varsity.roanoke.com

FLOYD -- This being the United States of America, democracy prevailed, albeit in an unlikely forum.

After watching his Floyd County team score the potential tying touchdown late in the Region C Division 2 opener Friday against guest George Wythe, Buffaloes coach Winfred Beale called for the standard play in such circumstances and prepared to send in his place-kicker for the conversion.

Then, senior Brett Holman and classmates began to put up a fuss.

"Let's go for the win, Coach," Holman said.

A quick vote ensued among the seniors.

"I think it was unanimous," Holman said.

So the undefeated Buffs went for the two-point conversion, quarterback Luke Harris scrambled out of trouble and bought time until he could spot tall and lanky Ethan Griffith in the back right corner of the end zone.

Throw good, catch good, Buffaloes 15, George Wythe 14.

The Maroons still had some time, but the threat ended with an interception, and the celebration was on for the winners.

For the defeated Maroons (6-5), their sleep will not be restful any time soon.

Floyd County (11-0) entertains Chilhowie, which beat Giles, next week for the regional title.

"It's been the same story all year," Beale said. "This team just does not panic."

That's why the decision to go for the two points seemed to make sense in the end.

"We knew we could pull it out," said Holman, who got the Buffs on the board with a 22-yard TD grab early in the third quarter. "We've done it all year."

It helps to have a quarterback to believe in. Harris is certainly that. The senior wizard completed all four of his passes for 52 yards and added a 15-yard run to march the Buffs 80 yards for the winning touchdown.

"Guys just kept making plays," Harris said.

It might have been something of a relief for Harris, who missed a tackle when Benjamin Lanter was sprinting 54 yards with a Jacob Sharitz pass for the go-ahead TD with 8:52 left. Then, on the following possession, Harris threw his only interception of the night on a screen pass that 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive lineman Stephen Lester III returned to the Floyd County 26.

The Maroons looked as though they were poised to put the game away with a first down at the Buffs' 15. But George Wythe lost 6 yards on the next play when Sharitz made a poor pitch on a sweep. After that, a penalty, a short gain, and two missed passes stalled the drive and the Maroons punted.

"Not getting anything there was the key to the game for us, I think," George Wythe coach Donnie Pruitt said.

Harris ended 15-for-22 for 162 yards and the one interception. He had 196 yards total offense. Sharitz, the leading passer in Maroons history, went 9-for-17 for 98 yards with three interceptions.

The only score of the first half was a 93-yard punt return by George Wythe's Auburn transfer Tyler Wood, who was injured and carried from the field late in the game.

"We blew that coverage," Beale said.

Griffith had a big night for the Buffs with four catches for 48 yards, an interception, and of course the winning TD conversion catch.

"All I did was go to the back of the end zone and wait for Luke to spot me," Griffith said.

George Wythe 0 7 0 7 -- 14

Floyd County 0 0 7 8 -- 15

GW--Wood 93 kickoff return (Atwell kick)

FC--Holman 22 pass from Harris (Weiss kick)

GW--Lanter 54 pass from Shariktz (Atwell kick)

FC--Harris 3 run (Griffith kick)

GW FC

First downs 12 14

Yards rushing 98 112

Passes C-A-I 9-17-3 15-22-1

Yards passing 112 162

Penalties-yards 3-20 4-40

Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0

Punts-average 3-34.6 5-43.2

Individual statistics

RUSHING -- George Wythe, Sawyers 15-88, GTurp<215B>in 7-29, Wood 1-30, Atwell 1-0, Sharitz 4 (-19). Floyd County, Jones 9-63, Harris 9-34, Bonham 3-14, Cassell 1-1.

PASSING -- George Wythe, Sharitz 9-17-3 -- 98. Floyd County, Harris 15-22-1 -- 162.

RECEIVING -- George Wythe, Atwell 3-47, Wood 1-2, Lanter 2-54, Sawyers 3-11. Floyd County, Griffith 4-48, Holman 5-53, Bradford 3-34, Rodrigue 2-8, Jones 1-19.