'Cats win thriller

Blacksburg running back Brandon Wilson looks for daylight in the second half against Southside. Wilson led the Wildcats with 117 yards rushing in their double overtime win. Maurice Brown scored on a 1-yard fourth-down run in double overtime as Blacksburg ruined Southside's homecoming Friday with a dramatic 40-34 victory.

Blacksburg fought back from a 28- 6 deficit with 3:24 remaining in the third quarter to send the game into overtime. The Wildcats defense made two goal line stands and overcame a pair of 90-yard scoring plays by Southside big play threat Marlin Butler.

Trailing 28-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Blacksburg defense stopped Butler less than a yard from the goal line.

Quarterback Dustin Byars led the Wildcats offense on a 99-yard scoring march highlighted by a 58-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashad Earls. Byars ran in the 2- point conversion to tie the game at 28 with 2:35 left in the game.

Southside returned the kickoff to the 49-yard line. With no timeouts left, the Tigers moved the ball to the 15- yard line with 15 seconds left on the clock.

Photo by SCOTT POWELL Southside running back Tony Parks is unable to escape a tackle by Blacksburg linebacker Dante Brown (3) and defensive lineman Bradley Camp (60.) Southside coach Fe Cowan elected to go for the win and sent in placekicker Andres Alvarez for a 21-yard field goal attempt. Alverez pushed his kick wide to the left.

Byars ran out the clock to send the game into overtime.

Running back DJ Geter scored on a 3-yard run in the first overtime. Southside answered with a 4-yard run by Adrian Lanteon.

Blacksburg placekicker Dillon Blankenship and Alvarez each missed the extra point to send the game into another overtime.

Geter leaped high to break up a pass just before it reached the hands of Butler to deny the Tigers attempt to score in the second overtime. An offsides penalty against the Tigers on fourth down moved the ball inches from the goal line where Brown emerged from the pile with the winning touchdown.

"We made a lot of mistakes. We just never gave up and fought back until the end," Brown said. "We knew if we kept playing hard that something good would happen. When we got close, I turned to coach and said 'I can do it.'"

Southside took an early lead when Dominque Johnson stepped in front of a Byars' handoff and returned it 95- yards for a touchdown. Blacksburg pulled to within 7- 6 when Brown escaped a group of Tiger defenders for a 10-yard scoring run.

Butler scored on runs of 16- and 99-yards to give Southside a 21-6 halftime lead. He returned a punt 68 yards to put the Tigers up 28-6 late in the third quarter.

Blacksburg switched almost exclusively into their wing t offense at that point.

Byars scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to make the score 28-12.

The Wildcats got a break when Earls recovered the fumbled kickoff at the Southside 33.

Earls caught a 6-yard touchdown pass that was bounced off a Tiger defender to pull Blacksburg within 28-20 with :22 seconds left in the third quarter.

"We needed to go to a ball control offense because we were making too many mistakes," Blacksburg coach Robbie Blanton said. "Our players never stopped believing in themselves and decided we were going to win the game. We were able to get the breaks at the end."