varsity.roanoke.com

Photos by Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Christiansburg's Chris Smith (left) makes a circus catch for a 46-yard gain behind Radford's Grant Mitchell (24) Tyler Matusevich (4) and William Saunders. The play led to a late second-quarter field goal.

Sam Mumpower (top) of Radford intercepts a pass intended for Christiansburg's Travis Hudson during the second quarter of Friday night's game at Christiansburg High School.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Playing high school football for the last foreseeable time against long-time rival Radford, Christiansburg's Blue Demons gave the Bobcats something to remember them by.

Recent memories won't be on the happy side for previously undefeated Radford after Christiansburg got a lot of offense, a couple of Brad Cox field goals, and some sticky defense to prevail 20-13 in a non-district game Friday night.

Christiansburg (4-1), the sixth-ranked team in Timesland, has beaten its Group A neighbor, ranked 10th in that poll, the last six times. None of those was much tougher than this one.

After Radford quarterback Dontae Carter found favorite receiver Jon Thompson, who turned in behind a basketball-style pick and raced 30 yards for the Bobcats' second touchdown of the second half. Although a pass for two points fell incomplete, the score stood at what would be the final margin.

Christiansburg then ran 11 methodical plays that left Radford (4-1) with less than three minutes to stage a rally. Despite registering two more first downs, the Bobcats stalled and turned the football over on downs. The Demons then ran out the clock.

"That was a good victory against a good team," said Christiansburg coach Tim Cromer, whose team opens River Ridge District play at Salem next week.

Christiansburg had 354 yards of offense, including 217 on the ground. Sophomore Greg Lee led all rushers with 108 yards on 10 carries and recorded his first varsity TD four plays into the Demons' first possession.

It was a beauty, a sweep to the left in which Lee got some blocking out front then beat a man to the corner and hoofed it all the way down the left sideline.

Cox then opened an eight-point night with his first of two conversion kicks and the Demons led 7-0 with 10 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first.

"Coach has been telling me I've been running a little slow all year," Lee said. "He said for me to accelerate through the hole and I'd get it. I did and finally got it. Keith Johnson led me around, good blocking all the way.

"I didn't do nothing but run."

Christiansburg schemed to stop Radford's rushing attack and for the most part did so. Save for a 51-yard D'Andre Thompson run from the Bobcats 4-yard line in the fourth quarter, Radford had only 35 more yards on the ground.

"I came into this thinking we weren't going to run the ball," Radford coach Matthew Saunders said. "If we had to throw it 50 times, that was the game plan, we'd throw it 50 times."

Carter completed 14 of 35 for 128 yards but he also threw three interceptions. Jon Thompson, the first-year varsity senior, snagged eight for 82 yards.

"He's really fast," said linebacker Jared Looney, who had one of the picks. "I thought we did a good job of reading our keys on defense."

Both quarterbacks are sophomores, which bodes well for the future for both teams. Christiansburg's Steven Wills completed nine of 17 for 137 yards and two interceptions. His favorite target was lanky junior Chris Smith, whose 78 yards in receptions included one highly unlikely catch of a twice-tipped ball.

Smith also came up with another interception.

"I thought our whole defense played well," he said.

Cox had field goals of 27 and 28 yards and had a third attempt blocked. His punting (42.6 yard average) kept Radford backed up in the second half.

Radford 0 0 7 6--13

Christiansburg 14 3 3 0--20

C--Lee 71 run (Cox kick)

C--Johnson 1 run (Cox kick)

C--Cox 27 field goal

R-- Carter 2 run (Goodman kick)

C--Cox 28 field goal

R--Thompson 30 from Carter (pass failed)

RA CH

First downs 11 14

Yards rushing 86 217

Passes C-A-I 14-35-3 9-17-2

Yards passing 128 137

Penalties-yards 7-73 8-70

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Punts-average 4-32 3-42.6

Individual statistics

RUSHING -- Radford, D. Thompson 11-76, Carter 4- (-12, P. Webb 4-12, Saunders 1-10; Christiansburg, Johnson 18-62, Lee 10-108, Wills 6-13, Fisher 9-34.

PASSING -- Radford, Carter 14-35-3 -- 128. Christiansburg, Wills 9-17-2 -- 137

RECEIVING -- Radford, J. Thompson 8-82, Saunders 4-27, R. Webb 2-19; Christiansburg, Smith 3-78, Fisher 3-25, Johnson 2-7, Hudson 1-17