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| Bethel's Jeremiah Owusu (#9) with Bruins defensive coordinator Isaac Fulwood |
From Saturday's high school football doubleheader at John B. Todd Stadium
BETHEL 28, HERITAGE 27
NEWPORT NEWS – Bethel overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to upend previously undefeated Heritage 28-27 in the second game of a doubleheader at Todd Stadium on Saturday. The win puts Bethel ‘s record at 3-2 (2-2 Peninsula) and back into serious 5A playoff contention.
With 3:10 remaining in the third quarter of Saturday’s Bethel-Heritage game, the Hurricanes’ Shedrick Washington ran around the left side and out of bounds at the 6. While heading for the tackle, Bethel cornerback Kimonte White went airborne and landed awkwardly on his leg, breaking it upon impact.
When play resumed, Heritage quarterback Jeremiah Boyd scampered around the left side and dove at the left pylon to score on a six-yard touchdown. After Nevada Jones recovered a Bruin fumble on the next possession, Boyd found Amonyae Watson just behind the Bethel secondary for a run-and-catch 42-yard score. The extra point missed, but the Canes enjoyed a 27-14 lead and had all the momentum.
But the Bruins were not ready to quit.
“We already had Dwayne Hudson down,” said quarterback Navarro Price. “We knew that we all had to come together.”
“We focus on getting everybody reps,” added star receiver Jeremiah Owusu. “We told our guys that Monte was there for us and now it’s up to us to win this game for him.”
After Watson’s score, the Bruin offense immediately found its bearings, driving 50 yards on six plays, with Price’s touchdown pass to Owusu covering 24 yards and putting Bethel back in the game at 27-21.
After Heritage was forced to punt, the Bruins recharged with their best drive of the night, a nine-play, 68-yard series, which ended with two stellar runs by 250-pound fullback Janaz Jordan. The first, a 30-yard rumble through the Hurricane defense, put the ball on the Heritage 5, and set up the key play, another 5-yard grind by Jordan for the score.
John Vassilakopoulos added the extra point, and Bethel enjoyed its first lead of the night at 28-27.
From there, the Bruin defense bent, but refused to break, allowing several double-digit gains from Heritage, but not a score. And when Boyd’s last attempt to pass resulted in a swarm of Bruins players swarming over him for a sack, the visitors realized that they had the game won and the celebration began.
But it won’t be for too long.
“We’re not celebrating too much,” said Owusu. “I’m sure that we’ll be back at it tomorrow.”
Heritage opened up the scoring, sealing an 11-play, 56-yard drive with a counter handoff to Washington, who busted through the middle for an eight-yard touchdown.
After Bethel failed to convert a first down, the Hurricanes went to work again. A Boyd pass deflected off a Bruin defender and into the hands of Timothy Payne for a 21-yard gain to the Bruin 39. Four runs brought the ball to the 20. From there, Boyd called his own number and weaved through the porous Bethel defense for a touchdown, giving the home team a 14-0 lead.
Bethel fumbled on their next possession and Heritage was in a position to put the game out of reach. However, Boyd fumbled on his first drop back, giving the ball right back to the Bruins. On their second play, Bethel struck back with Navarro Price finding Owusu wide open down the right sideline for a 27-yard TD. The extra point missed, keeping Heritage ahead 14-6.
After a stalled Cane drive, Bethel put together its best drive of the first half, moving 50 yards on seven plays. A 26-yard run by Ki’sean Storm brought the ball to the 11, and was followed by another Storm run, for nine yards. After a trio of failed attempts to break the plane of the goal line, the Bruins turned to their battering ram, Jordan, who ran through the line for a two-yard score. Down by two, Bethel opted for the conversion, and went right back to Jordan, who broke through a second time for the two-pointer, knotting the score at 14.
BETHEL 0, 14, 0, 14 -- 28
HERITAGE 7, 7, 13, 0 -- 27
1st Quarter
H – Washington 8 run (Greene kick)
2nd Quarter
H – Boyd 20 run (Greene kick)
B – Owusu 27 pass from Price (kick failed)
B – Jordan 2 run (Jordan run)
3rd Quarter
H – Boyd 6 run (Greene kick)
H – Watson 42 pass from Boyd (kick failed)
4th Quarter
B – Owusu 24 pass from Price (Vassilakopoulos kick)
B – Jordan 5 run (Vassilakopoulos kick)
Beth Her
First downs; 12, 15
Rushes-yards; 32-112, 40-136
Passing yards; 125, 145
Comp-att-int; 9-17-0, 8-23-0
Penalties-yards; 4-30, 7-41
Punts-avg.; 5-32, 4-24
Fumbles-lost; 4-2, 0-0
DENBIGH 26, MENCHVILLE 24
In the opening game, Daquan Benton’s two key interceptions in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Patriots in a seesaw battle with an exciting finish.
Trailing 26-24 with 5:03 remaining, the Monarchs gained possession just over midfield and managed to gain two first downs on six rushes. With first-and-10 at the 22, Menchville’s K.J. Sarvis threw toward the end zone, where the diminutive senior defensive back picked it off.
The Patriots failed to convert a first down and were forced to punt with just under 40 seconds left. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Benton intercepted Sarvis’ pass again, and the Patriots ran out the clock.
Menchville (0-5) gained their first lead of the season midway through the first quarter. Nick Webster converted a fake punt on fourth-and-seven from the Denbigh 27, gaining the needed seven yards. Later, a pass interference call on the Monarchs put the ball at 10, and set up Corey Hairston, who busted through the middle of his offensive line and scooted in for the score.
Jameer Lukerson, making his first start for Denbigh, evened the score just before halftime. The Patriots benefitted from great field position as Menchville’s punt snap went over Nick Webster’s head, and he was tackled at the Monarch 17. After an eight-yard pass to Shaquan Jones, Lukerson called his own number three straight times. He reached the end zone on the first carry, but his knee hit at the one-foot line. Two plays later, Lukerson snuck through for the game-tying touchdown.
The third quarter was explosive offensively for both teams and keyed by two passing touchdowns of 43 and 37 yards from Lukerson to Keyshawn Chisholm. The Monarchs held tight, buoyed by an 80-yard interception return by senior cornerback Marquis Rhodes.
MENCHVILLE 6, 0, 10, 8 -- 24
DENBIGH 0, 6, 12, 8 -- 26
1st Quarter
M – Hairston 10 run (kick failed)
2nd Quarter
D – Lukerson 1 run (pass failed)
3rd Quarter
M – Warner 31 FG
M – Rhodes 80 int return (Warner kick)
D – Chisholm 43 pass from Lukerson (pass failed)
D – Chisholm 37 pass from Lukerson (pass failed)
4th Quarter
M – Butts 15 run (Dixon run)
D – Banks 71 pass from Lukerson (Lukerson run)
Mench Den
First downs; 12, 9
Rushes-yards; 48-211, 23-4
Passing yards; 0, 208
Comp-att-int; 0-6-3, 11-23-0
Penalties-yards; 6-57, 15-110
Punts-avg.; 5-28, 5-33
Fumbles-lost; 2-1, 1-1
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