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BRIAN WOODSON
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — Beaver-Graham turned into the Montel Leggett show.
D.J. Edwards, Brad Fox and the rest of the Beavers weren’t bad either.
Leggett and Edwards, a part of sophomores just waiting for their chance to shine, did just that on Friday night, leading Bluefield to a 51-14 whipping of Graham on muggy and rainy Friday night at Mitchell Stadium.
Bluefield made it a long night for Mike Williams, who was making his debut as just the fifth Graham head coach since 1949.
"I’ve got to do a lot of things better and this game highlights that for me,” said the 33-year-old Williams, who replaced Doug Marrs after last year’s forgettable 1-9 campaign. "I have got to coach the guys better, prepare them better and I see some areas we very badly need to work on such as tackling. It certainly highlights some needs that I have as a head coach.”
Bluefield made it three straight over the G-Men, outscoring Graham 147-21 in those games. The Beavers are now 62-21-2 in 85 meetings with their rivals.
"We didn’t know (what to expect), but we are very happy to get the win,” Simon said. "We are very happy, any time you beat them, a big rival team, you are happy.”
Leggett ran for 227 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries, including 146 yards and three touchdowns in the opening half. He was the star on this night, earning MVP honors for his performance.
"It is every teenage football player’s dream,” Leggett said. "All I can say is God first and my teammates second.”
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Edwards was also impressive, completing 9-of-10 attempts for 128 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half, leading the Beavers to a 37-7 lead at the break.
"He is fine,” Simon said. "He is a good leader and he is just going to get better.”
Bluefield out-gained Graham 315-63 in the opening half, and after using much of its bench in the second half, 390-235 for the game.
"We needed it. We have been through two tough scrimmages and I don’t know if our players had realized the competition they had gone against,” said Simon, whose Beavers had scrimmages with Division 4 heavyweights Christiansburg and Pulaski County. "They do now.
"We played well. We had some nice blocking for Montel and he took advantage and the defense played good and we’ve got (Justin) Mariotti on special teams so I was pleased with all that.”
Fox, one of the few Bluefield seniors with playing experience, had four receptions, two of which were of the acrobatic variety, for 77 yards and a touchdown. Thaddeus Foley also caught three passes for 32 yards.
Foley was also key on defense, picking off two passes, one of which he returned 40 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Bluefield, which forced a fumble on Graham’s first play from scrimmage that was recovered by Julius Thomas, didn’t allow the G-Men a first down until the 4:01 mark of the second period.
Bluefield’s defense allowed just 53 yards on the ground and seven first downs.
Graham’s lone first half highlight was a short pass by Gray Baker to Aderrius Jackson in the second quarter that Jackson took 52 yards for the touchdown.
Baker and Spencer Sheets, who combined for throw for 182 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble, showed potential for the G-Men. Baker threw for 112 yards and both scores.
"Both quarterbacks, once they settled in, did okay,” Williams said. "We had the same problems we had in our scrimmages, which we started playing a little bit too late, but they both showed some very good things.
"Of course we have some things we need to coach better and work on, but certainly Gray showed some very good signs tonight.”
Graham’s defense didn’t help matters with numerous missed tackles on Leggett, who zigged, zagged, spun and juked his way past defenders all night, particularly on a 40-yard scamper for a score in the second quarter, and a 63-yard dash in the fourth.
"The line was blocking,” said a beaming Leggett. "That is all I have got to say, is good blocking.”
"They did OK tonight, they really did,” said Simon, of the offensive line that included just one veteran, center Drew Simon. "Now let’s just keep getting better, but enjoy tonight.”
Williams added, "Our tackling was poor and that was a major problem tonight. We’ll address that Monday and each day there after.”
The outcome was never in doubt in this one.
Bluefield drove 11 plays on its opening drive with Edwards scoring on a 5-yard run, and the Beavers followed by forcing a fumble on Graham’s opening play, recovered by Thomas at the G-Men 13.
"You want that, if you are fortunate enough to get it, to get them out of it early,” Simon said.
Two plays later, Leggett scampered around the right side to score from 7 yards out with 4:55 to go in the first period, and the rout was on.
"When you down 14-0 quick that certainly makes things tough on you,” Williams said. "I have got to a better job of preparing the guys for what was ahead. I will try to fix some things with that.
"I am proud that they kept playing until the finish and didn’t roll over and play dead. Certainly the opening wasn’t good for us.”
Mariotti, who was 7-8 on extra points, made a 39-yard field goal to open the second quarter, and the Beavers added two more scores on a 13-yard pass from Edwards to Fox and runs of 40 and 6 yards by Leggett.
"We were prepared for it,” Leggett said. "We came out here and had to show what being a Bluefield Beaver is all about.”
Foley put Bluefield on the board early in the third period on a 40-yard interception return, and Leggett later added a 63 yard scoring run.
Graham scored in the second half on a 12-yard pass from Baker to Cody Hatfield.
Both teams will be in action next Friday, and both will face rivals again. The G-Men will host Tazewell, and the Bulldogs will also be coming in looking to rebound from a lopsided loss to George Wythe.
We’ve got another slugfest Friday,” Williams said. "With our schedule there is no letting up, there is a heavyweight every week.”
The same goes for Bluefield, which will travel to Princeton. The Tigers lost its season-opener with Woodrow Wilson.
"They are big, they are huge, but I am tickled,” said Simon, whose Beavers played without injured senior C.J. Manns. "I knew losing C.J., I hated it and I think our kids were down because we are a team.
"We care about our guys and fortunately we had enough time each day to get a little over it.”
Now they have to get over this one. Princeton awaits, and Leggett, who attended middle school in Princeton, will be ready for the Beavers.
"I am looking forward to it,” Leggett said. "They hate us bad, but we have got to go out there and give it our all.”
—Contact Brian Woodson
at bwoodson@bdtonline.com
at Mitchell Stadium
Graham…...........................……0 7 0 7 0 — 14
Bluefield……..............................14 23 7 7 — 51
Scoring
First Quarter
BF—D.J. Edwards 5 run (Justin Mariotti kick) 5:56
BF—Montel Leggett 7 run (Mariotti kick) 4:55
Second Quarter
BF—Mariotti 39 field goal 10:34
BF—Leggett 40 run (Mariotti kick) 6:21
BF—Brad Fox 13 pass from Edwards (kick failed) 4:53
GR—Aderrius Jackson 52 pass from Gray Baker (Samuel Stowers kick) 4:01
BR—Leggett 6 run (Mariotti kick) :11
Third Quarter
BF—Foley 40 interception return (Mariotti kick) 11:31
GR—Cody Hatfield 12 pass from Baker (Stowers kick) 4:04
Fourth Quarter
BF—Leggett 63 run (Mariotti kick) 8:25
———
GR BF
First Downs 7 17
Rush-Yards 23-53 47-262
Pass Yards 182 128
Comp-Att-Int 9-21-2 9-10-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalty-Yards 7-64 7-70
Punts-Avg. 3-35.6 3-39.3
———
Rushing: GR—Edwards 8-30, Sheets 7-26, Coppola 3-10, Thompson 1-1, Hatfield 1-(-2), Baker 3-(-12); BF—Leggett 22-227, Edwards 13-22, Lester 2-19, Fox 1-16, Wheeler 5-6, Stewart 3-(-10), Carter 1-(1-18).
Passing: GR—Baker 6-13-2 td-115-2 int, Sheets 3-6-65-0; BF—Edwards 9-10-1 td-128-0.
Receiving: GR—Jackson 2-96, Hawley 1-45, Hill 1-18, Hatfield 1-12, Hurt 2-10, Sheets 1-1, White 1-0; BF— Fox 4-77, Foley 3-32, Lester 2-19.