By JED LOCKETT
SALEM, Va. — In the second half of their regular season, the Graham G-Men overcame an 0-5 start to finish 4-1 down the stretch, make the playoffs and beat Tazewell in the first round of the postseason. However, it was missed opportunities that led to the end of Graham’s season Friday night.
Quentin Dill caught six passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Woodrum threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns and Cave Spring took full advantage of their chances, routing Graham 42-0 in the second round of the Virginia Group AA, Region IV, Division 3 playoffs at Dwight Bogle Stadium.
"We were able to come out and execute and obviously we’re pleased with the results," said Cave Spring head coach Tim Fulton.
"We had a real rough start and our guys grew up and they played hard," said Graham head coach Doug Marrs when asked about his team in 2009. "Nobody can ever take that from them. They played hard. They played with pride, their backs against the wall all year. They came back and fought and made us proud."
Graham’s first opportunity came on its first drive. David Marrs advanced the ball from the Graham 46 to the Cave Spring 28 on a pair of runs. But two plays later the Graham signal caller was flushed from his pocket and intercepted by Micheal Cole on the Cave Spring 13. The junior returned it to his 18 and unknowingly set up the first score of the game.
On the next play from scrimmage, Cave Spring quarterback Josh Woodrum hit senior receiver Quintin Dill on a quick slant over the middle. Dill broke free of a tackle, then outraced the Graham defense down the left sideline for an 82-yard touchdown.
"It was just a good pass and catch," Dill said. "Some busted tackles on Graham’s part and some good blocking up front just let me get a breakaway touchdown."
Following a pair of punts, Graham launched what was shaping up as an epic drive. In 14 plays, they went from their own 18 to the Cave Spring 13. The Knights even helped out the G-Men with a roughing the passer penalty that gave Graham a first down after they failed to convert a third-and-11.
But the drive ended at the Cave Spring 13. David Marrs left the game for a couple plays due to an injury on second-and-8 on the Knights’ 12 and Torren Byrd failed to complete a fade route on the next play. David Pelts was called on to salvage three points, but his kick sailed wide left and the G-Men came away with nothing.
Cave Spring’s response was immediate and definitive. A shovel pass from Woodrum to Sam Wright on the first play after the field goal gained 42 yards and a personal foul on Graham gave them 15 more. Five plays later, Wright finished the drive he started with an eight-yard touchdown run.
The G-Men advanced the ball into Cave Spring territory again on the ensuing drive, but got just to the Knights’ 48 before being forced to punt. The Knights advanced the ball into Graham territory on their next drive and scored their third touchdown. The key plays of the march were a 28-yard run by Wright, a 19-yard run by Cole and a 16-yard pass from Woodrum to Dill. Woodrum finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown run.
Cave Spring ended the first half up 21-0 — a score that could have been closer.
"I think that was a big momentum shift right there," Fulton said. "They worked the ball pretty deep and we stopped them. That was a big momentum shift."
"We made two big mistakes and it hurt us," Doug Marrs said. "They’re a good football team. They’re a well-coached football team. We just ran out of bullets."
It took just one more big play to shift the game’s momentum permanently. That play was a fourth-and-1 for Graham on the Cave Spring 37. Tanner Howell took a handoff up the middle, but he was stood up by the Knights defense.
It took Cave Spring just five plays to score, with the biggest of those five plays being a 43-yard pass from Woodrum to Dill. Wright got the touchdown on a one-yard plunge.
Graham’s next possession ended in a Howell fumble recovered by the Knights on the Cave Spring 47. Woodrum hit Dill for 25 yards, ran for 16 and finally threw to Erik Jacobsen for a 12-yard score.
Next, Graham fumble. Next, Cave Spring touchdown. This time, Zach Mickel coughed it up and the Knights recovered on the Graham 30. Dill was unstoppable and Woodrum hit him for a 30-yard touchdown on the next play for his sixth and final reception of the night.
"We prepared all week to play our game," Dill said. "All those receptions are just extra. They’re a blessing. It was a career-high, I’m really excited for it. I couldn’t ask for anything more."
"That kid is something else," Fulton said. "The kid’s a play maker. That’s what he is. That’s all you can say. When he had the opportunity, he made the plays."
"That’s pretty good," Doug Marrs said when informed of Dill’s statistical night. "My hat’s off to them. They’re a good football team."
Woodrum went 10-for-15 passing for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Wright added 11 carries for 62 yards and two receptions for 52 yards.
David Marrs was Graham’s leading rusher, gaining 101 yards on 10 carries, but was ineffective passing, going 4-for-9 for 64 yards and a pair of interceptions.
Cave Spring (9-2) hosts Richlands next Friday following the Blue Tornado’s 31-10 win over Marion Friday night.
"We’re excited to have the next game. That’s where we are," Fulton said. "We’re excited to have the next game and we’ll enjoy it tonight and the boys will enjoy it this weekend and we as a coaching staff will go back to work Saturday once we figure out who we’ve got."
Graham ends the season with a record of 5-7. It will be remembered as a group that came back from the lowest depths to achieve something meaningful.
"I’m very proud of them," Doug Marrs said. "We could have folded our tents in game six or game seven and we didn’t. They kept fighting and it didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but it didn’t end the way a lot of people thought it would end either."
—Contact Jed Lockett
at jlockett@bdtonline.com
At Dwight Bogle Stadium
Graham.................................... 0 0 0 0 — 0
Cave Spring.............................7 14 21 0 — 42
First Quarter
C.S. _ Quintin Dill 82 pass from Josh Woodrum (Ethan Hafey kick), 10:10
Second Quarter
C.S. _ Sam Wright 8 run (Hafey kick), 10:53
C.S. _ Woodrum 4 run (Hafey kick), 4:05
Third Quarter
C.S. _ Wright 1 run (Hafey kick), 6:52
C.S. _ Erik Jacobsen 12 pass from Woodrum (Hafey kick), 5:22
C.S. _ Dill 30 pass from Woodrum (Hafey kick), 1:53
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Team Statistics
First Downs: GR 13; CS 16. Rushes-Yards: GR 37-219; CS 27-121. Passing Yards GR 64; CS 271. Comp.-Att.-Int. GR 4-10-2; CS 10-15-0. Fumbles-Lost GR 4-2; CS 0-0. Punts-Average GR 3-33; CS 4-36.25. Penalties-Yards GR 5-44; CS 7-45.
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Individual Statistics
RUSHING _ Graham, David Marrs 10-101, Tanner Howell 11-71, Adderius Jackson 9-40, Zack Mickel 4-4, Lamont Edwards 1-3, Johnny David 2-(-1). Cave Spring, Sam Wright 11-62, Josh Woodrum 7-41, Micheal Cole 2-21, Conner Baker 2-3, Ryan Gerhardt 1-(-1), Shawn Newsome 4-(-5).
PASSING _ Graham, David Marrs 4-9-2 64, Torren Byrd 0-1-0 0. Cave Spring, Josh Woodrum 10-15-0 271.
RECEIVING _ Graham, Torren Byrd 3-56, Lamont Edwards 1-8. Cave Spring, Quintin Dill 6-200, Sam Wright 2-52, Erik Jacobsen 1-12, Austin Micklem 1-7.
MISSED FIELD GOALS _ Graham, David Pelts 30.
