Sylva Spoils Madison's Playoff Dreams
By TAMM1E YOUNG
Sports Correspondent
The 1987 Madison High School var
sity football team finished its season
Friday night in a heart-breaking 19-14
loss at Sylva-Webster.
The loss ruined any chances the
Patriots had at making the state 2-A
playoffs, and assured the Golden
Eagles of a berth in the post-season
tournament.
The Patriots led the Eagles for the
entire game, until Sylva-Webster
snatched the victory away with 47
seconds remaining in the game.
Madison '? Brian Godfrey scored
both Patriot touchdowns, while Kevin
Boone tacked on both extra points.
Godfrey was the game's leading
rusher, with 121 yards on 21 carries.
After a 72-yard drive, Madison got
on the scoreboard first, on a one-yard
run by Godfrey at the 3:09 mark in
the second quarter. Boone's extra
point gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead.
But Sylva scored on its next posses
sion, thanks to a 35-yard kickoff
return. Decklin Austin scored from
the 6-yard line, but the extra-point at
tempt failed and Madison held a 7-6
lead at the half.
Madison was not intimidated and
came back strong in the second half.
Godfrey scored from 19 yards out to
cap off a 61-yard TD drive. Boone's
PAT gave Madison a 144 lead at the
6:33 mark in the third period
Sylva pulled within two points at
the midway point in the fourth
quarter on a six-yard pass from
Austin to Steve Bird. Austin's two
point conversion pass to tie the game
fell short, and Madison held a 14-12
lead.
The score stayed at 14-12 until late
in the game, when Sylva ended an
80-yard march with a two-yard TD
plunge by Cary Turman.
Madison had Sylva's back against
the wall on a fourth-and-10 situation
in that drive, but the Eagles were
able to get a first down on a a 26-yard
pass.
The loss ended the Patriots' season
at 4-6, and at 1-3 in Western Highlands
Conference 2- A play.
"We could have done better," said
Patriot player Steve Messer.'
"We should have done better," add
ed Chris Craine.
Madison was hurt throughout the
season by a number of serious in
juries, including broken legs, pulled
muscles and twisted arms.
By the time the Sylva game rolled
around, 11 Patriots - including seven
starters - were injured too seriously
to play.
Foremost on the injury list was
Gary Mace, who fell into a coma for
several days after making a tackle.
Mace and his family are doing
much better and the team and school
have been behind him 100 percent.
Madison fans say they are proud of
the Patriots.
"They didn't quit. They did a great
job," said Stacy West.
North Buncombe Drops Last Game
To Owen, Looks To Next Season
By MICHELLE WYATT
Sports C ones pendent
The North Buncombe Black Hawks
concluded their one-win season last
Friday with a 34-22 loss to Western
Athletic Conference 3-A foe Owen at
Swannanoa.
North Buncombe jumped out to a
quick lead, but Owen came roaring
back behind the offensive efforts of
running back A1 Ellis, who ran for 105
yards and four touchdowns on IS car
ries to spur Owen to the win.
"We played well offensively," said
Black Hawk Coach Tom Weaver.
"We did a good job defensively. A1
Ellis is a very good running back and
when he got outside, he ran well."
The Black Hawks had 205 yards
rushing on the night and 65 yards
passing.
"We moved the ball pretty well,"
Weaver said.
"The team played hard. Owen has
a good football team that I believe is
the next best team to Brevard," he
said
The first touchdown of the game
came when Black Hawk quarterback
Scott Whitt scored on a nine-yard
dash early in the first quarter.
Earl Rohrback booted through the
point-after, and North Buncombe had
a 7-0 lead.
But on the next kickoff, John
Keeter caught the kick and ran 82
yards for Owen's first touchdown.
The extra-point attempt failed, and
North Buncombe held a slim 7-6 lead.
Ellis then scored two second
quarter touchdowns for the
Warhorses - one from 23 yards out
and one from 10.
Owen held a 21-7 lead until North
Buncombe marched up field and
Rohrback kicked a 26-yard field goal
to cut the halftime margin to 21-10.
The Black Hawks scored quickly in
the third period, when fullback Mike
Miller rambled across the goalline
from the seven. North Buncombe
went for two points, but fell short and
trailed 21-16.
Ellis stored again from the 36 and
Owen again failed to convert on the
extra-point attempt.
North Buncombe's Miller answered
with another touchdown from 7 yards
out to cut Owen's lead to 27-22 going
into the fourth quarter.
The Warhorses were able to hold on
for the win in the final period, as Ellis
added a 13-yard TD run and Benji
Ford connected on an extra-point at
tempt to make the final scored 32-22.
The loss gave North Buncombe a
1-9 record on the season and 1-4 in
conference play.
"We improved basically each
week," Weaver said. "It was a big
letdown against Franklin; we didn't
play up to standard set the week
before."
A winless Franklin team came to
Weaverville on Oct. 30 and upset
North Buncombe 10-7 in the last home
game for Black Hawk seniors.
Weaver says he is optimistic about
North Buncombe's chances in the
1968 season.
"There will be a lot of returning
Mike Miller
...scores two TDs
people. If they work hard, there is a
lot of potential for a good football
team next year," Weaver said.
"There are 16 lettermen returning
next year."
Brian Godfrey
...gains 121 yards
Body Builder Takes 1st
Jamie List, daughter of Ed and
Sandy List of Marshall, recently won
first place in the women's lightweight
division of the 1967 Tar Heel Body
Building Championships.
