Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 09/10/1994
Page: P 3C

Byline: MIKE CHERRY

WILDCATS WORK THEIR MAGIC AGAIN IN 10-7 VICTORY

But like any flirt with disaster, the Wildcats are enjoying good
fortune while it lasts. For the third time in as many games, Nitro
conjured a monumental defensive play in the final minutes to preserve
victory. The victim Friday night at Laidley Field was George
Washington, which fell 10-7 before about 1,100 fans.
G.W., winless in 16 straight and dressing just 22 athletes,
drove 75 yards to the Nitro 3. But on a second-and-goal from the 4,
junior back Brian Critchfield, the Patriots' leading rusher, fumbled
A G.W. player nudged the rolling ball, but eventually Nitro
junior cornerback Brian Clark recovered in the end zone for a
touchback with 5:06 left. With the help of three first downs, Nitro
(3-0) ran out the clock.
"We should have blown them off the ball,' Clark said. "We
got lucky this game.'
But fate has perhaps latched onto the 1994 Wildcats. Nitro won
its opener against Winfield 21-15 when Bill Haynes kept a General
receiver from getting out of bounds inside the Wildcat 15 as the
clock expired. Last week at Hurricane, Haynes was again the hero,
blocking a late extra-point kick in a 13-12 win.
"Last year,' Nitro Coach Greg Cyrus said of the 2-8 1993 team,
"we'd have done what G.W. did. We'd find a way to snatch defeat from
the jaws of victory.'
The Wildcats fell behind early and struggled in the second half
as G.W. (0-2) mixed passing with the running of Critchfield (102
yards on 16 attempts). Patriot senior quarterback Chad Pullins, who
did not throw in the first half, finished 7 of 12 for 58 yards
with all his completions snagged by wideouts Bob Fletcher and Cain
Wilder.
Nitro won the yardage battle 199-195. "We looked like a
football team,' G.W. Coach Jerry Townson said. "I was encouraged
.'
Despite the low number and last week's season-ending injury to
senior tackle Travis Crouse, G.W., which was not penalized, moved 64
yards on eight plays to open scoring on its first possession.
Critchfield scored from the 5 with 4:42 gone.
"It surprised the kids, but it didn't surprise the coaches,'
Cyrus said. "You know how kids are. They see the number of kids
they have.'
Nitro tied the game at 7 in the second quarter when back Robbie
Withrow scored from the 3. Neither Withrow nor quarterback Dan Taylor
_ who rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the first two
games _ was the primary Wildcat worker.
Instead, it was sophomore back Ryan Blake, who gained 116 yards
on 16 carries. Taylor, thanks to several sacks, a bad pitch and
end-of-game genuflects, lost 16 yards on 11 tries.
"We knew we had to stop him to beat them,' Townson said.
Nitro, which visits Poca next week, earned its winning points on
its first second-half possession. A 40-yard kickoff return by Nathan
Casdorph started the Wildcat drive on the Patriot 39. Nine plays
later, senior Jimmy Hall, who earlier was short on a 33-yard attempt,
easily made a 26-yarder with 7:26 left in the third.
G.W. had just two second-half possessions, moving both times
into Nitro territory. "I think one thing that has been a plus is
the fact they are in good condition,' Townson said.
But G.W., which travels next week to Herbert Hoover, lost the
ball on downs to end the first and the fumble, the game's lone
turnover, ended the second. That left Nitro, which has not been
better than 5-5 under Cyrus, with its best three-game start in 10
seasons.
"I'm going to buy a lottery ticket on the way home,' Cyrus
said.