JAMES CITY --- Lafayette broke open a tight defensive battle in the second half and cruised to a 33-6 win over I.C. Norcom to capture the Region 3A championship on Friday evening at Wanner Stadium.
With the win, the Rams (13-0) will face Kettle Run of Culpeper in a Class 3 state semifinal next weekend.
As Coach Andy Linn explained after his team scored 27 points in the second half to run away with the victory, “This was the best game we have played this year.”
It may have also been one of the riskier ones. Leading 6-0 to open the second half, the Rams marched down the field behind the legs of backup fullback Tyree Wilson, who gained 241 yards on 26 carries in place of Breon Stokes. A 35-yard run by Wilson gave Lafayette a first-and-goal from the Norcom 8. Three rushing attempts pushed the ball to the 1, but also set up a fourth down.
The Rams could have kicked the safe 18-yard field goal to take a nine-point lead and allow a defense which has given up just 5.5 points per game to hold Norcom’s offense at bay. Or they could go for the touchdown.
They went for the touchdown.
Said Linn, “I asked the kids (during a timeout) what they wanted to do. They wanted to go.”
Baum Hogge was stopped at the goal line, but the Rams had been called for an illegal shift anyhow, ending the drive.
However, the risk was minimal as Lafayette tackled the Norcom punter after a muffed snap and regained possession of the ball at the Greyhound 29. Wilson and Brayden Smalls (12 rushes, 95 yards) would alternate carries with Smalls scoring on a six-yard run.
Matthew Outten immediately cut the lead in half to 12-6 with a 58-yard scamper from the Wildcat position, breaking at least four tackles before spinning off the last defender and sprinting the last 30 yards to the end zone.
The Rams would answer again, needing only two plays, as Wilson ran for 21, and then Smalls broke right and back to the middle for a 42-yard score, pushing the margin to 19-6. Wilson would follow up a 42-yard run to the Norcom 2 with a short touchdown, and Daniel Jackson caught a 10-yard pass in the flat to score Lafayette’s last touchdown.
Norcom came out ready for smashmouth football, with senior back Outten (13 carries, 133 yards, TD) leading the charge. The Penn State commit’s first carry went for just two yards and was squashed by a holding penalty on the Greyhounds, but Outten would break off first down runs of 25 and 17 yards, eventually rushing seven times for 57 yards. However, another holding penalty pushed Norcom back to the Ram 29, and was soon followed by a Sebastian Nix interception which gave Lafayette the ball and the momentum. Nix would later recover a fumble in the second quarter to end another Norcom possession.
The Rams would embark on an extended drive, hanging on to the ball for the rest of the opening quarter and then using three minutes of the second quarter to complete their monstrous 18-play, 88-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal by Aidan Gerda.
Norcom (8-5) 0, 0, 0, 6, ---- 6
Lafayette (13-0) 0, 6, 6, 21 ---- 33
L – Aidan Gerda 24 FG
L – Gerda 28 FG
L – Brayden Smalls 6 run (run failed)
N – Matthew Outten 58 run (run failed)
L – Smalls 42 run (Gerda kick)
L – Najee Wilson 2 run (Gerda kick)
L – Daniel Jackson 10 pass from Baum Hogge (Gerda kick)
N L
1st Downs 10, 16
Rush – Yds 29-174, 48-360
Pass Yds. 41, 21
C- A–I 2-10-1, 4-7-0
Punts – Avg. 0-0, 0-0
Pen. Yds. 4-45, 6-60
Fumb – Lost 2-1, 0-0
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