Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410150031
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-11 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
``Redemption!'' Hickman said with a hearty clap on the back to the Cougars hero.
As indeed it was. Davis had had his share of miseries in the first four Cougars games, fumbled punts and handoffs being primary among them, but he made up for it against the wingless Eagles.
Having what Cougars coach Joel Hicks called ``one of those dream nights,'' Davis accounted for 280 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns. Included in his file folder of the fabulous were eight carries for 188 yards, one pass reception for 12 yards, and two interceptions including one that was returned 78 yards for a score.
And there wasn't a muffed punt or a fumble by Davis anywhere to be found.
''I'd been thinking that I was going to lose my job,'' said Davis, a senior who has returned kicks and started at cornerback since he was a sophomore. ``But Coach [Joel] Hicks and Coach [position coach Dave] Bell told me they knew I could do it because I'd done it before and I wouldn't be losing my job.''
Fortunately, there was no rush to judgement. The Cougars would have been denied one of the great performances in recent memory. There was no calculating the impact Davis' coaches' good will had on the way he played.
``I was feeling down about dropping the punts,'' he said. ``That's not me. I don't think I dropped a punt in two years.''
Apparently, it was just one of those things. If you play sports long enough, everybody is going to fall into a slump at some point.
``I've always been the type who likes to do more than my share,'' he said. ``That may have been the problem with the punts. I was trying to be aggressive, trying to make things happen.''
Davis knows how to make things happen, as he demonstrated to the Eagles with TD runs of 29, 61, and 72 yards. The unquestioned showstopper, though, was the interception return, the highlight of which was a spin move that left the last two defenders who had a shot at him behind.
``I learned that move from watching films of Earl Campbell and Walter Payton,'' he said. ``I practiced the move on trees out in the back yard. When I'm in the game, it just seems to come naturally to me.''
Other performances of note:
Christiansburg halfback Andra Beasley ran 18 times for 216 yards and four TD's in a 38-0 victory over Carroll County.
Narrows' Gary Lowery ran for 71 yards, two TD's, and a two-point conversion in a 40-0 victory over Shawsville.
Auburn's Jeremy Akers went 12-for-32 for 189 yards and two TD's in a 33-18 loss to Fort Chiswell.
by CNB