Jason Harden returned from injury to rush for 186 yards and two touchdowns to power No. 5 seed Salem (8-3) past fourth-seeded Bayside 28-19 Friday night in a VHSL Class 5 Region A first-round game in Virginia Beach.
“One of the big things we said this year was when we first played Bayside, that was our first L (loss),” SunDevils coach Mark Hall said. “It was our turning point in the season, so we definitely had to come back here and make a statement.”
Harden opened the scoring with a 55-yard dash on the first play from scrimmage, just 14 seconds in.
“I’m known for getting first-down touchdowns,” said Harden, adding that he has missed the last three games. “It’s my first welcome back after being injured.”
Bayside’s Kam Kirby capped the ensuing 11-play drive with a 3-yard TD plunge, but the Marlins (7-4) trailed 7-6 following a bad snap on the point-after attempt.
Salem answered on the following possession on a 22-yard touchdown scamper by QB Jack Strother with less than five minutes remaining in the first quarter, but Kirby trimmed the Marlins deficit to 14-13 with a 7-yard scoring run.
Salem extended the lead to 21-13 following a nine-play drive capped by a 29-yard scoring strike from Strother to Kaeden Drenning. The pass was a slant from the left with a little more than three minutes remaining until halftime.
Kyron Brown spearheaded a Bayside drive to the SunDevils’ 10 with 39 rushing yards, but the opportunity stalled after a 10-yard sack on Kirby followed by three consecutive incompletions. Brown finished with 156 yards on 20 carries.
Harden broke through for a 31-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter to expand the SunDevils’ lead to 28-13.
“I believe in my teammates,” Harden said. “My O-line, they’re going to block for me, and I believe that if they do their job, I should do my job too.”
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Kirby found Breon Hardnett near the left boundary of the end zone for a TD pass, but a failed two-point conversion meant Bayside still trailed by two possessions. The SunDevils chewed up the clock on a pair of series by continuing to pile on their successful ground attack.
“We just pride ourselves in being physically strong,” said Hall, whose team totaled 327 yards on the ground. “Running the ball is what we do best right now, and we’re going to take advantage of it.
“We’re not trying to hide anything — it’s on film, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
— Darrell Cuenca
Top-seeded Green Run rolls in playoff opener
Luke Ashcraft threw three touchdown passes to lead top-seeded Green Run to a 36-14 home victory over eighth-seed Deep Creek in a Class 5 Region A quarterfinal.
Ashcraft hit Devin Miller on a 21-yard strike to get the scoring started. He connected with Zaevion Cleveland twice in the first half as the Stallions led 22-7 at halftime.
Charles Jackson scored two touchdowns in the second half for Green Run.
Deijon Everette connected with Michael Jones for both of Deep Creek’s touchdowns.
Green Run will face Beach District rival Salem in a region semifinal.
Fisher’s takeaways lift Bethel
With his Bethel team trailing at halftime in Suffolk, coach David Parker told his team, “If we don’t do something this half, basketball practice starts on Monday.”
Safety Derek Fisher was listening. The Virginia Cavaliers recruit put the Bruins ahead with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown, then sealed the triumph with two fumble recoveries as fifth-seeded Bethel won 28-18 at fourth-seeded Nansemond River in the Class 5 Region B playoffs’ first round.
It was sweet payback for the Bruins, who lost to the Warriors in last year’s playoffs.
“We wanted revenge for last year’s loss, so we stepped it up and made big plays,” Fisher said.
Bethel will go back to Suffolk next week to take on top-seeded King’s Fork in a region semifinal.
Standout Amari Pryear ran for two touchdowns and 103 yards on 20 carries. The Hampton University recruit’s 11-yard run with 2:08 left in the first quarter was the Bruins’ first touchdown, and his 4-yarder with 5:51 to go in the game provided the game’s last points.
Fisher, whose pick-six put Bethel ahead 14-10, stripped two Nansemond River ball-carriers and recovered on successive possessions to end the Warriors’ season. Nansemond River had to play without quarterback Tyrell Grant, a Syracuse recruit, because of injury.
But Warriors backup Ryland Welton threw for 200 yards on 14-of-23 accuracy, including a 28-yard first-quarter touchdown to Quincy Gilmer.
Alex Lewis’ 53-yard TD pass to Antonio Cummings and Omar Ndione’s third of four PATs put Bethel ahead 21-10 midway through the third quarter. Nansemond River cut it to 21-18 on J’Kari Colden’s 49-yard TD run on his first carry of the night and Gilmer’s two-point catch with 3:31 left in the third, but Fisher and company stifled them thereafter.
— Reported by Gary Lassiter
Tucker, Warwick blank Norview
Avione Tucker ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns as Warwick routed Norview 43-0 in the Class 5 Region B playoffs’ first round at Todd Stadium in Newport News.
