News from Dec. 7, 1987:

Rams could have used little more time

By Jeff Gilbert
(Daily Sports Reporter)

Strasburg head coach Glenn Proctor said it himself. "It was the kind of game everyone expected."

Even though Strasburg lost to Parry McCluer 21-14 in Saturday's Division 1 state final, the caliber of play in the game was everything a championship game should be. All the elements were there -- two great teams, exciting plays and hard hitting, a close score, and a chance for the losing team to pull it out.

It will be a game that both sides will remember for a long time.

For Strasburg it will be the one that got away, and for Parry McCluer it will be remembered as the one "we pulled out."

These two evenly matched teams proved undoubtedly to be the two best Division 1 teams in Virginia.

Both had been steam rolling opponents during the year and all through the playoffs. And when they met each other on the field Saturday, it was a struggle from the opening kickoff to the final gun.

Despite the fact that Strasburg got all of its points in the first half and Parry McCluer scored its points in the second half, neither team totally dominated the respective halves. Each squad had its chances to score throughout the game. It was a case of a play here and a play there.

"There was not a totally dominant team out there today on either side of the ball," reflected Proctor.

The great plays were there too. Parry McCluer's first two touchdowns were obviously exciting for the Fighting Blues' fans. The long touchdown pass and the long punt return turned the game around.

Strasburg provided its share of excitement also. Mark Roller's 27-yard pass to Mike Whittle set up the first score of the game and got the Rams' fans into the game. Defensively in the first half, the Rams had some big plays. Ron Cooper sacked the McCluer quarterback after Mike Atkins had flushed him out of the pocket. Later, with McCluer driving towards a score in the closing minutes of the half, Barry Orndorff intercepted a pass to protect the 14-point lead.

In the second half, Robbie Oates, Cooper and Atkins all combined for a sack. After McCluer picked up a first down, Atkins came up with another big tackle for a loss. However, Clyde Carter scored on a 52-yard pass play shortly afterward.

Then on the Rams' last-ditch drive, Oates made a sensational catch when he tipped the ball away from the defender and then grabbed it as he dove onto the grass. Darren Alsberry then made a clutch reception to put the Rams in position to score, but an interception followed.

In a state final, both teams should have the ability to come back. McCluer did and the Rams were proving that they had the ability to do so. Perhaps they may have needed just a little more time.