WARRIORS DENY EFFORTS OF WILDCATS, MIDKIFF

Publication: CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
Published: 10/19/2002
Page: 1B
Headline: WARRIORS DENY EFFORTS OF WILDCATS, MIDKIFF
Byline: JIM TOCCO

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

Riverside found its lead against the Nitro Wildcats harder to hold than a bar of soap Friday night, and for a brief time it was whittled down to a sliver that nearly slipped down the drain.

It was like a war between an army and an air force. Every time the Warriors' physical, punishing running attack gave Riverside a comfortable lead, Derek Midkiff and the Wildcats responded by filling the air over Warrior Stadium with more deadly accurate passes.

In a two-sided offensive showcase, both forces were used to their maximum effectiveness. But somehow the Warriors simply managed to make Nitro run out of time. Thus, Riverside won its fifth consecutive game by an eye-popping 49-45 score.

The two teams combined for 47 first downs and more than 1,000 yards of offense, and they did it in vastly different ways.

Riverside rushed like the river the team plays next to, totaling 402 yards on the ground. Senior tailback Rusty Taylor ran 21 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns, and QB Kashif "Chiefy" Ealey used the option to run for 163 yards and two scores. Fullback T.J. Richards ground out 78 tough yards.

Nitro soared, as quarterback Midkiff threw 49 times, completing 30 for a staggering 480 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite target was ninth-grader Chris Fulmer, who caught 17 passes for 257 yards. Rather than being a desperation strategy, Nitro threw the whole game, start to finish.

"(Riverside is) so big and strong," said Nitro Coach Scott Tinsley. "We're just little ol' Nitro and we can't match up with people toe to toe and we know that. When we go against the Riversides of the world, we've got to do something to try to equalize that, and the passing game can help."

With 11 minutes to go in the game, it appeared as if that passing attack had finally been grounded. Riverside led, 41-20. But West Virginia's passing leader came out slinging again. He hit senior wideout Ryan Meadows on a 40-yard fly pattern for the touchdown.

Then, after Nitro's defense held Riverside in check for a series, Midkiff threw a 37-yard pass to Fulmer which set up a 6-yard touchdown hookup between the same two players.

Quickly, Jon Culbertson recovered a John Evans onside kick and Midkiff led his team on a harrowing touchdown drive, twice converting on fourth-down plays. Three touchdowns were scored, the lead reduced to two points (41-39), and the whole sortie took just over six minutes.

"We showed a lot of heart tonight, the way we were down and out," Midkiff said. "There are a lot of teams I know that would quit down that many points, but our guys kept fighting, our line kept blocking, receivers kept catching balls. It was great to be a part of, I just wish we could have finished it."

The reasons they weren't able to finish it included Riverside's brute force and a little trickery.

As the Warriors ground the ball downfield in a clock-melting drive, they reached a third-and-2 at Nitro's 24-yard line. The Wildcats keyed in on fullback Richards, on whose shoulders most of the drive had been carried.

But Ealey faked a handoff, then threw a play-action pass to wide receiver Josh Hughes, whose slant route left him wide open and untouched on his way to the end zone.

After a two-point conversion, Riverside led, 49-39.

Yet it still wasn't over.

Nitro's next drive lasted one play. It was a 72-yard touchdown pass to senior James Kessler, who embarrassed defensive back Alex Slack on a long post pattern.

Only after a final failed onside kick by Nitro did Riverside fans realize that they were going to win their homecoming game.

"You know, we don't believe in moral victories here at Nitro, but you do have to be so proud of our kids, the way they kept fighting back," Tinsley said. "They never gave in. They had every opportunity, especially when we were three touchdowns down in the fourth quarter and they just kept fighting and kept believing."

Midkiff, who holds the top four MSAC passing games this season, blew away his previous season high (278 yards vs. Logan). Fulmer shattered Ripley receiver Jeff McCoy's 142 yards, which had been the MSAC's top receiving game of the year.

Fulmer, who entered the game third in the MSAC in receiving yards, entered having averaged 5.4 catches per game. He demolished that part with a mix of quick screens and long streaks down the sideline.

"He's just been the go-to guy," Midkiff said. "It's like he's got glue on his hands or something. He catches everything, and whenever we're in a hole, we go to him and he comes through for us."

That was certainly true, as Midkiff and Fulmer connected for the fourth-down conversions.

"Can you believe he (Fulmer) is a freshman?" Tinsley said. "What a career he's got ahead of him."

Riverside Coach Dick Whitman pointed to breakdowns in coverage.

He expressed relief that when the clock read zero, his team still had the lead.

"We knew they wouldn't quit, and they've got the potential to score any time they snap the football," he said. "We knew that too.

"We always struggle against them and Scott (Tinsley) did a great job. . . Thank goodness we had more points than they did and that's what counts.

"We'll take it."