Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 25, 1993 TAG: 9310240059
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FERRUM LENGTH: Medium
But the esteemed coach's team gave him the richest tribute of all - it won the game.
Ferrum scrambled back from a 14-point deficit to edge Montclair State 24-21 on Saturday, sending a homecoming crowd into delirium and coach Hank Norton to satisfied postgame chats with his admirers. That was the best part. From the coach's perspective, the game was another matter.
"Not too good for your heart," said Norton, who is retiring at the end of the season. "I like it when it's over."
The Panthers (4-3) scored the last 17 points, the final seven coming on a 39-yard scoring strike from quarterback Millard Vining to wide receiver James Williams with 45 seconds left and the conversion kick. Williams, a 6-foot-1, 187-pound senior, showed marvelous concentration in beating cornerback Jermaine Johnson to the right corner of the end zone, then outleaping him for the football.
"It was so discouraging because we were in position to make the play, but their kid just went up and got it," said Rick Giancola, Montclair State's coach. "Their guy had a great effort and ours made a lousy one."
The Red Hawks (4-2), who came in ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division III East Region, saw their chances for the fifth playoff berth in school history eroded.
"I'm not going to empathize with them, but I know it hurts - bad," Vining said.
Vining was one of those who contributed to the agony. He accounted for 264 yards total offense and three touchdowns - two passing and one running.
Williams is another one the visitors from New Jersey are likely to remember when they reflect on this bitter afternoon in the Franklin County hills. Williams caught two touchdown passes during the comeback, the first an 81-yarder (the longest against Montclair State this year and the longest scoring pass in school history) with 1 minute, 47 seconds left in the third quarter. That catch, coupled with David Waddell's kick, made it 21-14 Montclair State.
"It was a backside post," Vining said of the pattern. "We saw the safety coming up a little too fast earlier and we thought we could get behind him. James made a great catch and a great run."
Waddell added a 20-yard field goal with 8:47 left, but Ferrum had to have the last touchdown for the victory. After stopping the high-powered Red Hawks (313.8 yards per game) at the Ferrum 34 and forcing a punt, Ferrum drove 90 yards in 14 plays for the score.
Ferrum converted a fourth-and-two from the Montclair State 46 when Vining pushed and struggled for 4 yards. Vining also had completions of 15 and 14 yards to halfback Ray Brawley during the drive.
But it came down to third-and-20 with less than a minute to go.
"We lined up two guys on the right side so the safety couldn't come over and help out with Williams," Vining said of the winning play. "Once we got him isolated on the cornerback, I knew if I gave him a good throw he could go get it."
Vining completed seven of 12 passes for 175 yards, 149 of those yards coming after intermission. The Panthers outgained the Hawks 470-361 for the afternoon, with David Anthony, Eric Bates and Vining rushing for 246 yards among them.
"Gaining 470 yards against a team of that caliber is a pretty good show," Norton said.
The Hawks had snapped a 7-7 halftime tie with two third-quarter touchdowns. Gerry Martress ripped through a substantial hole over right tackle and scored on a 44-yard run on the first. John Culver's subsequent 2-yard touchdown run was set up by a 60-yard completion from Darren Volker to Frank Franco.
Norton, who has 243 victories, spent a long time afterward shaking hands with friends and former players, a couple of whom arrived in a chopper that landed on the school's baseball field.
"It was a beautiful day," Norton said. "I think that little stadium is as pretty as they come with the leaves changing up on the hill behind it. I think the Lord smiled on me a little today.
"I'm delighted some of my former players could be here to see it. I guess they didn't get bored." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB