Rangers succumb to Black Knights

By Marvin Birchfield
STAR CORRESPONDENT

   AFTON -- Quick out of the chute, the Chuckey-Doak Black Knights upended the Unaka Rangers Friday night in a 41-26 final at The Black Hole.
   The Rangers were swamped by an onslaught of touchdowns, which resulted in a deficit of 34-0 after the first quarter of play.
   "We were lucky with a couple of big interceptions and plays, that helped us get going early," said Chuckey Doak coach George Frye.
   Chuckey Doak's scoring parade began on Unaka's first possession, when Jamin Baggett was intercepted by Chris Lane, who ran it all the way back for a 31-yard touchdown return.
   The Black Knights struck again with a 27-yard run coming from Brent Price to put them up 14-0 with 8:01 left in the first quarter.
   On Chuckey Doak's next possession, the ball was handed to Bronson Winters, who streaked down the left side to score from 56 yards out.
   Unaka's was falling into the panic mode by now, which resulted in another interception ran back for a touchdown by Justin Hill.
   With just under a minute to go in the first period, the Black Knights added to their lead once again, when Matt Randall hauled the ball in from nine yards out.
   The Rangers were severely outrushed in the first quarter, by suffering 22 yards on 11 carries, and the Black Knights blasted for 135 yards on just six carries.
   "We came out and didn't have our heads on, and they did in the first half," said senior linebacker Ricky Estep.
   In the second period, Unaka finally started making some things happen when Josh Irick picked up a first down on two consecutive carries.
   Unaka proceeded to put together a drive that went for 80 yards, with Joey Parlier capping it with a 4-yard run.
   The Ranger defense held the Black Knights to three and out and got the ball back to drive it once again, only to be negated on a fumble snap with the ball inside Chuckey Doak's 20 yard line.
   After a five-yard penalty for offsides the Black Knights handed off to Price, who took it 92 yards for the score, making it 41-6 at half-time.
   Unaka came out in the second half playing totally different from the way it had performed in the first two quarters, outrushing and scoring Chuckey Doak 20-0.
   The Rangers compiled a total of 208 yards in the last two periods, but the damage received from the first half was too much for them to overcome.
   "Well, it's like an every-week thing," Estep said. "The first half we don't do anything, and then we figure out we're getting whooped and battle back."
   Parlier ran a 32-yard touchdown on Unaka's first possession to rejuvenate a little spark back to the Ranger offense.
   It was Parlier again in the fourth period, this time on a 47-yard skirmish to give him his third touchdown on the night.
   "The hole was there, and the fullback made the block and I got by just one guy to make the run," said Parlier.
   Parlier finished with 185 yards on 14 carries, joined by Irick with 107 yards on 18 carries, being the first two rushers this season to surpass the 100-yard mark.
   Unaka scored again with under a minute to go in the ballgame, when Tory Morton crossed the plain from 10 yards away.
   "We didn't show up the first half. I got on them at half-time, and we played better and finally started doing some things," said Unaka coach Mickey Taylor.