This statement was proven true due to the efforts of senior quarterback Trey Gresh and the Blacksburg Bruins on Friday night. The Bruins were down late when Gresh led his team to an impressive win over the visiting Northside Vikings, 28-25, in the first game at the new Bill Brown Stadium.
"We are fortunate to have won this one, last week we lost one just like this" said head coach David Crist after the game.
The Bruins (4-1) started early when Gresh connected with wide receiver Eric Houff for the games first score on their opening drive. Setting up the drive was a big kick return which landed the Bruins in opposing territory from the start of the drive.
Their next drive saw more of the same. After a rollout, Gresh found Houff in the same spot of the end zone for another Bruin touchdown. A failed extra point attempt made the score 13-0.
The Bruins defense was coming through in full force in the first quarter, playing as a unit and not allowing a first down until late in the period. It was then, however, that they saw their first glimpse of the electric running back Dustin Phelps when he broke out and caught a long scoring pass.
There would be another trade of scoring before halftime when Phelps caught his second touchdown of the game on an 85 yard pass over the middle. The Bruins then scored on a handoff up the middle. That was set up by a huge 35 yard scramble by Gresh, followed by a 30 yard pass to Houff. The teams went into the locker room with Blacksburg up by eight.
The second half started with the Vikings getting a big return by Phelps to set up their score – a 35 yard touchdown pass. The Vikings tried to tie the game on a two-point conversion, but that try was denied.
Later in the quarter, one of Gresh's few mistakes came in a big way we he had a pass tipped and intercepted by none other than Dustin Phelps and returned for a 75 yard score giving Phelps his third touchdown of the game.
This was yet another addition to Phelps' 306 all purpose yards in the game.
With the score now 20-25 in favor of the Vikings, who were driving toward the end zone, the Bruins looked to be losing control of the game. It was then that senior safety Spencer Link probably couldn't have come up with a more timely interception.
This proved to be a huge momentum shift for the Bruins putting them 50 yards away from a score late in the fourth quarter.
Gresh went to work, driving his team down the field. He took the Bruins down near scoring position before a fourth-and-one with around one minute remaining. Gresh took the snap, dropped back, avoided a sack and managed to find receiver Jon Jennings for a 14 yard score that put the Bruins ahead.
"The offensive line did a great job in giving him enough time to find the receiver," Crist said.
A two-point conversion then put Blacksburg up 28-25.
Houff, Gresh's main target, had a career high eight grabs for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Gresh, meanwhile, made several big plays in key situations, as the Bruin signal-caller threw for 202 passing yards and three touchdowns.
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