Saturday, November 21, 2009
Football playoffs: Late TD lifts Salem over Magna Vista
varsity.roanoke.com
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The elements for an upset were in Friday night's cool air -- and an upset almost came to fruition.
Salem survived a scare from upstart Magna Vista and edged the Warriors 14-7 at Willis White Field. Thanks to fullback Adam Collie's second 1-yard scoring plunge of the evening, the Spartans scored the winning touchdown with 31 seconds left.
Salem advances to the Region IV Division 4 championship game next week against the winner of this afternoon's Christiansburg-Hidden Valley game. The Spartans (11-0) defeated both the Titans and the Blue Demons during the regular season.
"The prediction in the paper was that we'd win [tonight] 41-13. There was a weird feeling in the locker room; maybe we were a little too confident," Collie said.
Salem played with uncharacteristic unsteadiness Friday. Considering that the Spartans are averaging nearly 12 victories a season during coach Stephen Magenbauer's six-year tenure (70-6), it was not surprising to hear one Salem fan say, "We haven't played like this in years."
Spartans quarterback Adam McGarrell had thrown just three interceptions in 122 attempts this season prior to Friday. He was picked off twice by the Warriors (7-5).
The Spartans were flagged with nine penalties for 81 yards, including three face-mask infractions, a personal foul, and an excessive celebration penalty when receiver Stephen Barnette tossed the ball in the air after making a circus catch late in the game.
"It was uncalled for; I shouldn't have done it," said Barnette, who redeemed himself in the game's waning minutes by forcing a fumble and delivering a couple of ferocious hits on Warrior receivers.
Magenbauer was not sure why, after an extra week's rest, his team didn't perform especially well. He chalked it up as "one of those things."
"Maybe we've gotten the rust off," he said.
Salem's winning drive was set up after the Spartans defense pinned Magna Vista inside its 10 with four minutes left. The Spartans took a punt on the Warriors 40 and chewed up the clock as they drove toward the end zone.
Magna Vista coach Joe Favero told his squad after the game, "You've done your whole community proud; you've put pride back in your school. When you lost 21 games in a row, you were one of the weakest teams in the state; tonight you've held your own with one of the best teams in the state -- at any level."
Salem's defense limited Magna Vista to just 99 yards of total offense and six first downs, but because of a bevy of Spartan miscues and defensive stands by the Warriors, the game remained close throughout.
Salem's first score came after linebacker Marty Bishop picked up a Warrior fumble near midfield late in the first quarter.
The Spartans then executed one of their best drives of the game, moving the ball 51 yards on nine plays. Collie scored on the first play of the second quarter.
Neither team scored again until the third quarter when Magna Vista safety Nick Iacobucci intercepted a McGarrell dump pass at the 50 and returned the ball to Salem's 10.
Consecutive Salem penalties moved the ball to the 2 and the Warriors eventually scored on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Harvey Taylor.
Magna Vista 0 0 0 7--7
Salem 0 7 0 7--14
S -- Collie 1 run (Shelton kick)
MV -- Taylor 1 run (Reid kick)
S -- Collie 1 run (Shelton kick)
MV SA
First downs 6 17
Yards rushing 26-48 48-123
Passes C-A-I 5-12-0 10-17-2
Yards passing 51 131
Penalties-yards 4-26 9-81
Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-0
Punts-average 5-34.2 3-41.0
Individual statistics
RUSHING -- Magna Vista, Carter 11-43, Taylor 11-14, Myers 1-1, Becker 2-(-1), Kellam 1-(-9); Salem, Dyer 26-79, Collie 9-20, McGarrell 13-24.
PASSING -- Magna Vista, Taylor 5-12-0 51; Salem, McGarrell 10-17-2 131.
RECEIVING -- Magna Vista, Davis 2-31, Holland 1-20, Kellam 2-0; Salem, S. Barnette 3-35, Toliver 3-50, R. Barnette 3-40, Murphy 1-6.
