[Phillips]

[ANCHOR=Mike]

[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=FFE-9]
[GRAPHIC=FFE]

A very pleasant good evening everybody and welcome to a very special Thanksgiving weekend edition of Friday Football. This is the first time in the 19 year history of the show that we have not had any live games to highlights or games coming up on Saturday to preview.
[GRAPHIC=VHSL]
As you know by now the "serial sniper" put both the northern Virginia and Richmond areas behind and forced the season to be extended an extra week. Thus, all of the teams on our side of the state are off this week resting up for the state semi-finals next Saturday.


[GRAPHIC=BATH]
And one of the teams that will be in action is Bath County. The Chargers are the defending division one state champs and they went wire to wire as Friday Football Extra's number one team in the Super 7. Bath will play Appalachia next weekend. But on this week of Thanksgiving the team is simply thankful it is still playing.
[GRAPHIC=BATH/PHILLIPS]
The team's best player - quarterback and defensive back Jacob Phillips was injured two weeks ago in the regional semi-finals. The wiry one thought someone had knocked the breath out of him. If only it had been that simple.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=51-Bath Co./November 15; :00]
[SUPER=50-Jacob Phillips/Bath Co. Quarterback; :20]
[SUPER=51-Hot Springs; :45]
[SUPER=50-Gene "Bugs" Phillips/Jacob's Dad; 1:13]
[SUPER=50-Susan Phillips/Jacob's Mom; 1:31]
[SUPER=50-John Phillips/Jacob's Younger Brother; 2:22]
[RUNS=2:47]
[OUT Q=...help out if I can."]
(( Phillips was 15 yards away from the ball when he started charging from his safety spot to provide run support. His arrival coincided with that of a full speed teammate - whose helmet hit Jacob square in the ribs on his right side. ((JACOB PHILLIPS:)) His medical odyssey began at the Bath County Community hospital and ended after a five day stay at the University of Virginia Medical Center - where he was forced to put things in the proper perspective. ((JACOB PHILLIPS:)) ((DAD:)) When he finally returned home to rest and offer support in the regional championship game with Narrows in his new capacity as an unofficial assistant coach - he realized just how fragile one's health can be - and also how important it is to have friends.)) ((MOM:)) ((JOHN:)) ((JACOB:))
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[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=BATH/JACOB]
The Region C title game was the first that Phillips has missed in his high school career. His record as a starting quarterback is 36-and-3. Right now it's too early to tell if he may be able to play next weekend at UVa-Wise.

[Champs]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
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[GRAPHIC=VHSL]

Bath is one of several state champs from a season ago still in hunt to go back to back with the gold.
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[VO NAT ENG#]
Division Four champ Lafayette and Paul Wheeler were knocked out last week in the regional finals. Division Three champ Harrisonburg had a decent season, but didn't even make it to the playoffs. Washington & Lee Montross also was ousted in the regionals. But Bath County plays on next weekend in the D-1 final four against Appalachia. Friday Football Extra will be right back in just a moment.
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[go to break]

[Hicks]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=FFE-11]
[GRAPHIC=FFE]

