Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 15, 1994 TAG: 9411120020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Cave Spring quarterback rescued his team's homecoming game with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jon Lawrence with 22 seconds left to give the Knights a 14-9 win over Franklin County in a Roanoke Valley District game.
Franklin County (2-5, 0-1) had taken its first lead, 9-8, with 4:43 left in the game on Dan Berger's 19-yard field goal.
But Lang showed poise in directing his team 79 yards in 10 plays for the deciding score. The junior completed 4 of 5 passes on the drive for 50 yards.
``When the pressure was on, he [Lang] showed what he could do,'' said Cave Spring coach Steve Spangler, who started Lang as a sophomore. ``Our offensive line did a great job of giving him time to throw. They are the backbone of our team. I have total confidence in Jeff's ability.''
A key to the final drive was a penalty for a late hit out of bounds by Franklin County safety Bays Gibson on Cave Spring fullback Nathan Manning after an incomplete pass play at the Franklin County 21-yard-line. The 15-yard markoff gave Cave Spring the ball at Franklin's 27-yard-line with 1:44 left.
Eagles' coach Horace Green called a timeout to protest the call, but said later that one play didn't cost his team the game.
``I just said that they've [Cave Spring] been putting three receivers on one side [right side] the entire night and setting illegal picks,'' Green said. ``If you're going to call it, call it both ways. Like I said, that play didn't lose the game.''
Franklin County had one final opportunity with 15 seconds remaining and no timeouts, but there was no Colorado-type miracle as quarterback Gray Hodges was tackled by Cave Spring defensive tackle Mike Mitchem.
Cave Spring (5-1, 1-0) will have a chance next week against Patrick Henry to post its first winning season since 1982. Friday's win was the Knights' first against a Group AAA team this season.
``The monkey was never on our back,'' Spangler said. ``I don't care what classification a team is, we're just trying to win football games. Everybody acts like we haven't played anybody, but Northside, for one, has a pretty good team.''
The two teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half and combined for 74 yards of total offense - 38 for Franklin County and 36 for Cave Spring.
The Knights scored first, when linebacker Isaac Williams recovered in the end zone a punt snap over Franklin County's Jason Conklin. Dusty Beekman's two-point conversion run gave his team an 8-0 lead with 7:56 remaining.
``You can't do it,'' Green said of the botched play. ``It's his [punter Conklin's] first year playing. He should have just jumped on the ball.''
But Franklin County answered 59 seconds later on a 33-yard run by fullback Jim Muse to cut Cave Spring's lead to 8-6.
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB