BY JOSH FLOYD
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Radford quarterback Dontae Carter certainly remembered that harrowing 1-3 regular-season start. Within those four grueling games was a bitter loss to George Wythe, a game in which the Bobcats held a 19-point advantage only to have the upper hand wrestled away late.
Ironically, those same Maroons stared across from their same respective positions at Pendleton Field just over two months later Friday, only this time holding the top seed in the Region C, Division 2 bracket.
This time, though, the Bobcats didn’t allow a repeat.
With Carter’s dual threat providing 295 total yards, including a backbreaking 64-yard scoring run late in the fourth, the Bobcats – who blocked two punts – again raced out to a commanding advantage
before staving off George Wythe’s passionate fourth-quarter rally for a 33-28 decision.
Winners of eight straight contests, the Bobcats (9-3) will square off against Fort Chiswell (11-1) – a 22-9 winner over Hogoheegee District representative Chilhowie – next week for the regional crown.
For the Maroons, however, they were hit with several kitchen sinks early. An early fumble deep in its own territory, along with Grant Mitchell’s punt block and return for a score, allowed Radford to take a decisive 14-0 advantage just minutes into Friday’s contest.
Maroons’ all-purpose back Brandon Atwell, who finished his career with a defining 174 rushing yards and four TDs, did cut into the lead later, but another quick strike –this time a 65-yard bomb from Carter to wideout D.J. Palmer – gave the visitors a 20-point first quarter.
Carter, who ran the spread offense brilliantly, then calmed a poised home crowd with 4:39 remaining in the contest. Taking the option run left, Carter stopped, pivoted, spun and ultimately raced down the right sideline for the aforementioned backbreaker – hopping over a would-be Wythe defender at the 40.
The Maroons, however, nearly used the waning fourth-quarter minutes perfectly. Atwell’s subsequent 11-yard TD run closed the gap considerably, while the Maroons later recovered an onside kick and
capitalized on a seven-play, 40-yard drive behind Atwell’s fourth scoring touchdown of the night – putting Wythe down 33-28 with 38 seconds left.
Palmer, who had 80 receiving yards, made sure that Wythe would not be successful on its second onside attempt, taking the loose pigskin and motoring 52 yards for good measure to insure victory.
The Bobcats had Wythe on the ropes just before the break, limiting the Maroons (7-4) – who had won five straight of their own – to just three plays in the entire second quarter. But Wythe responded by blocking a 26-yard field goal try while negating a Radford scoring drive after reaching its 1-yard line.
Maroons’ quarterback Tristan Boysaw threw for 131 yards, with 122 of those coming in the second half. The scrambling senior signal-caller also racked up 48 rushing yards as well.
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