ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 10, 1996 TAG: 9611120031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
PULASKI COUNTY WHIPS Cave Spring 38-0 to win its sixth straight Roanoke Valley District crown.
A mini-blizzard complete with huge flakes of snow blew in during Cave Spring High's football game with Pulaski County on Saturday afternoon, but most of the white stuff melted soon after it made landfall.
The Knights were buried in an avalanche nonetheless.
Rounding into playoff form, the guest Cougars tossed their second consecutive shutout, blanking the punchless Knights 38-0.
The Cougars are now undisputed champions of the Roanoke Valley District, making this the sixth straight season they have ruled the circuit. Pulaski County (9-1 overall, 5-0 district) has won or shared the titled 13 of the past 18 seasons.
Pulaski County blows into the Group AAA Division 5 playoffs on a seven-game winning streak. The Cougars will play Brooke Point.
Cave Spring (1-9, 0-5) was stoic while enduring a rough game and an even rougher season, but the Knights did accomplish one objective. They did not allow Pulaski County fullback Craig Hodge to run wild.
Hodge did score a touchdown, his 26th, a Pulaski County season record. He also had 61 yards rushing, which allowed him to eclipse Doug Hendricks' school record of 1,126 yards for rushing during a season.
For Hodge, it was the first game he had not hauled the football for at least 100 yards since early in the season.
``Good,'' Cave Spring coach Steve Spangler said.
Cougars coach Joel Hicks credited Cave Spring's defense with that achievement.
``Cave Spring had a good plan,'' he said. ``They sold the farm trying to stop Hodge. So we tried to get some other people involved.''
Among them were quarterback Ron Branch, who had 104 yards total offense, including 54 rushing, and threw a touchdown pass.
Branch's 13-yard scoring strike to Jerome Thomas, coupled with Bryan Myers' conversion kick, made the score 24-0 with 2:42 left in the third quarter and effectively put the game out of reach.
Hodge later added a 3-yard plunge for a touchdown. Reserve running back Jamie Bagby scored the last of the Cougars' touchdowns when he burrowed in from 2 yards out in the fourth quarter.
Kwasi Scott, who rushed for 73 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown the first time he touched the ball, picked up some of the slack while the Knights were concentrating on Hodge. Ryan Brockmeyer added a second-quarter 3-yard scoring run and led the defense as a linebacker.
Brockmeyer's touchdown was set up by a drive that started from the Knights' 27 after their attempt to go for it on fourth-and-one backfired.
``We were 1-8,'' Spangler said. ``We had absolutely nothing to lose. We had to get something going. We came here to win the football game.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB