Published: September 01, 2007 01:06 am      

Dawgs bedeviled in Gate City

GATE CITY Va. — The Pups are growing. Tazewell gave up three second-quarter scores but battled back from a 28-point deficit with some second-half heroics before losing 41-21 in non-district action at Gate City Friday.

Tyler Parks, who rushed for 84 first-quarter yards finished with 186 for the Blue Devils (1-1), who ground out 342 on the ground. Parks scored three times for Gate City.

Freshman quarterback Cody Lockhart had a dazzling evening for Tazewell (0-2) finishing with 13 completions for 269 yards and three scores.

Lockhart fired a 56-yard pass to Matt Mucy for one score, hit Muncy with an 8-yard touchdown toss and drilled a 61-yard scoring pass to Richard Stansbury. T.J. Rasnick kicked the PATs for the Bulldogs.

“Our guys hung in there and played hard right to the final play,” said Bulldog coach Bobby Wyatt. “We can’t ask for more. I believe our fans were a big part of our comeback tonight. They cheered and our guys responded, and we’re looking forward to a big crowd this week when we come home to play Lebanon.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had this many passing yards, and if we keep working hard, we will win some ball games, believe me.”

Parks opened the scoring with a 24-yard run at the 1:43 mark of the first quarter and Ked Byrd booted the PAT to give the Devils a 7-0 lead.

Blue Devil passer Tihlee Anderson fired a 47-yard pass to Parks capping a two-play, 70-yard drive with 10:30 left in the half as the Devils went up 14-0.

Jarrod Sanders bulled over from three yards out with 6:43 left in the second stanza and Byrd’s extra point upped Gate City’s lead to 21.

Anderson then raced 29 yards on a quarterback keeper and Gate City held a 28-0 advantage.

Lockhart started Tazewell’s first scoring march with a 25-yard pass to freshman Josh Mitchem on third and 14 from the 22-yard line and on the next play drilled a 56-yard pass to Muncy who split the defenders at the 25 and raced untouched into the end zone.

The score, with 1:18 left in the half, got the Bulldogs excited and that continued into the third quarter.

Kyle Collier’s fumble recovery on the Gate City 40 followed by two consecutive first-down runs by Rasnick set up the 8-yard scoring pass to Muncy in the left corner of the end zone.

Gate City responded with an impressive 99-yard drive, climaxed by Anderson’s by 15-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter. Nick Colobro’s Blue Devils then led 34-14.

On the next series, Lockhart uncorked a 61-yard touchdown pass to Stansbury and Rasnick’s extra point pulled the Bulldogs to within 34-21.

An onside kick gave Gate City the ball at midfield and Anderson and Parks moved the Devils consistently. Parks scored from 9 yards out with 1:13 remaining.

Dustin Dean had a fumble recovery for Tazewell, and Jason Beavers, Andrew Rhudy and Bruiser Moore had solid defensive efforts for the Bulldogs.

Tazewell hosts Lebanon Sept. 7 and Gate City will be open this week.



At Gate City

Tazewell (0-2).................0 7 7 7 — 21

Gate City (1-1)................7 21 0 13 — 41

First Quarter

GC - Parks 24 run (Byrd kick)

Second Quarter

GC - Parks 47 pass from Anderson (Byrd kick)

GC - Sanders 3 run (Byrd kick)

GC - Anderson 29 run (Byrd kick)

Taz - Muncy 56 pass from Lockhart (Rasnick kick)

Third Quarter

Taz - Muncy 8 pass from Lockhart (Rasnick kick)

Fourth Quarter

GC - Anderson 15 run PAT failed

Taz - Stansbury 61 pass from Lockhart (RAsnick kick)

GC - Parks 9 run (Byrd kick)

———

First downs: Taz 7, GC 17.