Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 13, 1990 TAG: 9007130168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
In less than a half Thursday night, it was obvious the West would be hard to deal with, and the West cruised on to a 33-12 victory.
The West's win reversed last year's 33-18 loss. It tied for the second largest margin of victory in this series since it began in 1972. The East owned back-to-back 27-0 and 21-0 victories in 1976-77.
After two series, it didn't look as if it would be a rout. The West took a 7-0 lead when Timmy Bland of King George fumbled the opening kickoff for the East to Altavista's Vincent Myers.
The West scored in five plays. First, Magna Vista's Stanley Ziglar bulled for a first down on fourth-and-one at the East's 12. Bassett's Maurice DeShazo, who will attend Virginia Tech in the fall, then threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Tracy Donigan of E.C. Glass.
The East came back with a 74-yard drive that riddled the West's pass defense. Alternating quarterbacks Andre Savage of Smithfield and Shawn Knight of Maury, the East completed five of six passes, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Hampton's Aaron Mundy that made the score 7-6.
"I thought after that, it would be up and down the field," said Blacksburg's Dave Crist, the West coach.
It was for the West, which scored a touchdown and field goal before the half, but not for the East, which was shut down by the West's defense.
Charlie Garner of J.E.B. Stuart, voted the West's most valuable player, ran 56 yards for the touchdown. Then Darnell White, also of Stuart, kicked a 38-yard field goal just before halftime for a 17-6 lead.
The East completed only one more pass before halftime, and the West had the upper hand.
"It was a matter of adjusting. We hadn't scouted them. About the only thing we knew were their sets," Crist said.
West defensive back Anthony Merchant of Lexington said, "At first, we were playing off their receivers to see how fast they were. After we figured that out, we kind of loosened up and played well the rest of the game."
Merchant, Covington's Mike Smith and Blacksburg's Jerome Trussell were part of a strong defensive surge by the West.
Mundy noticed a difference after the first drive. "They started double-covering our outside men," the receiver said.
Even so, Mundy, selected the East MVP, nearly got his team back in the game when he caught his second touchdown pass on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Savage first threw a 5-yard pass after the East's recovery of a fumble at the West 30. Then, on a timing pattern, threw to Mundy over Merchant for a 25-yard touchdown.
"I heard him holler and I was trying to get to him," Merchant said.
Mundy said, "I didn't know I had him beat. It was thrown up and it was just a matter of me getting there."
That made it 24-12 and, with the rule that gives the trailing team the ball in the final quarter even if it scores, the East had a chance.
However, Trussell took care of that for the West by tipping a pass that West Potomac's James Quander picked off. Then DeShazo, showing his scrambling ability, set up a touchdown by rolling out 20 yards on a pass attempt. Powell Valley's Keith Hall scored from the 1 to put the game away.
Mundy said the opening fumble put the East in a hole because it took away its game plan, which was to run.
As far as the West's shaky early defense was concerned, Smith attributed it to nerves.
"Everyone was a little nervous and tense," he said. "We hadn't played since the fall. But the more we played, the more aggressive we became and we started stopping them."
by CNB