By RODNEY YOUNG
Patriot Publishing
Playing for the first time in three weeks, the Radford Bobcats for three quarters played perhaps their best game of the season. The game started on a mostly cloudy evening but the weather changed in the fourth quarter to a pouring down rain. Radford up 31-0 after three quarters would hold on for a 38-22 victory over the visiting Knights of James River.
It seemed like the harder it rained in the fourth quarter the better the Knights played. They would outscore the Bobcats 22-7 in the quarter as running back Gavin Binns would score three touchdowns on runs of 4, 32 and 57 yards. He would finish the game with 185 rushing yards on 28 carries. He had 129 of those yards in the fourth quarter.
Radford played without some of its starters including their top two quarterbacks, who were out with injuries. Third string quarterback sophomore Brady Sutherland got the start and he was playing with a cast on his right wrist. He was six-for-six passing in the first half for 51 yards and threw a touchdown to Colton Garner-Rollins.
Backup quarterback Tucker Williams would throw for 63 yards in the half and also threw a touchdown to Rollins.
Placekicker Louis Webster got the Bobcats on the scoreboard first hitting a 32-yard field goal at 7:10 of the opening quarter.
Radford would score again to make it 10-0 as Williams would hit Garner-Rolllins on a swing pass and thanks to a missed tackle, he would race 50 yards to paydirt.
On their next possession, James River would drive and attempted to throw a pass in the endzone. Sophomore Pace Prioleau would intercept it one yard deep in the endzone. Prioleau took the ball out. James River tried to tackle him around the three yard line, but his knee was never down. Prioleau spun around and raced down the Radford sideline on his way to a 101- yard touchdown interception. That made it 17-0 Radford, with 9:44 left in the second period.
Radford would then score with just six seconds before intermission when Sutherland found Garner-Rollins openover the middle in the endzone for a two-yard touchdown pass. Radford would go into intermission up 24-0. Their defense had held the Knights to just 76 total yards.
Receiving the second half kickoff the Bobcats would drive 88 yards on eight plays capped off with a Sutherland to Trenton Carter five-yard touchdown pass. Louis Webster’s point after kick made the score 31-0.
James River would finally get on the scoreboard when a bad snap from center sailed over the Radford quarterback’s head into the endzone. Sutherland would pick the ball up but before he could throw the ball, Jayden Alston would tackle him for a safety.
The Knights would then get the ball on their own 43 yard line. Binns took the handoff, made a zig-zag move and raced his way on a 57-yard scamper. QB Merit Hammons would then find tight end Landon Dillow for the two-point conversion pass. The Knights had scored 10 points in just 14 seconds and had cut their deficit to 31-10.
Radford (3-1) would then strike with their answer as William Dehart-Lewis ran 20-yards for six and Webster’s kick put the Cats up 38-10 with 7:07 to go in the contest.
James River would answer that as Binns would get loose again and ramble in from 32 yards for a score. The point after snap was fumbled, and it was 38-16 with 4:52 to go.
The Knights (3-2) would then intercept a Radford pass by Wyatt Dewhirst at the 30 yard line. Four plays later Binns once again would cross the goal line, this time from four yards out. Their two-point pass was incomplete with 1:12 left in the game and the score at 38-22 Radford.
Radford would finally run the clock out as they had earned the homecoming win.
“I thought for three quarters we played perhaps our best game,” said Radford head coach Michael Crist.
“Sutherland (Brady) and Tucker (Williams) stepped up tonight . They’ve been working hard to get better and tonight that hard work paid off. We challenged the guys the last three weeks and I told them we have to improve and get better.”
Radford got 214 yards passing from their two backup quarterbacks, Sutherland and Wiliams.
The Bobcats will go on the road to take on William Byrd Friday, Oct. 3.
Radford 10 14 7 7 -38
James River 0 0 0 -22- 22
Rad.- Webster- 32 FG
Rad.- Garner-Rollins- 50 pass from Willams( Webster kick)
Rad.- Prioleau – 101 yd- interception ( Webster kick)
Rad. Garner-Rollins- 2 pass from Sutherland ( Webster kick)
Rad.-Carter- 5 pass from Sutherland- (Webster kick)
J.River- Alston Safety
- River – Binns- 57 run ( 2-pt. conv.-Dillow pass from Hammons )
Rad. – Dehart-Lewis – 20 run- (Webster kick)
- River- Binns- 32 run- ( bad snap)
- River – 4 run- (2pt. pass no good)
Rushing– Radford – McGuire 13-37, Dehart-lewis 8024, Kimbrough 1-1, Brown 1-1, Sutherland – 1 -mius ( -25), James River – Binns – 28-185, Hammons- 10-28, Wilson -1-3
Passing – Radford – Sutherland – 13-16 – 1 Int. 2-TDS.- 144 yds, Williams – 5-9-1 Int. 1 Td. -70 yds., James River – Hammons – 9-18- 1 Int. 0 Tds. – 52 yds.
Receptions – Radford – Prioleau 6-56, Carter 4-75, Garner- Rollins 3-60, McGuire 2-11, Hendricks 1-3, Brown 2-9, James River – Merchant 1-4, Ward 3-19, Stewart 2-8, Orange 1-9, Painter 1-11, Alston 1-1
First downs – Radford 14, James River 12
Fumbles / lost – Radford 4 / 1, James River 0 / 0
Penalties – Radford – 7-65 yds., James River -8-55 yds.
Total yds. – Radford 252. James River 268
Rushes/ yds. – Radford – 24-38, James River- 39-216
Punts/ Avg. – Radford – 2 / 21.0, James River – 6 / 27.8
