for two first downs and then hit a 7-yard pass to the Lancer 34 with nine seconds left.
``We were trying to get a field goal,'' said White. ``It wasn't to our advantage to go overtime against them. I thought they were the fresher team. It was a tough, physical game. We had lost three players [defensive end Jeff Akers, running back Gussie Vaughn and guard Pierce Weikle] with injuries.''
Needing one pass completion for 10-15 yards, Moore could only throw long twice without connecting, sending the game to overtime.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB