[Salem]

[ANCHOR=Mike]

[NEWSCAST=FFE]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=FFE-6]
[GRAPHIC=FFE BIG]

Good evening once again folks and welcome to yet another edition ofr Friday Football Extra as we continues to click off the weeks of this 1999 campaign. Tonight we present our stata semi-final preview show. In the next 30 minutes we will visit with each of the five area teams that are still in the hunt for state titles.
[GRAPHIC=Salem/Martinsville]


And we begin in Division Four, where the semifinal matchup on this side of the state pits two old rivals and a a pair of good friends against one another. For the second straight year, the Spartans' Willis White finds himself faced with the task of out foxing his coaching comrade - Martinsville's Taylor Edwards. Steve Mason sat down with Coach White earlier this week to preview this final four clash of perennial powers.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="first audio]
[SUPER=59-Steve Mason; :00]
[SUPER=51-Bridgewater/1998 Division Four Championship; :26]
[SUPER=50-Willis White/Salem Head Coach; :47]
[SUPER=51-Salem/Region III, Division IV Championship; 1:02]
[SUPER=53-1998 Division Four Semifinals; 2:40]
[RUNS=3:45]
[OUT Q=back to mike in the studio"]
(---------------)



[Martinsville]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=FFE]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=FFE-7]
[GRAPHIC=Martinsville vs. Salem]


While Martinsville might be considered the underdog, winning , while important, is not the number one thing on the Bulldogs minds. The condition of one of their family members has taken center stage. Steve Mason has more on a team that has truly endured a perspective changing season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=first audio]
[SUPER=59-Steve Mason; :00]
[SUPER=50-Jamus Martin/Martinsville Tailback; :17]
[SUPER=50-Marcus Manns/Martinsville Defensive Tackle; :24]
[SUPER=50-Taylor Edwards/18th Season as Martinsville Coach; :29]
[SUPER=51-Martinsville/This Week; :40]
[SUPER=51-Dry Fork/Region IV Championship; 1:03]
[SUPER=53-1998 Division Four Semifinals; 1:39]
[SUPER=50-Dennis Haley/Salem Tailback; 2:15]
[SUPER=51-Salem/Region III Championship; 2:49]
[RUNS=3:30]
[OUT Q=back to Mike in the studio"]
(----------------)

((STEVE MASON:)) ((:)) ((:)) ((Chang is also Martinsville's wrestling coach and about a half dozen of the football players are grapplers as well. The Bulldogs are obviously dedicating this Saturday's game to him, as they did the regional championship win over Tunstall. The game ball has been signed by the team and will be presented to their assistant coach. ((:))
Like Salem's Willis White, this season is one of Edwards most gratifying coaching efforts. He lost 15 key players to graduation yet has steam rolled to a 10 and 1 record, a regional title and another Division IV semi final birth. Not bad for a team that was picked to finish 5 and 5 and fourth in the Piedmont District. ((:)) ((:)) The Bulldogs became well aquatinted with the Spartans in last year's state semi final 17-nothing loss inwhich they felt they were a shoe string tackle away from giving Salem trouble. That experience should come in handy Saturday. ((:)) Offensively, the Bulldogs have switched from an I to a wishbone formation this season and part of the reason was trying to confuse defenses like Salem's. ((:))
Field position will be another huge key for the Bulldogs, who have watched the Spartans shorten the field all season.))

[Tease#1]



[ANCHOR=Mike]
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[WRITER=mst]
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When we comeback we will continue moving through the VHSL divisions as we check in with Brookville in Division Three and Floyd County in Division Two. Those two schools are in the Friday Football Extra spotlight right after this break.

[Brookville]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=FFE]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=FFE#4]
[GRAPHIC=FFE]

Friday Football Extra's state semi-finals weekend preview show is ready to continue in the Division three ranks.
[GRAPHIC=GATE CITY/BROOKVILLE]


Gate City is the only obstacle standing between the Brookville Bees and a trip to the State Championship gamenext Friday night at JMU.
At nine and three the Bees are facing an undefeated Gate City team.
Denise Allen has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=51-Campbell Co./Last Friday; :00]
[SUPER=50-Bobby Johnson/Brookville Head Coach; :15]
[SUPER=59-Denise Allen; :28]
[SUPER=51-Gate City/Last Friday; :49]
[RUNS=1:39]
[OUT Q=Dal FFe]

((
At this time last year, Bobby Johnson and his Bees were at home. Brookville did not make the playoffs in '98, setting the stage for the preseason goal of this year--sticking around for post season play.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=19:43:42 as soon]

(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=in two weeks]


To get there Brookville had to beat Rustburg. Last week's 17-to-nothing win was the Bees' second shutout of the Red Devils this season.
Coach Johnson says his opportunistic defense has a lot to do with his team's success.
[SOT]
[IN Q=19:41:19 we're really]

(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=to win a championship.]


Now the state semifinals are at hand and Brookville is meeting another type of Devil in 12 and oh Gate City.
[SOT]
[IN Q=19:42:00 they've]

(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=playing them.]


Gate City posted a 37-to-zero win over Tazewell last week.
Saturday the Bees must fly into the Devils' den, but Coach Johnson says he likes his team's chances.
[SOT]
[IN Q=19:42:42 We're going]

(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=have the upper hand]


Brookville will have to make the long drive down 81 into far Southwest Virginia for Saturday's 1:30 contest against Gate City.
A win there will land the Bees in the finals in Harrisionburg.
Denise Allen Friday Football Extra.))


[Floyd]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=FFE-15]
[GRAPHIC=FLOYD/HONAKER]

While the playoffs are nothing new for the Brookville Bees, winning a regional championship and making it to the Division Two final four is a totally new experience for the folks in Floyd County. The Buffaloes have been playing high school football since 1962, but tomorrow's game with Honaker marks the school's first ever trip to the state semi-finals.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=50-Dougley McCallister/Floyd Co. Senior Center; :00]
[SUPER=50-Matt Phillips/Floyd Co. Senior Reciever & Def. Back; :14]
[SUPER=50-Winfred Beale/Floyd Co. Head Coach; :28]
[SUPER=51-Floyd/Region C, Division Two Title Game; :38]
[SUPER=51-Radford/October 29th; :47]
[SUPER=51-Honaker/Last Saturday; 1:22]
[RUNS=2:59]
[OUT Q=...be successful."]
(--------------)



[Tease#2]



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


Floyd may be new to this final four stuff, but our Division One survivor from Rural Retreat is anything but new. When we return the Indians talk about their fourth shot at making it to the state title game, plus we'll meet the latest player of the week in just a moment.

[R.Retreat]


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


Welcome back once again everybody to Friday Football Extra as we continue our state final four forecasts.
[GRAPHIC=RURAL RETREAT/POUND]

It's time now to head to the division one ranks where perennial playoff power Rural Retreat, out Wythe County, once again finds itself on the verge of making it to the state championship game. Tomorrow afternoon on their home turf, the Indians will play host to Pound high school out of the Lonesome Pine district. And in many ways playing the Wildcats will be like looking directly in the mirror.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=50-Dean Rhea/Rural Retreat Head Coach; :00]
[SUPER=50-Timmy King/Rural Retreat Senior Tailback; 2:10]
[SUPER=50-Jordan Walters/Rural Retreat Senior Receiver; 2:21]
[RUNS=2:50]
[OUT Q=...]
(-----------------)



[Player]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=PLAYER]
[GRAPHIC=PLAYER OF THE WEEK]


In the 16 years of Friday Football Extra we have seen some pretty special young men win our player of the week award. Some have exceptional ability, some have determination, and some even have thick skin.
[graphic=rhea]

Tonight's player of the week possesses all of those characteristics and more. Rural Retreat quarterback Dustin Rhea captures this award for his play in the Region C, division one championship game last Friday.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=51-Rural Retreat; :00]
[SUPER=51-Rural Retreat/November 19th; :08]
[SUPER=50-Dustin Rhea/FFE Player of the Week; :17]
[SUPER=50-Dean Rhea/Rural Retreat Head Coach; :45]
[SUPER=50-Timmy King/Rural Retreat Tailback; 1:55]
[RUNS=2:27]
[OUT Q=...IS WIN!]
(---------------)

