ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 5, 1996 TAG: 9610070140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: FOREST
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Staunton River came back to Earth without ever leaving Bedford County.
Riding into town with the No. 2 ranking in the Group AA state poll, the Golden Eagles' best football start was derailed by a whipped-up bunch of Jefferson Forest Cavaliers.
The Cavs had two runners gain as many as 165 yards as they rolled to a 36-14 victory on a chilly Friday night.
Halfback Nick Mistretta gained 166 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns, and quarterback Jerton Evans added 165 rushing yards and another TD. Staunton River never led.
Mistretta put an exclamation point on the homecoming proceedings by closing out the scoring with a 33-yard scoring run with 52 seconds left. The Cavaliers had been trying to run out the clock when he squirted free and raced down the right sideline.
Mistretta also scored on a 4-yard plunge in the first quarter and added a 6-yard run to the end zone to cap the Cavaliers first possession of the second half.
Staunton River never gave up and put together two fine scoring drives in the second and third quarters, but it was not enough.
The Golden Eagles' finest stretch was a 13-play, 87 yard drive Kevin Martin concluded with a 3-yard scoring jaunt with 52 seconds left in the first half.
Martin had a big night for the visitors, rushing for 161 yards on 28 carries.
Only a sophomore, Jefferson Forest's Evans shows poise and athletic ability that you don't often see in players his age. He scored the Cavaliers' first TD on a 60-yard sprint down the right sideline after a brilliant fake into the line. Some of the Staunton River players did not realize who had the football until he was 25 yards downfield.
Evans' heroics also set up the second Jefferson Forest TD. Evans hurled a 50-yard completion to Theo Phelps that was followed a play later by Mistretta's first touchdown.
Evans ended with 236 yards total offense.
Staunton River had 252 yards rushing and 18 first downs.
The Eagles looked dead in the water after Jefferson Forest had pushed its lead to 14-0. Then, they came to life with the long scoring drive launched from their 13. They chalked up six first downs during the march.
The Eagles dominated time of possession in the second half, but the Cavaliers outscored them 22-7 over the last two quarters.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB