Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509060028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem's scoring assaults were chiefly the result of a twin-engine terror. Senior Chris Huff rammed away for 149 yards and a touchdown while his double, senior Rusty Howell, tallied 53 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries.
The way they shifted their shoulder pads and whirled through Lee's defense, they looked like two young boys pretending they were airplanes in their backyard.
``It's fun coaching those two,'' Spartans coach Willis White said.
Salem (1-0) also had a ball watching its junior tailback, Gussie Vaughn, blast away for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
That the Spartans ran amuck while R.E. Lee did not was surprising. The Leemen (0-1) have Mike Crabill, a preseason member of the The Roanoke Times' Top 25.
Crabill, a 6-foot, 171-pound senior tailback, rushed four times for just 3 yards in the game. He had no attempts after the first quarter.
It was a far cry from last year's game when Lee shot down Salem 42-26. When considering the difference between the two games, White said, ``I'm really shocked.''
Probably as shocking as the total numbers. The Spartans held the Leemen to 26 total yards and one first down. All of those yards came on the ground. In the second half, Lee's offense produced minus-3 yards and an interception.
At the same time, Salem ran 48 times for 358 yards and quarterback Seth Moore completed four passes for 90 yards for good measure.
``Salem just outplayed us all over,'' Lee coach Walt Sherwin said. ``They pretty much took away the line of scrimmage.''
The Spartans' huge offensive tackles, Dan Baker (6-2, 250) and Travis Miles (6-1, 265) did the most visible damage. Salem's longest runs came on trap plays where the tackles would collapse down inside on Lee's linebackers and ends, allowing the Spartan runners to squirt out into the open field untouched.
Still, it was not a perfect victory. White called the 21-point first quarter ``almost flawless,'' but added, ``The offensive line kind of went to sleep in the second.'' Salem did not score in the second quarter, instead committing three penalties for 30 yards in losses.
Nothing else could discourage the Spartans, though. Junior split end Ricky Eubanks returned a punt 51 yards for a touchdown and 41-point lead with 8:49 left in the game.
Two minutes later with the second-stringers on the field for their second series, Salem called four plays and freshman tailback Matt Anderson ran 6 yards for the final score. There was no detectable dropoff from the first string. ``Those guys get beat on all week, so they're happy when they get the chance,'' White said of his subs.
Immediately after the game, White was introduced to two youngsters who said they wanted to be Spartans someday. White looked at the two little boys and grinned. ``You sure don't look like Spartans,'' he chuckled.
Someday they might. If they're lucky, they might even resemble Huff and Howell.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB