Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 27, 1993 TAG: 9311270222
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NARROWS LENGTH: Medium
The Indians made one big play after another - from long touchdown runs to big interceptions - in whipping Narrows 21-0 in the Group A Region C Division 1 football final Friday night at Ragsdale Field.
Rural Retreat (9-3), which plays the Appalachia-Pocahontas winner in a Group A Division 1 semifinal next weekend, got two big-play touchdowns from Rusty Cregger and mauled Narrows (9-3) up front in a totally dominating exhibition.
"We were disappointed with a 7-3 record [in the regular season]," said Dean Rhea, who won his second Region C title in eight years as Rural Retreat's coach. "The last two or three weeks, our big kids up front have played some football."
The Indians' size advantage showed on the ground - Rural Retreat could run the ball; Narrows couldn't. The Indians had 271 yards rushing, led by 114 from Kevin Burton and 105 from Jason Childers.
Narrows' Whitey Blankenship, Timesland's leading rusher during the regular season, was limited to a season-low 28 yards on 16 carries.
Things didn't go better when the Green Wave went to the air. Quarterback Jeff White was intercepted five times, with defensive back Jason Funk picking off three passes.
Funk's interceptions set up two scores, including Rural Retreat's final touchdown, with 3 minutes, 36 seconds to play. Three plays after that interception, Chip Vernon went 15 yards for a touchdown and a Chris Bass kick made it 21-0.
"We've been telling the secondary that we're going to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, so they're going to be in man[-to-man] coverage," Rhea said. "Jason just sat back and picked them off."
Narrows poked into Indian territory just twice. The Wave had only 118 total yards. Cregger had more after he'd touched the ball two times.
Cregger's first touchdown came on a 79-yard punt return less than five minutes into the game. He caught Jason Montgomery's 41-yard kick, bolted down the left sideline, cut back diagonally and made it to the right corner of the end zone.
"[Coach Rhea] had been jumping on me for letting the ball bounce on punt returns," Cregger said. "I caught that one and wanted to go right, but W.K. Smith and two other guys gave me some great blocks. I had two guys to beat . . . they looked kind of staggered, so I cut between them."
Cregger scored his second touchdown of the half on a 46-yard catch and run with a Bass pass as Rural Retreat made it 14-0 with 2:02 left in the half. The scoring drive began with the first of Funk's pickoffs.
The Indians had 206 yards of offense in the first half while holding Narrows to 70.
Rural Retreat drove into Green Wave territory twice more in the first half, including one possession that ended with a fumble at the Narrows 15. In the second half, a 32-yard field-goal try by Bass was blocked.
Bass and Jacob Terry also had interceptions in the second half.
by CNB