The competition was held on Oct. 24
in Greensboro.
List, 24, is a graduate of Madison
High School and Mars Hill College.
Lions Lose 40-35 Shootout With Lenoir - Rhy ne
The Mars Hill Lions and Lenoir
Rhyne Bears waged a shootout for
four quarters and when the smoke
had cleared the Bears had hung on for
a 40-35 win over the homestanding
Lions, who dropped their fifth
straight game and their second
straight at home.
The loss came on the heels of the
results of drug-testing of Mars Hill
College football players. Pour of the
Lions' 95 players tested positive for
marijuana use. Those players, whose
names have not been released, were
suspended for Saturday's game.
Besides scoring 75 points between
them, including 39 in the final
quarter, the two teams also combined
for four school records.
Lenoir-Rhyne established a new
school record with five touchdown
passes and with 392 yards passing
while Mars Hill set a new mark for
most first downs in a single game (30)
and most yards rushing in a single
game (445). The two teams combined
for more than 1,000 yards in total of
fense.
After taking over from its own 20
after a Mars Hill punt, Lenoir-Rhyne
mounted the first serious threat of the
day.
The Bears consumed more than six
minutes on the clock and with a
52-yard completion moved to a first
and -goal at the Mars Hill 6. But a
penalty moved them back and two
plays later quarterback Brian Bryson
was sacked and fumbled with Mark
Mennitt recovering for the Lions.
That got the Lions going as they
marched from the 27 to the Lenoir
Rhyne 5, staying on the ground for the
majority of the drive. The Lions settl
ed for a 21-yard field goal from Tony
Gibson that made it 3-0.
Lenoir-Rhyne came right back with
a 54-yard kickoff return and the
Bears moved to the Mars Hill 14
gap to 10-6.
The Lions, however, were un
daunted, marching 70 yards in 11
plays with Johnny Mitchell capping
the drive with a 3-yard run, his first
collegiate score, the TD coming with
just 52 seconds left in the half to up
the Mars Hill advantage to 17-6 at in
termission.
It took the Bears less than three
minutes to hit paydirt in the second
half when Bryson connected with
tight end Rex Harrison on a 53-yard
bomb that made it 17-13.
After exchanging punts in the third
quarter, Mars Hill finally got another
score, quarterback Gary Lackey
scoring his first collegiate touchdown
on a 4-yard run to give Mara Hill a
23-13 advantage.
In what turned out to be a wild
fourth quarter, the Bears got the ball
rolling when they scored on the first
play of the final period, Bryson con
necting with Mark Sanders for a
23-yard touchdown that cut the lead to
23-20.
Mars Hill came right back, ripping
off big chunks on the ground and Reg
gie Taylor scooted in from the 1 1 for a
touchdown that upped the advantage
to 29-20.
It didn't take Lenoir-Rhyne long to
counter, moving 66 yards in four
plays with Bryson tossing his third
touchdown pass of the game, this one
covering 38 yards to close to within
two at 29-27.
Mara Hill bounced right back as
Sims broke loose on his longest run of
the year, a 52-yarder that was good
for his second touchdown of the day.
The Lions failed on a two-point con
version but held on to a 35-37 advan
tage
One play following the ensuing
kickoff, Bryson went to the air again,
this time finding Sanders for a
79-yard touchdown. The Bears went
for two but failed as Mars Hill held on
to a 35-33 lead.
denied the touchdown and then with
time running out, the Lions tried
again from the one, only to fumble
and have Lenoir-Rhyne recover with
just 33 seconds left in the game to
dash the Lions' comeback hopes.
Sims and Taylor both rushed for
more than 100 yards for the Lions,
Sims with a career high 184 yards on
19 carries and Taylor with 148 yards
on 28 carries, both career bests for
him. Mars Hill ran up 550 yards in
total offense while Lenoir-Rhyne had
466 yards.
The loss was the fifth in a row for
the Lions who saw their hopes for a
winning season fade with the loss,
dropping them to 3-6 for the year.
They'll close out their 1987 home
season Saturday when they host the
nationally ranked Gardner-Webb
Bulldogs. It will be the final home ap
pearance for IS Mars Hill seniors.
Kickoff time is 1:30 p.m. The Lions
close out the year at Elon next Satur
day.
Pizzo's No. 17
Jersey Retired At
Mars Hill College
The number 17 worn by Mars Hill
College quarterback Joe Pizzo was
retired Saturday during halftime
ceremonies of the Mars Hill-Lenoir
Rhyne football game.
Though he played only two seasons
with the Lions, Pizzo's contributions
were enormous. He guided the Lions
to championships both seasons he
played, a SAC-8 championship in 1965
and a District 26 championship in
1966.
He was named the SAC-8 Con
ference Offensive Player of the Year
in 1865, the first Mara Hill player to be
named the offensive player of the
year in the conference. He was twice
selected as the SAC-6 All -Conference
quarterback and was an Honorable
Mention All-American as a junior.
Pizzo compiled a mark of 12-5-1 in
gamea he started at Mara Hill.
The 6-3 native of Quartz Hill, Calif ,
signed with the Pittsburgh Stealers
during the summer of 1967 and later
signed with the Cleveland Browns
during the recent NFL players strike.
He currently serves Mara Hill College
as an assistant coach in charge of
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