Rocky Mount Telegram from Rocky Mount, North Carolina • 9

Rocky Mount, N.C., Telegram SaturdaySeptember 11, 1987 9 Vikes hold off. NN; Gryphs win RM's grou dooms E. mm m. Friday night. The game resumed an hour later.

(Telegram photo by David Chicelli) FANS FILING OUT Fans leave Death Valley after lightning shot out the lights at the Northern Nash-Tarboro football game Tarboro's Cofield gains 198 By RUDY COGGINS Staff Writer Tim Marshmon scampered in from five yards out with 3:09 remaining, but the conversion pass failed, as Tarboro escaped Death Valley by defeating Northern Nash 21-20 Friday night. "Our kids got confident, and before they knew it, 20 points were on the board," said an exhausted Mickey Bridgers, Northern's coach, after his team rallied back from a 21-0 deficit. Marshmon's run capped a seven-play, 45-yard drive after Marshmon returned a Viking punt 20 yards to the Tarboro 45. Lewis Speight, who carried" the ball 17 times for 151 yards, swept around the right side for a nine-yard gain to the 36. An 11 yard run by Da wan Jones, who had 11 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown, moved the ball to the 28.

Three plays later, Speight bolted down the right side again for a 15 yard gain, and Northern was knocking on the door for a score trailing 21-14. Marshmon cashed in on the next play. "They really got the momentum going for them, and we didn't suck it up," said Tarboro coach Jim Brett. "We had seven players going both ways, and the heat got us tired, also." But when both coaches were asked about the two-point play, Bridgers said, "It's a play that we practice on every day, and we felt confident. We came here to win." "That's a good question," said Brett.

"Had I been in the same situation, I would have too." Trailing 21-0, Northern finally got on the board with 37 seconds left in the third when Jones rambled eight yards untouched into the end zone for a score. Frank Wocher added the point after to cap a four-play, 43-yard drive. The big difference on that drive was a 40-yard run by Speight on second and 13 from the Knight 40. A fumble by Tarboro, on their own the start of the game and a 45-minute delay when the lights went out with 10:50 left in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Cofield made the score 21-0 when he rambled up the middle for a 77-yard touchdown run.

"Cofield did find something on the left side, and we were successful at times and unsuccessful at other times," said Brett. "We played good for two and a half quarters, but I can't explain it after that." The Vikings scored on their initial series, which was a 12-play, 67-yard drive that expired over 6:30 off the clock. The drive was capped by Calvin Hines on a five yard gallop with 3:03 showing. John Lindsey 's point after put the Vikings on top 7-0. Northern rushed the ball 36 times for 256 yards while their opponents rushed 36 times for 251 yards.

Tarboro turned the ball over twice and quarterback Glen Hart was sacked three times which resulted in 24 yards lost on offense. "I thought we had them (21-0) when we were in the third," said Brett as Tarboro improved to 1-1. "It's just going to take us a little time to get where we want to go, 33, set up another Knight score early in the fourth quarter. Two carries by Speight gained seven yards and a 13-yard run by Marshmon put Northern on the Viking 10. Three plays later, Marshmon, who completed only two-of-15 passes for seven yards, found Dion Evans in the left corner of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown pass, and Wocher's kick closed the gap to 21-14.

Several times in the second half, Northern's defense came alive and stopped Tarboro when it had to. Elroy Cofield, who basically ran loose in the first half, was hard to stop in the second as he gained 198 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. "We just got ourselves in a bind on defense and gave up the big play," said Bridgers. The big play came with 2:27 left before half time when Cofield broke through the right side of Northern's defense for a 40 yard gain to the Knight 3. Cofield then rambled down the left side for the touchdown, and Tarboro led 14-0 at intermission.

But before that, both teams had to shake off a 15-minute rain delay at "They have an extremely talented football team," Baker said this week when talking about the Seminoles, 40-16 winners over Texas Tech in their season opener last Saturday. "I've heard many people say this will be Bobby Bowden's best team in the 12 years he's been there." And Bowden, with a 91-36-3 record and eight bowl appearances, has had some good football teams in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State leads the series between the two schools 4-0, including a 48-17 victory in the last meeting in Baker: Pirates back in real world said Bridgers as Northern slipped to 0-2. Northern goes on the road next week against Southern Nash and Tarboro will travel to Havelock, the team that knocked them out the state playoffs 22-0 a year ago. Tarboro 21, Northern Nash 20 NN 11 36-256 7 2-15-0 0 2-20 Tarboro Northern THS 10 36-251 (-4) 1-3-0 2 1-15 First downs Rushes-Yrds.

