ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 16, 1996 TAG: 9611190021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Jon Michael Newberry rushed for 75 yards on 14 carries and scored the winning touchdown as Bland County downed Parry McCluer in a Division 1 Region C playoff matchup Friday night in Buena Vista.
Jeremiah Brockenbrough scored the first touchdown of the game for Parry McCluer (8-3) on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. The Fighting Blues were shut out the rest of the way.
Brockenbrough led Parry McCluer with 34 of their 92 rushing yards on seven carries.
J.B. Lambert scored on an 11-yard run in the second quarter to give Bland County (8-3) a chance to go ahead on a two-point conversion, but the pass failed and the Fighting Blues held a 7-6 halftime lead.
Both teams struggled to move the ball in the second half because of penalties and tough defense until Newberry scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 7-yard run with 6:35 left in the game.
The Fighting Blues drove to the Bears' 30-yard line following the touchdown, but consecutive illegal-motion penalties led to an interception on fourth-and-20.
Parry McCluer got the ball back and Brian Langhorne ran toward the end zone with a reception with no time left on the clock, but fumbled as the Blues' season ended.
Bland County will meet Rural Retreat in the regional final.
In another Division 1 Region C game:
Rural Retreat 33, Pocahantas 8: The hosts turned in a strong performance on both sides of the ball to defeat Pocahontas in the first round of the playoffs.
Rural Retreat (9-2) got on the board with a touchdown run of 34 yards by Gene Fields in the first quarter. Fields broke loose again in the second quarter, taking it in from 40 yards.
After a 47-yard touchdown run by quarterback Wayne Terry, Fields scored again on a 27-yard run to make the score 27-0 in the third quarter.
Pocahontas (7-4) scored its lone touchdown with seven seconds remaining in the game.
Fields finished the game with 181 yards rushing on 15 carries. Rural Retreat netted 320 yards on the ground and allowed only 154 yards of total offense.
Division 3 Region IV
Gate City 44, Bassett 0: Benny Wolfe ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns as the Blue Devils, the top-ranked team in the state sportswriters' poll, trounced the Bengals in Gate City.
ate City (11-0) rushed for 334 yards. Bassett (7-4) managed only three first downs, two of those on its opening possession.
Carl Watkins, whose 1,370 yards rushing ranked second in the the Piedmont District, was shackled by the Gate City defense. Watkins netted 11 yards on 11 carries, and the Bengals were held to 40 yards on the ground.
The Blue Devils will play host to the Region IV championship game Nov.22 against Magna Vista, a 22-0 winner over Martinsville.
Division 4 Region IV
Grundy 22, Carroll County 0: Jason Copenhaver completed 10 of 15 passes for 117 yards to lead the Golden Wave (11-0) past the Cavaliers (6-5) in Grundy.
The Golden Wave shut out Carroll County to advance to the Division 4 final against the winner of today's game between Abingdon and Lee County. They held the Cavaliers to 66 yards total offense and four first downs.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 linesby CNB