(( As a quarterback on a state playoff team, Dustin Rhea is used to being the center of attention. But as the head coach's son you can also become the center of a controvrsey especially when things aren't going so well on the field. (()) Earlier this year after a couple of setbacks Rhea got a earful from some folks. But instead of getting down on himself, he picked up his game. Lately, his pinpoint drop back passing style has made the Rural Retreat a dangerous balanced team on offense. (()) In the region C division one title game against Narrows Rhea continued his hot streak by completing 70 percent of his passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns on a night when the Indians' offence could do no wrong.))

[Tease#3]



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


Now we won't know until tomorrow afernoon which teams advance, but one thing we do know that the surivivors will be stepping onto unfamiliar turf in the state finals.

Thoughts on the tough turf delimma are next on Friday Football Extra.[Turf]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=ffe]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=FFE-18]
[GRAPHIC=FFE]

Welcome back everybody to Friday Football Extra.
[GRAPHIC=VHSL]

When it comes to high school athletics, and in particular the VHSL state football playoffs, controversy and competition have gone hand in hand.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=HAMPTON'S]
[SUPER=51-Norfolk/Last December; :00]
[SUPER=51-Lynchburg/Liberty University; :12]
[SUPER=50-Willis White/Salem Head Coach; :37]
[SUPER=50-Winfred Beale/Floyd Co. Head Coach; :55]
[SUPER=50-Dean Rhea/Rural Retreat Head Coach; 1:21]
[SUPER=50-Taylor Edwards/Martinsville Head Coach; 1:34]
[RUNS=1:56]
[OUT Q=...HOPE WE HAVE."]
(------------)

(( Hampton's taunting and Amherst County's brawling got everyone's attnetion in the playoffs last December, but this the issue is more artificial. All of the state championship games this season will be played on artificial turf. The move was made to avoid field conditions like the kind Salem faced at Richlands in the 1992 semi-finals, but not everyone is sure playing the Groupa A and Group Two A title games at JMU and Liberty is the right thing to do.))

[Tease#4]



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


We will wrap up tonight's show with some programming and scheduling notes in just a moment.

You're watching Friday Football Extra on Your Hometown Station.[WDBJ]


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


Welcome back folks. It has already been a big weekend of football here on Your Hometown Station and we haven't even reached Saturday, but tomorrow the college action continues for you with a doubleheader.
(---------------)

[go to pinnacle 7501] The Tennessee Volunteers will be in action at Noon against Vanderbilt, and then at 3:30 Syracuse looks to salvage its season as the Orangemen travel to Miami to tangle with the Hurricanes in Big East leftovers.
(----------------)

[go to pinnacle 7503] And Sunday, yet another double dip of NFL football is on tap as the tough AFC East looks to sort itself out with the Patriots battling the Bills at one, and the surging Jets trying to slow down Edgerrin James and Peyton Manning of the 8 and 2 Colts.
(----------------)
[talent=mike]
[graphic=ffe]

Also, don't forget about the ladies out there. The girls' state quarterfinals are on tap for tomorrow night in our part of the state.
(----------------)

[GO TO GIRLS AA PINNACLE] In Group Two A, Heritage hosts Carroll County in a seven o'clock tip-off at EC Glass high school. While Gretna battles Va. High in game being played John Battle high school.
(----------------)

[GO TO GIRLS A PINNACLE] And Shawsville also must hit the road in the Group A quarterfinals. The Shawnees play Thomas Walker at Lee High in Ben Hur. That location by the way is west of Detroit. Check your map if you think I'm crazy.
(----------------)
[talent=mike]
[graphic=ffe]

Thanks for taking for Holiday weekend and spending it with the News 7 sports crew. Roy Stanley will have highlights from the high school action tomorrow night on News 7 at 11. I'll b back next week with our state final special. Until then have a safe weekend everybody.
by SS