THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 20, 1994 TAG: 9411200169
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: YORKTOWN LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
York head coach Bob Pearce isn't sure if he took a breath at all during the second half of the Falcons' Group AA, Region I, Division 4 semifinal game against Lakeland Saturday afternoon at Bailey Field.
When the final second ticked off the clock, Pearce was breathing freely again as the second-seeded Falcons thwarted the third-seeded Cavaliers' comeback bid and advanced to the Region I final with a 19-12 triumph.
Lakeland head coach Ed Smither predicted that the game would boil down to mistakes. And it was Cavaliers who made the final and most costly mistake of the game.
The Cavaliers (5-6) had third-and-1 from the York 15 with less than two minutes to play. They had used up most of the fourth quarter, traveling from their own 35 to the Falcons' 15 in 11 plays, and needed just seven points to tie the game.
With an assist from York tackle Greg Foster, Lakeland quarterback Jessie Bradshaw fumbled the snap. Je'cisken Ramsey fell on the ball and the Cavaliers' comeback was dead. Ramsey also scored a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries.
Foster was also key in turning the Cavaliers' botched punt into a touchdown.
Under heavy pressure, punter Dwayne Wiggins had trouble controlling the snap deep in his own territory and kicked the ball low off the side of his foot.
``I was watching the ball the whole way,'' Foster said. ``When I caught it (on the Lakeland 8) I just celebrated a little too fast and couldn't get the touchdown.''
Foster's return set up Brian Ginn's 1-yard dive for the score on the next play.
York (8-3) then converted an interception at the other end to take a 19-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Reginald Wiggins, who scored Lakeland's first-quarter TD on a 58-yard run, fielded the second-half kickoff and cruised 77 yards into the end zone. by CNB