Trifecta of Games This Weekend - The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #1 - Grafton vs. Warhill, Friday - 7 PM

As published on Recruit757.com

Grafton (4-2) at Warhill (0-5), Friday 7 PM, Wanner Stadium (Williamsburg)

#3 Collin Bright and #2 Ryan Creecy in the Warhill backfield (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)

Friday night’s game at Wanner Stadium features a deceptive match up. A cursory glance at each team’s record would suggest that the Clippers are the likely favorite. However, after last week’s games, it is hard to disqualify Warhill as an opponent, and the Lions promise to be tough playing in their backyard.

Both teams lost last week, but may have gained a dose of confidence from their efforts. Grafton, a squad getting ready for playoff action, took undefeated Lafayette to the hilt, trailing only 30-28 with two minutes remaining before Caleb Kraegenbrink’s 20-yard sweep for a touchdown sealed the 37-28 victory for the Rams.

On the other sideline will be Warhill, a team that is winless at their midpoint of the season, but one that was ahead of (5-1) Poquoson by a score of 16-0 entering the fourth quarter of their game last week. Eventually, it took the Islanders two overtimes to win 19-16 on a 19-yard field goal from Chris Coccimiglio.

Last year, Grafton escaped with a 14-6 win against Warhill, and the result could be as close this year. In spite of having no Bay Rivers district top-five offensive leaders, the Clippers are a team with weapons. Quarterback D.J. Dobbins leads an offense that features running back Trevaun Walker and receiver Demetrius Moore, who caught, and threw for a touchdown (to Dobbins) last week. Grafton also features a strong special teams unit. Ryan Pabon returned one Lafayette kickoff for an 85-yard touchdown last week, and kicker Reed King is arguably the best in the Bay Rivers.

But Warhill is finding their offense. Their attack stems from the run, namely in the form of Collin Bright (651 yards, 7 TD’s), and junior Bryce Koob (110 yards rushing and touchdown against Lafayette). They also found a rising star on defense last week, as freshman linebacker Noah Holmes registered four sacks for the Lions.

Grafton needs this win in order to continue their bid to secure a first-round playoff game. Currently, the Clippers are tied with Denbigh for the fourth (and last home game) spot in the 4A East rankings. But, Denbigh will square off against 6A Woodside on Saturday, so it will take a win for Grafton over 3A Warhill, coupled with a Denbigh loss, in order for Grafton to gain sole possession of fourth.

One final side note – Friday’s game features Grafton coach Matt McLeod, a former linebacker coach at William and Mary clashing with Warhill coach Thad Wheeler, one of his former Tribe linebackers.

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #2 - Woodside 28, Bethel 13

HAMPTON – The wear and tear of playing two games in five days caught up to the Bethel Bruins midway through yesterday’s game against Woodside. The Bruins took a 13-7 lead into the half, but ran into a Woodside buzz saw in the third quarter. Fatigue took over, allowing the visitors to score 21 unanswered points in the third quarter and storm to a 28-13 win at Darling Stadium.

With the win, Woodside (4-2, 4-1 Peninsula District) moved into sole possession of third place in the district.

Ironically, it wasn’t the offense that eventually overcame the Bruins. In fact, the  Wolverines, who came into Saturday averaging 355 yards and almost 36 points a game, were held to 222 yards and only two offensive touchdowns.

The fly in the Bruins’ ointment turned out to come in the form of D’Angelo Chesson, who scored two defensive touchdowns – the first on a 29-yard interception return , and second on a 32-yard fumble recovery. Chesson also had another interception in the game, to claim three of Bethel’s five turnovers.

The game was labeled as a matchup of the powerful Woodside offense against the stingy Bethel defense (94.8 yards allowed per game entering Saturday). Woodside struck first as quarterback Tyhier Tyler faked a handoff from the Bruin 10 and swept left for a touchdown.

Chesson stopped a Bruin mini-drive, picking off  Lekendrell Lowther’s pass. Woodside failed to capitalize, and it was soon after that the Bethel defense briefly took charge, holding the high-powered Wolverine offense to minus 18 yards on two successive possessions.

Eventually, the Bethel offense kicked into gear, although it took a 67-yard punt return by T.J. Chisley to set up the first Bruin score – a 1-yard plunge from Lowther. Just before halftime, Woodside failed to convert a fourth-and-3 from the Bruin 42, setting Bethel up nicely with just over two minutes left in the half. Lowther found Jeremiah Owusu for a key 29-yard gain, which led to first-and goal from the 2, where Janaz Jordan bulled into the end zone for Bethel’s second score.

But it wasn’t enough to hold Woodside down. After Chesson’s two scores broke the game into Woodside’s favor, the Wolverines found their stride. After an interception by William Daughtrey, Tyler laid down the final blow, catching the Bruin defense off guard and finding Tamir Walker on a 50-yard bomb, which made for the game’s final score.

The Wolverines held Bethel (3-4, 3-3 Peninsula) to seven first downs and 134 yards of total offense.

WOODSIDE – 7, 0, 21, 0 -- 28

BETHEL  -       0, 13, 0, 0 -- 13

First quarter

W – T. Tyler 10 run (Mitchel kick) 5:30

Second quarter

B – Lowther 1 run (Vassilakopoulos kick)

B – J. Jordan 2 run (kick failed)

Third quarter

W – Chesson 29 int. return (Mitchel kick)

W – Chesson 32 fumble return (Mitchel kick)

W – T. Walker 50 pass from T. Tyler (Mitchel kick)

                    Wood   Beth

First downs;    9, 7

Rushes-yards;  36-140, 36-85

Passing yards;   82, 49

Comp-att-int;   4-8-0, 6-13-3

Penalties-yards; 4-40, 10-85

Punts-avg;      3-31, 3-32

Fumbles-lost;   1-0, 3-3

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #1 - New Kent 28, Jamestown 27

Very tough loss for Jamestown. The Eagles almost broke a 16-game losing streak. In fact, they should have won the game. Quarterback Hunter Brittain completed 13 of his first 15 passes, and had his team positioned to win. Going to the game clinching field goal was proper, and it was a shame to see the kick blocked, then returned by R.J. Morris for a New Kent touchdown.

I think that Jamestown coach Donnell Brown is a legitimate football coach who can win buckets full of games in the right situation. Right now, the Eagles are rebuilding and it's going to take at least another year.

And credit to coach Clark Harrell for making the gutsy move to go for the win, trailing 27-26, with the extra point left.

WILLIAMSBURG – R.J. Morris returned a blocked Jamestown field goal 61 yards, then scored on the ensuing two-point conversion to preserve a 28-27 win for New Kent at Wanner Stadium.

Leading 28-21 with 41 seconds remaining, Jamestown, facing a 4^th-and-12 from their 22, opted to attempt a 39-yard field goal, which would have iced the game and ended the Eagles’ 16-game losing streak.

But the kick was blocked, and Morris picked up the loose ball and scooted down the left sideline, scoring the crucial touchdown to close the Jamestown lead to 27-26.

Rather than play for the tie, Trojan coach Clark Harrell opted to go for the win, setting up the two-point conversion. Michael Burt handed to Morris, who burst through the middle for the winning score.

The game was a back-and-forth battle. The Eagles struck first on their opening drive. After recovering an opening kickoff fumble at the Trojan 18, Mark Lipscomb caught an 11-yard pass to the 5, and after a Jamestown penalty, spun twice through a pack of tacklers to score on a nine-yard run.

New Kent (2-4) relied on its workhorse, Bay Rivers district leading rusher Davion Barnes (28 carries, 200 yards). However, it was quarterback Michael Burt who scored first, on a one-yard sneak. The extra point was blocked and the Eagles held a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter.

Jamestown quickly answered as Zach Pennycuff caught a pass in the left flat and sprinted 20 yards for a score to give Jamestown a 14-6 lead. Barnes responded for New Kent, bulling into the end zone from three yards out to cap an all rushing 11-play, 59-yard drive. A Morris conversion run knotted the contest at 14 with 2:56 left in the first half.

But Jamestown went to work, with Lipscomb’s 15-yard catch and 14-yard run, followed by a New Kent penalty for an illegal tackle setting up an eight-yard pass from Hunter Brittain to Lipscomb which gave the Eagles a 20-14 lead which they took into the intermission.

Rashaun Jones of new Kent and Lamont Brandon of Jamestown traded touchdowns in the third quarter, leading to the game’s dramatic finish.

Brittain completed 14 of 18 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort for Jamestown (0-5).

NEW KENT    --   0, 14, 6, 8 -- 28

JAMESTOWN --  7, 13, 7,  0 -- 27

First quarter

J – Lipscomb 9 run (Weissenfluh kick) 10:28

Second quarter

NK – Burt 1 run (kick blocked) 11:56

J – Pennycuff 20 run (Weissenfluh kick) 9:24

NK – Barnes 3 run (Morris run) 2:56

J – Lipscomb 8 pass from Brittain (kick blocked) :25

Third quarter

J – R. Jones 19 run (Weissenfluh kick) 7:10

NK – Brandon 1 run (kick failed) 4:38

Fourth quarter

NK – Morris 61 block return (Morris run) :28

                    NK   James

First downs;    13, 11

Rushes-yards;  46-288, 30-139

Passing yards;   19, 226

Comp-att-int;   3-4-0, 14-18-1

Penalties-yards; 5-50, 8-67

Punts-avg;      1-18, 2-33

Fumbles-lost;   1-1, 2-2

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #2 - Woodside vs. Bethel - Saturday at 2 PM

As published on Recruit757.com -- 

http://www.recruit757.com/preview-bethel-ready-woodside-short-rest/

Woodside (3-2) VS. Bethel (3-3), Sat. 2:00 PM, Darling Stadium – 

Saturday’s Peninsula District clash at Darling Stadium features a pair of contrasting teams who are both in need of a win to bolster their playoff seeds.

The visiting Wolverines will be rested for Saturday’s game after last weekend’s contest against Kecoughtan was rained out and postponed until the first weekend of November. The unplanned “bye” week allowed the Woodside players extra time to heal their bumps and bruises.

By contrast, the home team, Bethel, also had their schedule altered to make adjustments for the passing of Hurricane Joaquin. However, their game was merely postponed by four days, forcing them to play Peninsula District leader Hampton on Tuesday, a game which they lost 20-3. With only three days to prepare for Woodside, the Bruins will surely be feeling the after effects left from the Crabbers.

However, a look at the District stat sheets offer a more glaring contrast, and one which will determine the winner on Saturday.

This will be a classic showdown between a powerful offense against a stingy defense. Woodside leads the Peninsula District in offensive yardage (355.2 yards per game) and is second in scoring (35.8 ppg). The Wolverine attack is driven by two main weapons – running back Tamir Walker and quarterback Tyhier Tyler. Through the midway mark of the 2015 season, Walker has 461 yards on the ground to go with 316 receiving. In Woodside’s last game, a 42-0 victory over Warwick, Walker tallied five rushing touchdowns – all in the first half.

Tyler, also a threat to run with the ball, is currently second in the district with 129.8 passing yards per game.

On the other side, the Bruins are powered by their defense. Despite giving up 20 points to Hampton, the Crabbers only gained 217 yards. For the season, Bethel has allowed a mere 93.8 yards per game.

In addition, the three Bruin losses have all come to undefeated teams – Indian River (14-6), Phoebus (7-0 in triple overtime) and Hampton. After this Saturday, their schedule will get softer and should allow the Bruins a realistic opportunity to grab three more wins before the playoffs.

First, they must face Woodside with only three full days of preparation and rest.

The question that will decide Saturday’s outcome is this one. Bethel, which held Hampton and its 42 points-per-game offense to 20, is capable of holding Woodside to three touchdowns. Can they score four?

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #1 - New Kent visits Jamestown - Friday at 7 PM

As published on Recruit757.com -- 

http://www.recruit757.com/new-head-coaches-lead-jamestown-new-kent/

New Kent (1-4) vs. Jamestown (0-4) at Wanner Stadium, Friday 7:00 PM

Jamestown head coach Donnell Brown (Photo: Mary Ann Magnant/recruit757)

Friday’s gridiron contest in Williamsburg features a pair of teams working through the infancy stages of a rebuilding process.

New Kent appears to have the advantage. After a 2-8 season in 2014, they are now led by new head coach Clark Harrell, who came into the 2015 season having amassed 214 wins in 31 years of high school football coaching. At his previous stop, Smithfield, Harrell took over a 1-9 Packer team and led them to 10 wins and a Bay Rivers title in his third season.

While the same results will be harder to come by in New Kent, there are reasons for Harrell to maintain optimism and focus. The Trojans have been competitive in every game this season, with a 37-27 loss to York being their sole double-digit defeat.

New Kent also has a legitimate star in running back Davion Barnes. The 5’11, 195-pound senior has totaled 1,135 rushing yards through five games and has a great chance to eclipse 2,000 this season. Against an Eagle defense that has given up 51 points per game, Barnes stands a good chance to earn his fourth 200-yard plus game of 2015. In a hard fought 14-12 loss to Grafton last week, Barnes tallied 259 to eclipse the millennium plateau.

Linebacker John Elswick heads a defense that has allowed 20 points per game, a heady improvement, compared to last year’s 42.2 ppg average.

Jamestown’s challenge is much larger. Coming off a 0-10 campaign in 2014, Donnell Brown took over as the new head coach. However, the rebuilding plan has been painful so far, with four losses averaging almost 37 points. Brown’s turnaround plan will focus on achieving long-range goals for his Eagles. For this year, he can rely on running back Mark Lipscomb, lineman Russ Schugeid, and tight end C.J. Delfico as bright spots on his roster.

Nevertheless, Brown’s task is a tall one. His best plan for restoring the Jamestown squad will be to maintain enthusiasm among the players in his program, and find more rough and ready athletes for 2016, as only six seniors will graduate from this year’s team.

Although New Kent is currently ninth in the 3A South (East) rankings, its 3.8 point deficit from the eighth (and final playoff) spot will not be overcome. However, a quality win against a 4A district opponent could provide a morale boost for Harrell’s Trojans, who follow Friday’s game with an October 16^th matchup at Bruton.

FINALLY!! A Peninsula District Game -- Hampton (4-0) vs Bethel (3-2) Tonight

Hampton (4-0) vs. Bethel (3-2) – Tuesday 7 p.m.at Darling Stadium

After the rainfall from Hurricane Joaquin turned local football fields into quagmires, one key Peninsula District matchups should take place on Tuesday evening, four days after its original schedule date. At Darling Stadium, the undefeated Hampton Crabbers (4-0) will square off against a Bethel (3-2) team that has won three straight contests.

At Darling, all eyes will be focused on Hampton’s Dazz Newsome. Last week, the multi-purpose Crabber scored seven touchdowns against Gloucester, just one short of Marshawn Williams’ Peninsula record of eight, which the current Virginia Tech Hokie running back scored for Phoebus in a 2013 win over Warwick.

Newsome, whose brother Deon starred for Hampton and now also plays for Virginia Tech, scored in four different ways. On offense, where he lines up as a wide receiver, the junior caught two passes for scores, and ran for two others. On special teams, Newsome returned two punts for 73- and 54-yard scores, while on defense, the cornerback ran back an interception 46-yards for a “pick-six” touchdown.

Yet, Newsome is not Coach Mike Smith’s only weapon. Quarterback Javonn Quillen is a threat with his aerial attack, as well as fleet feet, noted by his 1,000 plus yards of passing and rushing in 2014. In the 76-7 win against Gloucester, Quillen connected on all six of his passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, while running for two more scores.

However, Bethel is not a pushover team by any means. Their opening game loss was 14-6 to Indian River, who currently ranks #1 in the 5A South (East) rankings, 3.5 ahead of Hampton. In addition, the Bruins also took undefeated Phoebus into triple overtime before dropping a 7-0 decision.

Bethel’s calling card is its defense. In five games, the Bruins have allowed just 62 points. In last week’s 17-14 win against Heritage, it was the defense that stepped up and shut out the Hurricanes in overtime, allowing for John Vassilakopoulos to kick the game winning 27-yard field goal. Vassilakopoulos is also a key threat for the Bruins, having converted all of his field goals and extra points over the past three weeks.

Currently, Bethel is ranked fourth in the 5A South (East) classification.