September 10,1992
Davidson rains on Guilford's parade
By Doug Bnmiley
Sports Editor
There had to be some sort of rela
tionship.
The penalty flags that were hitting
the field paralleled the staccato of the
raindrops hitting all in attendance at
Guilford football's season opener at
Davidson last Saturday.
The flags were responsible for de
laying the progress of the Quaker's
offense just as the rain was responsible
for delaying theprogress of thegame—
a rain delay of just over an hour made
halftime seemingly drag on forever.
When all was said and done, Guil
ford was on the losing end of a 18-3
score.
"I think [our team] played hard
enough to win," said Head Coach M ike
Ketchum.
"1 was really proud of the way we
A Slice of Life from the Butcher
Consider the cost of the cross —His and yours
By Butch Maler
The rain stopped eventually.
"Let's get wet! Let's get wet!" a
smattering of Guilford fans beckoned
from football bleachers as scattered
drops fell from a gray Davidson sky.
I joined in the chanting. Why? I
don' t know, now that I look back. I had
planned on a muggy afternoon of foot
ball between the Quakers and Wild
cats Saturday, dressing in shorts and a
tee shirt.
But I would have been better off
opting for a wet suit We didn't just get
water-logged, we got cold feet—and
cold hands and legs and, well, you get
the picture.
The longer we stayed, the more we
justified staying to the bitter, drippy
end. Well, it wasn't gonna get any
wetter than this, we surmised. Just
colder.
Davidson began the game with a dry
opening drive capped off by a short
especially played with emotion and
desire."
The in time of posses
sion by over ten minutes and were
close to Davidson in total yards—27s
yards for Davidson, 250 for Guilford.
But penalties kept the Quakers from
finishing their offensive drives. Six
teen flags cost Ketchum's squad a total
of 125 yards.
"I told the players yesterday—and I
still think it's true—it'sdifficult enough
to beat Davidson without having to
worry about beating Guilford too,"
said Ketchum.
"We made too many mistakes to
win."
Senior Ty Clodfelter put the only
points on the board for Guilford, boot
ing a 26-yard field goal in the second
quarter.
Running back Pat Tully led the
Quakers in yardage, rushing for 82
touchdown run.
Guilford made it down the field
shortly thereafter, bringing in a fleet of
wideouts—including my suite-mate
Bill—for a third and long play.
The ball snapped, I followed the
pass patterns, then the quarterback,
then looked for an open receiver.
Phil Lemons, the Quakers' main
receiving target, attracted a good por
tion of Davidson's secondary by the
near sideline. Our quarterback rolled
out in his direction, seeing Phil blan
keted. So to whom do we throw?
There was Bill "Knoxious" Lively,
wandering down the middle of the
field, waving his arms, desperate for
the ball.
"Bill's wide open! "I roared, hoping
Guilford's quarterback—which one of
the four, I can't recall—would hear
and respond with a soft pass to #B6 for
an easy touchdown.
The throw fluttered over Phil mead
andout of bounds. Bill's arms dropped,
I slumped in my seat, mouthing, "Bill
Sports
Football
yards over 22 carries.
Ketchum played all four of the
team's quarterbacks during the game,
but is still unable to make a choice as
to who will receive the starting role on
a permanent basis.
"I hope after this week we will have
a real good, clear picture of where we
are going at quarterback," said
Ketchum.
He indicated that Chris Chavis and
Brindon Christman, who are currently
competing to earn the spot as the quar
terback, are both talented enough to
start. The one who is not chosen to
start at quarterback will start at another
position.
Ketchum was particularly im
pressed by the performance of sopho
more quarterback Jim Bob Bryant
"He didn't get very many snaps, but
I think he was the most impressive
with what he did. I think he really
was wide open. Bill was wide open."
Then the rains were let loose.
Some raised umbrellas, some raised
goose bumps—with no where to run or
to hide. The masochistic chanting be
gan, with my soaked shirt coldly cling
ing to my chest
The Quakers cut the lead to 6-3 with
a second quarter field goal, but
Davidson would take a 12-3 lead into
the locker room. Guilford would take
its fans in.
The wannest place to be anywhere
near the stadium was in the Wildcat
basketball gym, where Quaker players
and devotees waited out an hour-long
halftime delay as the rain continued to
pour.
I tried hopping, I tried standing near
people, I tried thinking of an arid
desert—it was still cold, we were still
losing.
A fifty-yard Davidson quarterback
draw blew the lead open to 18-3 with
only minutes remaining.
Undaunted, my roommate Allen,
increased his opportunity for playing
time."
Play on the other side of the ball
made an impact on Ketchum as well.
"I'm probably most pleased with
the emotion and the intensity of the
defense in the second half," said
Ketchum. '1 think pretty much you
can discount the last touchdown as
something thathappenedmcrre because
we were trying to do extra things to
take the ball away as opposed to them
really doing anything."
That "last touchdown" came with
just under three minutes remaining in
the game and put the Wildcats firmly
in control, 18-3.
Ketchum plans to work on the con
sistency of the offense, hoping to elimi
nate the offside, holding, and illegal
motion penalties that plagued most of
Guilford's drives.
Changes for this week's game
some friends and I stayed until the last
seconds ticked away.
Union had chartered two busses for
the game. I returned to mine to find the
refreshing cool air from the ride up
now chattering my teeth and numbing
my bare arms and legs. I also discov
ered that, oddly, I felt warmer after
taking off my shoes and socks than
with the spongy fabrics on.
A steaming cup of hot chocolate at
Hardee's did wonders.
When I got back to my room later
that evening, this note was on my board:
Butch & Allen,
Thanks for coming to the
game today A. cheering for me. I
appreciate it. Love, Bill
A touching message, but the week
end drenching leading up to it was
quite unpleasant
The cross, be it the most beautiful
display of affection, was horrific first
hand. Taking up oars can seem nearly
as scary.
I gave up my Saturday afternoon.
Zht &uilfort*an
against Methodist will include playing
more people.
"I thought we got a little tired.. J
don't think we played enough [people}**
last week."
Ketchum saw improvement in the
play of the new members of the team
over the course of the game.
"A lot of the problem in the first half
was people getting used to playing
together in a game situation," said
Ketchum.
"That's why I'm so pleased that we
played so much better in the second
half."
Ketchum was also appreciative of
the Quaker fans in attendance.
"It's great to see everybody come to
the games," said Ketchum of the Guil
ford contingent who travelled to
Davidson.
"It really brings the kids a great deal
of pride to see their classmates at the
Photo* by Brad Aldoui
my ABC college football with Keith
Jackson (Whoa, Nellie!), my two pre
paid meals in the 'caT, my time to
finish homework and my physical com
fort for a disappointing touchdown
catch that almost was, a chilly drizzle,
a loss and a cold bus ride. The costs of
friendships are many—the cost of dis
cipleship is great, requiring your life.
But it's worth it
What we cling to in this world and
what clings to us only leaves us cold.
Jesus Christ came that we might have
life—abundantly at that. We can have
nothing else before Him, wc need noth
ing else.
And His reign never stops.
Large crowds were traveling with
Jesus, and turning to them he said:
And anyone who does not carry his
cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple. In the same way, any of you
who does not give up everything he has
cannot be my disciple.
—Luke 14:25, 27,33, NKV Bible
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