Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 4, 1993 TAG: 9312040193
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Or one coach might have changed schools and is trying to win a state title at a new stop. Or it might be a team trying to defend an old-fashioned Single Wing attack. Another squad might be going into a strange setting where the crowd is alive and where the sound of the theme song from "2001: A Space Odyssey" trumpets the arrival of the home team.
Then, there's always an upstart team or two that no one thought would be playing for a state championship.
At Pulaski County, Indian River (11-1) will try to upstage the 1992 Group AAA Division 6 champions, who march to their own music at home. Playing in Dublin is an experience, and if the Fighting Braves overcome the initial greeting of theme music and more than 10,000 fans, the 2 p.m. game promises to be quite a contest.
It'll be Pulaski County's runners, headed by Carl Lewis and Eric Webb, going against Tony Morrison, the state's best passer this season.
The Cougars (12-0) historically have had trouble with passing attacks. Gar-Field rallied through the air on Nov. 26 before Pulaski County survived 34-26.
"Morrison has thrown for 20 touchdowns. That's a lot of touchdowns," said Joel Hicks, the Pulaski County coach. "I'm concerned with our pass rush, but last week, Gar-Field had so many sets it was hard to get a rush. I believe we can put more pressure on this team."
First-year coach Bob Parker, the longtime coach at Churchland before taking over the Fighting Braves, knows he has to stop the Pulaski County ground game.
"We're hopefully going to make Pulaski County pass," Parker said. "They have a great running game. We have to find out how good it is."
The Cougars haven't had to pass. Against Gar-Field, on one attempt trying to reverse momentum, Andre Eaves threw an interception.
"We trap you and run by you. If everyone is on the line of scrimmage and we run by you . . .," Hicks said, leaving anyone to guess what happens when Pulaski backs get free in the secondary.
On passing, Hicks maintains Eaves can hook up with some receivers.
"We work on passing all the time, but I believe when you jump out to a lead, there's no need to pass," Hicks said.
"If forced to do it, we'll get better at it with each pass. But you can't tell [what we can do] throwing just one pass."
In a Group AA Division 4 semifinal, Blacksburg (7-5) plays at Rustburg (11-1) at 1:30 p.m. In this game, Indians coach Dave Crist renews a rivalry with the Red Devils' Paul Wheeler.
These two haven't matched wits since 1983, when George Wythe, then coached by Wheeler, beat the Indians 6-0 in a game that decided the New River District title. Wythe was a state runner-up that year.
"We were playing over there, and it was an ebb-and-flow game. We broke one little toss sweep for a touchdown," said Wheeler, who left Wytheville to coach Virginia High School after that season before moving to Rustburg.
"They were a senior club," Crist said. "I remember it was scoreless at halftime and we went out, failed to make a first down and they went in and scored."
Blacksburg is one of two upstarts still left in the playoffs. The Indians were 5-5 during the regular season, but four of the losses were to teams that made the playoffs. Two of those teams, Giles and Graham, are still around.
Once again, Blacksburg is playing its best football in the postseason. That has been a trademark of teams coached by Crist and his experienced staff.
"We feel a hard schedule helps us," Crist said. "We play real good clubs, and if we're fortunate enough to get to the playoffs, the kids respond. They don't feel the pressure or the magnitude of these games."
In a Group A Division 2 semifinal, Giles (12-0) is at Haysi (12-0) at 1:30 p.m. The Spartans' Single Wing will be a test for the Tigers.
"We always feel [the Single Wing] is in our favor," said Steve Ragsdale, Giles' coach, "especially in the playoffs, when a team hasn't seen us on a game-to-game basis or played us once a year if they were in our league."
This is Giles' fourth year in Group A. The Spartans won the 1980 Group AA state title and were in the 1986 semifinals. Yet, this is the furthest the school has advanced in the Group A playoffs.
"The first two years, we weren't very good either season," Ragsdale said. "We wouldn't have been very good if we were in Group AA.
"Last year we were beaten by a very good Lebanon team in the region final. I believe last year's team might have done better in Group AA [playoffs] than in Group A."
Now the Spartans are trying to run the gauntlet. Last week, Giles eliminated unbeaten George Wythe. If Lunenburg Central (12-0) beats Sussex Central (11-1) in the other semifinal today, and Giles wins, the Spartans will face a third consecutive unbeaten team.
Rural Retreat (9-3) is another upstart team from Timesland that, like Blacksburg, faces a big task. The Indians catch Appalachia (12-0), the top-ranked team in Group A, as they battle in a Division 1 semifinal at 1:30 p.m. on the Indians' field.
Rural Retreat, though, upset Region C powerhouses Narrows and Parry McCluer on the road to this spot. The Indians have a powerful running game and a coach, Dean Rhea, who has had almost as much playoff success as Crist.
Appalachia has victories over Gate City, a Group AA playoff team, and Powell Valley, a Division 2 team that was beaten by Haysi in a regional final.
Appalachia and Pulaski County are among four 1992 state champions still playing. Lunenburg Central and Jefferson Forest, which visits Graham in Group AA Division 3, are the others seeking a second consecutive crown.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB