Expectations run high in Dry Fork

Weaver will be key as Trojans look to rebound from disappointing season

By JOE BIRCKHEAD
Register & Bee staff writer

DRY FORK, Va. - After one of its most disappointing seasons in recent years, Tunstall hopes to get back on the winning track in 2002.

Last season, the Trojans missed the playoffs for the first time in four years after finishing 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Piedmont District. But several of Tunstall’s losses were by a narrow margin and the Trojans could have easily finished 9-1 if a couple of bounces would have gone their way.

“We finished a disappointing 6-4 last year,” Brown said. “We had a couple of heart-breaking losses to F-C and Gretna. The Dan River game was close until they scored that last touchdown right there at the end. We could have won some of those games, but it’s a crazy game.” Tunstall will have many holes to fill heading into this season as it returns just three starters on offense.

The Trojans lost running backs Rontate Martin and Lawrence Waller to graduation, but they do return fullback Carlton Weatherford in the backfield. Last season while splitting carries with Waller and Martin, Weatherford gained 1,022 yards with 12 touchdowns on 65 attempts. He was first team all-Region IV as a linebacker and second team all-region as a fullback.

“Weatherford is going to get more carries this season. As he goes, I think we will go,” Brown said. “That’s not to say that we don’t have good people around him, but it’s no secret that we will depend on him a lot.” Those joining Weatherford in the backfield in the wingback spots will be Brandon Simpkins, Eddie Hairston, Mario Huffman and Gavin Butts.

Quarterback Brent Weaver also returns and he is the favorite to be the starting quarterback this year. Last season as a sophomore, Weaver was 64-for-89 passing for 843 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He will be challenged for the starting quarterback spot by Brian Robertson, who is up from the J.V. team.

“Brian Robertson and Brent Weaver will fight it out for quarterback. That is a tough battle, you might see one for one series and one the next series,” Brown said. “They both offer a lot of the same things. They are both good quarterbacks. They are both athletic, they can both run and they both can throw.” Robertson might play some wingback when Weaver is at quarterback.

Lucas Owen returns at split end, but he had a broken finger during preseason practices and he will need to get healthy to contribute. Dontae Carter and Dalton Hensley will also see playing time at the receiver slots.

T.J. Law will start at tight end to complement Owen in the passing game.

“I think our tight ends can offer some things and I think our wings can catch it pretty good. Once Owen gets healthy, we should get some production from our split end also," Brown said. “We like to run the ball, but I feel like we can throw it.” The offensive line lost all five starters, but the Trojans do have some big guys to put up front in their places. Allen Purgason (5-11, 200) will probably start at center with Marcus Huffman (5-
7, 175) and Chris Morton 6-2, 256) backing him up.

The guards will consist of Huffman, Michael Yates (6-1, 245) and Martin Pauley (5-10, 195). At the tackles will be Ron Borden (6-1, 278), Brandon Duncan (6-4, 216) and Mark Hall (5-7, 237).

“We’ve got some size on the line, we just have to get them some experience and get them used to playing together as a unit,” Brown said.

On defense, Tunstall will use a 4-4 scheme and depend heavily on its linebackers.

“The strength of our defense right now is that we return three starting linebackers,” Brown said. “In the split-four, your linebackers should be making most of the plays. They should be able to run free and make the plays.” Weatherford had 122 tackles last season, Hairston had 71 tackles despite playing in just seven games and Simpkins had51 tackles. Marcus Huffman should take the other starting linebacker spot and he had 28 tackles in limited duty last season.
The defensive line returns two starters in defensive tackle Morton and defensive end Pauley. Pauley could be moved to tackle this season and the end positions would be filled by Carter and Law.

The secondary returns a lot of experience with Weaver, Owen, Butts, Robertson and Durrell Adams all expected to contribute.

Second team all-district place kicker Thomas Hill returns to handle the kicking duties while Weatherford and Hensley will split the punting.

Tunstall will have as many as seven guys playing both ways and stamina is a major question mark.

“We have to find out which ones can hold up,” Brown said. “It would tickle us to death if we could play 11 guys on offense and different guys on defense, but that is not going to happen.” Tunstall opens Friday at Heritage.

Contact Joe Birckhead at jbir-ckhead@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311 ext. 3035.


Aug 31, 2002

Tunstall falls to Heritage in opener

By JOE BIRCKHEAD / Register & Bee staff writer

LYNCHBURG, Va. - When two evenly matched football teams square off, special teams and turnovers can make a world of difference.

The Tunstall football team learned this the hard way Friday night as four turnovers and three botched snaps on punt attempts gave Heritage a short field to work with on several occasions as the Pioneers posted a 19-6 win over the Trojans in the season opener for both teams.

"We failed to execute on special teams tonight. We work on special teams just as hard as everything else, but tonight for whatever reason we didn't get the job done," said Tunstall head coach Buddy Brown. "We dropped the snap three times. We have a young punter and a young deep snapper and I'm not trying to blame them for this loss. It was wet and the ball was slick, but the bottom line was that we couldn't hang onto the ball."

The Pioneers were able to hang onto the football a little bit better and they were able to establish their running game. Heritage finished the game with 198 total rushing yards while holding Tunstall to just 51 yards on the ground.

"Our running backs did a good job tonight," said Heritage head coach Chris Jones. "They ran the ball hard and they made the plays when they needed to."

Kevin Payne carried the ball nine times for 89 yards while Michael Gainey had 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Heritage established its running game on the first play from scrimmage as Payne broke free for a 50-yard run to get the ball to the Trojans' 22-yard line. Five plays later, quarterback Craig Ford carried the ball into the end zone to put the Pioneers up 7-0.

