Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 16, 1993 TAG: 9307160236
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium
The Timesland athlete of the year, who will attend Virginia along with twin brother Ronde, scored three touchdowns, including an electrifying 89-yard run in the final minutes to put the East out of the game.
Barber's 113 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown pass reception of 42 yards certainly were pleasing to UVa fans who now catch the Barber act for four years.
Salem fans always felt the Barbers might switch to the Spartans' powerful program, but it never happened. However, they got a sample of what might have been. It was Salem All-Group AA quarterback Tra Wilson who put the ball on the money to Barber for a touchdown right before halftime to make it 21-0.
Timesland players, with a lot of defensive help from E.C. Glass' D'Carlos Tabb, who provided a strong rush, proved to be the difference of the game.
All the West scoring came from Timesland players.
Wilson scored the second touchdown on a 1-yard run. He also threw to Annandale's Travis Clarke for an extra point, and Blacksburg's Kevin Schug kicked the other point after.
On defense, Ronde Barber made a spectacular save, seemingly leaping from nowhere to bat down a pass that would have gone for an East touchdown.
Glenvar's Brandon Semones, the Timesland defensive player of the year, intercepted a pass on the play before Tiki Barber's long touchdown run.
"Tiki's an excellent player," said Wilson, who played against him during the regular season. "He's so quick.
"On the touchdown pass, the safety came off him and he was wide open. He was a lot faster than when we played, but his ankles were messed up then."
Said Barber, "I think the strong safety felt it was a fake. I knew Tra would get me the ball, so I just took off for the end zone."
On the long run, Barber said he wasn't tired.
"We'd been in the middle of the field practicing in all this heat and tonight it was cooler," he said. "So heat was no problem for us."
Even players with an angle failed to stop Barber on his long run.
"Their linebacker had been coming up in the No. 2 hole in the line. He stayed back and that opened it up," Barber said after receiving a plaque for being the West's most valuable player.
Pulaski County's Joel Hicks, a West assistant coach whose teams played against both Barbers and Wilson the past two years, was amazed at the West all-stars' accomplishments.
"All the Salem [including Josh Pugh] and Cave Spring kids were saying, `It's nice to be on the same sidelines,' " said Hicks.
The West threatened from the start but couldn't score in the first quarter. Wilson took over at quarterback in the second quarter, and the offense opened up.
After Ronde Barber returned a West punt 9 yards to the East 40 and a penalty for a face-mask violation was tacked on, Wilson guided the West straight to the end zone.
Tiki Barber scored from the 1 on third down, but a run for the extra point failed when Wilson pitched to Jefferson Forest's Baron Spinner.
"I think I could have scored if I kept the ball," said Wilson.
After Lake Braddock's Robb Harris intercepted an East pass, the West went 30 yards. On fourth down, Wilson faked and kept to get the last yard for the touchdown.
"It was a corner route to Baron, but he got held up by the linebacker, so I was open and ran it in," Wilson said.
Next came the scoring pass between Wilson and Barber. The East countered by passing all the way to the 3, but time expired with the West up by three touchdowns.
After a scoreless third quarter, the East used an interception by Hampton linebacker Myron Newsome to set up a 39-yard touchdown drive. Madison County's Tony Arrington scored from the 1.
Under the special all-star rules, a team trailing by more than seven points in the final quarter always receives the kickoff after a score. But the East couldn't move, and the comeback was ended moments later with a bang as Barber closed his high school career with one of his greatest runs.
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB