by Bill Turner
High school football moves into December and that can only mean one thing – the VHSL state semifinal showdown Saturday.
Cave Spring is the sole man standing from the Roanoke area. The Knights have another tough task this Saturday as the Brookville Bees swarm into Dwight Bogle Stadium for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. Brookville (12-0) eliminated Northside last Friday night at Jim Hickam Field, 21-7. It was the second year in a row they accomplished that feat on the Northside turf.
In the coalfields of Southwest Virginia, Cave Spring (9-3) reversed their fortunes from last year against previously unbeaten Richlands, with an impressive 35-21 win. Cave Spring has now knocked off two unbeatens in their last four games. Previously, it was the state’s #1 ranked AA team, Christiansburg, in their next-to-last regular season contest.
Can the Knights pitch the three-peat against Brookville? With the forecast for sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s, this should be a picture-perfect setting for what is expected to be a shootout leading to the Division 3 final at Liberty University.
Brookville brings a pair of double-digit touchdown rushers to Bogle in Michael Carwile and Hilson Atkins. But even their combined total is well below the 38 TD runs Cave Spring’s Sam Wright has put on the scoreboard. Wright accounted for over 300 yards and all five touchdowns against Richlands. Brookville is touted as the favorite, but #28 for Cave Spring can change things in a hurry.
Now, let’s move to the college scene, where questions poured in to the mailbag on Virginia Tech and ACC football.
Dear Wild Bill: Did the Tech-UVa outcome surprise you? (Adam/Roanoke)
Answer: Tech winning, no. The score, yes. It appeared UVa was content on knowing it was bowl eligible, irregardless of the outcome.
Who’s now the big dog in ACC football? (Sam/Blacksburg) Answer: You guess is as good as any, Sam. The ACC has tried to hang its crown on everyone from Florida State to Georgia Tech to Va. Tech to Clemson. When you consider schedules and performance, there’s been no clear-cut standout.
What’s been the biggest surprise in the ACC this year? (Jack/Montvale)
Answer: I’d say this week’s announcement of the All-ACC First-Team defense. Not a single member of Bud Foster’s lunch pail group made the squad. Odd that a team that was talking BCS title game as recently as last week wouldn’t have a single member on the conference list. Either someone in Blacksburg or someone in the ACC All-Star voting regimen is pulling our legs.
Think Tech can beat Clemson on Saturday? (Bob/Lynchburg)
Answer: With ease. Clemson, like several other ACC football teams this year has totally imploded.
Send your Orange Bowl questions to: [email protected]