Two first-quarter touchdowns and a couple of key stops enabled host Western Branch to fend off Deep Creek 14-7 Thursday night in an all-Chesapeake clash.
“Resiliency and perseverance,” Western Branch coach Rashad Cook said. “We battled adversity for three seasons, and one thing I feel, looking at those seniors on their way out, they are resilient and they look adversity right in the face.”
The Bruins (6-3) only produced 14 yards of offense in the second half, but their 107 in the first half proved to be enough, thanks to rushing touchdowns by quarterback Timothy Pierce and Adin Watters.
On fourth-and-5 from the Deep Creek 32, Pierce took a read-option to the end zone with 6:13 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
Western Branch failed on its next drive to capitalize on one fumble by the Hornets (3-6). But on third-and-13 from the Deep Creek 19, Hornets quarterback Deijon Taylor dropped back to pass and lost the ball, and Western Branch’s Nathan Jones recovered on the 6.
Adin Watters ran around the end to score on the next snap, the final play of the opening quarter, and Brady Miller’s second PAT made it 14-0.
In the third quarter, Deep Creek drove 11 plays over a 7-minute, 2-second span, but Watters — playing strong safety — dropped Isaiah Coleman for a 6-yard loss on fourth-and-5 at the 6 to end the possession.
Deep Creek’s Mike Jones intercepted a rare Pierce pass at the Western Branch 35, and the Hornets capitalized with Coleman’s 4-yard TD run with 9:37 to go in the fourth quarter.
After a Deep Creek missed fumble and a Western Branch missed field goal, the Hornets got the ball at their 20 with one more chance. Taylor ran 20 yards to the Bruins’ 15, but a penalty for illegal procedure negated it, moving the ball back to the 40 with 15.9 seconds remaining. A sack ended the contest.
Coleman led the Hornets with 99 yards on 21 carries, and Jones had eight carries for 27 yards and five receptions for 30 yards.
For the Bruins, Watters had 13 carries for 51 yards, while Pierce had six carries for 46 yards.
— Reported by Charlie Baumgardner
No. 9 Kempsville 42, Kellam 10: Robert Hughes Jr. paced the ground attack with 201 rushing yards and two TDs as the Chiefs (7-2) pummeled host Kellam (5-4).
“He was dog when things weren’t going for us,” Kempsville coach Daryl Cherry said. “We didn’t really go to our run game early on. But then he and Tay (Tayshaun Johnson) came on in the second half and did a fabulous job finishing the game.”
Johnson chipped in with 66 rushing yards and two scores for the Chiefs, who totaled 277 rushing yards.
Kellam led 3-0 following a 41 yard field goal by Brandon Painter, but the Chiefs answered back with the first of three unanswered TDs — a 63-yard scoring strike from Taejon Cason to Camir Croom. Hughes followed up with a 49-yard scoring run. After a three-and-out on the ensuing Kellam possession, Jacob Carty reeled off a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown to extend the lead to 21-3.
The Knights, though, pulled to within 21-10 when Aaron Smith snagged an errant pass from Kempsville QB Josh Hawley and returned it 62 yards to the end zone.
“All I’m going to say is we played football, we persevered and got the W,” said Cherry, much chagrined that his team was also penalized 13 times for 161 yards. Eight of those flags came before halftime.
However after the break, the Chiefs’ defense forced three fumbles and added an interception. Kempsville limited Kellam to 121 total yards, including minus-40 rushing yards.
“Our defense has been playing awesome all year — they had our offense’s back,” Cherry said, giving credit to his defensive coordinator and other assistants. “They’ve been doing an excellent job all season.”
— Reported by Darrell Cuenca
No. 2 Oscar Smith 61, Great Bridge 38: Lonnie Andrews III threw six touchdown passes as the Tigers all but clinched at least a tie for the Southeastern District title with one regular-season game remaining.
Andrews’ TD passes totaled more than 200 yards, and three of them went to Charlies McGlown for 36, 57 and 35 yards. Andrews also hit Travis Johnson for scoring strikes of 7 and 82 yards.
Oscar Smith (8-1 overall, 8-0 district) pulled away from a 7-7 tie in the first quarter, scoring 28 unanswered points against the Wildcats (1-8).
No. 5 Hampton 57, Heritage 7: Having already handled Phoebus and Warwick, the Crabbers continued their match to the Peninsula District title and a high Class 4 Region A seeding by dispatching the Hurricanes.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 27, St. Anne’s-Belfield 22: The Saints (6-3) pulled off an upset at home, knocking off previously unbeaten STAB. Nansemond-Suffolk solidified its footing in the VISAA Division II playoff chase and very well could play the Saints of Charlottesville again in a state semifinal.
Norfolk Academy 48, Catholic 6: The Bulldogs (8-1), ranked fourth in VISAA Division I, likely wrapped up a state semifinal berth by breezing past the Crusaders.
Thursday’s results
757Teamz Top 15
#2 Oscar Smith 61, Great Bridge 38
#6 King’s Fork 21, #4 Indian River 14
#5 Hampton 57, Heritage 7
#9 Kempsville 42, Kellam 10
#12 Poquoson 42, Bruton 7
#15 Cox 48, Princess Anne 6
Bay Rivers District
York 42, Jamestown 21
Beach District
Bayside 45, Ocean Lakes 20
Landstown 69, First Colonial 14
Salem 29, Tallwood 0
Peninsula District
Bethel 54, Menchville 6
Southeastern District
Western Branch 14, Deep Creek 7
Private schools
Norfolk Academy 48, Catholic 6
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 27, St. Anne’s-Belfield 22
Friday’s games
757Teamz Top 15
Manor vs. #1 Maury at Powhatan Field, 7 p.m.
Lakeland at #8 Nansemond River, 7 p.m.
#11 Phoebus vs. Woodside at Todd Stadium, 7 p.m.
Tabb vs. #14 Warhill at Wanner Stadium, 7 p.m.
Bay Rivers District
Gloucester at Smithfield, 7 p.m.
New Kent vs. Grafton at Bailey Field, 7 p.m.
Eastern District
Churchland at Booker T. Washington, 7 p.m.
Peninsula District
Denbigh vs. Kecoughtan at Darling Stadium, 7 p.m.
Private schools
Atlantic Shores Christian at Isle of Wight Academy, 7 p.m.
Christchurch at Norfolk Christian, 7 p.m.
Hampton Roads Academy at St. John Paul the Great Catholic, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s game
Eastern District
Granby at Norcom, 1 p.m.
