ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, December 1, 1996               TAG: 9612020124
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C-3  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: TAZEWELL
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER

SALEM ENDS ROAD JINX

THANKS TO SOME SLOPPY decisions, the Spartans are going to the state title game.

Since Salem dropped from Group AAA to the Group AA ranks in 1987, the Spartans, for all their success, never had won a road football playoff game.

Thanks to some interesting maneuvering and two key plays in overtime on a rainy Saturday at Tazewell High School, the Spartans have ended that drought.

The first big play was a 7-yard touchdown run by Matt Anderson. The second key play came three snaps later. Salem's Jamie Garst fell on the ball after a bad snap eluded Grundy quarterback Jason Copenhaver.

Once again, Salem's defense played a critical role in the team's victory. In three playoff games, the Spartans haven't allowed a touchdown. They have given up only one in the last six games.

``The snap went through his hands straight back,'' said Garst. ``I knew we were going to the state finals when it happened because there was no one close enough to contest me [for the ball].''

Before that, there was a lot of discussion after the coin flip to start the overtime. Salem won the toss and the team that usually does that elects to defend. That way, if the other squad doesn't score, it needs only a field goal for the victory. Instead, Salem chose to play the overtime to the right side of the press box - the sloppier of the two ends.

``Our captains did exactly as I wanted,'' said Salem coach Willis White. ``I told them to choose to defend that goal. That end of the field was terrible, but I didn't choose it for offense. It was the best for kicking a field goal, though.''

Salem had a place-kicker in Bret Gresham. Grundy hadn't kicked a field goal or extra point this year. After Anderson scored and Gresham's kick made it 7-0, it was apparent that this game would last only one overtime. Had Grundy scored, it would have gone for two points.

``I had enough faith in our defense to think they couldn't score on us twice,'' said White.

``We were certainly going for it,'' said Grundy coach Greg Rowe. ``That was our intention all along. That last play was a fluke.''

LENGTH: Short :   50 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  DON PETERSEN\Staff. Bryant Parker (left) of Salem sacks 
          Grundy quarterback Jason Copenhaver in the first half of Saturday's 
          game.