CHESAPEAKE — Two freshman quarterbacks started their first playoff game Friday when Indian River’s Lord Malik Heru and Kempsville’s TJ Cason met in a Class 5 Region A quarterfinal.
One showed he didn’t have any jitters, as Heru completed 11 of 19 passes for 232 yards and five touchdowns as the Braves ran away with a 47-14 win over the Chiefs. Indian River (9-2) travels to No. 2 seed Cox (9-2) in next week’s region semifinals.
Showing poise and uncanny leadership for a freshman, Heru picked apart Kempsville as he helped the Braves score on their first three possessions with touchdown passes of 18, 23 and 40 yards. Two of those touchdowns went to Elijah Boggs.
Boggs 23 pass from Heru. Extra point blocked. Indian River 13, Kempsville 0 (1st) pic.twitter.com/dz4RaTlWcN
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) November 15, 2025
“I felt great coming in, and I felt well-prepared,” Heru said. “I just treated it like another game because there’s more to come. And my team didn’t want it to be our last game. So we just played our hearts out.”
Another one of the touchdown passes went to senior Ryan Robinson, who had a game to remember.
He caught two touchdowns and also had two interceptions, including a 90-yarder he returned for a touchdown in the second half.
“It’s amazing. It’s actually mind-blowing,” Robinson said about his big game. “I didn’t even know I could do this, but I trusted myself, trusted my team, trusted my coaches and trusted my quarterback. And they believed in me, and we got the job done.”
Robinson 40 pass from Heru. Indian River 21, Kempsville 7 (2nd) pic.twitter.com/1YzeL8f7cW
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) November 15, 2025
Robinson had a chance for a third touchdown catch late in the game, but couldn’t hold on. And he heard about it from his teammates and coaches, who teased him jokingly.
“I was tired and I dropped it,” he said with a chuckle. “But that was a good defensive play. He knocked the ball out of my hands.”
The Chiefs, who finished the season 7-4, didn’t have the same success.
They did score in the first quarter to cut the deficit to 13-7, but then were held scoreless until the fourth quarter.
Indian River has now beaten Kempsville the last three seasons in the playoffs. The Braves now face Cox, whom they’ve never played.
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
Freshman quarterback Lord Malik Heru of Indian River looks to pass on the run during the fourth quarter against Kempsville in their Class 5 Region A football quarterfinal in Chesapeake. The Braves won 47-14. PETER CASEY/FOR THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/14/indian-river-freshman-qb-shines-in-first-postseason-game/
