Whitmire poses formidable test for struggling Blacksburg
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Sports Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

"(The Whitimire Wolverines) are probably as good as Christ Church." - Mickey Moss

Blackburg coach Mickey Moss uttered an ominous assessment of the Whitmire Wolverines.

"They are probably as good as Christ Church," Moss said. "I think they will challenge Christ Church."

If that's the case, the Wildcats might be in for another long night since Christ Church beat Blacksburg 41-22 last Friday. The score is a little misleading since the Wildcats scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

Moss is impressed with the Wolverines offensive attack, especially quarterback Marcus Lindsay and running back Jarrell Ruff- Smalls.

Lindsay rushed for 120 yards in the Wolverines' 62-10 victory over Southside Christian last Friday.

"Lindsay is a heckuva player and (Ruff-Smalls is an excellent running back," Moss said.

Whitmire (4- 3, 2-0) operates from the spread, but Lindsay isn't afraid to run the ball, Moss said.

As a change of pace to Ruff-Smalls' quickness, powerful Joseph Brown has the ability to pick up the tough yards.

Moss also is concerned about Whitmire's defense.

"They are very good," he said. "They won't blitz a lot, but they will meet you at the line of scrimmage."

Whitmire head coach Donald Addis said Blacksburg will offer a stern test for his team.

"Looking at them on film, they have some very dangerous players on offense," he said. "They are well prepared from playing a tough nonregion schedule. We have to be at our best. We have to get our kids to play hard."

The Wolverines also played a competive non-region schedule with the likes of Ninety-Six, Gilbert and Mid- Carolina.

Addis blamed the team's losses on turnovers. Once that problem was corrected, the Wolverines have won four out of their last five games.

Addis also traced the team's turnaround to an improving offensive line.

Moss said his team took a step backwards in its loss to Christ Church last week.

"We played flat until midway through the fourth quarter," Moss said.

To have a chance to beat the Wolverines today, Moss said his team must show some toughness on the offensive line.

"We need to do a good job blocking," he said. "We have to do a better job of coming off the ball. We need to open some holes and give our quarterback time to throw the football."

Defensively, the Wildcats missed a lot of tackles last week.

"We need to do a better job tackling this week," the Blacksburg coach said. "We can't overrun the play."

Addis has a short to-do list for his team today - avoid the costly mistake.

"The team that makes the fewest mistakes will come out on top," he said.