The Trojans were able to answer the Pioneers score as they put together a 13-play 68-yard drive on their first offensive possession of the night. On a third-and-13 play, Tunstall quarterback Brent Weaver found Carlton Weatherford down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown pass. However, there was a bad snap on the extra point attempt and Tunstall kicker Thomas Hill was unable to put the ball through the uprights as the score remained 7-6.

On the Trojans' second offensive possession of the night, Tunstall drove the ball down to the Pioneers' 26-yard line. But on a second-and-1 from the 26, Weaver fumbled the snap from center and Heritage recovered the football.

"We had a chance to score in the second quarter and we fumbled the ball deep in their territory," Brown said. "If we could have punched one in there, I think it would have given us a big lift."

Heritage was able to take advantage of a short field to get another score just before the half. Trojan punter Dalton Hensley could not handle the snap from center and Heritage recovered the fumble at the Tunstall 21-yard line. Then on fourth-and-2 from the 12-yard line, Payne took a pitchout from the quarterback and completed a halfback option pass to Donald Alexander to put the Pioneers up 13-6 at halftime.

The Pioneers scored their last touchdown of the night as Gainey broke a 23-yard run up the middle to get into the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Heritage's defense did the rest as they kept stacking the line of scrimmage to stop the Trojans' running attack. Weatherford led Tunstall in rushing as he picked up just 35 yards on 20 carries.

"Coming into the game we knew their fullback (Weatherford) was an excellent player and we geared our defense towards stopping him," Jones said. "Our defense came up big and did a good job tonight."

Tunstall will have a bye next week before returning to action on Sept. 13 against Gretna.

Contact Joe Birckhead at jbirckhead@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311 ext. 3035.

Heritage 19, Tunstall 6

First quarter

Heritage - Ford 5 run (Lucado kick) 7-0 8:29

Second quarter

Tunstall - Weatherford 30 pass from Weaver (kick failed) 7-6 9:06

Heritage - Alexander 12 pass from Payne (run failed) 13-6 1:31

Fourth quarter

Heritage - Gainey 23 run (run failed) 19-6 11:57

Tunstall Heritage

First downs 10 9

Rushes-yards 38-51 32-198

Passing yards 71 19

Comp-Att-Int 5-10-1 2-6-0

Fumbles-Lost 4-3 4-2

Penalities-yards 4-16 9-75

Individual statistics

Rushing - Tunstall, Weatherford 20-35, S. Robertson 5-17, Hensley 1-14, Huffman 5-(-1), Weaver 7-(-14). Heritage, Payne 9-89, Gainey 13-83, Ford 10-26.

Passing - Tunstall, Weaver 5-10-0-71. Heritage, Payne 1-1-0-12, Ford 1-5-0-7.

Receiving - Tunstall, Weatherford1-30, Huffman 2-19, Law 1-17, B. Roberston 1-5. Heritage, Alexander 1-12, Beasley 1-7.



This story can be found at: http://www.registerbee.com/sports/MGB7L9A1J5D.html


A dozen new coaches dot the high school football landscape in the area this season.
One of those is Chris Jones, the man who won a state title last season at Bath County.
This year Jones is at Heritage and tonight he opened up against Tunstall.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=51-Lynchburg/Tunstall vs. Heritage; :00]
The Heritage Hooligans were getting crazy at City Stadium tonight as they cheer on Chris Jones' first game as the Pioneers' head coach.
Already up 13-to-6 at halftime - the Heritage defense stuffs the Tunstall punter on fourth down as Mario Moore comes in with the big hit.
Then on offense quarterback Craig Ford gives the ball to Michael Gainey. He takes it 22 yards for the touchdown as the Pioneers take a 19-to-6 lead on the Trojans.
Then late in the fourth Tunstall would threaten.
[SUPER=52-Tunstall/6/Heritage/19;]
But Julius Beasley has different plans as he picks the ball off at the three yard line and makes the big return to seal the deal as Heritage gets the 19-to-6 win.
(------------)
[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD MATCHUP]
By the way, Jones had a connection to Tunstall before this game. When he was in college at Concord he blocked for former Friday Football Extra player of the week Chris Hairston - a Tunstall alum who while running behind Jones - became Concord's career rushing leader.



Sep 16, 2002

Gretna sneaks by Tunstall

Andy Bitter / Register & Bee sports writer

DRY FORK, Va. - After two weeks of little to no competition, Gretna passed its first true test of the season Friday over Tunstall ... just barely.

Vicqual Hall and Rico Reynolds each scored a touchdown in the last six minutes, as the Hawks squeaked by Tunstall 26-21.

"We never laid down and we kept fighting, and I'm glad about that," Gretna coach Robert Senseney said. "They came out here and made it a physical ballgame. And they were successful. They slowed us down and hit us in the mouth."

Trailing 21-14 in the fourth quarter, Hall reversed field on a quarterback keeper and tightroped the sideline for a 19-yard touchdown. The snap was bobbled on the extra point, however, and the kick never got off, as Tunstall held onto a one-point lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Gretna (3-0) managed to deaden the ball at Tunstall's 1-yard line. Tunstall returner Mario Huffman, hoping it would get into the end zone for a touchback, was forced to pick it up and only managed to get the ball out to the Trojans' 9-yard line.

Gretna's defense forced Tunstall into a three-and-out, and the Trojans punted after gaining only four yards. The Hawks' Marqueze Reeves returned the punt to Tunstall's 22-yard line and Gretna was in business.

After two runs that lost yards, Hall found Reeves over the middle on third-and-11 (his only pass attempt of the second half) for a 17-yard gain, setting up Reynolds' five-yard touchdown jaunt up the middle on the next play.

Tunstall failed to get the ball past the 50-yard line on its final possession and Gretna escaped with the win.

"The kids, they saw the moment," Senseney said of his team's comeback. "They saw that this was it. This was a big gameand it was time to rise up. And you can't coach that."

It was the second straight close loss for the Trojans (0-2), as they lost their opener to Heritage 19-6.

"My hats off to Gretna," Tunstall coach Buddy Brown said. "We played well, though. We took the fight to them and stayed in there. I just told our guys, if we play like we did tonight, we're going to win our share of games."

Tunstall's game plan coming into the game was to basically hit an untested Gretna defense in the mouth, and it worked remarkably well.

Tunstall's Carlton Weatherford took the bulk of the carries behind the Trojans' extremely physical offensive line, gaining 87 yards on 28 carries. Overall, the Trojans racked up 200 yards rushing in the game.

The Trojans' smashmouth offense worked from the get-go, as Tunstall marched down the field on the game's opening possession, going 66 yards on 15 plays (14 were on the ground) before quarterback Brent Weaver swept to the right for a 5-yard touchdown run.

Gretna responded in the second quarter, as Marlon Moon scored from two yards out after Hall completed a 40-yard pass to put the Hawks in scoring position. The teams went into the half tied at 7-7.

Reynolds, who finished with 137 yards on the ground, got Gretna's running game going in the second half, breaking a 72-yard run on the Hawks' first possession of the half to give them a 14-7 lead.

"At haltime, I said, 'Things are going bad and we're going to go back to what made us the team we are,'" Senseney said. "And that's running the ball. So that's what we did."

Tunstall, however, responded by moving down the field and getting into field goal position. Trojans kicker Thomas Hill had his kicked blocked, but in Gretna's premature celebration, Tunstall's Demetrius Carter picked up the ball and scored from 35 yards out. Since the ball didn't go past the line of scrimmage, Tunstall could advance it.

The extra point was also blocked, however, and the Trojans trailed 14-13.

The Trojans regained the lead in the fourth quarter, however, on a five-yard run by Weatherford. Weaver hit Lucas Owen on the two-point conversion, putting Tunstall up by seven and setting up Gretna's fourth-quarter comeback.

Gretna hosts Dan River next week, while Tunstall hosts Chatham.

Contact Andy Bitter at abitter@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311 Ext. 3086.

Gretna 26, Tunstall 21

Gretna 0 7 7 12 - 26

Tunstall 7 0 6 8 - 21

First Quarter

Tunstall - Weaver 5 run (Hill kick), 5:35

Second Quarter

Gretna - Moon 2 run (T. Reeves kick), 2:28

Third Quarter

Gretna - Reynolds 72 run (T. Reeves kick), 11:13

Tunstall - Carter 35 return (kick blocked), 9:28

Fourth Quarter

Tunstall - Weatherford 5 run (Weaver pass to Owen), 8:06

Gretna - Hall 19 run (run failed), 6:00

Gretna - Reynolds 5 run (kick blocked), 2:15

---

Gretna Tunstall

First downs 14 20

Rushes-yards 27-193 52-200

Passing 86 91

Comp-Att-Int 6-9-1 9-15-1

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 4-48 2-12

---

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -Gretna - Reynolds 15-137. Hall 8-47. Moon 4-9. Tunstall - Weatherford 28-87. Huffman 7-62. Simpkins 7-41. Weaver 7-6. Adams 1-4. B. Robertson 1-1. S. Robertson 1-(-1).

PASSING - Gretna - Hall 6-9-1-86. Tunstall - Weaver 9-15-1-91.

RECEIVING - Gretna - Reeves 2-57. Hubbard 1-21. Gilbert 1-9. Moon 1-4. Turner 1-(-2). Tunstall - Weatherford 4-62. Huffman 1-15. Law 1-9. S. Robertson 1-3. Owen 1-2.



This story can be found at: http://www.registerbee.com/sports/MGBMT1GM66D.html


Gretna 26

Tunstall 21

DRY FORK - Gretna (3-0) scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to slip past Tunstall (0-2) 26-21. Tunstall took a 21-14 lead in the fourth quarter when Carlton Weatherford scored on a five-yard touchdown and converted the two-point conversion.

However, Gretna answered with a 18-yard touchdown run by Vicqual Hall and a five-yard touchdown run from Rico Reynolds to lift the Hawks to a victory.

Reynolds finished the game with 137 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns.



This story can be found at: http://www.newsadvance.com/news/sports/MGB9PD0336D.html



Tunstall 47, Chatham 7 - no stories found


Tunstall 13, Martinsville 12

By DOUGLAS HAIRSTON - Bulletin Sports Editor

Martinsville will have to wait for another day for its first win -- again.

"We found a way to pull defeat from the jaws of victory," said a visibly frustrated coach Taylor Edwards.

The Tunstall Trojans completed a 14-yard touchdown pass with 57 seconds left on the clock to down the Bulldogs, 13-12, on homecoming night Friday at Dan Greene Stadium.

Taylor found the loss a particularly "tough pill to swallow" because that had been the Bulldogs most productive game of the season -- and a game that was in their control if the Bulldogs had made plays late.

Late in the fourth, Martinsville held a 12-7 lead and the ball on its own 18. Behind the strong running of sophomore Steven Henderson and freshman Corenzo Gamble, Martinsville ate up yardage and time as the team moved the ball out to its own 42 with just over five minutes remaining.

But on first and 10, Gamble fumbled the ball at the end of a seven yard run, giving the Trojans possession at Martinsville's 48 with 5:11 remaining.

