Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9411230002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The Catamounts strolled into Alumni Memorial Field on Saturday in a three-way tie for first place in the Southern Conference with Marshall and Appalachian State. Who better to go against than the Keydets - winless this season - to maintain that standing?
But Western Carolina, ranked No.21 in Division I-AA, needed a flurry of points in the second half to break a 7-7 tie and shake the Keydets 33-7 before a crowd of 5,129.
``There is no such thing as a moral victory, but by God there is such a thing as great effort and that's what I saw today,'' said Bill Stewart, VMI's coach.
The Keydets (0-8 overall, 0-6 conference) were victimized by the Catamounts duo of Harold Hines and Kerry Hayes, who combined for 246 all-purpose yards. Junior quarterback Chad Greene completed 14 of 24 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns.
Greene hooked up with Hayes seven times for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Hayes, a first-team DIvision I-A All-American last year as a kick-returner, opened the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown catch on the first series of the game.
The Keydets responded with a 14-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by tailback Thomas Haskins.
Haskins, the Southern Conference's leading rusher, had 69 yards in the first half and finished with a team-high 123 on 24 carries. He also caught his first two passes of the year for a total of 23 yards.
``[Western Carolina's] basic game plan was to stop the sprint draw, stop Tommy Haskins,'' said Mike Clark, VMI's offensive coordinator. ``... I give their secondary a lot of credit. They went with seven to stop Tommy and defended with four and made us stick some tight throws that, right now, a couple of freshman quarterbacks weren't able to do.''
Al Lester, VMI's starting quarterback, threw 26 passes, completing 10 for 120 yards. Backup Greg Ellen was 3-of-11 for 46 yards. The 37 attempts were 10 more than the Keydets' previous high this season against Tennessee-Chattanooga.
``Once we got behind, I guess I felt like we had to throw the football,'' Stewart said. ``I'm not going to let these guys feel like we can't win a football game. I'm not really disappointed by the quarterback performance because I saw them taking some real shots.''
Lester, hampered by a knee injury, left the game for one series in the first quarter after being sandwiched by two Catamounts on the pass rush and getting the wind knocked out of him.
Western Carolina (6-3, 5-1) went up 14-7 as Hines scored on a 1-yard run on the Catamounts' first possession of the second half. The 6-foot, 241-pound fullback rushed for a team-high 80 yards.
VMI was forced to punt on its next possession after gaining 16 yards on six plays. Greene found Hayes alone in the right corner of the end zone on Western Carolina's first play for a 33-yard touchdown reception. Phil Shirley's extra-point attempt was blocked and the Keydets were down 20-7.
Stewart commended the Keydets' secondary, which included freshman starters Andre Thornton, Darius Jackson and Damon Pinero defending Hayes and Craig Aiken, a two-time first-team All-Southern Conference selection.
``Those are two world-class players. Kerry Hayes is going to play on Sundays [in the NFL] and Aiken might also,'' Stewart said. ``But I saw those three rats [freshman] in the secondary, and I saw them get better.''
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB