Radford Comeback Defeats the Knights
Trenton Carter catches 52 yard pass right before half to setup field goal as time runs out. (Elizabeth Kanipe photos)
By RODNEY YOUNG
NRVSports.net
BUCHANAN – The visiting Radford Bobcats overcame a 14-point deficit Friday night enroute to a 31-21 win, spoiling the Knights’ homecoming.
James River scored first when Ashton Orange intercepted Bobcat quarterback Peyton Dobbins and raced down the James River sideline untouched for a 72-yard touchdown. Knox Taylor’s point-after put the Knights up 7-0 with 8:13 left in the opening quarter.
Radford would strike with 3:10 left in the quarter as Dobbins hit Trenton Carter on a 35- yard touchdown pass with Luciano Pugliese’s kick tying the score.
Radford would drive early in the second quarter when, once again, the Knights would intercept Dobbins. Two plays later Sam Wilson would take a handoff and go around right end scoring on a 20-yard touchdown, putting the Knights up 13-7, with the point-after kick going wide left.
Radford would get the ball, and again Dobbins would throw his third interception of the first half.
James River (3-2) would make the Bobcats pay when Knights quarterback Merit Hammons sneaked in from the two-yard line, and Sam Wilson would get the two-point conversion run as the Knights opened up a 14-point lead, 21-7, with 5:55 left in the first half.
It was the Bobcats’ biggest deficit of the season, and marked the first they have trailed in a game all season.
Radford (4-0) would answer as Colten Garner-Rollins caught a pass out in the flat, turned upfield, and raced down the James River sideline into the end zone from 40 yards out. The point-after kick cut the deficit to 21-14 with 5:24 before intermission.
The Bobcats’ defense would then stop the Knights, and Radford went to work.
With the clock stopped with just one second showing, Pugliese would hit a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to four, 21-17 heading into halftime.
Radford had turned the ball over three times, and James River had scored on all three of the turnovers.
The second half saw the Bobcats’ defense recover a Knights fumble, with Garner-Rollins’ scoop-and-score from the Knights’ 35 to put Radford ahead for the first time, 24-21 with 9:59 on the clock.
Radford would put some icing on the cake as, on fourth down and goal from the Knights’ four, Dobbins would hit Matthew McGuire on a four-yard touchdown pass, going up 31-21 with just 1:07 left in the game.
Asked about the fourth-down call at the four-yard line, Radford head coach Michael Crist said, “I figured if we didn’t score, they (James River ) would have to go 96 yards with little time remaining. ” He then said, “I’m so proud of the guys as they came back from being 14 points down. They never gave up, and we stopped making mistakes. We have to get better, and give credit to James River for playing a good game. They made us pay for our turnovers.”
Radford will finally play their first home game next week against the Class 3 William Byrd Terriers. The game will be played Thursday night, October 1, with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Both teams are undefeated with 4-0 records.
Radford 7 10 7 7-31
- River 7 14 0 0 -21
- River – Orange -72 Int. return- Taylor kick- 7-0
Radford- Carter 35 pass- Pugliese kick 7-7
- River – Wilson 20 run- Kid no good 13 -7
- River – Hammons – 2 run- Wilson- 2 pt. Conv. run- 21 7
Radford – Garner-Rollins- 40 pass from Dobbins- Pugliese kick- 21-14
Radford- Pugliese 27 FG- 21-17
Radford – Garner-Rollins- 35 Fumble recovery- Pugliese kick- 21-24
Radford – McGuire 4 pass from Dobbins- Pugliese kick-21-31
Rushing – Radford – Prioleau 10-27, Williams 1-3, Dehart-Lewis 3-8, Dobbins 9-20, James River – Orange 16-64, Hammons 16-62, Wilson 4-82, Whitt 1-0, Painter 1-3, Daniels 2- 9
Passing– Radford – Dobbins 16-21- 4 Ints.- 3 Tds.- 242 Yds., James River – Hammons- 0-1-0 Ints.0 Tds. – 0 Yds., Spangler – 2-5- 0 Ints. -0 Tds. – 30 Yds.
Receptions – Radford – Williams 4-46, Carter 5-109, Proileau 3-13, Garner-Rollins 2-46, Rogers 1-24, McGuire 1-4
First Downs – Radford -16, James River -14
Fumbles – Lost – Radford 2- 0, James River 4 -3
Penalties – Radford – 4-35 yds., James River – 3-34 yds.
Total Yds. – Radford 300, James River 250
Punts – Avg.- Radford – 1 – 30.0, James River – 3-37.0
Total TO’s – Radford 4, James River 3