Tayshawn Branche ran for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries Friday night as top-ranked Maury withstood a rare Eastern District challenge with a 42-14 victory at No. 11 Lake Taylor.
Despite the final score, the Titans (7-2) played the dominant Commodores (7-1) — who had outscored previously district foes 292-6 this season — evenly for almost 2½ quarters in an all-Norfolk clash.
Domo Everette, who carried seven times for 65 yards, found receiver Elijah Moss for a 5-yard touchdown on Maury’s first drive, which encompassed seven plays for 53 yards. But as lost fumbles ended the Commodores’ next two possessions, Lake Taylor drew even on Keon Johnson’s 4-yard TD run in the second quarter and Kevin Adams’ PAT for a 7-7 halftime tie.
Branche raced 78 yards for a touchdown on Maury’s first play of the third quarter, only to see Jeremiah Ferebee reply with a 77-yard TD run on Lake Taylor’s next snap for a 14-14 tie.
The Commodores went ahead for good on the next possession with a “Philly special”-type play when Maury fooled the defense. Everette was wide-open to catch a 5-yard TD pass from Matthew Williams.
Branche’s 17-yard run and the fourth of Charles McCoy’s six PATs put the Commodores ahead 28-14 in the third quarter. Everette TD passes of 27 yards to Williams and 34 to Moss in the fourth quarter completed a stretch on which Maury scored on four consecutive possessions. The Commodores amassed 296 of their 494 offensive yards after halftime.
“We just had to do what we do better,” Maury coach Dyrri McCain said. “The plays we called in the second half were the same plays we called in the first half. We’ve got a championship-caliber team that’s going to learn from what happened. You look at a 20-point-plus victory, and we still feel we need to get better.”
Everette was 10 of 22 for 192 yards and three TDs, including two to Moss.
Ferebee led the Titans with 105 yards on 14 carries, but Maury held Johnson to 22 yards on nine rushes.
— Reported by Charlie Baumgardner
Patriots QB stars in blowout win
Denbigh celebrated its seniors at Todd Stadium on Friday night, but it was a junior who earned the most praise from the Patriot faithful, and offered a glimpse of what the near-future holds.
Kevin Parker might be the most heralded athlete in Newport News, and against his neighborhood rival Woodside, the four-star recruit provided plenty of reasons to back up his status. Passing for precision and using his two legs as weapons, Parker ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more, leading the Patriots to a convincing 42-13 win over the Wolverines.
Parker threw for 187 yards on 16-of-28 passing and rushed for another 140 yards on 10 attempts.
Denbigh (4-5) led 15-0 in the first quarter after Parker capitalized on a muffed punt snap by Woodside (3-5) that gave the Patriots the ball at the Woodside 1. Parker scored on a 1-yard plunge, then on the next possession threw a 29-yard TD pass to Callen Morrison (five receptions, 62 yards).
Parker and Josiah Thompson scored on 3-yard runs, and Parker all but sealed the victory with a 57-yard scamper for a score in the third quarter.
His 31-yard TD pass to Jashon McIntyre capped the scoring.
— Jim McGrath
Kellam 24, #13 Bayside 21: Aaron Smith caught a touchdown pass, set up another score with a big kickoff return and sealed the game with an interception as the clock expired as the Knights (5-3) survived a wild final few minutes to claim a big Beach District victory.
The teams scored three touchdowns in the final three minutes after Bayside (5-3) held a 14-10 lead.
Smith nabbed a 15-yard touchdown pass from Mason Roach with 2:30 left to put the Knights ahead 17-14. But Bayside promptly went 80 yards in just 37 seconds for a score to retake the lead.
Smith, though, provided a big kickoff return, and Roach found Camren Midkiff for a 9-yard score with 43.3 seconds remaining.
Bayside took over at its own 20 after a penalty wiped out a kickoff return to near midfield, and on second-and-11 with 14.2 seconds left, Smith hauled in an interception of a long pass. The clock read all zeroes after he was finally tackled.
