Blues batter Beavers

By MIKE DAVIS

for the Daily Telegraph

RICHLANDS, Va. — Taking on a perennial powerhouse like Bluefield on a week with homecoming activities that cause distractions could put a wrinkle in a football’s routine.

However, the Blue Tornado (4-2) kept their focus on executing Friday night’s game plan at Ernie Hicks Stadium/ Emats Field and the payoff was a 28-14 upset over previously-undefeated Bluefield (4-1).

“We just took advantage of opportunities and to hold them to 14 points, you have to take your hat off to our defense,” Richlands head coach Greg Mance said.

“We played a very good Lord Botetourt team (two weeks ago), a skilled Virginia High team with misdirection (last week), a good Graham team (three weeks ago) and we played lights-out defense to win the ball games.”

“Offense did what they had to and defense played a great game and we found a way to win.”

Despite the Beavers having a reputation for big plays, the Tornado defense kept Bluefield honest with just 14 first-half points and pitched a shutout in the second half.

Three key stops by the Richlands defense shifted the momentum in the game after the Beavers moved the ball steadily downfield and racked up 325 rushing yards on the night.

The first pivotal defensive play came with less than two minutes to go in the first half with the game tied at 14-14.

The Beavers were driving the ball deep into Tornado territory from their own 30-yard line. Quarterback R.J. Bourne bolted through the Richlands secondary for a 22-yard gain across the midfield stripe.

Then, the Tornado defense dropped back on coverage on the next play when Bourne tried to air the ball out for an out route down the left sideline.

Zeke Vance was covering the route for the Blues and made a play on the ball for an interception at the Bluefield 30-yard line.

His counterparts went into their blocking schemes and immediately a footrace down the sideline ensued. Vance was too quick for the Bluefield pursuit and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:09 remaining on the second-quarter clock.

Alex Bandy’s point after put the Blues ahead, 21-14.

“We had answered their scores and that gave us a little momentum,” Mance said. “But, then Zeke Vance’s pick before the half gave us more momentum and they went into the half fired up.”

The second big stop by the Richlands defense came in the third quarter after both teams had traded possessions. The Beavers started on their own 17-yard line and moved the chains biting off sizeable chunks of yardage including a 20-yard gain by Cory Coppola that took the ball inside the Richlands 25-yard line on the ninth play of the drive. The ground assault continued with D.J. Stewart on consecutive plays to put the ball at the Tornado 12-yard line.

Bluefield was on a sure track to even the game and pushed the ball to the 7-yard line before Stewart hit a wall of Blues on fourth-and-7 at the Richlands 11. The long drive came to a halt a yard short of a first down and two yards short of a much-needed score.

It was all the space the Tornado offense needed. After a couple of conservative plays, River Michaels threw a completion to Landon Lowe for an 18-yard gain to create breathing room to the Richlands 26.

The Blues drive stalled just short of midfield. However, time was looming as Bluefield’s enemy along with a stubborn Richlands defense as the teams traded possession the remainder of the third and much of the fourth quarters.

Bluefield’s last chance at tying the game came after the Beavers stopped Richlands with two minutes to go in the game.

Michaels dropped back to punt and executed a perfect coffin corner kick from the Beaver 36-yard line. Michaels booted the low line drive with topspin out at the Bluefield 2-yard line leaving 98 yards of real estate for the visitors to cover with 1:40 left.

Sensing an upset, the Tornado defense swarmed Bourne who took the snap in his own end zone. Richlands Cory Alicie put the rush on Bourne and laid a shoulder into him just as he released the ball. Cade Mullins was waiting on the lame duck ball and made a diving catch in the end zone for a pick six for Richlands.

Bandy put the icing on the cake with his fourth extra point on the night to seal the win.

“It was a real good game and it could’ve gone either way,” Bluefield head coach Fred Simon said. “We would’ve liked to have pulled it off, but, they (Richlands) made plays when they had to.

“We had a couple players that didn’t play tonight and it hurt us some but that’s the way it goes.”

Bluefield had scored the first points of the game on their first drive when Coppola ran in a 3-yard touchdown with slightly more than 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Richlands answered on a Michaels pass to Mullins with 9:42 showing on the second quarter clock tying the game at 7-7.

Stewart gave the Beavers their final score of the night with five minutes to go in the half on a 3-yard run by Stewart and Tyler Easley added the point after.

Michaels laced a 27-yard strike to Vance to even the game before the Blues defense scored the rest of the way.

“The kids believe in each other and no one gave us a shot to win this ball game,” Mance said. “But, we have about 65 people in our field house that believed we could.

“We told them we couldn’t have penalties and we couldn’t have turnovers. We don’t worry about total yards, we just worry about taking advantage of opportunities.”

Michaels completed 9 of 14 passes for 99 yards with an interception and two touchdowns. He also carried the ball 19 times for 32 yards. Vance caught three passes for 46 yards with a receiving touchdown and a 70-yard interception return.

Mullins caught one pass for a 7-yard score and he intercepted the ball in the end zone for a score.

Bluefield was led by Stewart with 30 carries for 156 yards and one touchdown. Bourne went 0 for 5 with two interceptions that went for touchdowns.

Richlands takes on Tazewell Friday night for their second home game in as many weeks and the Beavers take on RiverView.



At Ernie Hicks Stadium/ Emats Field

Bluefield...................7 7 0 0 — 14

Richlands...............0 21 0 7 — 28

First Quarter

B – Coppola 3-yard run (Easley kick)

Second quarter

R – Mullins 7-yard pass from Michaels (Bandy kick)

B – Stewart 3-yard run (Easley kick)

R – Vance 27-yard pass from Michaels (Bandy kick)

R – Vance 70- yard int return (Bandy kick)

Fourth quarter

R - Mullins interception in the end zone (Bandy kick)