Class 6 Region A championship
Oscar Smith 48, Thomas Dale 7: Two key interceptions set the tone early, and the Tigers went on to rout Thomas Dale and repeat as region champions in Chesapeake on Friday night.
Reginald Wallace and Breon Gibson scored two touchdowns apiece for the Tigers, and Lonnie Andrews threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
Defending state champ Oscar Smith, the only Class 6 team remaining that’s not in Northern Virginia, will play a state semifinal next weekend against the winner of Saturday’s Region D final pitting Westfield at James Madison.
“We’re not one player. We play great team football,” Oscar Smith coach Chris Scott said. “Defense is healthy for the first time, and they’re playing lights-out.”
Wallace’s 1-yard run and Cahleef Graham’s first of six PATs opened the scoring with 8:45 left in the opening quarter.
Thomas Dale’s Micah Flowers ran back the ensuing kickoff to the Oscar Smith 10. But on the Knights’ third play, Xavier Clarkson intercepted a Wyatt Jessup pass to give possession to the Tigers on their own 4-yard line.
Oscar Smith went on a 15-play, 96-yard drive, capped by Wallace’s 3-yard run for a 14-0 lead on the initial play of the second quarter.
Thomas Dale drove downfield again, only to see Jayden Covil pick off a pass at the Oscar Smith 6. On the second play after that, Andrews and Travis Johnson connected for a 93-yard touchdown and a 20-point lead, and the rout was on.
Gibson scored on a 33-yard reception and 16-yard run, Quali Price returned a punt 60 yards, and Charles McGlown caught a 12-yard TD pass to complete the scoring.
About the only negative for Oscar Smith came on what would’ve been the game’s last play, if not for a fumble that Thomas Dale’s Javaris Thomas-Tucker scooped and took 60 yards for a shutout-averting touchdown with 7 seconds to go.
— Reported by Gary Lassiter
Class 4 Region A championship
Lafayette 23, Phoebus 17: Naye’Ron Wilson returned a punt 77 yards for the game-winning touchdown, and Logan Oleksy intercepted passes on back-to-back fourth-quarter possessions as the Rams claimed the region title at Wanner Stadium.
Lafayette (12-1) advances to the Class 4 semifinals against an opponent to be named, while Phoebus (8-4) saw its streak of four consecutive state championships end.
The Rams’ defense held Phoebus to just 28 rushing yards. However, Tyree Diggs (11 carries, 26 yards) found the end zone from 10 yards away on the Phantoms’ first drive. Diggs scored again from 2 yards in the third quarter.
Phoebus’ passing game was on fire through the game’s first 45 minutes as Maurikus Banks completed 25 of 36 passes for 322 yards. However, two costly interceptions on their final two drives, both by Oleksy, shut down Phoebus’ last hopes of pulling out a win.
Phoebus receiver Mhakyi Hill caught 10 of Banks’ passes for 189 yards.
Lafayette’s Breon Stokes forced two key sacks of Banks, while offensively rushing for 100 yards and a score on 14 carries.
Phoebus led 7-0 after the first quarter, but Tyree Wilson put the hosts on the board in the second with a 7-yard run. The Phantoms led 10-7 at the half with Jayden Williams tacking on a 29-yard field goal.
After Diggs’ second TD, a 42-yard pass from Baum Hogge to Jael Love keyed a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an Aidan Gerda 24-yard field goal to tie the game at 17.
Starting from the Phoebus 36, Banks reeled off four short completions before Oleksy jumped in front of a Phoebus receiver for the first interception. On the next drive, Phoebus had driven the ball to the Lafayette 31 with just less than two minutes to go. But Oleksy got between the Phoebus receiver and the ball for the game-sealing pick.
The four Class 4 region champions will be ranked, and the semifinal matchups will be set for next weekend with the higher seeds hosting.
— Reported by Jim McGrath
Class 3 Region A championship
Kevin Adams of Lake Taylor throws for a two point conversion against Micah Scott of Petersburg during the first half in the Class 3 Region A championship game at Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Va., on Nov. 28, 2025. (Peter Casey / For The Virginian-Pilot)
Lake Taylor 40, Petersburg 26: The Titans’ tactics were simple and effective as Lake Taylor completed a turnaround from last season’s three-win season to region champion.
“Our game plan was to control the clock with the run,” Titans coach Hank Sawyer said. “I’ve got a quarterback and unbelievable backs. I have over 4,000 yards rushing with this team.”
Keon Johnson ran for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries with his bowling-ball style, Jeremy Ferebee gained 106 yards on 16 attempts, and quarterback/kicker Kevin Adams ran for two TDs and 87 yards.
The Titans rolled up 384 yards on 41 carries, more than 9 yards per attempt.
Lake Taylor (11-2) earned a state semifinal berth next weekend at home against Magna Vista, located near Martinsville.
Petersburg (9-4), whose first-year head coach is Hampton University Hall of Famer and former NFL receiver Jerome Mathis, was the visiting team but enjoyed the majority of crowd support. The Petersburg band played the national anthem, and the approximately 300 Wave supporters significantly outnumbered Lake Taylor’s.
But none of those fans could tackle. After the Titans’ defense forced a three-and-out, Johnson’s 27-yard touchdown capped a 66-yard, eight-play drive. The Titans went ahead 8-0 when Adams, who was planning to kick a PAT, grabbed a snap that went through the holder’s hands, improvised and found 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end Dominic Batchler-Clanton for a two-point pass.
Adams raced 86 yards for a 15-0 lead in the first quarter, though Petersburg answered with a pair of Kemonie Peebles touchdown passes. In between, Adams — on one of his three passes in the game — connected with Magerald Clark for a 33-yard touchdown.
Adams’ 1-yard TD and 14- and 16-yard scoring runs by Johnson ensured the Titans remained in front.
Twice, Petersburg was within one score, but the Lake Taylor defense stiffened each time, and the offense responded with a touchdown to reinstate a more comfortable margin.
It was 40-20 before the Wave’s Geonte Lewis ran for a 2-yard touchdown with 52 seconds remaining.
“We’ve got to play a little bit better on defense,” Sawyer said. “We’ve got to come off the field when we need to come off the field.”
— Reported by Charlie Baumgardner
