
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 9, 1993                   TAG: 9310090227
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LOW MOOR                                LENGTH: Medium

MOUNTAINEERS USE BIG PLAYS TO SINK VIKINGS 22-19

Final score from the Alleghany Highlands: Northside - 60 rushes for 314 yards; Allegany - three first downs, three touchdowns and one important high school football victory.

Alleghany defeated Blue Ridge District rival Northside 22-19 on Friday night, capitalizing on long, dramatic touchdown plays.

Mountaineers halfback David Cummings scored on a 59-yard pass from quarterback David Dixon late in the second quarter and added a 76-yard interception return for the clinching touchdown late in the game.

Alleghany receiver Todd Wheatley contributed a 70-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.

Northside controlled the ball for most of the game, running 71 offensive plays compared with Alleghany's 31. The Vikings' "Four Horsemen" - running backs Brian Powell, Karim Thompson and Archie Roberts and quarterback Shane Whisnant - each carried the ball more than 10 times and appeared to wear down the Mountaineers' defense.

Alleghany (5-1) moved the chains with first downs only three times the entire game. The Mountaineers bent considerably, but they never broke.

"Any time you beat a quality team like Northside you've got to feel good," Alleghany coach Tom McIntyre said. "I feel sorry for [Northside coach] Jim [Hickam], because his boys probably outplayed us up front. But we stayed with them and made the big plays."

Cummings' interception was the pivotal play. Northside (2-3) led 19-14 and had a sustained drive under way with six minutes remaining.

On third and 18 from Alleghany's 42, Whisnant dropped back, looking for Thompson. His pass wobbled badly, however, and Cummings snared it and ran the length of the field.

"I just caught the ball and ran," Cummings said.

A two-point conversion pass from Dixon to Brian O'Connor put the Mountaineers three points ahead and meant Northside needed a touchdown to win.

The Vikings had two opportunities but ran out of downs each time.

At halftime, Alleghany led 14-7 in spite of getting only two first downs and 31 rushing yards. Dixon's two touchdown passes to Wheatley and Cummings accounted for 129 yards and proved to be the difference.

Northside controlled the ball for the majority of the first half, but could not score after its opening five-play drive. \

see microfilm for box score

by CNB