Fourth-quarter turnover sets up Roosen's heroics

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on October 30, 2007 2:44 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- With his team driving down the field to set up a potential game-winning field goal on Monday night, Charles B. Aycock kicker Alex Roosen wasn't afraid to admit he was nervous -- real nervous.

Roosen had missed from 39 yards out just before halftime, and also failed to make two game-winners earlier this season against Greene Central. With memories of those shortcomings swirling through his head, Roosen tucked the football inside the left upright from 28 yards out with 6.9 seconds to go and lifted Aycock to a 17-14 win over rival Eastern Wayne at Hardy Talton Stadium.

"I was very nervous. I'm always nervous when I go out there," Roosen said. "It sort of came off the side of my foot. I thought it was going to go wide for a second. If I would have made the other field goal earlier tonight, I would have had more confidence about kicking the one later in the game.

"Every kicker wants to kick a game-winning field goal, and I finally got mine."

A pair of Eastern Wayne turnovers in the final three minutes help set up Roosen's heroics in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference affair.

Leading 14-7 and deep in Golden Falcons' territory, the Warriors (5-5 overall, 1-4 ECC) appeared to be on the verge of putting the game away. That all changed when Kelton Lewis scooped up Dwight Ulmer's fumble and raced 86 yards for the game-tying touchdown.

"That was about the fastest I've ever ran, even though I was catching cramps," Lewis said. "I didn't think I was going to make it at one point but I finally got there."

Moments later, Bryant Hill picked off Eastern Wayne's Dan Price and raced to the Warriors' 38-yard line. Six plays later, Roosen delivered on cue.

Ian Calder's 35-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Pendleton capped a 73-yard, six-play Aycock drive late in the first quarter.

The Warriors responded midway through the second quarter when Orlando Midgette returned an interception 97 yards for a score. The extra point was no good and the Golden Falcons (3-6, 2-2) took a 7-6 lead into the break.

Ulmer's five-yard touchdown run, and Price's two-point conversion pass to Eric Brofft put the Warriors on top 14-7 with less than seven minutes to play.

However, costly mistakes at critical moments held Eastern Wayne back all night. Midgette had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown called back on a penalty in the first quarter. Three turnovers and a missed extra point certainly didn't help the Warriors' cause.

"Give credit to Aycock. They did a super job of capitalizing on our mistakes," Warriors' head coach Jeff Price said. "That's the way it's been all year long. It's little mistakes that kill us along the way.

"We take two or three steps forward, and then there's a mistake that moves us back three or four steps."

Winners in two of its last three outings, Aycock concludes regular-season play at home Friday against Southern Wayne. Eastern Wayne entertains Kinston.

"It's just taken us time, and we're finally starting to come together," Aycock coach Randy Pinkowski said.

Eastern Wayne 0 6 0 8 -- 14

C.B. Aycock 7 0 0 10 -- 17

First quarter

CBA -- Pendleton 35 pass from Calder (Roosen kick), 2:06

Second quarter

EW -- Midgette 97 interception return (Hughes kick failed), 5:29

Fourth quarter

EW -- Ulmer 5 run (Brofft pass from Price), 6:34

CBA -- Lewis 86 fumble return (Roosen kick), 2:57

CBA -- Roosen 28 FG, 6.9

EW CBA

First downs 7 12

Rushes-yds 31-111 50-207

Passing yds 26 80

Total yards 137 287

C-A-I 2-11-1 6-9-1

Fumbles-lost 6-2 1-0

Penalties 4-35 6-55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing -- Eastern Wayne -- Hassan Best 15-64; Dwight Ulmer 9-56, TD; Eric Brofft 5-9; Dan Price 1-0; Team rush 1-(-18). C.B. Aycock -- Tyhiem Pitt 22-72; Blake Cooper 5-60; Ian Calder 11-44; Jacob Pendleton 7-18; Kelton Lewis 5-13.

Passing -- Eastern Wayne -- Dan Price 2-11-1 26. C.B. Aycock -- Ian Calder 6-9-1 80, 1 TD.

Receiving -- Eastern Wayne -- Will White 1-18; Eric Brofft 1-8. C.B. Aycock -- Jacob Pendleton 2-42, TD; Dalton Lewellan 1-22; Kelton Lewis 3-16.