BIG-PLAY CHS SURVIVES NITRO RALLY FOR 3RD WIN

Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 09/12/1987
Page: P
Headline: BIG-PLAY CHS SURVIVES NITRO RALLY FOR 3RD WIN
Byline: BOB FRETWELL

Charleston's big-play Mountain Lions learned a valuable football
lesson in triumph Friday night at Laidley Field.
Veteran coach Roger Jefferson and senior quarterback Jason
Berkley stressed that point after the undefeated Mountain Lions
survived a third-quarter Nitro awakening to grab a 35-14 win, their
third of the season.
CHS exploded for three touchdowns in the last 10 minutes of the
second quarter to romp into the dressing room for the halftime break
with a 21-0 lead.
Nitro stopped the hemorrhaging, jolting CHS back to reality with
72- and 75-yard touchdown drives on its first two possessions of the
third period to make it a 21-14 contest. Coach Pat Vance's Wildcats
threatened again until two-way star Travis Ramseur halted the flow
with an interception at the CHS 15.
"Whew, it was a game of changing fortunes,' Jefferson said.
"Our big plays won it because we never did stop Nitro, not even in
the first half.'
The loss dropped Nitro's record to 1-2."I think we thought we
had the game won at halftime,' Berkley said.
CHS resumed its explosive ways in the fourth quarter, driving 85
yards following Ramseur's interception to score on Tony Jackson's
3-yard burst and lighting up the scoreboard once more on Berkley's
45-yard scamper.
Charleston stopped Nitro inches from a first down on the
Mountain Lions' 12 in the first period before near disaster struck
the Wildcats in the second quarter.
Nitro was moving once more when defensive back Korey Skidmore
latched onto a fumble and dashed 53 yards to open the scoring.
Berkley's 33-yard completion to Ramseur led to Al Dean's 3-yard TD
run and Berkley and little receiver Jon Vickers combined on a 49-yard
TD play as the half ended.
"We were trying to run out the clock and we threw up a "Hail
Mary' pass,' Berkley said of the play that CHS started with three
seconds on the first-half clock.
Senior Greg Bibbee led Nitro's running game in the second half
. He scored on a 4-yard carry and wound up with 100 yards as
the Wildcats challenged CHS in the middle with the Mountain Lions'
nose guard, Mark Mason, sitting out a one-game suspension. O.J.
Estep added Nitro's second TD.
"We felt Charleston was vulnerable from tackle-to-tackle
without Mason in there,' Vance said. "We gave up two gift
touchdowns and our kids didn't feel down at halftime, and they proved
it.'
Jefferson credited Berkley with "doing a super job of running
the team. He's a senior and he came up with some big plays. It
was pretty exciting for the fans.'