
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 12, 1994                   TAG: 9411300017
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FORT CHISWELL                                LENGTH: Medium

GREEN WAVE ROLLS INTO PLAYOFFS WITH VICTORY

Down to its final play with less than 21/2 minutes left, Narrows accidently improvised Friday night. The result was a 65-yard touchdown pass from running back Norman Perkins to tight end Robbie Stafford, which lifted the Green Wave past Fort Chiswell 26-21 in a Mountain Empire District high school football game.

The victory by Narrows (7-3 overall, 3-1 district) caused the Mountain Empire to finish in a three-way tie. The Green Wave, Fort Chiswell and Bland County all finished with 3-1 league marks.

Both Narrows and Bland County will advance to the Divsion 1 Region C playoffs - one as the district winner, the other as a wild-card entry. The district champ will not be known until after today's games in the Black Diamond District in far Southwest Virginia.

The Pioneers (5-5, 3-1) didn't have enough Virginia High School League rating points to win the tie-breaker with Narrows and Bland County, nor did they have enough points to earn a wild-card spot for the Division 2 Region C playoffs.

The fateful play came as the Green Wave faced fourth-and-9 at its own 35. It was supposed to be a flea-flicker, but the ball never got back to the quarterback.

``I've been saying we haven't gotten a break all year,'' said Narrows coach Don Lowe. ``We just got a huge one tonight. Fort Chiswell wore us out. They gave us fits. They outplayed us.''

The Pioneers were particularly effective in the first quarter, scoring all their points.

Fort Chiswell took the opening kickoff and drove 67 yards for a touchdown. Kevin Beasley capped the drive with a 23-yard scamper around end.

Narrows was forced to punt on its first possession. But Ernest Viars blocked Gary Lowery's punt and Kevin King ran the ball back for a 14-0 lead.

by CNB