For the Salem High football team, another great season has turned into a good season as the ultimate goal has slipped away one more. Salem was defeated in a thrilling overtime football game at Salem Stadium by Amherst County, 36-29 in overtime, for the Region III championship.
This was a classic, and one of the most brutal high school football games you’ll ever see. By the end of the game Gussie Vaughn was on the bench with a badly sprained ankle, Jeff Akers didn’t know where he was, Pierce Weikle was playing with painful injuries to both hands, and even a cheerleader was on the bench with her leg up and tears in her eyes. Later, Rusty Howell would be taken to the hospital.
And this was just on the Salem side. The Spartans delivered as many punishing blows as they received in a good old fashioned street fight. Unfortunately, they came out on the short end.
“I thought it was a good high school football game,” said White. “I thought we were going to win it in regulation.”
The game started out much like last year’s 55-19 shellacking in Amherst. On the Lancer’s first series Maurice Clark ran 59 yards around right end for a touchdown. Salem fumbled on its first play, and the Lancers scored again for a 14-0 lead, just like last year.
“I thought it was Deja vu all over again,” said White. “We put in a special defense for this game, but that number eight (Clark) is a heck of a back. A lot of times we hit him, we just didn’t tackle him.”
This one started out like last year’s game, but it wasn’t going to end like that. This year, the Lancers were in for a battle.
On Salem’s next possession to Spartans rode the mules to a time consuming drive that culminated in in a 15 yard touchdown run by Seth Moore. That cut it to 14-7, and when Amherst bobbled the kickoff and James Giarla made a big hit inside the 10, Salem appeared to be in business.
Not just yet. With a third down at the nine, Clark went around right end again and raced 91 yards for a stunning touchdown. It was not 21-7 and it was still the first quarter.
With their pride in the balance, Salem came firing back and played one of the best quarter’s in SHS history. Salem outscored the Lancers 19-0 in the second quarter, and took the lead.
The Spartans scored three touchdowns in the quarter, sparked by a long kickoff return by Ricky Eubanks as the first period came to a close. Eubanks wove through the Lancer coverage to the Salem 23, and after the quarter turned the right side of the line opened a big hole for a Chris Huff touchdown.
Amherst fumbled the kickoff and the Spartans were in business again when Keith Bishop recovered. This time Seth Moore hit Brent Humphrey with a perfect pass in the corner of the endzone and the Spartans were an extra point away from tying. Unfortunately, a high snap kept them from doing so.
Salem took advantage of one more Amherst miscue before the end of the half. This time Matt Edwards grabbed the loose pig, and soon thereafter Moore hit Eubanks behind the Amherst defense with 54 seconds until intermission.
The Spartans went for two to try to make up for the previously missed extra point, and that failed. Still, Salem led 26-21 at the half.
“If I knew it was going to be a one point game, I would have kicked it,” said White. “At that point, I was thinking both teams were going to score in the 40s.”
The game settled down in the second half. Amherst scored first in the third quarter, and got the two point conversion to go up by three. Then Salem evened the score on a 31 yard field goal by Brett Gresham, who didn’t miss a kick in two playoff games.
It was 29-29 heading into the fourth period, and the two teams took turns missing opportunities. Salem had the last chance, but the Spartans couldn’t connect on that one pass that would have put Gresham in field goal range.
“I thought we were going to win it in regulation,” said White. “I was worried about the overtime, because by that time we were in trouble. Anything can happen in overtime, but we had a lot of people going both ways who were exhausted.”
Amherst went first in the overtime, and Clark scored from the one on second down. After a successful extra point, the Spartans took over.
Salem lost yardage on the first three downs, then called a timeout to talk it over. With one chance left Moore threw to his left. Salem’s receiver was hit with the ball in the air, but the pass was intercepted and no call was made. If pass interference was called, Salem would have had a first down and a new life.
“I thought it was pass interference, but that didn’t lose us the ballgame,” said White. “They were the better team. I think that’s the best team we’ve been on the field with in the past two years.”
And so, for the second straight year, Amherst goes on to the state semifinal and Salem goes home. This year, however, it’s different.
Last year Salem got smoked, this year they just got beat by a good football team. The Spartans put everything they had on the line and came up a touchdown short.
“When you go as far as we did, you have to be pleased,” said White. “This is the most fun I’ve had with a group. Overall, they did a great job.”
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