Aided by a 25-yard pass on second and 20 at its own 43 yard line, the Trojans mounted a drive of their own. However, on fourth and seven at Martinsville's 25, Trojan QB Brent Weaver hit tight end T.J. Law over the middle. But Law fumbled, giving the ball back to Martinsville at its own 10 yard line with 2:42 left.

Martinsville was unable to move the ball on the turnover and after three plays and out, the Bulldogs punted to midfield with 1:34 remaining.

A pass interference call against Martinsville enabled Tunstall to move the ball down to Martinsville's 35 at the 1:21 mark.

Weaver again hooked up with Law to move the ball to the 14. It was on second and ten at the 14 that Weaver tossed a floater down the left side line which wingback Brandon Simpkins ran under for the go-ahead touchdown.

Tunstall elected to go for a two-point conversion that failed, leaving 49 seconds on the clock.

"Even then I thought we had a chance," said Edwards, as a field goal could have given the Dogs the win.

But on the ensuing kickoff, Tunstall kicked a line drive that hit a Martinsville up-back's foot and bounced back to a Tunstall player, allowing the Trojans to run out the clock.

Tunstall coach Buddy Brown said his team "showed a lot of poise" on the go-ahead drive, attributing his team's composure to a returning quarterback, two running backs and several lineman.

Martinsville's offense, which had been stagnant over its first three games, jumped out of the gate with the game's first touchdown on an 83-yard run by Henderson on its opening possession. The Bulldogs failed on the conversion.

Tunstall came back in the first quarter to cap a drive on a five yard scoring run by fullback Carlton Weatherford, giving the Trojans a 7-6 lead after a successful extra point conversion.

The Trojans carried the 7-6 lead into the locker room at the half.

In the third quarter, Martinsville quarterback Jay Carter ran around to the right side for a 10-yard touchdown run that capped a drive that began at Martinsville 28, giving Martinsville a 12-7 lead.

"Winning is contagious and so is losing. Right now, we just got to get a win," said Edwards, as his team takes its 0-4 record on the road to face Fieldale-Collinsville.

The Trojans (2-2, 1-0 in the district) host Bassett High School on Friday.


    Tunstall 13, Martinsville 12: The visiting Trojans punched in a touchdown with 49 seconds remaing to claim a Piedmont District win over the winless Bulldogs in Martinsville.

    Brandon Simpkins reeled in a 15-yard pass from Brent Weave as time wound down in the final quarter to put Tunstall (2-2, 1-0) up by one point. Carlton Weatherford scored on a 10-yard run in the opening quarter for the other Trojans touchdown.

    Steven Henderson racked up 113 yards for Martinsville (0-4, 0-1), including an 84-yard gallop for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jay Carter added the other Bulldogs score on a 10-yard run.

   

   Tunstall 7 0 0 6 - 13

   Martinsville 6 0 6 0 - 12

   M-Henderson 84 run (pass failed)

   T-Weatherford 10 run (Hill kick)

   M-Carter 10 run (run failed)

   T-Simpkins 15 pass from Weaver (run failed)

   



Tunstall 38, Bassett 6 - no stories found


Tunstall 39, Dan River 0 - no stories found


Magna Vista 41, Tunstall 9

By MICHAEL P. WRAY
Special To The Bulletin

In a game that featured a battle of the running backs and stingy defenses, the Magna Vista Warriors defeated the Tunstall Trojans 41-9 Friday in Dry Fork.

The first half of the game appeared to be a battle of the defenses. Neither team was able to sustain a successful drive until late in the first quarter when Magna Vista went deep in the air. Quarterback Alexay Hairston hooked up with Michael Penn on a 88-yard touchdown with 2:37 left in the first quarter.

Tunstall's offense seemed to be promising early in the game as it relied on the strong running of running backs Carlton Weatherford and Brandon Simpkins. The two tailbacks ground out yardage against a stingy Warrior defense all night, combining for 148 of Tunstall's total offense.

"They have two good hard-nosed tailbacks and they bring it. They have also done a good job coaching that young offensive line," Warriors' coach Joe Beckelheimer said of Weatherford and Simpkins.

Tunstall's most promising drive came in the second quarter when the offense marched 59 yards which led to a 22-yard field goal by Stewart Robinson.

The Warriors got the ball back with :36 left in the half and in no time put points on the board.

Bucky Mann started the Warriors off on the kickoff as he returned the ball to Tunstall's 48-yard line, leaving the offense just enough time to get down the field. On 4-10 Hairston went deep in the air to connect again with Penn for a 45-yard reception, leaving the Warriors first and goal from their own 3-yard line. With the clock running out, Hairston rolled to his right and found Penn in the end zone to give the Warriors a 14-3 lead going into the half.

In the second half it was all Magna Vista. The Warriors came out and scored three touchdowns in the third quarter while holding the Tunstall offense to 31 yards.

"In the second half we were able to adjust some formations and change some blocking patterns, hoping to stop their run," Beckelheimer said of his adjustments at half-time.

Mann started off the third quarter with a touchdown as he scattered up the middle untouched for a 62-yard run, giving the warriors a 20-6 lead with11:09 left in the third quarter.

After forcing the Trojan offense to punt, the Warriors had another powerful drive. Led by the strong runs of B.J. Jumper and Quinton Preston, the Warriors marched 64-yards down the field before Hairston hooked up with Mann on a 36-yard touchdown pass. The Warriors led 28-3 after a successful two-point conversion.

Jumper added two touchdowns for the Warriors. The first was a 33-yard run around the outside; the second was a one-yard scatter up the middle. Magna Vista kicker Kyle Zehr was three for four.

The Trojans added one more touchdown before the end of the game when reserve quarterback Brian Robertson found Weatherford for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 5:41 left in the game. After a failed extra point, the score was 41-9 with the Warriors on top.

1 2 3 4
MAGNA VISTA 7 7 21 6- 41
TUNSTALL 0 3 0 6-9

MV T
FIRST DOWNS 8 17
INTERCEPTION 0 1
RUSHING 224 127
PASSING 124 169
FUMBLES-LOST 0-0 1-1
COMP-ATT 5-12 7-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-MAGNA VISTA, Jumper 16-125, Q. Preston 12-50, B. Mann 3-58, Ma. Penn 2-2, Thomas 1-1; TUNSTALL, Weatherfield 23-77, Simpkins 12-55, Huffman 2-6, Weaver 2-14, Carter 2-7, Robertson 1-2
RECEIVING-MAGNA VISTA, Mi. Penn 2-91, Jumper 1-40, Mann 1-36, Johnson 1-45; TUNSTALL, Huffman 3-118, Weatherford 3-54, Law 1-(-3)
PASSING-MAGNA VISTA, A. Hairston 5-12-0, TUNSTALL, Weaver 6-17-1, Robertson 1-3-0


    Magna Vista 41, Tunstall 9: Michael Penn reeled in three touchdown passes from Alexay Hairston as the Warriors thumped the host Trojans in a matchup of Piedmont District foes in Tunstall.

    Hairston completed six of 13 pass attempts for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Penn had TD catches of 88, 36 and 3 yards.

    Bucky Mann had a 63-yard touchdown run for Magna Vista (6-1, 4-0). B.J. Jumper had 107 yards rushing, including scoring gallops of 1 and 32 yards.

    Carlton Weatherford hauled in the only touchdown for Tunstall (4-3, 3-1) on a 36-yard pass from Brian Robertson in the fourth quarter. Thomas Hill had a 28-yard field goal.

   

   Magna Vista 7 7 21 6-41

   Tunstall 0 3 0 6- 9

   MV-Penn 88 pass from Hairston (Zehr kick)

   Tun-FG Hill 28

   MV-Penn 3 pass from Hairston (Zehr kick)

   MV-Mann 63 run (kick failed)

   MV-Penn 36 pass from Hairston (Hairston run)

   MV-Jumper 32 run (Zehr kick)

   MV-Jumper 1 run (kick failed)

   Tun-Weatherford 36 pass from Robertson (kick failed)

   



Oct 26, 2002

Tunstall smacks Cavaliers

Trojans fullback Carlton Weatherford helps his team win in a smashmouth battle with Fieldale-Collinsville.

By JOE BIRCKHEAD / Register & Bee staff writer

COLLINSVILLE, Va. - With rains pouring down all night, the Tunstall and Fieldale-Collinsville football game turned into a battle of power running.

Both teams felt that they had just the guy to win this type of a smashmouth slugfest.

In one corner sat the Cavaliers with sophomore fullback Melvin "Smacky" Thomas. In the other corner was the Trojans with senior fullback Carlton Weatherford. With two of the top fullbacks in the Piedmont District going head-to-head it came which team had the most heart and determination.

In the end, after all the slipping and sliding was done, Tunstall proved that its style of play was more suited for wet weather as the Trojans erased a 3-0 halftime lead to post a 14-3 win over Fieldale-Collinsville, Friday.

Tunstall (5-3 overall, 4-1 Piedmont) force-fed Fieldale-Collinsville a steady dose of Weatherford as he carried the ball 26 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns -- running primarily between the tackles.

"You can't really do a lot of east-west stuff on a night like tonight," said Tunstall head coach Buddy Brown. "It's hard to pull your lineman and they loaded up the box against us. But I thought that Brandon Simpkins and Mario Huffman threw some crushing blocks to get Carlton going."

Both teams struggled to sustain an offensive drive during the first half. Fieldale-Collinsville (5-3, 2-3) put together a 13-play drive to get the ball down to the Tunstall nine-yard line at the beginning of the second quarter. The Tunstall defense held inside the red zone, but Cavaliers' kicker Barry Joyce was able to connect on a 26-yard field goal for the only scoring of the first half.

"We kind of held on and held on. We knew that we were in trouble, but we just didn't want to give them a touchdown," Brown said. "We felt like if we could get a defensive stop that we could move the football."

In the second half, the Trojans' defense came alive as they held F-C to a three-and-out on the first series of the third quarter. The Trojans capitalized by putting together a nine-play, 60-yard drive to get into the end zone. On a fourth down-and-five from the Cavaliers' 21-yard line, Weatherford took a toss sweep to his left and broke free down the sideline for a touchdown to give Tunstall a 7-3 lead.

The Tunstall defense continued to be aggressive as it clogged up the Cavaliers' running lanes to shut down Thomas. Thomas finished the game with 18 carries for 73 yards, but he had just 25 yards in the second half.

"We got after him a little bit and it just came down to effort," Brown said. "We laid our ears back and played because when 30 (Thomas) gets his wheels going, he is tough."

After just four offensive plays on their next series, the Cavaliers were forced to punt. Tunstall came up with a big special teams play as Mario Huffman burst through the line to block the punt. Marcus Huffman scooped up the ball and returned it to the Cavaliers' 8-yard line.

"That was a huge play. On a night like tonight, field position is such a big factor and in the first half we didn't have it and they did," Brown said. "We just felt like we had to get one and when we got that second one it was huge."

Three plays after the blocked punt, Weatherford scored his second touchdown of the night on a six-yard run.

The Trojan defense continued to control the tempo for the rest of the night as F-C never threatened to get back into the game.

Next week the Trojans will host Patrick County in another key Piedmont District affair.

Contact Joe Birckhead at jbirckhead@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311 ext. 3035.

@AGATE:

Tunstall 14, Fieldale-Collinsville 3

Tunstall0 0 14 0-14

F-C0 3 0 0-3

Second Quarter

F-C - Joyce 26 FG, 8:04

Third Quarter

Tunstall - Weatherford 21 run (Hill kick), 4:08

Tunstall - Weatherford 6 run (Hill kick), 1:03

---

Tunstall F-C

First downs ‚‚11 ‚ ‚ 8

Rushes-yards46-153 ‚32-79

Passing ‚8 ‚ ‚ 36

Comp-Att-Int 2-6-0 5-13-1

Fumbles-Lost ‚ 1-0 ‚2-0

Penalties-Yards ‚5-25 ‚ 4-25

---

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Tunstall - Weatherford 26-142, Simpkins 7-16, Huffman 3-10, Hensley 1-(-3), Weaver 10-(-12). F-C - Thomas 18-73, Craighead 3-9, Kidd 4-5, Taylor 1-3, Wimbush 1-0, Yellock 6-(-11).

PASSING - Tunstall - Weaver 2-7-0-8. F-C - Yellock 5-13-36-1.

RECEIVING - Tunstall - B. Robertson 1-7, Law 1-1. F-C - Dillard 3-23, Joyce 2-13.



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Tunstall 14, F-C 3

By CHRISTIAN DOLLARHITE
Bulletin Sports Writer

Fighting a grueling battle against not only each other, but with Mother Nature, Tunstall and Fieldale-Collinsville waged a battle of groudfare Friday night at Cavalier Field. After all the slipping and sliding was done, Tunstall proved more suited for wet weather as the Trojans erased a 3-0 halftime deficit to post a 14-3 Piedmont District win over the Cavaliers.

Through a constant downpour, Weatherford, along with F-C's Smacky Thomas, helped turn the contest into a battle of smashmouth power running. With two of the top fullbacks in the Piedmont District going head-to-head, it took a standout performance from Weatherford to rally the Trojans.

The senior Tunstall fullback ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns as Tunstall (5-3 overall, 4-1 Piedmont) force-fed the Cavs what looked like a Frank Beamer playbook.

"You can't really do a lot of east-west stuff on a night like tonight," said Tunstall head coach Buddy Brown. "It's hard to pull your lineman and they loaded up the box against us. We just tried to focus more on running north to south and fortunately that worked for us. My hat's off to F-C. They played a heck of a tough game."

Both teams struggled to sustain an offensive drive during the first half. Fieldale-Collinsville (5-3, 2-3) put together a 13-play drive to get the ball down to the Tunstall nine-yard line at the beginning of the second quarter.

The Trojans defense held strong inside their red zone, but Cavaliers' kicker Barry Joyce was able to connect on a 26-yard field goal for the only scoring of the first half.

"We just held on and held on. We knew that we were in trouble, but we just didn't want to give 'em a touchdown," Brown said.

"We felt like if we could get a defensive stop then we could move the football in the second half."

The Trojans' defense came alive as they held F-C to three-and-out on the first series of the third quarter. The Trojans offense capitalized by putting together a nine-play, 60-yard drive to get into the end zone. On a fourth down-and-five from the Cavaliers' 21-yard line, Weatherford took a toss sweep to his left and broke free down the sideline for a touchdown to give Tunstall a 7-3 lead.

Tunstall's defense continued to aggressively close down the Cavaliers' running lanes. That, in effect, helped shut down Thomas. The sophomore finished the game with 18 carries for 73 yards, but he had just 25 yards in the second half.

Brown thought that to be one of the keys in Tunstall's victory.

"We laid our ears back and played because when 30 (Thomas) gets his wheels going, he's tough," he said.

After the Cavaliers were forced to punt, Tunstall came up with a big play on special teams as Mario Huffman burst through the line to block the punt. Marcus Huffman scooped up the ball and returned it to the Cavaliers' 8-yard line.

Three plays later, Weatherford busted through for his second touchdown of the night on a six-yard run.

Next week the Trojans will host Patrick County in another key Piedmont District game.


    Tunstall 14, Fieldale-Collinsville 3: Carl Weathford ran for two third-quarter touchdowns to give the Trojans (5-3, 4-1) a Piedmont District win in Collinsville.

    Barry Joyce kicked a 24-yard field goal for the Cavaliers (5-3, 2-3). Melvin Thomas ran for 75 yards on 18 carries for the Cavaliers.

   

   Tunstall 0 0 14 0 - 14

   Fieldale-Collinsville 3 0 0 0 - 3

   FC-Joyce 24 FG

   T-Weathford 10 run (Weever kick)

   T-Weathford 6 run (Weever kick)

   



Nov 1, 2002

Tunstall rallies for win

A blocked punt return late in the game gives the Trojans a 20-14 win

JOE BIRCKHEAD / Register & Bee staff writer

DRY FORK, Va. -- The World Series has been over for nearly a week now and several people have been wondering what the Rally Monkey has been up to since then. On Friday night he made a visit to Dry Fork to help Tunstall's cause.

Just when it looked as if the Trojans were destined for defeat, Stephen Keen blocked a punt with 48 seconds remaining in the contest and Eddie Hairston scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown as Tunstall pulled out an improbable 20-14 win over Patrick County in Piedmont District action, Friday.

"It's a crazy game. I feel like we have been on the short end of luck a couple of times earlier this year and it was with us tonight," said Tunstall head coach Buddy Brown. "These kids played hard and they deserved to win."

Trailing 14-13 with under four minutes left to play, Tunstall (6-3 overall, 5-1 Piedmont) faced a fourth down-and-15 from its own 39-yard line and was forced to punt. Patrick County (4-5, 4-2) ran the ball three straight times to pick up a first down and chew up the clock. After picking up the first down, the Cougars ran the ball three more times to take more time off the clock, but they could not pick up another first down and brought the punt team onto the field.

"We knew that our only shot would be to block the punt," Brown said. "We were going after it, there wasn't any question about it. We have a good little field goal kicker and we felt like if we could get it down on that end with the wind to our backs we could knock it through."

Tunstall decided to go for the punt block and they brought the house. The Trojans had nobody back to return the kick and they placed all their chips on getting a successful block. A host of Trojans broke through the line of scrimmage and got into the Patrick County backfield. Keen was able to get a hand on the punt and knock it down. As a mad scramble ensued to recover the loose ball, the football squirted through several players' mitts before Hairston was able to seize control of it at the 12-yard line and take it in for a score.

"We just decided to go for it. We got the block and the ball kept rolling around and we picked it up and took it to the end zone for the win," Hairston said. "We just didn't lose hope and we played with heart. I give credit to everybody on this team, it was a team win."

Patrick County had a final chance for a rally of its own. Dustin Cooper returned the ensuing kickoff to the Cougar 47-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback William Rodgers threw a pass deep down the field to Andrew Taylor. Taylor attempted to make a diving catch on the play and while laying on the ground, the ball bounced off of him and Tunstall's Gavin Butts intercepted it to seal the win.

Patrick County was able to take control of the game in the second quarter behind the running of tailback McKinley Brim, who finished the game with 38 carries for 170 yards. A 24-yard run by Brim set Patrick County up with a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Brandon Radford scored to put the Cougars up 6-0.

Tunstall answered with a seven-play, 64-yard drive to get on the scoreboard. Facing a fourth-and-23, the Trojans made a gutsy call by giving the ball to Carlton Weatherford on a draw play. Weatherford broke the play for 42 yards to get down to the Cougars' 3-yard line. On the next play, Weatherford finished the drive with a three yard run off the left side of the offensive line. Thomas Hill made the extra point and Tunstall led 7-6.

With 1:06 remaining in the first half, Brim scored on a 2-yard run and he also added a two-point conversion run to give Patrick County a 14-6 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Weatherford scored on a 58-yard touchdown burst for what appeared to be a game-tying score. However, Hill's extra point attempt was blocked and Patrick County clinged to a 14-13 lead.

Weatherford finished the night with 14 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns to lead Tunstall offensively. Brandon Simpkins also had a strong performance in the second half as he finished with six carries for 40 yards.

The win was not all good news for Tunstall as the Trojans lost two of its key players to injuries. Split end Brian Robertson suffered a knee injury and Mario Huffman was carted off the field by an ambulance with a hip injury.

"That's two good football players and they will be missed," Brown said. "I'm happy, but it is a bitter-sweet victory because my thoughts are with those kids that were hurt."

The Trojans will conclude the regular season next week as they travel to Laurel Park. Contact Joe Birckhead at jbirckhead@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311 ext. 3035.



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Tunstall 20, Patrick Co. 14

By DOUGLAS HAIRSTON
Bulletin Sports Editor

In a game with serious playoff implications for both the Patrick County and Tunstall high school football teams, the Cougars pulled defeat from the jaws of victory Friday in Dry Fork.

With 48 seconds remaining and holding a 14-13 lead, Patrick County gave up a blocked punt, which Eddie Hairston scooped up and ran for a Tunstall touchdown, giving the Trojans a 20-14 come-from-behind victory.

Both teams entered the game vying for a playoff spot with identical 4-1 district records, each having lost to Piedmont District front-runner Magna Vista.

"We still have a chance, but we are going to need some help from other teams," said an incensed Patrick County coach Mike Souma.

With giddy relief, Tunstall coach Buddy Brown said, "It's a crazy game. I feel like we've been on the short end of luck a couple of times this year, and it was with us tonight."

Despite the fortuitous bounce of the pigskin, Tunstall had rolled the dice on blocking the punt, even pulling their punt receiver up to the line. "We knew our only shot would be to block the punt," Brown said. "We were going after it, there wasn't any question about it."

However, Brown wasn't thinking touchdown, but field goal. "We have a good little field goal kicker, and we felt like if we could get it down on that end, we could kick it through," he said.

What Brown got instead was a block, a scramble for the ball, a 13-yard touchdown and a likely Region IV playoff birth.

What Brown and his Trojans had gotten up to then was a steady dose of Cougar running back McKinley Brim, running behind the right side of his offensive line. Brim rolled up 165 yards on 38 carries.

"They certainly picked on us on that side," Brown said.

The game turned out to be a match up of Cougars' ball control against the Trojans' big plays.

After a scoreless first quarter, Patrick County jumped on top 6-0 with a 12-play drive that started late in the first quarter on their own 39 yard line and concluded at the 9:59 mark in the second quarter, when fullback Brandon Radford burst into the end zone from one yard out.

Tunstall answered in the second quarter with a draw up the middle to Carlton Weatherford.

Weatherford, who rushed for just more than 150 yards, broke the play for 42 yards before being dragged down at Patrick County's three yard line.

Thomas Hill kicked the extra point, giving the Trojans a 7-6 lead at the 6:45 mark.

The Cougars took the kickoff and put together a 13-play scoring drive that virtually chewed up the rest of the second quarter.
Brim capped the drive with two-yard touchdown. He also tagged on a two-point conversion run, giving the Cougars a 14-7 half-time lead.

