ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995                   TAG: 9509180051
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


KNIGHTS TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

Cave Spring football fans got some suspense on and off the field Friday night.

The score was tied at 7 and the Knights had only enough time to get off one more play from Blacksburg's 41-yard line.

However, those final six seconds turned into 20 minutes when the lights on the visitors side of the field went out.

After the delay, Cave Spring's opportunity to win in regulation was denied as Michael Davis intercepted Jeff Lang in the end zone with no time left.

But Darnell Glover scored on a 13-yard reception and Blacksburg (0-3) was stopped on fourth-and-one as Cave Spring (3-0) defeated the Indians 14-7 in a non-district game at Cave Spring Junior High.

``Every week is tough,'' said Cave Spring coach Steve Spangler. ``I'm real proud of these kids.''

Senior defensive back Billy Frantz had two interceptions, the first one occurring deep in Knights' territory to end a first-half Blacksburg threat.

Cave Spring's defense held Blacksburg to just 28 yards in the second half - 35 including the overtime.

But it was Glover who provided the offense to make the difference, atoning for an earlier mistake in the process.

The sophomore wide receiver fumbled on Cave Spring's first possession, leading to Blacksburg's only score.

On Cave Spring's first play of overtime, in which each team gets first down from the 10-yard line, Lang was sacked for a 3-yard loss.

On second down, Lang scrambled, flung the ball to the left corner of the end zone and had his pass deflected into the hands of Glover.

``I didn't see it at first,'' Glover said. ``Then I saw it start to wobble out of my hand and I pulled it in with the other hand.''

Blacksburg then had its chance to tie the score or send it into another overtime with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

But quarterback Michael Crist was stopped by a couple of Cave Spring tacklers at the 3-yard line.

``Our record is 0-3 but we don't have the heart of an 0-3 team,'' Blacksburg coach Dave Crist said.

Spangler and the Knights were fortunate to get into overtime considering Blacksburg advanced to Cave Spring's 30-yard line four times in the first half. In addition, Lang was intercepted three times, twice by Rodney Alwang.

Blacksburg began the game with a 10-minute drive down to Cave Spring's 7. But the possession ended with a missed field-goal attempt from 25 yards.

But on the Knights' first play from scrimmage, Glover burst through the hole for 5 yards and fumbled at the 25. Tucker LaForce recovered for Blacksburg and returned it to the 6-yard line.

Three plays later, LaForce scored on a 2-yard run.

Cave Spring responded with a seven-play drive to even the score. Robert Hale scored on a 2-yard run.

\ see microfilm for box score

Keywords:
FOOTBALL



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