Quarterback Zyire White-Epps ran for 49 yards, including two 1-yard scores, for the third-seeded Raiders (8-3). They next will go to Powhatan Field in Norfolk to take on the area’s top-ranked team, second-seeded Maury.
Warwick coach Thomas Sykes said, “We’ve been focusing on special teams, focusing on the small things, playing three phases. That’s been our thing. If we play all three phases at a high level, we should come out on top.”
The first half ended with a 36-0 score, meaning the entire second half was played with a running clock. Warwick’s defense provided two safeties, Tyler Ruder kicked field goals of 33 and 25 yards, and Tucker provided highlights with 80- and 29-yard touchdown runs.
Asked what clicked, Sykes said, “Making the player adjustments. This is the first week that I could look at the sideline and make the adjustments a little bit faster. Normally we have to wait a drive or two later, but we were able to make the adjustment on the next play.”
The only second-half touchdown came on backup quarterback Zymehr Hawkins’ 30-yard pass to Kumari Humphrey. The sixth-seeded Pilots (5-6), led by Josiah Barnes-Epps’ two receptions from Jamir Vaughan for 63 yards, came up just short of a touchdown on the night’s final drive.
— Reported by Charlie Baumgardner
Cox defense delivers
Tyre Jefferies set a Cox postseason record with five touchdowns in a game, and the second-seeded Falcons rolled to a 42-7 victory over seventh-seeded Kellam in a Class 5 Region A quarterfinal at Cox.
Jeffries rushed for 115 yards. In the first half alone, Jeffries carried the ball 22 times for 81 yards.
He got the Falcons (9-2) going early, carrying the ball nine times on a 13-play drive that ended with a Cox turnover.
Kellam (5-6), though, fumbled on its second play and Cox was in business at the Knights’ 13. Jefferies capped the four-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
Kellam got the ball and moved ahead 5 yards before fumbling again. The Falcons recovered at the Knights’ 18, and five plays later Jeffries scored from the 1-yard line.
Kellam moved Aaron Smith to quarterback for a series, which ended in a three-and-out. After a punt, Cox took over at its 37. The Falcons marched downfield, and Jeffries scored his third touchdown with 4:29 left in the second quarter.
Kellam quarterback Drew McEntarfer returned to the game, but his first pass was picked off at the 25-yard line and returned to the 22. After a first-down incompletion, Jeffries carried the ball on the next four plays, ending the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Kellam (5-6) bounced back and quickly moved downfield as McEntarfer hit back-to-back completions before connecting with Brody McLennon on a 25-yard touchdown pass.
The Knights’ momentum didn’t last long. Cox’s Kai Reighard returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, and Cox led 34-7 at halftime.
Jeffries scored his fifth touchdown, a 3-yard run, on the Falcons’ first possession of the second half.
The Cox defense was equally impressive as Jefferies. The Falcons forced three first-half turnovers that led to 21 points. Cox also limited Kellam to four first downs – the first with 1:05 left in the second quarter – and 17 yards rushing.
Cox will play host to third-seeded Indian River in the Region A semifinals. The Braves defeated sixth-seeded Kempsville 47-14.
– Reported by Greg Giesen
Friday’s scores
Class 6 Region A
#1 Oscar Smith (9-1) and #2 Thomas Dale (9-1) had first-round byes.
#3 Manchester 38, #6 Landstown 28
#4 L.C. Bird 35, #5 Western Branch 7
Class 5 Region A
#1 Green Run 38, #8 Deep Creek 14
#5 Salem 28, #4 Bayside 19
#3 Indian River 47, #6 Kempsville 14
#2 Cox 42, #7 Kellam 7
Class 5 Region B
#1 King’s Fork 38, #8 Granby 6
#5 Bethel 28, #4 Nansemond River 18
#3 Warwick 43, #6 Norview 0
#2 Maury 64, #7 Woodside 6
Class 4 Region A
#1 Hampton 59, #8 Manor 0
#5 Churchland (7-3) vs. #4 Phoebus (6-3), noon Saturday at Darling Stadium
#6 Smithfield 30, #3 Warhill 22
#2 Lafayette 40, #7 Denbigh 0
Class 3 Region A
#1 Lake Taylor 49, #8 Colonial Heights 6
#4 Norcom 20, #5 Tabb 7
#6 Hopewell 27, #3 New Kent 14
#2 Petersburg 40, #7 York 7
Class 2 Region A
#1 Armstrong 49, #8 Nottoway 8
#4 Thomas Jefferson of Richmond 42, #5 King William 8
#6 Southampton 44, #3 Lunenburg Central 30
#2 Poquoson 44, #7 Greensville County 6
