Saturday, November 21, 2009
Football playoffs: Bobcats hold off Maroons
Dontae Carter runs for 100 yards and passes for 191 more to lead Radford.
varsity.roanoke.com
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WYTHEVILLE -- The first time Radford and George Wythe played high school football this fall, the sequence of events were as follows: big Radford lead; bigger George Wythe comeback; biggest Bobcats heartache.
Next time up, in the semifinals of the VHSL Group A Region C Division 2 playoffs, a similar pattern emerged, but with a different ending.
Again, Radford jumped out to the big lead. Again George Wythe made a stirring comeback. But this time, the Bobcats' cushion was too substantial and the Maroons were left with the busted-up hearts.
Thanks to a marvelous all-around game from quarterback Dontae Carter and some monster defensive and special teams play keyed by tackle Josh Oliver, Radford had a 33-28 victory Friday night in front of a mostly standing-room-only gallery at the Maroons' field.
Radford advances to the regional final against Fort Chiswell, which beat Chilhowie in the other semifinal Friday. George Wythe finishes 7-4.
Radford (9-3) led 33-14 after Carter scored the second of his two rushing touchdowns, this one a 64-yarder in which he spun nimbly out of a would-be tackle and fled down the right sideline for the score with 4 minutes, 39 seconds left. Michael Goodman's kick, no sure thing on this chilly night, made it 33-14.
George Wythe proceeded to score two more times before it was over, Brandon Atwell doing the honors for his second and third TDs. Playing his last game, Atwell finished with 199 all-purpose yards, 159 of that on the ground.
"We started to get tired, but what a great player," Oliver said. "He is definitely the leader of that team."
Added Radford coach Matthew Saunders: "We knew they wouldn't quit."
It was the proverbial hole too deep from which to escape for the Maroons, who were already down 14-0 with 8:22 left in the first quarter. A George Wythe fumble, one of two lost on the night, set up a short Radford drive capped by a 7-yard scoring sweep by Grant Mitchell.
Mitchell was in the end zone again less than two minutes later after Oliver blocked an Atwell punt and Mitchell scooped up the football and sprinted 15 yards.
That was the first of two blocks by Oliver, who also recovered a fumble and recorded three sacks. Oliver also had a punt block in the previous week's victory over Giles. His secret?
"Squeeze inside, cut off that other guy, and go for the ball," he said.
Saunders has been praising Oliver to whoever would listen all season.
"One of the best football players I've ever coached," Saunders said. "I don't understand why nobody is recruiting this kid."
You could say the same for Maroons stars Atwell and lineman Drew Lester.
"One thing that a lot of people don't understand is that Drew is a 4.0 student and Brandon has a 3.9," George Wythe coach H.S. Ingo said.
Atwell's 25 TDs for the season are a George Wythe record.
Carter turned on the star power himself Friday. His numbers read 291 yards total offense including 100 yards rushing and 191 passing while going 11-for-17 with a TD and an interception.
Carter's 65-yard bomb to a wide-open D.J. Palmer gave Radford a 20-7 lead after Goodman's conversion kick failed because of a poor snap and hold.
"We haven't thrown much in the last three weeks and that made me feel like just a running quarterback," Carter said. "But I think it helped us tonight because when we came out throwing, George Wythe hadn't seen us doing it lately."
He was right.
"That was something we hadn't prepared for," said Ingo, whose team recovered from a 19-0 deficit to win 21-19 when they played Sept. 21.
In the rematch, Carter added a 15-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter.
Radford 20 0 0 13--33
George Wythe 7 0 0 21--28
R -- Mitchell 7 run (Goodman kick)
R -- Mitchell 15 return blocked punt (Goodman kick)
G -- Atwell 6 run (Atwell kick)
R -- Palmer 65 from Carter (kick failed)
R -- Carter 15 run (pass failed)
G -- Atwell 6 run (Atwell kick)
R -- Carter 64 run (Goodman kick)
G -- Atwell 11 run (Atwell kick)
G -- Atwell 11 run (Atwell kick)
RA GW
First downs 11 9
Yards rushing 126 222
Passes C-A-I 11-17-1 8-13-0
Yards passing 191 103
Penalties-yards 6-40 3-40
Fumbles-lost 1-0 4-2
Punts-average 1-31 1-37
Individual statistics
RUSHING -- Radford, Carter 14-100, Adkins 6-10, Mitchell 2-7, Palmer 5-0; George Wythe, Atwell 18-159, Boysaw 11-49, Wheeler 3-9, H. Lester 1-0
PASSING -- Radford, Carter 11-17-1 -- 191; George Wythe, Boysaw 7-12-0 -- 88; Atwell 1-1-0 -- 15
RECEIVING -- Radford, Palmer 5-100, Mitchell 2-53, Mumpower 1-15, Dark 1-15, Thompson 1-4, Patterson 1-4; George Wythe, Wheeler 2-27, Baltzazar 2-24, Atwell 1-40, Divers 1-13, Fullen 1 (-4), H. Lester 1-3
