The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week - Magna Vista Knocks off Phoebus 28-23 in 3A State Semis

Ok, it's not the same game that I previewed on Friday. However, I received an e-mail from The Roanoke Times asking if I would be interested in covering this game on behalf of their Magna Vista readers. My wife Elizabeth ended up covering the Highland Springs-Indian River game for Recruit757.com, and I may run her article in a few days.

Special thanks to Sam Mizelle of Recruit757.com (and many other places, including The Associated Press!) for lending her photographic talents to this article. Sam took pictures at Darling Stadium on Saturday and was gracious enough to offer a few for this recap. Keep an eye out for her, Sam caught some remarkable shots!

Shoalin McGuire runs for several of his 93 yards in Magna
Vista's 28-23 win over Phoebus last Saturday.
(Photo by Sam Mizelle)

HAMPTON – Magna Vista earned a berth to its second straight 3A state championship, but not before surviving a near implosion in the fourth quarter, as they opened up a 28-0 lead early in the third quarter, then held on for a 28-23 win against Phoebus on Saturday at Darling Stadium.

With the win, the Warriors will play the winner of the Lord Botetourt-Hopewell game, played on Saturday afternoon.

Jacqez Hairston’s second rushing touchdown of the game, from 12 yards out, gave the Warriors a convincing 28-0 lead midway through the third quarter of a game they had completely dominated up to that point. In the first half, the Warriors totaled 304 yards to 28 for Phoebus, while the Magna Vista defense held the Phantoms to one first down.

But the Peninsula District runner-up fought back valiantly in the game’s final 19 minutes. Justin Wright found Elijah Nelson on a 10-yard passing touchdown to put Phoebus on the board. After an Aaron Branch interception of a Shoalin McGuire pass, Jaylen Holloway plowed through the middle for a one-yard score, closing the margin to 28-14.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Phantoms kicked a lobber, which landed at the Magna Vista 20, then bounced toward the goal line, where it was picked up by Traveon Redd. However, the Phoebus defense converged on Redd, and tackled him in the end zone for a safety, giving the Phantoms two more points, and the ball, which ended up at the Warrior 38 after a long return..

Elijah Nelson's two touchdown catches were not enough to
help the Phantoms win their 3A state semifinal against
Magna Vista last Saturday. (Photo by Sam Mizelle)

Now minutes into the fourth quarter, Wright found Nelson again, this time all alone in the front right of the end zone as they took advantage of a breakdown in the Magna Vista defense. The 23-yard score closed the gap to a one-possession lead of 28-23, with ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. In all, the Phantoms 23 points were scored in just over a six-minute stretch.

Another Phoebus interception, this one by Andre Smith, gave the Phantoms the ball at their own 29, with five minutes left to play. However, the hosts could only muster nine yards on ten plays (they earned a first down on a Magna Vista pass interference call), and Wright’s 4^th-and-16 pass sailed over his target’s head, sealing the win for the Warriors.

“We knew that we were facing a tough team,” said coach Joe Favero. “We won the field position in the first half, but they won in the second. We kept giving them great field position, and short fields.” In fact, Phoebus only gained 169 yards in the game, while the Warriors tallied 439.

The Warriors received the ball first and immediately put their hurry-up offense to work. Their first drive stalled after ten plays and 57 yards, as McGuire fell short of the first down mark, running on fourth-and-two from the Phoebus 22.

After Phoebus failed to gain a first down and punted, Magna Vista caught fire. On the first play, Redd caught a reverse, found room down the right sideline, veered inside and darted toward the right pylon of the goal line, which he almost reached before being knocked out at the 2. Three plays later, McGuire called his own number and bulled into the end zone from three yards out.

Jacquez Hairston was the key on the next drive. Hairston’s 19-yard run put the ball from midfield to the 31, while his second 19-yard run was a break through the middle. After faking out a pair of safeties, Hairston dashed into the end zone, to give the Warriors a two-touchdown lead. For the day, Hairston gained 135 yards on 23 carries.

Working from the pistol, McGuire swept to the left and into the end zone from seven yards out. The senior ran for two touchdowns. While completing 10 of 18 passes for 149 yards. But it was his three interceptions that kept Phoebus in the game until their final drive.

MAGNA VISTA (12-2) -  14, 7, 7, 0 --28

PHOEBUS (12-2)  -            0, 0, 7,  16 -- 23         

First quarter

MV – McGuire 3 run (Eanes kick)

MV – Hairston 19 run (Eames kick)

Second quarter

MV – McGuire 7 run (Eames kick)

Third quarter

MV – Hairston 12 run (Eames kick)

P – Nelson 10 pass from Wright (Tonkins kick)

Fourth quarter

P – Holloway 1 run (Tonkins kick)

P – Safety (Returner tackled in end zone)

P – Nelson 23 pass from Wright (Tonkins kick)

         MV   PHOE

First downs;    22, 11

Rushes-yards;  46-290, 33-86

Passing yards;   149, 83

Comp-att-int;   10-18-3, 7-20-0

Penalties-yards; 4-45, 4-45

Punts-avg;      0-0, 7-37

Fumbles-lost;   1-1, 0-0