ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, September 21, 1996 TAG: 9609230139
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEITH POMPEY STAFF WRITER
Cave Spring High School looked to turn around its football season Friday night against the Salem Spartans.
Instead, the Knights were left with more questions than answers, losing 33-14 at home.
Where does Cave Spring go from here?
``We just need to keep working hard and keeping everybody going in the same direction,'' said Steve Spangler, the Knights' coach. ``These kids are not going to give up. And they are not going to quit.''
Salem (3-1) easily could have scored 49 points, but coach Willis White pulled his starters with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
``Our reserves come to practice and work hard every day,'' White said. ``I think they deserved to play.''
The Knights had their hands full the whole game.
Cave Spring (0-4) finished with 52 yards of total offense. The Knights had zero first downs in the opening half, and quarterback Corey Paxton was sacked seven times overall.
``Our defense was solid,'' White said.
When Salem had the ball, it was the R.J. Beckwith and Matt Anderson Show.
Anderson, a sophomore tailback, rushed nine times for a game-high 107 yards.
Beckwith, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound quarterback, completed three of five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. The senior also rushed for a score.
``I feel a lot more confident than I did in the beginning of the season,'' Beckwith said after leading the Spartans to back-to-back victories over Pulaski County and Cave Spring.
But early in the game, it looked as if he and his teammates might have their confidence shattered.
Salem played a scoreless first quarter against a team it hasn't lost to since 1983.
The Spartans came alive in the second quarter.
Brandon Poff capped an eight-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown with 11:41 left in the half. Bret Gresham's extra point gave Salem a 7-0 lead.
John Hancock set up the next score. The 6-1, 167-pounder returned a 45-yard punt to the Knights' 23-yard line.
``I was thinking end zone all the way, but somebody tackled me from behind,'' Hancock said.
Soon after, Beckwith finished a five-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Two minutes later, Beckwith connected with Hancock for a 37-yard score. Gresham's extra point made it 21-0 with 4:29 left in the half.
The Spartans scored 10 more points in the third quarter, and Cave Spring opened the fourth quarter by giving up a safety.
The Knights finally got on the board when Anthony Bailey recovered a fumble and rambled 52 yards for a touchdown.
And Paxton's 1-yard scoring run with 3:02 remaining closed the gap to 33-14 after the conversion kick.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 62 linesby CNB