Welcome back everybody to the Thanksgiving edition of Friday Football Extra. Next season marks the 20th anniversary of this program.
And over the years, no one has left his mark on the show anymore [GRAPHIC=JOEL HICKS]
than Pulaski County's Joel Hicks. Earlier this fall he announced his retirement from coaching after 24 seasons at Pulaski County.
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[GO TO HICKS PINNACLE] His accomplishments on paper alone are phenomenal. 301 career wins including 91 while at Big Creek and Woodrow Wilson high school in West Virginia. In his 24 seasons at Pulaski he never had a losing record. Winning 15 district title, 6 regional championships and 1 state title. He had three perfect 10 and 0 seasons and for his career at Pulaski he averaged just under 9 wins a season.
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[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=HICKS]
Joel also was the speaker for the first ever Friday Football Extra awards banquet back in 1984. Earlier this week we let him speak at length about a variety of topics including what kind of a player he was in high school and in college, how he almost became the head coach at the University of West Virginia, how he got started wearing shorts on the sideline and why this is the right time to retire.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=50-Joel Hicks/301 Career Wins; :10]
[SUPER=51-Pulaski Co./2002 Preseason; :28]
[SUPER=51-Richmond/1992 State Championship; 4:26]
[RUNS=7:45]
[OUT Q=...LETTING ME COACH HERE." (NAT FULL FOR A SECOND)]
(------)
((JOEL HICKS:)) ((Before the shorts and long before he arrived at Pulaski County Hicks was one heck of football player himself for both the Richwood high school Lumberjacks and the University of West Virginia - where he lettered in both football and baseball. During his senior year of high school he rushed for over 600 yards in his first six games and ran so hard that he cracked open four different helmets.)) ((JOEL HICKS:))
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[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD PULASKI/HICKS]
As for Hicks' replacement - Joel has intentionally removed himself from any phase of the selection process. Two of his current assistants Jack Turner and Rodney Landreth have applied for the job. The man most mentioned - Paul Wheeler - is not interested.

[Schedule]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=FFE-12]
[GRAPHIC=VHSL]

There are several games this week on the other end of the state as Northern Virginia and the Richmond area get caught up with everyone else.
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[VO NAT ENG#]
Next Saturday five area teams will continue their quests for state titles. In Division Four - Magna Vista hosts Heritage. In Division Three - Liberty entertains Grundy While in Division Two - Gate City will be in Wytheville taking on the George Wythe Maroons. And in Division One - Bath County will take on Appalachia on the astroturf at UVa Wise. And William Campbell will be on the road next week taking on the winner of the Sussex Central - Mathews game. And we'll be back in just a moment with more Friday Football Extra.
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[GO TO BREAK]

[Super7]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=SUPER 7]

The final Super 7 poll of the season was out after the end of the regular season with four teams tied for the number one spot. Our preseason Super 7 that came out back on August 23rd looked a bit different.
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[GO TO SUPER 7 POLL] We thought it would be interesting and humbling at the same time to see how it appeared. Neither George Washington nor Salem managed to get into the playoffs. Bath, Magna Vista, and George Wythe are still playing, while Rustburg missed out on the postseason, and Radford was knocked off in the regional semi-finals after a 9 and 1 regular season. Friday Footbal Extra's Thanksgiving Day edition continues in just a moment right here on Your Hometown Station.
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[Duds]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=FFE-14]
[GRAPHIC=FFE]

Welcome back folks to Friday Football Extra's Thanksgiving weekend edition.
[GRAPHIC=VHSL]
A number of teams, not only in our area, but across the state were untouchable in the regular season, and rather unspectacular in the playoffs. Once again - it just goes to show that a great regular season doesn't always equate into postseason success.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=first audio]
[RUNS=1:14]
[OUT Q=...PLAYINGIN DIVISION THREE."]
(( No one team exemplifies that more than Northside. After going 10 and 0 the Vikes found themselves going home in the first round. But they were in good company. Four of top 10 teams in the final division four points rating , including Charlottesville, Park View Sterling and Chancellor all joined the Vikings as regional semi-final losers. Floyd County feels Northside's pain - the Buffs 10-and-0 season was tarnished with a collapse against George Wythe in the Region C finals. In fact, five of the top 10 division two teams in the state including Radford lost in either the first or second round. In division one the numbers are no better. Five of the final top 10 power teams in the Commonwealth, including Narrows, Strasburg and Manassas Park are all now home for the Holidays. But the division that took the biggest hit was division three. Four of the top 7 teams in the last points rating scale Rockbridge County lost in the first round of the playoffs, another Graham lost in the regional final while Handley and Harrisonburg didn't even make the playoffs. Only top seeded Fort Defiance and two others members of the top 10 are still playing.))
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[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=ROCKBRIDGE CO.]
Rockbridge County may have pulled off the most impressive accomplishment of the postseason, however. Despite playing the highly competitive Valley district with Fort Defiance, Harrisonburg, Turner Ashby and Spotswood, Billy Mills Wildcats placed 10 players on the first team all-district squads including twins Steven and Kevin Burant.

