Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410220051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The senior quarterback-defensive back threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and intercepted two passes as the Celtics rolled to a 26-0 victory over Lynchburg Christian in a Virginia Independent Conference football game Saturday afternoon at Victory Stadium.
Lynchburg Christian, a team Roanoke Catholic coach John Cooke said had beaten the Celtics 12 consecutive times, took the opening kickoff and marched 44 yards in nine minutes and 14 plays to the Catholic 36-yard line but was unable to score.
Joyce then made an impact on the game on his team's first possession. He capped a four-play drive by scrambling 36 yards around left end for a touchdown. He made two Bulldogs tacklers miss with a head fake on his way to the end zone.
``That was just instinct,'' the senior said. ``That's all it was.''
In the second quarter, Joyce demonstrated his passing skills when he connected with split end Demond Lark on a fade pattern for a 29-yard score to give Roanoke Catholic (7-0 overall, 2-0 in the VIC) a 13-0 lead with 7 minutes, 18 seconds remaining. Joyce threw the ball over the left shoulder of Lark and away from Lynchburg Christian defensive back Andy Moore, who made a helpless swipe of the ball.
``We call it `killer right, bootleg left,''' Joyce said of the play. ``Usually, I run on that play but Demond said, `Man, throw me the ball.' So I threw it out there and he caught it - perfectly. I told him I was going to hook him up.''
Roanoke Catholic, ranked No.1 in the latest Division I state private school poll, would take advantage of a poor snap on a Bulldogs punt attempt to score its third touchdown. Sophomore running back P.J. Moyer (16 carries, 86 yards) scored the first of his two touchdowns with a 25-yard sweep left to give the Celtics a 19-0 lead with 5:07 left.
``We couldn't catch them,'' said Scott Allen, Lynchburg Christian's coach. ``They have a lot of speed; too much speed for us.''
Joyce would end his personal first-half highlight film with a 48-yard interception of a Jason Page pass on the final play of the second quarter. In the opening half, the versatile athlete amassed 113 all-purpose yards - 29 passing, 36 running and 48 on the interception return.
Thanks to his 21-yard interception return in the fourth quarter, Roanoke Catholic would score one final time. Moyer would cap a three-play, nine-yard drive when he dashed 3 yards off right tackle. Amaury Medeiros added his second extra point of the game to give the Celtics a 26-0 advantage with 8:48 remaining.
``Tony Joyce is a tremendous athlete,'' Cooke said. ``He makes us go. He's so versatile. The only time he came off the field was when he was hurt [for one play early in the fourth quarter].''
Roanoke Catholic's defense limited Lynchburg Christian (1-6, 1-1) to 89 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers. Linebacker Philip Buchey intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter, and Catholic returned four interceptions for 112 yards on the day.
``The credit has to go week-after-week to our defense,'' Cooke said. ``They're giving up less than a touchdown a game - five-point something - and we've shutout three out of seven [opponents]. That's the group that has done it for us.''
see microfilm for box score
by CNB