Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 5, 1994 TAG: 9411120054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS KING SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
What appeared to shape up as a hard-hitting battle between old football rivals, Radford and Floyd, quickly degenerated into a taunt-filled debacle Friday night.
Radford (6-2 overall, 2-1 Three Rivers District) dominated the field both physically and verbally en route to a 35-12 victory over the slumping Buffaloes.
``The officials called it one way,'' said Floyd coach Winfred Beale. ``We are low down country underdogs. They make calls based on your name. We aren't Radford. We are from the worng side of the tracks.
``They were not throwing flags on Radford. Our kids aren't angels but neither are theirs.''
For the game Floyd was penalized eight times for 110 yards while the Bobcats were flagged once for 15 yards.
Much of Beale's anger stemmed from an incident late in the game when running back Jamie Warren was ejected. Warren's ejection came after a 5-yard touchdown run by Tremond Hale that made the score 33-12 with 1:25 remaining.
At the end of the run a shoving match ensued. Shortly after attempting to intervene, Warren was ejected. When play resumed, Bobcats quarterback Foster Ridpath completed a pass to Chuck Hubbard, after being forced to throw because of a botched snap from center on the extra point attempt.
The conversion concluded a seven-play, 55-yard drive for Radford that featured several bone jarring hits and the escalation of the trash talking.
While Beale felt the game got out of hand, the feeling was not mutual in the opposing locker room.
``They were talking and we were talking back,'' said Radford's Marlon Wesley, who rushed for 132 yards on 11 carries. ``It's all part of the game. It was fun, that's all it was.''
``It was a hard-hitting game and very competitive,'' said Radford coach Norman Lineburg.
The victory was a big one for the Bobcats, who kept their playoff hopes alive.
``We needed to win to have hopes of making the playoffs,'' said Lineburg. ``Now we have to wait and see what the other teams do.''
Radford jumped all over Floyd (3-6, 2-2) in the first quarter, taking a 13-0 lead. The Bobcats' first score came on a fourth-and-three from just outside the 3-yard line. After a play-action fake, Ridpath hit a wide open Eddie Waldron for the score.
On Radford's next possession, Wesely rambled 51 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead.
The second quarter proved to be a wild one with each team scoring in the last 1:40. The Bobcats went into the half leading 21-12.
Floyd received the ball to start the second half and had possession the first 10 minutes of the third quarter only to come away empty. The Buffalos moved to the Radford 21 before losing 24 yards on their next three plays to set up a fourth-and-34. A fake punt, their second of the drive, was unsuccessful and Radford took over on downs.
``We just made some mistakes on that drive,'' said Beale. ``We made some plays here and we didn't make them there. That has been the story of our season.''
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB