Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 4, 1993 TAG: 9309040291
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
The Buffaloes used that combination to turn back Glevnar 20-14 in the opener for both teams Friday night.
The biggest of Floyd County's big plays were the last two. With less than a minute left, the Buffaloes were clinging to the six-point lead as Glenvar drove to their 20-yard line. Then the big plays determined the outcome.
First, a clipping penality nullified an apparent tying touchdown and pushed the Highlanders back to the 31.
Then, defensive end Jason Harmon and defensive tackle Phillip Marshall converged on Glenvar quarterback Mike Stanley, sacking him for a 7-yard loss.
"We just found the openings, that's all it was," Harmon said. "We rushed hard to get to him [Stanley]."
Two plays later, The Highlanders turned over the ball on downs and Floyd County ran out the clock.
"We ran a little E-stunt," Buffaloes coach Winfred Beale said of the final pivotal play. "We move the [defensive] ends a little wide. That gets the end out there more and helped us get to the quarterback."
Floyd County started the big-play show on its first possession. Quarterback Monty Moran kept the ball on the option, swung to the right and sprinted 66 yards for a touchdown, making it 6-0 two minutes into the game.
"The main thing was the line," said Moran, who finished with 102 yards rushing. "They came in here with something to prove and I think they proved it. We could run the lead every time we wanted it."
On the Buffaloes' second possession, two big plays led to their second touchdown. Jamie Warren set up the score with a 62-yard punt return to the Glenvar 13.
"I don't know how it happened," Warren said. "We got the wall up. I got around it. I got off [downfield]. That was about it."
The touchdown came on a 19-yard pass from Moran to Marshall that seemed to passed through Glevnar defensive back David Robinson.
"Monty threw it," Marshall said. "The safety hit it, it bounced away and came right to me. I put it away and took it in."
Glenvar used big plays of its own to get back into the game and stay there.
Chad Wallace recovered a fumble and returned it across midfield, stopping a Floyd County drive that had moved to the Glenvar 25 in the final minute of the first half.
Eric East set up the Highlanders' first touchdown - a 1-yard plunge by Stanley - with a 32-yard sweep around left end.
Floyd County immediately came back and extended the lead to 20-7. It marched 55 yards in 7 1/2 minutes - without a big play - as Moran capped the drive on a 1-yard run with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
East brought Glenvar back again with another big play on a sweep around left end. This time he scored on a 27-yard run. A 26-yard pass play from Stanley to Robinson on the previous play set up the touchdown.
But the Highlanders ran out of big plays at that point. And Floyd County still had a couple left.
"We have a habit of coming out flat," said Glenvar coach Brian Hooker. "We spotted them two touchdowns early. And that made it an uphill fight." \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB