Lightning strikes for Devils vs. Blue Tornado
Richlands (17) vs. Gate City (28)
Written: Aug 30, 2014
By GEORGE THWAITES
for the Daily Telegraph
GATE CITY, Va. — Gate City’s football program would like to play for a state championship again someday.
For the time being, it was simply good for the Blue Devils to find out what it’s like to beat Richlands.
Gate City scored three big-play touchdowns and pounced on two scoring drive turnovers by the Blues en route to a 28-17 season opening win at Legion Field.
“We had two turnovers in the red zone and had opportunities and just missed them,” said Richlands coach Greg Mance. “Against good teams you’ve got to take advantage of those things.”
Blue Devils running back Caleb Herron rushed for 95 yards and two TDs., including a 42-yard yard end-around scorcher with 3:15 in the third period that put Gate City up 21-10.
Herron also picked off a River Michaels second quarter scoring strike attempt in the end zone for a touchback.
“He’s special. We had the angle on him twice and he outran us,” Mance said.
Matt Reed rushed for 79 yards for the Blue Devils, scoring on a 63-yard explosion up the middle with 4:46 left in the third quarter.
On defense, Reed scooped up Michaels’ fumble in the backfield after the Blues got inside the 20 on their first possession of the second half. Reed’s third-quarter run, his biggest offensive play of the night, answered Zeke Vance’s 32-yard TD catch from Michaels minutes earlier.
Richlands, which got a 22 yard field goal from Alex Bandy in the first half, briefly led 10-7 after Bandy’s point after touchdown kick on that play.
Griffin McCauley, who led the Blues with 116 yards rushing, got Richlands within a field goal with his 65-yard scoring run with 11:19 left to play.
Gate City got the breathing room it needed on a 19-yard scoring run from Tanner McMurray with 6:04 left to play.
Massive Blues defensive lineman Anthony Cordle was injured late in the third quarter, lightening Gate City’s load toward the end.
“He got cut early and said his knee was really sore. He couldn’t put a lot of weight on it but he kept trying to play,” Mance said. “It’s one of those things where he’s a tremendous football player and we just can’t keep him healthy.”
Michaels passed for 155 yards of Richlands’ 185 passing yards on the night. Vance had a 30-yard completion to Cade Mullins on a trick play during the second-quarter series ended by Herron’s pick.
The flow of the game was complicated by a 30-minute lightning delay during the second quarter. There was also a lengthy delay between the third and fourth quarters after an interception by Richlands’ defensive back Chance Collins was nullified due to an inadvertent whistle.
At Gate City
Richlands...............0 3 7 7 — 17
Gate City...............7 0 14 7 — 28
First Quarter
GC — Caleb Herron 7 run (Neth Gardner kick)
Second Quarter
Rich — FG Alex Bandy 22
Third Quarter
GC — Matt Reed 63 run (Gardner kick)
GC — Herron 42 run (Gardner kick)
Fourth Quarter
Rich — Griffin McCauley 65 run (Bandy kick)
GC — Tanner McMurray 19 run (Gardner kick)
———
Rich GC
First Downs 14 8
Rushes-Yards 36-165 43-257
Passing Yards 185 45
Total Offense 354 302
Comp-Att-Int 6-18-1 4-10-0
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 3-0
Punts-Avg. 3-33.6 5-35
Penalties-Yards 4-35 3-20
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