Saturday, October 02, 2004
Knights' Aiken likes view on other side
After shifting from quarterback to defensive end, Danny Aiken makes an impact for Cave Spring.
Aiken has been a playmaker for the Knights, but not in the manner some had anticipated. Aiken returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown and helped caused a fumble that led to another score Friday night as Cave Spring remained unbeaten with a 33-6 victory over visiting Alleghany.
"Actually, after tonight and after last season, I'd just as soon hit somebody," said Aiken, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive end, who had a hand in four of Cave Spring's six sacks.
The Knights (4-0) double-teamed Alleghany's All-Timesland wide receiver, Bosco Williams, but Mountaineers quarterback Lonnie Allen spent most of the time evading the Cave Spring rush.
"Their weak-side blitz came after us and we didn't handle the weak-side blitz or the inside blitz very well," said Alleghany coach Jack Baker, whose Mountaineers fell to 2-3. "That took us out of a lot of things we tried to do offensively. They've got a good team."
Williams finished with six receptions for 117 yards, the last a 34-yarder with three Knights draped all over him.
"Put two or three on him and Bosco still usually makes the plays," Baker said.
In its first three games, all on the road, Cave Spring had rolled over the opposition. At halftime Friday, Cave Spring led 7-0.
"The first three games, we rolled every up in the first half and kind of stunk it up in the second half," Cave Spring coach Ben Foutz said. "I was really proud of the way we played in the fourth quarter tonight."
Cave Spring outscored the Mountaineers 16-0 in the final quarter, including Aiken's interception return and Jeff Wardach's 2-yard return of a fumble caused by Aiken and senior linebacker Andrew Sellers, who also shared in four sacks. Chaffin Scott nailed his second of two second-half field goals for the Knights.
Cave Spring senior running back Brian Thompson carried eight times for 80 yards, including a 55-yard run that set up the second of two touchdown runs by Alex Lemmer, who carried 15 times for 63 yards.
Senior quarterback Beau Austin was 7-of-13 for 87 yards, without turnover, and nobody is calling for Aiken.
"When Coach Foutz called me up before the season to let me know that Beau was starting, I told him that I agreed with him 100 percent," Aiken said.
It turns out, Foutz had a plan.
"He's a young man with a lot of God-given talent," Foutz said. "I've always liked tall defensive ends and I was hoping he would be able to play. He's got a knack for the football and his physical tools are developing. Once that happens, he could really take off."Alleghany 0 0 6 0 - 6
Cave Spring 7 0 10 16 - 33
CS-Lemmer 22 run (Scott kick)
CS-Scott 37 field goal
CS-Lemmer 2 run (Scott kick)
A-Allen 8 run (kick failed)
CS-Scott 18 field goal
CS-Aiken 54 interception return (kick failed)
CS-Wardach 2 fumble return (Scott kick) A CS
First downs 8 11
Yards rushing 23 159
Passes C-A-I 8-17-2 7-13-0
Yards passing 143 87
Penalties-yards 6-54 3-20
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Punts-average 5-33.6 3-30.0Individual statistics
Rushing - Alleghany, Jordan 16-47, Ward 3-12, Williams 1-9, Tembo 1-1, Wells 2-0, Allen 6-minus 35, Henderson 1-(minus 11). Cave Sprin, Thompson 8-80, Lemmer 15-63, Austin 8-10, Osborne 4-7, Horan 2-6, Team 2-(minus 7).
Passing - Alleghany, Allen 8-17-2-143. Cave Spring, Austin 7-13-0-87.
Receiving - Alleghany, Williams 6-117, Scott 1-17, Wells 1-9. Cave Spring, Redick 4-50, Cole 1-29, Osborne 1-5, Thompson 1-3.
