Game of the week -- Rosewood keeps rolling; sprints past gritty Gators

By David Williams
Published in Sports on October 24, 2004 9:45 AM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek's defense had enough on its plate trying to stop the versatile Rosewood running game Friday night when the Eagles invaded the Swamp for a Class 1-A Carolina Conference matchup.

But when Danny Langston dropped back to pass, the chore got doubly tough.

The senior quarterback three for three touchdowns and 165 yards as the Eagles outlasted the game Gators 28-12. The victory -- Rosewood's third in a row -- kept the Eagles in second place in the league at 3-1 and kept alive its chances for a league title and a home playoff game.

"We are now in a position that is nice," said Rosewood coach Daniel Barrow. "We're in good position."

Not that Spring Creek made it easy. The Gators fought for every inch of turf and banged Rosewood around from the opening kickoff to the last play.

Both teams played hard," said Spring Creek coach Roy Whitfield. "I wouldn't expect any different with two county teams going at it. It was a cleanly-played game. That's what Friday night is about."

Langston's top target was Dustin Overman, who caught two touchdown passes and snared four passes in all for 74 yards. Overman caught a 43-yard pass from Langston to open the scoring on Rosewood's first possession for a 7-0 lead. The pass capped a 10-play drive.

After a swap of punts, Spring Creek answered right back as Ricky Mason's running anchored the march upfield. from the Gator 49, Spring Creek got a big play in a 43-yard pass from Josh Wright to Lelo Burt to get to the Eagle 8-yard line. From there, Wright hit Blake Thompson in the end zone, David Estrada's kick failed and the Gators were within one at 7-6.

Rosewood used a long march just before half to strike back as James Reusch and Derrick Bennett carried the running load. Another 10-play march, that stayed entirely on the ground, ended as Bennett crashed in from five yards out as Rosewood went to halftime leading 14-6.

The second half led off with an exchange of punts, but Rosewood got on track as Langston made key completions to Kyle Grey and Overman to get to the Gator nine. From there, he led Overman perfectly as he crossed the from of the end zone, catching a 12-yard TD pass for a 21-6 lead.

But Spring Creek answered right back. Jason Buchtmann electrified the home crowd by catching Wright's pass in the flat, shaking off two defenders and streaking down the right sideline for an 80-yard score.

The Gators had momentum and trailed only 21-12, but the Eagles' poise showed through in