WISE, Va. – Perhaps no player at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise had a better day than Matt Barbour on Saturday afternoon.
The senior wide receiver caught a 47-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Highland Cavaliers’ 28-21 victory over Georgetown (Ky.) College and became the first player in program history to achieve 3,000 yards receiving in a career.
More importantly, he one-upped friend and fellow wide receiver Jason Lovett.
“At least I could get one record he didn’t get yet,” Barbour said with a smile. “Coming into a game like [this], you try not to think of your individual stats. It’s good to have them, but I’m happy with the overall win.”
Barbour finished with two catches for 56 yards and now has 3,026 career receiving yards.
Amondre the Giant
UVa.-Wise inside linebacker Amondre Johnson had another typical performance on Saturday, finishing with eight tackles and forcing a fumble.
However, it was on the other side of the ball that Johnson made the biggest impact. The 5-foot-10, 233-pound sophomore made his debut in the Cavs’ backfield and finished with five yards on three carries and one touchdown.
“We’ve been working on that the last week or two,” Johnson said. “I’ve been asking [UVa.-Wise head coach Bruce Wasem] for a while if I could get the ball. He said whenever we call your number, you better show us something. I said 4th and short and goal line was no problem. It was guaranteed.”
Johnson scored UVa.-Wise’s first touchdown on a 1-yard run in the opening quarter.
“It took me back to my high school days,” said Johnson, who starred at William Fleming High School in Roanoke. “It was a good feeling; the first points on the board, the crowd cheering. It was a big step up for the offense. When you come out and score first that says a lot.”
He also picked up first downs with tough runs on 4th and short situations in the second and fourth quarters. Asked if there was any pressure coming in and having to get tough
yards in key moments, Johnson just smiled and said, “I just got one thing to do – run.”
Ricker’s Relief
UVa.-Wise senior wide receiver Brad Ricker hauled in a 52-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter on Saturday and finished with two catches for 66 yards.
He also breathed a huge sigh of relief when the game ended. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, he dropped a pass that would resulted in a key first down. Georgetown (3-2)
then drove down the field and could have tied the score, before Marcus Bratton intercepted a pass to seal the win for Wise.
“I was pretty nervous,” Ricker said. “Everybody else was getting up, I was just sitting there waiting and hoping. Then when Bratton got that interception, I was pretty excited.”
Fanz Frenzy
The game was broadcast online by College Fanz Network, which shows a NAIA national game of the week each Saturday on its Web site. ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen also launched the College Fanz Network and was at Carl Smith Stadium on Saturday.
The network named UVa.-Wise quarterback Brad Robbins as the Cavs’ player of the game. Robbins was 13 of 21 for 265 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 36 yards on eight carries.
Up Next
UVa.-Wise (3-3) travels to Campbellsville, Ky. (3-2) next Saturday in another Mid-South Conference showdown.
thayes@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2570
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement