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OSCAR SMITH 27, COLONIAL FORGE 20 (2 OT)
STAFFORD – This year was going to be different. This was the year that Colonial Forge was going to get over the hump, finally defeat Oscar Smith in the playoffs, and advance to the 6A State championship.
The Eagles had lost three times to the Tigers over the past four years, including last year’s 27-20 thriller that was decided by Shon Mitchell’s touchdown pass to Khalik Perry with 12 seconds remaining in the game. But this time, all of the pieces were in place for a different result. The Eagles had cruised through a 10-0 regular season, followed by a bye week to rest, and playoff victories over Riverbend and Manchester. VHSL-Reference had Forge ranked the best team in the state.
And this time, they would be playing the game in Stafford, unlike the other contests, which took place on the Tigers’ home turf in Chesapeake. Home crowd, and no three-hour bus ride to the game for Coach Bill Brown’s troops.
Oh yeah, and midway through the third quarter, two touchdown receptions on successive plays by receiver Zack Kindel gave Forge a commanding 17-3 lead. After a hard-fought first half that ended in a 3-3 draw, it appeared that a two-touchdown lead would be enough to move the Eagles to their next game – one which would require a two-hour bus ride, but would end at Armstrong Stadium on the campus of Hampton University, the site of the state championship and perhaps the final game of their miraculous ride.
With their season on the brink, Oscar Smith coach Scott Johnson made his boldest move of the day, replacing Dominique Brooks at quarterback with Cam’Ron Kelly. Brooks had not performed badly, completing seven of 12 passes for 104 yards. Although Oscar Smith had gained 216 yards in the first half, a pair of interceptions had clipped Tiger drives and Brooks was having a tough time finding an open man, despite having lots of time to throw, thanks to a stout Forge secondary, as well as a Tiger offensive line that also powered Smith’s 269 yards on the ground.
Enter Kelly. Activate comeback.
On the ensuing drive, the Tigers put together one of the longest drives in state playoff history, an 18-play, 80-yard assault, which was powered by 14 runs and only four passes, with three completions for a mere 20 yards. Basically, the Tigers turned to a triad of backs, Kelly, Keyan Watson and Khalid Wilson, and they alternated for 58 rushing yards, with the capper being Wilson’s two-yard plunge to put Smith back into the game at 17-10 as the fourth quarter got underway.
On the next drive, a 56-yard run by Wilson would have been a touchdown if all-6B Region defensive player of the year Josh Sarratt hadn’t caught him from behind. But it did set up Wilson for another score, this time from six yards, to inch the lead to 17-16.
The extra point was going to be crucial. But Azeez Attar drilled the conversion to knot the score at 17 with 5:33 left to play in regulation. Said Azzar, who had pushed a 32-yarder wide right and had a 27-yard attempt blocked earlier, “It was just another kick, and the offensive line did a great job to get us in position. They did their job and I did mine.”
The Eagles were primed to win the game in regulation, driving 45 yards with eight straight pass plays. After Ethan Garwood was sacked by Oscar Smith lineman Kyle Thomas for the second time of the afternoon, the Eagles were left with a 4th-and-13 at the Tiger 36.
While most teams would have been forced to go for the first down or punt, Forge had its own secret weapon on the sideline in kicker Jadon Redding. Redding, who converted a 52-yard field goal earlier this season, sent the 53-yard attempt tried and true, five yards past the goalpost, but just wide right.
Regulation would end with the game tied at 17.
While the Oscar Smith players clamored at the 50-yard line, Wilson walked 20 yards downfield by himself, where he squatted on his haunches and grabbed his facemask while bowing his head.
“I was thinking that I needed to trust my team,” said Wilson of his temporary meditation. “It’s my senior year, and I knew that we had to finish this. We had to go 48 minutes and we had to be all-in.” Wilson finished the day with 144 yards on 24 carries.
In the first overtime, the teams exchanged field goals. However, since Forge converted first, Azzar was forced to attempt a 24-yarder to keep the game tied. It would seem like a chip shot, but with the season on the line, and no margin for error, plus a crowd of 2,000 Colonial Forge fans yelling for a miss to end the game, even a chip shot became an uncertainty.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking,” admitted the senior kicker, who sent the ball through the uprights without a hitch.
Alternating the order of possessions, Smith got the ball again on the 10, with four downs to score. Two Wilson runs brought the ball to the one. From there, Kelly pushed behind his line into the end zone for a touchdown. Once again, Azzar was sent in for the crucial extra point and once again he delivered. 27-20, Smith lead, Forge ball.
Ethan Garwood’s first pass to D.J. Dennis fell incomplete, but Paten Rodier caught Garwood’s next pass for a five-yard gain. With third-and-goal from the 5, Garwood dropped back for what would be the final play of his high school career.
As Garwood shuffled backwards, it became obvious that no receiver was open. Opting to run for the end zone, he managed only one step forward before being drilled by Thomas and falling forward.
(Keshon) Artis had told us that we had to dig deep, said the 280-pound lineman, who now has 19.5 sacks on the season. I saw the ball going down with him and just knocked it out of his hand.” Jalen Moore fell on the loose ball, and the game was over.
Tiger coach Scott Johnson, making the state final in just his first year at the helm had nothing but praise for his team’s resiliency.
“We were down 17-3, but our kids never gave up. They wanted to play in the state game, but I told them that no one is going to give it to them, and you have to earn 48 more minutes. But that’s a very good team over there, and there’s a reason why teams like them, Westfield, and a few others are the same teams that make it year after year.”
Do you think that somewhere, Coach Dee is smiling?
Johnson took a moment to reflect on his predecessor, who passed just months after leading the Tigers to the 2016 state game in his only year at Oscar Smith. With a smile, he nodded in the affirmative. “Yeah, I think he is.”
Oscar Smith (12-2) -- 0, 3, 7. 7. 3, 7 - 27
Colonial Forge (12-1) – 3, 0, 14, 0, 3, 0 - 20
1st Quarter
CF – Jadon Redding FG 20
2nd Quarter
OS – Azeez Attar FG 35
3rd Quarter
CF – Zack Kindel 14 pass from Ethan Garwood (Redding kick)
CF – Z. Kindel 32 pass from Garwood (Redding kick)
OS – Khalid Wilson 2 run (Attar kick)
4th Quarter
OS – K. Wilson 6 run (Attar kick)
1st Overtime
CF – Redding FG 33
OS – Attar FG 24
2nd Overtime
OS – Cam’Ron Kelly 1 run (Attar kick)
OS CF
First downs; 22, 7
Rushes-yards; 59-269, 21- (-31)
Passing yards; 151, 193
Comp-att-int; 13-21-2, 18-29-0
Penalties-yards; 5-36, 3-22
Punts-avg; 2-28, 4-34
Fumbles-lost; 0-0, 1-1
Rushing: Oscar Smith - K. Wilson 24-144, C. Kelly 17-91, K. Watson 13-47. Colonial Forge – L. Kauthen 5-12.
Passing: Oscar Smith – Dominique Brooks 7-12, 104 yds. 2 INT, C. Kelly 6-9, 47 yds. Colonial Forge – Garwood 18-29, 193 yds. 2 TD.
Receiving: Oscar Smith - Jarius Howard 4-52, Kenny Etheridge 3-36. Colonial Forge – Z. Kindel 6-83, 2 TD, Sarratt 4-22.
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