Photo by SCOTT POWELL Blacksburg running back Chase Hames is sandwiched between two Walhalla defenders in the second quarter of Blacksburg's 41-14 loss in its season opener on Friday. WALHALLA —Blacksburg's ball control offense was no match Friday night for the speed and explosiveness of Walhalla senior playmakers John Sharpe and Mike Brown.

Sharpe scored four touchdowns and Brown set up two scores with long returns in Walhalla's 41-14 victory over Blacksburg in the season opener.

Sharpe took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage for a 65-yard touchdown run. The running back ran up the middle and then cut back down the left sideline on the play that accounted for almost all of Walhalla's rushing yards in the first half.

The Blacksburg defense held Walhalla to 117 yards of total offense in the second quarter, including just two rushing yards after Sharpe's touchdown on the game's opening play.

Blacksburg controlled the ball on offense for much of the first half with a methodical running game which chewed up large amounts of time.

Blacksburg scored its first touchdown after Walhalla was unable to convert a fourth-and-one on their own 31-yard line.

Blacksburg running back Raymond Ellis scored on a 3-yard run a few plays later. Ellis was stopped short of the goal line on the 2-point conversion run, leaving the Wildcats trailing 7-6 with 8:03 left in the second quarter.

Walhalla responded with a 75-yard kickoff return by Brown to set up a 1-yard scoring run by Easton Smith. After stopping the Wildcats' next drive, Brown returned the punt 46- yards to set up a five yard touchdown by Sharpe for a 20-6 halftime lead.

"We played well in the first half," Blacksburg head coach Mickey Moss said. "The kicking game hurt us. We didn't cover kicks very well and made some mistakes."

Blacksburg running back Chase Hames fumbled on the first play of the second half after taking a hard hit from a Walhalla defender. Sharpe followed a couple blocks down the right sideline for a 26-yard touchdown run.

The football game stopped for ten minutes midway through the third quarter when a fight broke out with the Blacksburg offense on the field. Blacksburg quarterback Joseph Upchurch and offensive lineman Yul Black were ejected from the game along with a Walhalla player for their roles in the fight.

Sharpe had a 32-yard punt return and then scored on a 12-yard run for a 34-6 Walhalla lead. Walhalla scored its final touchdown on a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Ungaro to wide receiver Lane Rochester.

Blacksburg freshman quarterback Treyvon Parker replaced Upchurch and led the Wildcats offense to a touchdown with 4:09 left in the game.

After a 19-yard run by Marquel Palmer, Hames finished off the drive with a 1-yard scoring run. Hames added the 2- point conversion run.

Parker was among many ninth graders and even a few seniors playing in their first varsity football game.