Passing Yards Passes Fumbles lost Penalties-Yrds. 7 7 7 0 21 0 0 7 13 20 TAR Hines 5 yard run (Lindsey kick) TAR Cofield 3 yard run (Lindsey kick) TAR Cofield 77 yard run (Lindsey kick) NN Jones 8 yard run (Wocher kick) NN Marshmon 5 yard run (Wocher kick) NN Evans 9 yard pass from Marshmon (pass failed) INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Rushing Tarboro, Cofield 16-198 (2tds), Glass 6-35, Harris 5-7, Hines 6-19 (td), Belcher l-(-4), Hart 1-1-3). Northern, Speight 17-151, Jones 11-66 (td), Marshmon 5-35 (td). Brake 2-4. Passing Tarboro, Hart l-3-(-4).

Northern, Marshmon 2-15-7. Receiving Northern, Evans 1-9 (td). Florida State." -Bowden, on the other hand, may oe more worried than his former assistant. "They opened their season with a huge win," Bowden said about the Pirates. "Beating N.C State is like us beating Florida.

You know they are going to be sky high. I'm not real excited about having to play up there. "The people at Miami said it was one of the toughest places they've had to play when they went up there a couple of years ago. 1 i RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Preparations for Saturday game against No.

8 Florida "State has forced East Carolina's football players quickly forget about last weekend's victory over North Carolina State, said ECU coach Art Baker. "I think our players had an opportunity to see Florida State on film and that brings them back to reality and their feet back to the ground real quickly," said Baker, a former Florida State assistant coach from 1983-84. nd gcu I IC Wayne Rocky Mount, however, wasted no time in regaining the lead. Kilpatrick's passing and Jackson's running combined for a five-play, 67-yard drive that ended when the senior QB hooked up with Tom Jones (1-14) for the score with 1:26 left in the half. The two-point conversion was blocked and Rocky Mount led 19-13 a lead they would take into the lockerroom.

The third quarter went much as the first half had. Neither team's defense would yield and neither offense could get geared up. Then came the drive that killed the Warriors. "That (drive) took the steam out of them," Kelley said of the 92-yard, 10-play drive that put the Gryphs in front 26-13. "I felt like up to that point we were doing pretty well," Whisenhunt said.

"After that we beat ourselves." "The Drive" started at the Rocky Mount eight-yard line and consumed 4 26 over two periods. After that score, it was all Rocky Mount. Kilpatrick launched a 55-yard TD strike to Thomas to make it 33-13 and two minutes later the Rocky Mount field general pulled off a one-yard quarterback sneak after a Scott Mizelle interception to put the score at its final 40-13 margin. "I did think we played two halves of football one mediocre and one super," Kelley said. "When we play inspired football, we're a good football team." "I've always said I'd rather play the best and lose than the worst and win," Whisenhunt said, noting his team's 0-3 record was completely the work of Big East Conference schools.

"I got my wish." Rocky Mount 40, Eastern Wayne 13 RM 18 36-201 143 9-16-1 2 4-50 EW 12 33-211 91 7-22-2 0 8-52 First downs Rushes-Yrds. Passing Yards Passes Fumbles lost Penalties-Yrds. Rocky Mount Eastern Wayne 7 12 0 21 40 7 6 0 13 EW Darby 47 yard run (Reaves kick) RM Jackson 23 yard run (Kilpatrick kick) RM Hortman 7 yard pass from Kilpatrick (kick failed) EW Darby 12 yard run (kick blocked) RM Jones 14 yard pass from Kilpatrick (pass fail) RM Jackson 7 yard run (Kilpatrick kick) RM Thomas 55 yard pass from Kilpatrick (Kilpatrick kick) RM Kilpatrick 1 yard run (Jobe kick) INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Rushing Rocky Mount, Jackson 24-168, Perry 6-19, Kilpatrick 4-7, Thomas 1-4, Jones 1-3. Eastern Wayne, Darby 15-138, Smith 2-26, R. Powe 11-34, Best 2-9, S.

Powe 1-3, Lewis 1-1. Passing Rocky Mount, Kilpatrick 9-16-1-143. Eastern Wayne, Denton 7-22-2-91. Receiving Rocky Mount, Thomas 2-75, Jackson 4-40, Hortman 2-14, Jones 1-14. Eastern Wayne, Smith 5-67, Isom 1-22, Darby 1-2.

it Osdia blitz 12 p.m. FOOTBALL: Virginia at Maryland (WRAL-Ch. WNCT-Ch. 28) 12:30 p.m. FOOTBALL: Tennessee at Mississippi State 2 p.m.

BASEBALL: Major Leagues To be announced (WITN-Ch. 33, WPTF-Ch. 7) 2 p.m. GOLF: Senior PGA Paine Wrbber World Invitational (ESPN) TENNIS: U.S. Open Women's singles finals, men' singles semifinals (WRAL-Ch.

