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Zach Bonham and Michael Lancianese gang tackle a Bobcat runner.

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Undefeated Buffs pull out big play

To complete a special 10-0 season, the Buffaloes needed a special play. Floyd County beat Radford 35-27 at Floyd Friday, with a key score coming on a fourth and goal touchdown, from the 45 yard line.
“That was a big play,” said Floyd coach Winfred Beale. “I don’t know if that is a record distance, but you don’t have many fourth-and-goal from the 45.”
Not only was the distance a likely record, but the three-scores-on-one-possession probably belongs in the record book as well.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, with the game tied 14-14, Floyd drove to the seven. Luke Harris hit Brett Holman with a touchdown pass, but an ineligible receiver penalty erased the score.
On third and goal at the 11, Harris hit Daniel Bradford with a touchdown pass. But that scored was cancelled by a clipping penalty.
A short gain on the next play meant fourth and long. Then a sideline penalty on assistant coach Dave Jones moved the ball back another 15 yards to the 45.
Harris threw a long lateral to wide-out Christian Rodrigue, who passed down the left sideline to Holman, who was behind the secondary and went the distance for the touchdown.
The Buffs got the initial score of the game on their second possession, which started at the Bobcat 49. Zach Bonham ran for six and Harris hit Holman on a 12 yard strike to the 31.
Another 12 yard Harris-to-Holman pass and a run by Harris put the ball at the 15. Harris had a 10 yard carry to the one, and Bonham ran it in from there. Rodrigue missed on a PAT pass and Floyd led 6-0 at 4:23.
Floyd got another possession in Radford territory when Holman intercepted a pass from DeAndre Carter and returned it to the Bobcat 18. But on the next play Michael Goodman picked off a Harris pass and returned it to the 21.
Two plays later, Dre Thompson got to the corner and went 75 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. Goodman’s kick put Radford up 7-6 at 2:30.
Floyd answered that score with a drive that stretched from late in the first quarter to early in the second. Bonham had a 19 yard run and Harris ran for 14 on fourth and one to get the ball to the Cats 40.
Early in the second quarter, Harris hit Bradford for 13 yards on a rollout pass to get the ball to the six. On the next play, Harris faked a handoff and kept it for a six yard scoring run. Harris hit Holman with the PAT pass and Floyd led 14-7 at 9:56.
Radford scored on a minute-and-a-half drive, keyed by a 40 yard run by Thompson to the Floyd 26. Carter scored on a seven yard run and Goodman’s kick tied the game 14-14 at 8:25.
Floyd started the next drive at the 10, and got three straight 11-yard carries, one by Chandler Jones and two by Bonham. Jones followed with a 22 yard carry to the 35.
Harris hit Bradford with a 19 yard pass to the 13, but Floyd gave the ball up on downs at the 16. Radford moved to the Floyd 32 as time expired.
The key drive to start the second half featured a 14 yard pass from Harris to Ethan Griffith on third and seven, a 23 yard run by Harris, a 15 yard carry by Bonham, and a 13 yard run by Harris to the 9.
That set up the fourth and 45 touchdown pass from Rodrigue to Holman. Nathan Weiss kicked the PAT to put Floyd up 21-14 at 7:19.
Jon Thompson returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Floyd 37. On fourth and one, Carter ran around the right side for the touchdown. Goodman’s kick hit the left upright and was no good, leaving Floyd in front 21-20 at 3:22.
The Buffaloes started the next drive at the 20 and scored in 1:16 on a three play drive. Jones went 31 yards on an option play and Harris carried five more to the 44.
Bonham got a delayed handoff and broke up the middle and outran the defense for the 44 yard touchdown. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever run,” Bonham said. The kick by Weiss made it 28-20 at 2:06.
The Floyd defense had a three-and-out and after a 56 yard punt into the end zone, started at the 20 with one second left. On the final play of the third quarter, Harris ran for 15 yards.
The Buffs controlled the ball over five minutes, and got as far as the seven yard line. But an offensive pass interference penalty put the ball back to the 22. Cole Peters missed on a 40 yard field goal attempt.
Two plays later, Griffith intercepted a Carter pass and Floyd had the ball at the 48 with 5:46 left. Two sacks and a delay penalty forced a punt, but Peters was brushed on the play and the Cats were flagged for roughing the kicker. An additional sideline penalty protesting the call moved Floyd 30 yards to the Radford 40.
The Buffs had third and 19, when Harris fed Holman with a shovel pass up the middle. Holman stumbled but regained his footing and went 59 yards for the touchdown. Weiss kicked the PAT and Floyd led 35-20 with 1:57 remaining.
Radford came back with a score in just 54 seconds, with Carter completing four passes and then running 19 yards for the score. Goodman’s kick made it 35-27 with 1:03 left in the game.
Goodman tried a diagonal onside kick but Floyd recovered at the right side of the field and ran out the clock.
The Buffaloes’ only other perfect regular season came in 2002, when Floyd beat Radford in the final regular season at Floyd to finish 10-0. Floyd hosts George Wythe in the opening round of the Region C, Division 2 playoffs Friday at 7:30.
Rushing: Bonham 16-142 2 td, Harris 20-125 1 td, Jones 13-98, Holman 1-7 Passing: Harris 11-18-1 int 1 td, Rodrigue 1-45 1 td Receiving: Holman 5-135 1 2td, Griffith 2-21, Bradford 4-49, Rodrigue 1-6
Punting: Peters 1-35 Kick return: Holman 2-40, Bradford 1-7 Punt return: Holman 1-9
Tackles: Harris 2-1, Griffith 3-1, Holman 2-1, D. Slusher 1-0, Bradford 6-1, Bonham 2-1, Ingram 7-2, VanBlerk 1-0, M. Slusher 1-0, Nolen 1-2, Lancianese 2-1, Whitlock 3-1, Vaughn 0-1, Allen 0-2, Peters 1-0 For loss: Bradford 2-8 Fumble recovery: Holman Interceptions: Holman 1-9, Griffith 1-0