Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 16, 1993 TAG: 9310160299
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WADE KENDRICK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Karim Thompson's 4 yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter gave Northside the lead, and the Vikings then contained the Terriers' passing duo of Matt Bryant and Chris Carr to preserve a 22-16 Blue Ridge District football victory.
The Terriers' loss gives every team in the district one defeat except Northside, and the Vikings (3-3 overall, 1-2 in the district) aren't out of the district race, either.
After an Oct. 8 loss to Alleghany in which Northside dominated the line of scrimmage only to come away empty-handed, it appeared the Vikings again would fall victim to the big play.
"We've been so close yet so far away," said Jim Hickam, Northside's coach. "It's nice to be close and then be right there."
After an explosive first half in which Northside led 14-13, things began to settle down with both teams coming up with key defensive plays.
Chris Eddy recovered a Shane Whisnant fumble at Northside's 48-yard line, and Bryant scrambled 30 yards to the Vikings' 18 to set up a 38 yard field goal by Carr with 3 minutes, 54 seconds left in the third quarter.
Byrd (4-2, 1-1) had an opportunity to put Northside in a deep hole on its next possession, but the drive stalled when Shannon Gray was stopped inches short on fourth down at the Vikings' 28.
The stand provided the spark Northside was seeking. The Vikings relentlessly marched toward the Byrd goal while taking a big chunk of time off the clock.
Facing fourth-and-two at Byrd's 4, Hickam chose not to try to kick a field goal that could have given Northside the lead. Thompson got the call instead, and the junior halfback followed the blocks of Chris Askew and Roth Townsend for the game-winning score with just less than six minutes left in the game.
"We had run the same play on third down and the hole was open, but when I saw their middle linebacker I tried to cut and slipped," Thompson said.
Byrd wasn't through, yet. The Terriers were stopped on downs at their 40, but Northside gave the ball right back when Will Spradlin recovered a Brian Powell fumble at Byrd's 42.
Facing a fourth-and-15, Bryant passed 36 yards to Carr at Northside's 27. The Terriers' comeback hopes were dashed, however, when Jeff Painter tackled Bryant on fourth down at the 23.
"Both teams played hard," said Jeff Highfill, Byrd's coach. "Every game in the district will be like that. They just made one or two more big plays than we did."
Gray shocked Northside's homecoming crowd when he returned a Vikings punt 81 yards in the opening moments of the game to give the Terriers the lead.
The Vikings countered with a 17-yard run by Whisnant, but the conversion kick failed.
Thompson put Northside ahead on the last play of the first quarter, when he dashed 57 yards for the score. Thompson was almost stopped when he collided with an official but regained his balance.
Byrd got a huge break in the second quarter when Northside was flagged for having 12 players on the field on a Terrier punt. Given a second chance, Bryant heaved a 28-yard pass to Carr, who outjumped the Vikings defender for the touchdown.
"This was one of those games that you're apprehensive about, but confident that we could get the job done," Hickam said.
by CNB