S) 3:30 p.m. FOOTBALL: Notre Dame at Michigan (WTVD-Ch. 11) 5 p.m. FOOTBALL: UCLA i Nebraska (ESPN) 8 p.m. FOOTBALL: Alabama at Penn State WRAL-Ch.

5, WNCT-Ch. 28) By PHIL GOBLE Jr. Sports Writer GOLDSBORO "It was just a game designed for their defense run the ball," Rocky Mount's Camel Jackson said with a smile on his face. Jackson was a one-man wrecking crew Friday night in Goldsboro as he ran 24 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns to lead the state's seventh-ranked team to a staggering 40-13 win over Eastern Wayne. Yet it was not as dominating a victory as the scoreboard represented.

The Warriors, behind running back Carl Darby's 138 yards on 16 rushes, kept the Gryphons in check for three quarters. Eastern Wayne squibbed the opening kickoff and proceeded to fall on the ball and gain possession on the Rocky Mount 47 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Warrior QB Jeff Denton (7-for-22 for 91 yards) handed the ball to Darby who darted left, stagger-stepped by Rocky Mount's Donald Thomas and was off to the races and the game's first touchdown. John Reaves added the PAT and with less than a minute off the clock the Warriors were up 7-0. "We didn't call it, it just happened," Eastern Wayne coach Gerald Whisenhunt said.

"That definitely helped us at least we weren't far behind too early." "We thought it was a very questionable call," Rocky Mount coach George Kelley said. "But they (the referees) gave it to them." Not only did the refs give Eastern Wayne the ball, but a certain amount of momentum also. Momentum for a team that had been blown out in its first two games this year and a team that needed a boost. But the Gryphs were not going to immediately fall. The Warriors watched Jackson lead the way as Rocky Mount scored on its first possession, but then both defenses kicked in and the score remained 7-7 until 5:35 left in the half.

Gryphon quarterback Tim Kilpa trick (9-for-16 for 143 yards) started his squad on the Warrior 38 and after an incompletion, gave Jackson the ball four straight times. The sophomore tailback brought the Gryphs to the seven yard line where Kilpatrick found tight end Jeff Hortman (2-14) for the first aerial touchdown of the game. Yet, Eastern Wayne did not slow up. Starting from their own 44, Darby had jaunts of 11 and three yards to put the Warriors at the Rocky Mount 42. Denton, then launched a 27-yard strike to Vincent Smith (5-67) to put Eastern Wayne on the Gryphon 15.

One play later, Darby scamper 12 yards for the score. Less than two-and-a-half minutes after falling behind, the Warriors had tied the score 13-all. i in i accaiPf the beach on Thursday. But his father, Bill said that Mer-rifield's assignment for next season was not yet clear. "He'll get a better idea (in Bradenton)," Merrifield Sr.

said. "It looks a lot better for him than it did a month ago." Merrifield Jr. had expressed dissatisfaction with the Angels in a Telegram article on Aug. 13. He left the Deacons in 1983 and joined the Angels' system, but he never broke into the pros, despite posting some impressive batting totals.

Merrifield hit .288 with 18 homers and 74 RBIs as an Edmonton player this past season. Potent rushing stron lift Cougars 1984. This will be the first time the game between the two schools has been played in Greenville. The Pirates defeated N.C. State 32-14 last Saturday, but Baker said mistakes must still be eliminated in to beat the Seminoles.

"Sometimes when you win, you're a little bit prone to overlook your mistakes, and we've tried to guard against that," Baker said. "We did identify a good many things that have to be corrected if we're going to be able to stay in the football game and have a chance to win against Parrott NEW 14 0 KINSTON Starting Friday's game on the road with Parrott Academy at 4 p.m. turned out to be a bad idea for NEW Academy's Rebels, who were saddled with a 14-0 loss that ended at halftime. Four NEW players suffered heat exhaustion and dehydration and had to be taken to the hospital. The Rebels were already low on numbers due to injuries, so the two team's coaches made the obvious choice and decided to end the game prematurely.

All four of NEW's players improved after treatment. Both of Parrott's touchdowns came on pass plays. Parrott improved to 1-0-1, and NEW fell to 0-3. The Rebels have another tough game next week when they face Hobgood. Parrott 14, NEW 0 0 9-5 0 0- 3-1 0 1- 5 NEW Parrott 3 17-58 21 3-11-0 0 4-25 0 0 0 818 First downs Rushes-Yrds.

