Saturday, November 14, 2009
Rodriguez carries Pioneers
Fort Chiswell's tailback totals 243 yards in the school's first playoff game in 19 years.
varsity.roanoke.com
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MAX MEADOWS -- The baseball playoffs belonged to A-Rod.
Now it's time for C-Rod.
That's Fort Chiswell tailback Chris Rodriguez, who rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns Friday night to lift the Pioneers to a 38-14 romp over James River in the first round of the Region C Division 2 football playoffs.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior scored on runs of 48, 54 and 8 yards and also kicked a 41-yard field goal as Fort Chiswell (10-1) overcame a 14-7 first-half deficit to earn a semifinal visit next week to Chilhowie.
A home crowd that long-time Fort Chiswell athletic director Danny Jonas estimated as the biggest in school history showed up for the Pioneers' first playoff game in 19 years and looked on as the Mountain Empire District champions trailed for most of the first half.
"We came out flat and they were coming out hard," Rodriguez said. "We wanted to win this game. It's win one game or go home."
James River's defense smacked Rodriguez in the face in the first quarter, holding him to 29 yards on 11 carries.
The rest of the game was a different story as the powerful back had 214 yards in the second and third quarters, sitting out the fourth entirely.
"The Rodriguez kid has great vision," James River coach Philip King said. "I knew that from watching film. He'll hit it up in there and he'll see the opening, and whoop, there he goes."
Fellow senior Hody Viars also had a big night, catching an 8-yard TD pass from Will Freeman on fourth down in the first quarter and adding the final score on a 53-yard run with 9:15 to play.
Viars and Rodriguez busted numerous tackles as Fort Chiswell wore down the Knights' defense.
"Tremendous yards after first contact," King said. "I don't know how many they had but it was a bunch."
Fort Chiswell's defense held James River (5-6) scoreless in the second half. The Knights took a 7-0 lead when offensive lineman Daniel Draper grabbed a fumble by teammate Ian Johnson and ran 6 yards. Brandon Garrett put James River up 14-6 with a 33-yard run in the second quarter.
The Pioneers held James River quarterback Jordan Talbott to 146 yards passing, finishing him with 2,245 yards on the season.
"It took us a while to get used to their skill kids, just seeing it live," Fort Chiswell coach Stephen James said. "Our philosophy was to not give up the big play and if they can dink us to death, we'll let them have it."
The turning point of the game came late in the first half when Will Freeman intercepted a pass by Talbott at the Fort Chiswell 34 with the score tied at 14.
"We called one route," King said. "The quarterback threw a route and the receiver ran a different route. Sometimes that happens."
Fort Chiswell answered as Rodriguez blasted a 41-yard field goal with room to spare.
"We had practiced hitting 50-yarders," Rodriguez said. "When we did that I was fired up, because the farthest I got was 30. We were in the locker room at halftime and the team was fired up."
Fort Chiswell's offensive line of tackles Michael Crisley (6-3, 295) and Willy Taylor (6-0, 255), guards Richard Smith (6-3, 325) and Marvin Grubb (6-1, 245) and center Anthony Crisley (6-3, 350) took over in the second half.
Rodriguez's 54-yard TD made it 24-14, then his 8-yard run on his final carry with 10.2 seconds left in the third quarter put the game away.
"He carries a load for us," Fort Chiswell coach Stephen James said. "He gets stronger the longer he carries the ball."
Rodriguez said he will be ready for Chilhowie, which handed the Pioneers their only loss, 6-0 on homecoming.
"We want to go down to Chilhowie bad," Rodriguez said. "They're the only ones that gave us a loss and we're going to redeem that."
James River, after winning its first district title in 38 years, will get ready for 2010.
"We've just got to find a way to get a little more physical," King said, "because tonight they physically took it to us."
James River 7 7 0 0--14
Fort Chiswell 0 17 7 14--38
JR -- Draper 6 run with fumble (Ewen kick)
FC -- Viars 8 pass from Freeman (kick blocked)
JR -- Garrett 33 run (Ewen kick)
FC -- Rodriguez 48 run (Freeman run)
FC -- FG Rodriguez 41
FC -- Rodriguez 54 run (Underwood kick)
FC -- Rodriguez 8 run (Underwood kick)
FC -- Viars 53 run (Underwood kick)
JR FC
First downs 14 19
Yards rushing 19-85 51-356
Passes C-A-I 20-35-2 5-7-0
Yards passing 146 38
Penalties-yards 4-30 6-36
Fumbles-lost 3-1 4-1
Punts-average 2-35.0 2-22.0
Individual statistics
RUSHING -- James River, Garrett 2-44, Talbott 13-24, Falls 2-15, I.Johnson 2-2. Fort Chiswell, Rodriguez 31-243, Viars 6-83, Freeman 8-17, Hatfield 5-13, Cain 1-0.
PASSING -- James River, Talbott 20-35-2-146. Fort Chiswell, Freeman 5-7-0-38.
RECEIVING -- Receiving, James River, Falls 5-29, K.W. King 4-49, Kyle King 4-34, Ware 3-17, J.Johnson 1-11, I.Johnson 1-8, Chilcott 1-5, Caldwell 1-3. Fort Chiswell, Cook 2-17, Mabe 2-13, Viars 1-8.