In the third quarter, Weatherford struck again at the 8:40 mark with a 58-yard touchdown, making the score 14-13 and setting up the game-saving punt-block and touchdown for the Trojans.


    Tunstall 20, Patrick County 14: Carlton Weatherford ran for 157 yards on 14 carries as the Trojans knocked off the Cougars in a battle in the Piedmont District.

    Weatherford ran for two touchdowns for Tunstall (6-3, 5-1).

    McKinley Brim rushed for a game-high 170 yards and one TD on 38 carries for Patrick County (4-5, 4-2).

   

   Patrick County 0 14 0 0 - 14

   Tunstall 0 7 6 7 - 20

   PC-Radford 1 run (kick failed)

   T-Weatherford 3 run (Hill kick)

   PC-Brim 2 run (Brim run)

   T-Weatherford 58 run (kick blocked)

   T-Hairston 12 return of blocked punt (Hill kick)

   



Tunstall 34, Laurel Park 0

The Tunstall football team saved its most impressive game for last as they shut out the Laurel Park Lancers 34-0 Friday night to earn a Region IV playoff berth.

After beginning the season 0-2, Tunstall won seven of its last eight games. The Trojans will be the No. 3 seed in the Division 4 playoffs and they will travel to Richlands next Friday.

"We're rollin' right now," said Tunstall fullback Carlton Weatherford. "I think we've done a great job coming back from that 0-2 start. The coaches have done a great job and so have the players.

"I hope this will carry over into the playoffs."

Weatherford was instrumental in the Trojans' win as he passed the 1,000-yard mark for the 2002 season. He finished the night with 11 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.

"The whole team played very well," said Weatherford. "It was a good team effort. Things are looking up for us."

Tunstall led 14-0 after the first quarter thanks to a running score from Weatherford and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brent Weaver, who was 5-5 passing for 92 yards.

"Brent's a gamer. He comes through when he has to," said Tunstall coach Buddy Brown. "We needed a big game from him and he executed it perfectly."

Tunstall continued to rack up points in the second quarter as Weatherford scored again on a 35-yard run. On the ensuing drive, Tunstall's Marcus Huffman intercepted a pass from Laurel Park's Stephen Carter and high-stepped 29 yards for another Trojan touchdown.

"When you're playing a team that is struggling--the longer you let them stay in the ballgame, the more confidence they get," Brown said. "I thought our kids carried the plan out to perfection."

"We've got our work cut out for us when we go to Richlands," Brown said. "They're a typical southwest Virginia football team. They're big and physical and they play smashmouth football."


Nov 9, 2002

Playoff bound!

Tunstall ensures itself a Region IV playoff berth with a 34-0 pummeling of Laurel Park.

By JOE BIRKCHEAD
/ Register & Bee staff writer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - After taking a year off, the Tunstall football team is back in the Region IV playoffs after an impressive 34-0 win over Laurel Park, Friday.

After starting the season 0-2, Tunstall (7-3 overall, 6-1 Piedmont) won seven of its final eight contest and it seems to be on quite a roll. The Trojans earned the No. 3 seed in the Region IV, Division 4 playoffs and they will travel to Richlands at 7 p.m. next Friday.

"I think we have done a great job coming back from the 0-2 start. The coaches have done a great job and so have the players," said Tunstall fullback Carlton Weatherford. "We've all worked hard in practice and we're rolling right now. I hope that will carry over to the playoffs."

Weatherford was the key weapon of Tunstall's offensive attack. Needing just 52 yards to eclipse the 1,000 mark for the season, Weatherford finished the game with 11 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He was also a force as a receiver out of the backfield as he caught two passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.

"The whole team played really well, things just opened up and I ran hard," Weatherford said. "It was a team effort and things are looking up for us."

Tunstall got off to a fast start and led 14-0 after the first quarter. Weatherford scored on a three yard run and then he hauled in a 21-yard pass from Brent Weaver, who was 5-for-5 passing for 92 yards.

"We needed that from Brent and we're going to need to throw the ball from now on," said Tunstall head coach Buddy Brown. "Brent's a gamer and he come through when he has to."

In the second quarter, the Trojans continued to pile points on the scoreboard as Weatherford scored on a 35-yard run with 10 minutes left in the half.

On the second play of the ensuing drive, Tunstall's Marcus Huffman intercepted a pass by Laurel Park's Stephen Carter and returned it 29 yards for a score.

"When you play a team that is struggling -- the longer you let them stay in the ballgame, the more confidence they get," Brown said. "I thought our kids carried the plan out to perfection."

Then after holding the Lancers to a three-and-out on the next series, Weaver returned a punt 53 yards for a touchdown to put Tunstall ahead 34-0.

"Usually I'll just let the ball roll dead, but I saw an opening down the sideline, so I picked up the ball and ran with it," Weaver said.

The Trojans played many of its reserves in the second half and failed to put any more points on the scoreboard after halftime.

Richlands finished second in the Southwest District behind Graham. But, Graham plays in Division 3 of Region IV, so Richlands still qualified for the playoffs. Richlands finished with more points in the VHSL power ratings, therefore it gets to host the game.

"We've got our work cut out for us when we go to Richlands," Brown said. "I've seen them briefly on film and they're typical southwest Virginia football -- they're big and physical and they play smashmouth. But, they do have an excellent quarterback that has good feet. He can run and he can throw."

Contact Joe Birckhead at jbirckhead@registerbee.com or (434) 793-2311 ext. 3035.

This story can be found at: http://www.registerbee.com/sports/MGBYL20GC8D.html



GOOD LUCK