Cox 10, #15 Salem 0: Tyre Jefferies rushed for 153 of the Falcons’ season-high 256 yards on the ground as Cox (6-2) picked up its fourth consecutive win.
Cox’s defense collected its second straight shutout and limited the SunDevils (5-3) to 205 total yards.
Jefferies scored on a 47-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Brycen Widhalm kicked a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Kempsville 43, Tallwood 3: Quarterback Josh Hawley threw a 52-yard scoring strike to James Releford V on the Chiefs’ first play from scrimmage to ignite a 43-point outburst.
Tallwood (3-5) led 3-0 after the game’s opening drive before Kempsville (6-2) scored 43 unanswered points in its fourth straight victory.
Kempsville’s Tayshaun Johnson rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns, and Max Clatterbuck kicked field goals of 32 and 31 yards and was 5 for 5 on PATs.
Jason Galloway, a senior linebacker, led the Chiefs defense with 12 tackles, including four for loss, along with three sacks and a blocked punt for a safety. Kempsville’s Jahlen Batty blocked a field goal.
Tabb 49, Gloucester 6: From the start at Bailey Field, the Tigers (6-2) had no trouble downing the Dukes (0-8), moving ahead 20-0 in the first quarter. Corbin Eckert opened the scoring with a 1-yard run and threw a 7-yard TD pass to Sam Christophel. Victor Shandor returned an interception 19 yards for a score and threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Doja Arizpe. David Brooks ran for a 1-yard touchdown and kicked five PATs.
Khalil Outlaw’s 27-yard run and Micah Marbra’s 25-yard run contributed to the Tigers’ 42-0 halftime edge and a second half with a running clock.
Smithfield 42, Jamestown 30: The Packers (5-3) scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to ensure they’d beat the Eagles (2-6).
Warhill 13, New Kent 12: The visiting Lions (6-2) erased a 12-3 deficit by holding the Trojans (5-3) scoreless in the second half.
Bruton 35, Grafton 20: The Panthers (2-6) won a York County clash against the Clippers (2-7).
Norfolk Academy 28, Collegiate 14: The Bulldogs (7-1) greatly boosted their playoff hopes by registering a key victory over the Cougars of Richmond.
There are four playoff berths in VISAA Division I. Norfolk Academy began the weekend ranked fourth in D-I, while Collegiate was fifth. The Bulldogs can take the undisputed Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools championship by defeating Catholic next week.
Friday’s results
757Teamz Top 15
#1 Maury 42, #11 Lake Taylor 14
#2 Oscar Smith 35, #8 Nansemond River 21
#4 Green Run 61, First Colonial 0
#5 Indian River 57, Lakeland 0
#6 King’s Fork 39, Hickory 17
#9 Kempsville 43, Tallwood 3
Kellam 24, #13 Bayside 21
Cox 10, #15 Salem 0
Bay Rivers District
Tabb 49, Gloucester 6
Bruton 26, Grafton 13
Smithfield 42, Jamestown 30
Warhill 13, New Kent 12
Beach District
Landstown 28, Ocean Lakes 10
Eastern District
Norcom 12, Norview 8
Peninsula District
Denbigh 42, Woodside 13
Southeastern District
Western Branch 52, Grassfield 6
Deep Creek 34, Great Bridge 33
Private schools
Catholic 40, Thomas Jefferson of Alexandria 0
Norfolk Academy 28, Collegiate of Richmond 14
Greenbrier Christian Ac. 33, Kenston Forest 14
St. Anne’s-Belfield 36, Atlantic Shores Christian 15
Thursday’s results
757Teamz Top 15
#7 Hampton 21, #3 Warwick 14
#10 Lafayette 52, York 0 (stopped at halftime and not resumed)
#12 Phoebus 56, Heritage 6
Saturday’s games
Peninsula District
Kecoughtan vs. Menchville at Todd Stadium, noon
Private schools
Hampton Roads Academy at Christchurch, 1 p.m.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy at Fredericksburg Christian, 1 p.m.
