Coach Angela Jackson Honored By Area Sports Club

(Posted by Virginia Peninsula CC News at vpcc.edu) 

She spent 45 years at College in variety of roles, mostly in athletics.

September 24, 2024

The Peninsula Sports Club honored Angela Jackson, a former player, coach and administrator at Virginia Peninsula Community College, for her many years of service to the College.

Jackson, who began her association with VPCC in 1979, received a "Milestone" award from the club at a banquet Monday, Sept. 23, at Hampton Seafood Market and Restaurant. Also honored were John "Buster" Jackson, the director of facilities and athletic support at Hampton University for more than 40 years; and Jeff Gross, Poquoson track and girls' basketball coach for 31 years.

"We are proud of Coach Angela Jackson for receiving the Milestone award from the Peninsula Sports Club," said athletics director and men's basketball coach Chris Moore. "Her 45 years of service to Virginia Peninsula Community College athletics has been recognized and we would not be where we are today without her dedication."

Jackson was a student before becoming a full-time employee and making her mark in athletics. She played one season on the men's basketball team before a women's team was formed, then coached both teams for several years. She also served as an adviser, athletics coordinator, and member of athletics operations. For more on Coach Jackson, click here .  

The Peninsula Sports Club's mission is "to provide the Virginia Peninsula with an organization presenting forums for discussion of athletics, athletic contests, and sports programs; to provide scholarships for local high school student athletes; to provide an annual awards night to honor Peninsula athletes; and to provide programs and events for the advancement of Peninsula athletics."

Tabb Remains Unbeaten With 16-6 Win Over Rival York

TABB 16, YORK 6

Although Tabb’s recovery of a Falcons’ botched punt return, which gave the Tigers the ball at the York 3-yard line, would seem like the key play of their victory on Friday night at Bailey Field, Tabb head coach John Byron went to the beginning of the play for his highlight of the game.

“I think the punt itself was the play of the game,” said Byron, whose team remained unbeaten at 3-0 after the 16-6 win over Tabb in one of the area’s longest rivalries.

“Our special teams really won the game for us,” added Byron. “We had a couple of great punts, and the field goal (29 yards from David Brooks) gave us the lead going into halftime.”

An interception by Tyler Howard gave Tabb the ball at the York 33 midway through the first quarter. Quarterback Corbin Eckert capped a, eight-play, 30-yard drive by faking a handoff and sneaking the ball across the goal line from the three-yard line to give the Tigers an early 6-0 lead.

Brooks’ field goal was crucial as York’s Carter Ward recovered a fumble in the final minute of the first half to set up Seamus Kennedy’s 17-yard catch from York freshman QB AJ Wilson to narrow the intermission lead to 9-6.

Three plays after the punt return fumble recovery, Samuel Christophel bulled into the end zone from one yard out to give Tabb a 16-6 lead which held up as the Tigers finished the game by running the final four minutes off the clock with eight consecutive running plays.

Graham Siegel led the Tiger defense with a pair of sacks. And Jaren Mitchell’s interception on York’s opening play of the second half squashed the Falcons’ chance to take the lead. The hosts record dropped to 2-1.

TABB (3-0)   6, 3, 7, 0 -- 16 

YORK (2-1)  0, 0, 6, 0 --   6

                   T            Y

1st Downs     10, 9

Rush-Yds.     45-149, 23-72

Pass Yds.          46. 74

C-A-I          7-10-0, 7-21-2

Pen-Yds.      10-85, 3-32

Punt-Avg     5-34, 3-27

Fumb-Lost    1-1, 1-1

T – Corbin Eckert 3 run (kick failed)

T – David Brooks 29 FG

Y – Seamus Cassidy 17 pass from AJ Wilson (kick failed)

T – Samuel Christophel 1 run (Brooks kick)

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