ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611260030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: ROUNDUP
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Gene Fields rushed for 195 yards and scored all three Rural Retreat touchdowns as the Indians rolled to the Division 1 Region C championship on their home field with a 22-0 victory over Bland County on Friday night.
Fields scored twice in the second quarter and Tony Cressel kicked both PATs to give Rural Retreat a 14-point lead.
The Indians (10-2) totaled 326 yards of offense, 309 on the ground. The biggest play came when Fields ran 77 yards on the first play from scrimmage after a Bears punt. Earlier, Fields had scored on a 5-yard run.
Bland County (8-4) drove to Rural Retreat's 1-yard line near the end of the third quarter, but the Indians held.
Rural Retreat recovered a fumbled punt in the fourth quarter and Fields capped the scoring with an 8-yard run. James Bear hit Justin Nowers with a two-point conversion pass for the final margin.
Rural Retreat plays in a Group A Division 1 semifinal Nov.30 against the winner of today's Thomas Walker-Appalachia Region D championship game.
Division 3 Region IV
Gate City 21, Magna Vista 7: The Blue Devils (12-0) scored all their points in the first half and held on for a victory over the Warriors (10-2) in the regional championship game in Gate City.
Each of the Blue Devils' first-half touchdowns was set up by a Jake Houseright punt return. His three runbacks accounted for 85 yards, and each set up Gate City in Magna Vista territory.
The first touchdown came on a 1-yard run by Josh Shoemaker. Bennie Wolfe then scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards as the Blue Devils built a 21-point halftime lead. The Warriors did not cross midfield before intermission.
Gate City took the kickoff to open the second half and Ed Britt broke loose with only one man to beat for a touchdown, but the Magna Vista defender stripped the ball and the Warriors recovered on their own 42-yard line.
Magna Vista then drove to its only touchdown of the game, with quarterback Chad Blackstock scoring on a 3-yard run with 5:25 to go in the third quarter.
The Warriors got the ball back quickly after a Gate City punt and drove to the Blue Devils' 6-yard line, but on third-and-three Blackstock fumbled and Andy Smith recovered for the hosts on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Gate City drove to the Magna Vista 30 before fumbling, but the Warriors never threatened again.
Wolfe, a senior fullback, led the Blue Devils with 105 yards on 24 carries.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines KEYWORDS: 2DA FOOTBALL Type first letter of feature OR type help for list of commands FIND S-DB DB OPT SS WRD QUIT QUIT Save options? YES NO GROUP YOU'VE SELECTED: QUIT YES login: cby CNB