[Tease#1]



[ANCHOR=Mike]
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[GRAPHIC=NCAA FOOTBALL]
The college football season is winding down as well. Tomorrow afternoon Bridgewater plays host to King College at Jopson Stadium in Bridgewater. The game kicks off at Noon.
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[GO TO PINNACLE 12996] Also, you can find a potpourri of sporting events here on Your Hometown Station this weekend. Tomorrow at Noon - JJ Redick and Duke Blue Devils take on UCLA in the John Wooden Classic.
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[GO TO PINNACLE 12997] Then right after that - it's back to the gridiron as Ga. Tech battles Georgia at three o'clock. A lot of folks think Ga. Tech may meet Tech in one of the postseason bowl games.
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[GO TO PINNACLE 12998] Also, Saturday night in primetime - the defending national champs from Maryland take on Duquesne at 8 as swing back to the hardwood at the new Comcast Center.
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[GO TO PINNACLE 12999] And then Sunday the Miami Dolphins travel to chilly Buffalo to meet the Bills at one. It's a full weekend of sports right here on WDBJ-7. Friday Football Extra will be right back in just a moment.
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[GO TO BREAK]

[Rivalry]


[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=FFE]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=FFE-16 ]
[GRAPHIC=tech/uva]

There are over one hundred players on both the Virginia Tech and Virginia rosters who played high school football in the Commonwealth.
[graphic=ffe]
Steve Mason takes a stab at some of the local ties to this in state rivalry, including a very special Friday Football Extra connection.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=51-Roanoke/1997 Season; :00]
[SUPER=51-Roanoke/1999; :13]
[SUPER=51-Blacksburg/This Season; :22]
[SUPER=50-Lee Suggs/1092 Yards & 15 TD's Rushing This Season; :30]
[SUPER=50-Jermaine Hardy/42 Tackles, 2 INT's for UVa This Season; :49]
[SUPER=59-Steve Mason; 1:12]
[SUPER=50-Almondo Curry/55 Tackles, 2 INT's for UVa This Season; 1:26]
[SUPER=51-Norfolk/1997 3A State Championship; 1:58]
[RUNS=2:34]
[OUT Q=Friday Football Extra"]
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((William Fleming has produced 14 Friday Football Extra players of the week, but perhaps no tandem to win the honor has represented the Colonels as well at the big time college level as Tech's Lee Suggs and UVa's Jermaine Hardy. The pair combined for 5 player of the week selections between November 1996 and October 1999. They have both gone on to make substantial impacts at their in state schools and while they are not extremely close friends, they wish each other well.

((:))
((:))
Saturday's game marks the second and final time the two former Fleming teammates will face each other in a college football game. ((:)) ((:)) ((STEVE MASON:)) ((ALMONDO "MUFFIN" CURRY/UVA CORNERBACK & FORMER HAMPTON CRABBER:))
Suggs would rather forget their meeting, a 51-8 Hampton victory. But the score was hardly the ugliest part of the 1997 triple A state championship game as tempers and mouths exploded. ((:)) Suggs remembers that game and is well aware of the vast number of players on both the Cavalier and Hokie rosters whose high school football careers are linked together. ((:))
Curry and Suggs share one other interesting bond. They both wear number 22. But nine is the only digit they are concerned about, the number of wins each of their teams is chasing. Steve Mason Friday football extra.))
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[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=TECH/UVA]
40 years ago these two rivals played in front of 18 thousand fans at Victory Stadium in the Harvest Bowl. Tech won that won. 30 years ago, UVa won in Charlottesville even thought Tiki and Ronde's dad J.B. Barber scored two TDs. Join us tomorrow night to find out who and what made news this time around. Have a safe weekend everybody. [GOTO BREAK]

by SS