Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 24, 1995 TAG: 9511240057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
For Timesland football teams in regional championship games this weekend, nothing is more important than ball control.
Most Timesland teams have to be considered underdogs, so keeping control of the football may be the best way to pull an upset.
Nowhere is this more evident than in tonight's trio of 7:30 games
In Salem, the Spartans come in with the better record and Group AA ranking against Amherst County for the Region III Division 4 title. Most observers, though, figure Salem will have to keep the ball to shut down an Amherst offense that is one of the state's most potent.
Pulaski County has to be considered an underdog to E.C. Glass in Dublin, site of the Northwest Region Division 5 title game. The Hilltoppers routed the Cougars 35-3 during the regular season and are playing in Dublin only because Glass had to forfeit two late-season gamesfor using an ineligible player.
If Pulaski County doesn't generate more offense than in the first game, Glass' talented offense will dominate again.
Fieldale-Collinsville travels to William Campbell, which beat Amherst 21-20 to win the Seminole District and finished the regular season unbeaten. The Cavaliers face the longest odds of any Timesland team as they seek the Region III Division 3 crown.
Giles is one Timesland team that has to be favored against outside competition. Lebanon visits Pearisburg at 1:30 p.m. Saturday for the Region C Division 2 crown.
Most of the Spartans' edge is the home field, so they will have to rely on a stiff defense and their single-wing offense to control the ball.
The other playoff game sends Bland County to Bath County at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in a battle of Timesland teams for the Region C Division 1 championship.
Fifth-ranked Salem (10-1) was pummeled 55-19 last year by Amherst County (9-2), ranked eighth in the Associated Press sportswriters' poll. The Spartans have improved, but Amherst County still has many of the same offensive weapons.
``We need to stop their running game,'' said Willis White, Salem's coach. ``They have three backs [Maurice Clark, T.J. Cashwell and Camm Jackson who have scored 62 touchdowns between them], and it doesn't matter who they give it to. We think we'll be able to move the ball. The more we control the ball, the less time they'll have with it.''
The Spartans still are upset about last year's loss, and that could be a motivational factor.
``Actually, [emotions have been] low-key,'' White said. ``I talked to a couple of players and they said, `Coach, we're trying to hold it back.'
``It hurt our pride to lose like that. It's one of the worst games we've played since I came here.''
Mickey Crouch, Amherst's coach, says his team broke a lot of big plays to beat Salem last year, but the Lancers can adapt to whatever is needed. ``Against Liberty'' in a 20-12 victory Nov.17, he said, ``we had to drive the ball down to keep control of the game, so we can play that style if we have to.''
Pulaski County (8-3) has played much better since losing to Patrick Henry late in the year. Whether it's enough to reverse the first loss to Glass is another question.
``I'm not sure we can stop them all the time,'' said Joel Hicks, the Cougars' coach. ``The big thing is the last eight quarters, we haven't been able to move the ball against them. If we keep going three downs and out, keep giving their quarterback [Andre Kendrick] and that running back [Chris Mathews] chance after chance, they're going to score.''
Glass (9-2) is stronger this year, but a trip to Dublin on a blustery night has been known to unnerve a team.
Richard Savedge, Fieldale-Collinsville's coach, knows about his team's uphill struggle to improve on a 9-2 record.
``They [William Campbell] have 11 players on the All-Seminole District first team,'' Savedge said. ``Their defense overshadows their offense, but I think it's going to be a question if we can move the ball and occupy time, because they also have an explosive offense.''
Giles (10-1) lost 25-18 at Lebanon last year in the regional championship game.
``They're every bit as good or maybe better than last year,'' said Steve Ragsdale, Giles' coach. ``They've put up a lot of points. Certainly, we'd like the single wing to control the ball, but our best defense is to get in there and play good defense.
``My feeling is you have to be strong in all phases of the game. If not, it'll come back to haunt you.''
The Spartans were ranked first in the Group A poll until losing to James Monroe (W.Va.) 7-6 in overtime. Giles, now ranked fifth compared with ninth for Lebanon, is regarded as having a stronger defense than it fielded last fall.
There should be an entertaining game in Hot Springs, where Bath County (9-2) pits its single wing against what coach Steve Isaacs calls an unorthodox Bland County team that also is 9-2. Neither team is ranked.
``They run an unbalanced line and use what looks like an old Notre Dame box,'' Isaacs said. ``They say they draw plays up and send them in the game, but they say the same thing about us. It will be a fun game to watch. The people I pity the most will be the officials trying to find the football.''
by CNB