Saturday, November 21, 2009
Football playoffs: Pioneers cruise to region final
varsity.roanoke.com
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CHILHOWIE -- Fort Chiswell seems determined to make its first playoff appearance in 19 years last awhile.
Winning both lines of scrimmage decisively in the last three quarters, the third-seeded Pioneers thumped No. 2 Chilhowie 22-9 Friday night in the Region C, Division 2 semifinals.
Chris Rodriguez rushed 28 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns as Fort Chiswell (11-1) earned a home game at 7 p.m. next Friday in the regional finals against No. 4 Radford, which dispatched top-seeded George Wythe.
"It's the first time we've hosted a Region C championship," Rodriguez said, "and we're going to win it."
That's a bold prediction, but one Rodriguez looks capable of fulfilling. Patiently picking his holes, then exploding through them with exquisite cuts, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior ran for 84 first-half yards, 43 on the Pioneers' initial scoring drive.
It was a critical score for Fort Chiswell, which saw Chilhowie (7-4) convert two third downs and a fourth down on a game-opening 64-yard TD march, scoring when Cody McMahan hit halfback Tyler Austin on a 21-yard wheel route.
"It was real important because we didn't want to be down," senior Hody Viars said. "We didn't want to give them all the momentum."
Instead, the Pioneers took it. They assumed the lead for good on their next drive on Will Freeman's 1-yard sneak with 7:57 left in the first half.
Ahead 14-9 as the second half started, Fort Chiswell tacked on an insurance score. Viars rumbled 47 yards on a fullback trap and Rodriguez, who went over the 2,000-yard mark for the year, punched it in from a yard out, 90 seconds into the third quarter.
From there, the Pioneers relied on their defense, which allowed just nine total yards and one first down in the second half.
Zack Cook, Marvin Grubb and Caleb Dunn each notched sacks of McMahan, who was harried into three interceptions as Fort Chiswell used a five-man rush to generate consistent pressure.
"We didn't get out of position in the second half," Pioneers coach Stephen James said, "and we made the plays we were supposed to. It was just a matter of executing a little better."
Fort Chiswell outrushed the Warriors 262-34, possessing the ball for two-thirds of the second half.
It was a far cry from the teams' first meeting this year, when Chilhowie ruined the Pioneers' homecoming with a 6-0 shutout in Max Meadows.
"We were much more focused tonight," Rodriguez said. "There's no comparison between tonight and that game."
For at least one more week, drivers on I-81 between mile markers 77 and 80 will see the Fort's name in lights on a truck stop marquee.
Viars and five other teammates will see to it.
"Me, Zack Cook, Parker Mabe, Michael Dunford, Will Freeman and Josh Cain all work there," he said. "That sign's going to stay up."
Fort Chiswell 6 8 8 0--22
Chilhowie 7 2 0 0--9
Chi--Austin 21 pass from McMahan (Ashby kick)
FC--Rodriguez 5 run (run failed)
FC--Freeman 1 run (Rodriguez run)
Chi--Safety, Keen tackled Rodriguez in end zone
FC--Rodriguez 1 run (Viars run)
FC CE
First downs 16 7
Yards rushing 49-262 29-34
Passes C-A-I 3-6-1 7-16-3
Yards passing 27 74
Penalties-yards 7-75 7-26
Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-0
Punts-average 2-25 2-41
Individual statistics
RUSHING -- Fort Chiswell, Rodriguez 28-141, Viars 8-78, Hatfield 3-34, Freeman 8-12, TEAM 2-(-3). Chilhowie, Conley 12-35, Russell 10-12, Austin 2-6, Joines 1-2, McMahan 4-(-21).
PASSING -- Fort Chiswell, Freeman 3-6-1-27. Chilhowie, McMahan 7-16-3-74.
RECEIVING -- Fort Chiswell, Mabe 1-17, Viars 1-7, Cook 1-3. Chilhowie, Austin 2-39, Blevins 2-16, Pote 1-11, Conley 1-9, Sturgill 1-(-1).
