Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 4, 1992 TAG: 9201040245
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PHYLLIS A. FAIR SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FRANKLIN COUNTY COPS 1ST VICTORY
Although Franklin County is 1-6, it is in first place.The Eagles defeated Cave Spring 75-66 on Friday night to win their Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball opener.
It was the first home victory for Franklin County in 13 attempts, and it was the first victory for Eagles head coach Calvin Preston.
"It feels really good. It really hasn't sunk in yet," Preston said. "It doesn't feel much different. The only difference is that we did win and didn't lose. Probably tomorrow when I wake up and have a cup of coffee, I'll be smiling from ear to ear.
"I told the kids the season has three parts. This is the first game of Part II. Right now, we're leading the district. The worst we could be is a tie for first place."
The Eagles led most of the game. They established their biggest lead when senior guard Brian Davis sank a jumper with 4:48 left in the second quarter to make it 33-18.
Senior forward Chris Mattox was hot in the first quarter, scoring 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
Mattox had a season-high 20 points to lead all scorers. Davis also had a season-high 19 for the Eagles.
Where Mattox left off in the first quarter, Davis picked up in the second, scoring seven points. In the game's final minute, Davis made six consecutive free throws to keep Franklin County's victory intact.
Heading into the third quarter, the Eagles extended their lead to 39-30, but the Knights (3-3 overall, 0-1 in the district) battled back to cut Franklin County's lead to 46-42 with 2:24 left.
Although the lead dwindled, Preston said he always believed the Eagles were going to win.
"I have all the confidence in the world in the kids. I never thought we would lose," Preston said. "I knew we would either win by one or two. For some reason, I felt good about they way the kids were playing."
Cave Spring coach Rick Crotts said it is hard for any team to come into Franklin County and win because of the Eagles' style.
"If you're not aggressive with them, you're going to lose," Crotts said. "They're very aggressive in every aspect of the game - from rebounding [to] diving on the floor." \
see microfilm for box score
Memo: a longer version ran in the New River Valley edition.