Warwick Opens 2024 Football Season With Shutout

WARWICK 35, GRASSFIELD 0

(From August 31, 2024 Daily Press/Virginian-Pilot)

Note: Warwick pitched a second shutout, against Bethel on September 6)

Behind the power of its stalwart defense, the #6 Warwick Raiders opened up the 2024 football season at Todd Stadium with a statement, as last season’s Peninsula District runner-up thumped the visitors from Grassfield 35-0 on the school’s alumni night.

Cameron Glenn ran for 85 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts to lead the Raider attack, but was silent in the second half as Warwick coach Corey Hairston and his staff used the opportunity to look at some of its other talent on the field. The Raiders gained 331 yards and 15 first downs while shuffling players in and out of their lineup.

Keon Batts may have had the most impact. Batts scored the game’s final touchdown when quarterback Saeed Williams lofted a pass over the middle and the 5’6” senior receiver outraced the Grizzly defense for a 71-yard touchdown.

Williams was steady, if not sensational behind center completing 11 of 23 passes for 162 yards. However, the junior signal caller rushed for three short touchdowns and kept the offense moving through adversity, mostly caused in the form of penalties.

The Raiders were whistled for 15 penalties for 135 yards – a statistic that caught Hairston’s attention. Ironically, the unit had been playing solid in the preseason.

“We went through two scrimmages and didn’t commit a penalty,” said Hairston who was clearly disappointed by the number of flags. “We’d make forward progress and then get called back.” Asked about a solution, Hairston added, “ We just need to clean up some things.”

The Grassfield defense was on fire. Christian Corbin had a sack and fumble recovery. Senior free safety Jaden Gilliam had a fumble recovery and interception on successive Grassfield possessions.

Iziah Emery (sack) and 6’5” Dakota Brodus (interception) added critical plays for the defense, who held Grassfield to negative total yardage until midway through the fourth quarter. Emery also scooped up a blocked punt by Jaylen Jordan. Xavier Carter and Tracy Pope combined for a sack.

Asked if he was surprised by the quality of his team’s effort, which was without standout player Messiah Delhomme for the first time in over two years, Hairston was unmoved.

“We were solid tonight, especially among the front six, who made us some plays on the back end. Even though our offense made some plays, we need to go back and clean up some things,” said Hairston, whose team will match up against Bethel next weekend.

GRASSFIELD -  0, 0, 0, 0 -- 0

WARWICK      - 7, 14, 7, 7 -- 35

W – Cameron Glenn 5 run (Ahmed Mohktar kick)

W – Saeed Williams Jr. 1 run (Mohktar kick)

W – S. Williams 1 run (Mohktar kick)

W – S. Williams 2 run (Mohktar kick)

W – Keon Batts 71 pass from S. Williams (Mohktar kick)

                        G  W

1st Downs      5, 15

Rush-Yards 26 – (-14), 33-159

Pass Yards  42, 162

C-A-I   6-20-2, 11-23-0

Pen.-Yds. 11-98, 15-135

Punt-Avg.  3-29, 4-34

Fumb.-Lost  3-2, 2-1

William and Mary Defeats VMI in Home Opener

WILLIAM AND MARY 41, VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE 7

In their Thursday season opener, The William and Mary offense was potent and versatile, and the defense tightened up in the second half to key a decisive 41-7 victory over the visiting Keydets of Virginia Military Institute in a non-league contest at Zable Stadium.

The Tribe was nearly flawless on their first pair of drives, covering 69, and then 66 yards. Both drives finished with a one-yard touchdown run – the first from preseason All-American rusher Brandon Yoder, and the second from last year’s leading ground gainer Malachi Imoh.

For Yoder, the game marked his first action since suffering a season-ending injury in the fourth game of last season against Maine. The Tribe won that game 28-3 to start the season 4-0 but stumbled to a 6-5 mark after losing their star tailback. Imoh performed admirably as the featured back, gaining 855 rushing yards on a 6.8 average, but having the pair back together could be the key to William and Mary’s success in 2024.

“Any time you lose something that you love and then get back that joy you feel, it makes you feel like ‘We’re back,” said Yoder, who gained 54 yards on ten carries. “My nerves were sky high, but once that ball was kicked, I was ready to go.”

The special teams delivered for the Tribe in the second quarter with John Kearney blocking a Keydet punt at midfield, and Clayton Dobler picking up the bouncing ball 18 yards from the end zone and rumbling the rest of the way for a score. Eric Bernstein’s extra point extended the lead to 21-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first half.

Dobler, who overcame a horrific ankle injury at the end of last season, was not expected to recover enough to play football this year. But he was trailing a teammate as Kearney’s blocked ball began heading backwards.

“I was just running behind. Then Matt got tackled and I just picked (the football) up,” said Dobler, a redshirt freshman linebacker from James River HS in Midlothian.

For the hosts, it was their first blocked punt for a touchdown in eight years.

Hunter Rice got VMI on the board for its sole touchdown with 2:16 remaining. In spite of the 21-point deficit, the Keydets were almost even in total yardage as halftime approached, and Rice’s 12-yard jaunt for a touchdown gave the visitors a 173-169 advantage, as well as narrowing the lead to 21-7 after Caden Beck’s conversion.

Hollis Mathis’ 45-yard reception from Darius Wilson set up the final score of the half, also from Mathis, a four-yard sweep around the right side, giving the Tribe a 28-7 lead at the break.

After a fourth-and-one stop by the W&M defense to start the second half, Mathis scored again as Darius Wilson rolled left and pitched a forward pass to the designated athlete, and the senior scooted 26 yards for his second TD. Mathis rushed for 19 yards on Thursday to pass 1,000 for his career and continues his quest to become the second player in the history of college football to tally 1,000 yards in rushing, receiving, and passing. He has now eclipsed the mark in two categories and with his 71 receiving yards on Thursday night needs 526 more this season to topple the plateau.

Said Tribe head coach Mike London, “these guys don’t care who gets the credit as long as we are selfless and trying to win.”

Added Mathis, “I don’t try to do anything that’s not expected. I just do my one-eleventh.”

Wilson struck for another touchdown pass late in the third quarter, lofting a 1-yard score to tight end Sean McElwain.

William and Mary averaged 16.1 yards per completion, as Wilson completed 11 of 15 passes for 190 yards and two TD’s. The offense as a whole totaled 448 yards, with 207 coming on the ground.

VMI (0-1) -   0 , 7 , 0, 0 -- 7

W&M (1-0) – 14, 14, 13, 0 - 41

W&M – Brandon Yoder 1 run (Eric Bernstein kick)

W&M – Malachi Imoh 1 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Clayton Dobler 18 blocked punt return (Bernstein kick)

VMI – Hunter Rice 12 run (Caden Beck kick)

W&M – Hollis Mathis 4 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Mathis 26 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Sean McElwain 1 pass from Wilson (kick failed)

                         VMI     W&M

First Downs       14, 21

Rush-Yards     35-145, 36-205

Passing yards     96, 241

C-A-I             12-25-2, 15-20-0

Pen.-Yards       4-37, 7-63

Punt-Avg         5-36.4, 2-42.5

Fumble-Lost    2-0, 3-1

Possession Time    32:04, 27:56