ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 31, 1996 TAG: 9609030145
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
Cheers from the Radford High School locker room erupted Friday night, celebrating not only their first victory of the year, but their first shutout of the season as well. Radford dropped Parry McCluer 19-0 in the season opener for both teams.
The Bobcats put on a defensive clinic, holding the Fighting Blues to just 101 total yards of offense. Senior halfback Robert Snider was the only bright spot for Parry McCluer, gaining 63 of the team's 103 total yards rushing. But that was the extent of the Blues' offense.
Senior quarterback Donald Schley completed just one pass in four attempts for minus-2 yards.
"The key for us was our defense," said Radford coach Norman Lineburg, in his 27th year at the helm. "We played superbly. I told the kids [after the game] not only was I proud of them, but I was also extremely pleased with their caliber of play tonight."
The Bobcats grabbed a 3-0 lead as time expired in the first quarter when Benjy Fry connected on a 20-yard field goal. The kick seemed to eliminate any first-game jitters for Radford, which had given up four first downs on Parry McCluer's first possession, but allowed just four more the entire game.
The Bobcats' offense also began moving the ball more efficiently, with senior running back Marlon Wesley running in his first of two touchdowns with 4:05 remaining in the half. Fry added the extra point to give Radford a 10-0 lead at the break.
"Marlon Wesley came in and had some great runs for us," Lineburg said. "And considering how young our offensive line is - we have two freshmen starting - they did a great job blocking as well."
The second half proved much of the same, as Radford continued its dominance on both sides of the ball. The Bobcats put together a 14-play drive in the third quarter, capped by a Wesley 3-yard run for the score.
Fry fumbled the snap on the extra-point attempt, but redemed himself with a 24-yard field goal with 5:25 to play.
Although Radford's ground attack did most of the damage, junior quarterback Adam Artrip made the most of his opportunities. In his first start under center, Artrip completed seven of 13 passes for 108 yards.
"I think Adam really played well tonight," Lineburg said. "He led a team that started just one on offense and two on defense a year ago. This game really gets us off to a great start."
Radford junior Bud Redden ran for 83 yards, while junior Mike Dunbar grabbed two receptions for 50 yards and added 6 yards rushing. The Bobcats finished with 315 yards of total offense.
Radford will look to continue its winning ways next week when it plays host to Powell Valley, which handed the Bobcats one of their three losses last season.
"Powell Valley has a great team," Lineburg said. "But this year it's at home and that certainly gives us a shot."
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines KEYWORDS: FOOTBALLby CNB