Passing Yards Passes Fumbles lost Penallies-Yrds. 7-yard pass (kick blocked) 9-yard pass (run good) Sports history (From the files of The Evening Telegram ending the week of Sept. 18, 1957) The Blue Devils of R.M. Wilson Junior High School will put their last year's unblemished record of five victories on the line in Municipal Stadium tonight when they meet the junior high school 11 from Wilson. Coach Henry Trevathan and Gray Baines, who is acting as assistant at the Junior High, have been working their boys hard this week in preparation for the Wilson season opener, which will get under way at 7 30.

Admission to the contest will be 25 cents for children and 50 cents for adults. efense WILSON Southwest Edgecombe held Beddingfield to no yards on offense while defeating the Big East Conference's Bruins 34-0 Friday night, improving the Cougars to 2-1. The setback left Beddingfield at 1-1. SouthWest Edgecombe ran for 235 yards overall, led by Twayne 95 in 12 carries and a touchdown. Derek Johnson had 52 yards in 11 carries and two touchdowns.

But the big story was defense for SW. "The whole defensive unit played great," Cougar coach Jimmy Tillman said. The Cougars intercepted three of Beddingfield's passes, with Bobby Wooten, James Jenkins and Keith Sutton grabbing one each. The Bruins gained no yards in 26 rushes. On the ground for SW, Jenkins added 44 yards in nine carries, and Brian Umstead had 35 yards in six carries.

The Cougars added two touchdown passes, with both going to Bobby Wooten. SW Edgecombe 34, Beddingfield 0 sw 18 42-235 68 4-8-0 0 8-80 5 26-0 0 0-5-3 0 11-85 First downs Rushes-Yrds. Passing Yards Passes Fumbles lost Penalties-Yrds. SW Edxrconibe Beddingfield I IS I 7-34 0 0 I 0 0 SW-Wooten 20 yard pass from Bess (kick block) SW-Blackwell 6 yard run (Johnson run) SW Johnson 3 yard run Wooten kick) SW-Johnson 6 yard run (run fail) SW-Wooten yard pass from Johnson (Wooten kick) Hobgood Enfield 28 0 WHITAKERS Hobgood scored three touchdowns within two minutes during the second quarter while defeating Carolina Academies Conference rival Enfield 28-0 Friday night. With Enfield's defensive lineman Frank Fisher injured, Hobgood TRADEMARK MOVE SouthWest shoulder into Beddingfield's Sean Butts (12) Edgecombe's Twayne Blackwell (40), in Friday night after rambling for yardage, typical fashion, prepares to lower his (Telegram photo by Karl McKinnon) Prep roundup stuck to the ground all night long and compiled 123 rushing yards.

Clay Whitley ended Hobgood's first touchdown drive with a six-yard scoring run in the second quarter, and Steve Johnson's extra point made it 7-0. After Enfield took the ball, an errant Patriot lateral resulted in a fumble recovery and 32-yard touchdown scamper by Chris Davis of the Raiders. Moments later, another Patriot turnover a fumbled snap in punting situation set up Hobgood near the Enfield goal line. Quarterback Johnson scored on a one-yard keeper for the Raiders' third TD. Whitley scored from five yards out in the third quarter, and Johnson hit his fourth straight extra point to conclude the scoring.

The Patriots were able to move the ball. Fullback Grant Everette, hampered by a sprained ankle in practice earlier in the week, still covered 81 yards in 13 carries for Enfield. Curt Hardee gained 45 yards on 12 carries for the Patriots and caught a 42-yard pass from quarterback Bobby Barnes. Defensively for Enfield, Everette picked up five tackles and two assists, and Chris Viverette five tackles and one assist. The win improved Hobgood to 2-0-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.

Weak in numbers due to injuries, Enfield slipped to 1-2 and 0-2. Hobgood 28, Enfield 0 8 31-123 0 0-5-1 0 12-95 Hobgood 11 42-104 60 4-13-2 1 8-65 First downs Rushes-Yrds. Passing Yards Passes Fumbles lost Penalties-Yrds. 21 7 0-21 8 9 9 99 Whitley yard run (Johnson kick) Davis 32 yard fumble recovery (Johnson kick) Johnson 1 yard run (Johnson kick) Whitley 5 yard run (Johnson kick) MGrrificId to instructional camp Former Rockv Mount and Wake Forest baseball standout Bill Mer-rifield will attend Instructional League in Bradenton, on Sept. 24 after joining the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a trade.

On Aug. 29, the Pirates traded second baseman Johnny Ray to the California Angels for Mer-rifield, who was with the Class AAA Edmonton Trappers at the time. Merrifield played in three games with Class AAA Vancouver in the Pirates system. He then Joined the Pirates for two days before his assignment to Bradenton. Merrifield was-on vacation at.