The "Wall's" Game of the Week - Bethel at Denbigh, Fri. 10/22, 7 PM - Todd Stadium (prediction included)

As shown on Recruit757.com - http://www.recruit757.com/playoff-position-stake-bethel-denbigh-clash/

Bethel (4-4) vs. Denbigh (4-3), Friday 7:00, Todd Stadium (Newport News)

Bethel QB/WR/DB T.C. Chisley (Photo: Sam Mizelle/recruit757)

Amid the noise and festivities surrounding Denbigh’s 50^th Homecoming celebration, an important football game with playoff implications will be played at Todd Stadium on Friday night.

Bethel, which needed two fourth quarter “pick-six” returns to escape Todd last week with a 24-6 win over Menchville, will travel back to Newport News to face a sturdy Denbigh squad, one which took Woodside to the brink before faltering 14-9.

This game should be low scoring and could go to either team. The Bruins, who led Woodside at halftime 13-6 two weeks ago, is recovering from a sluggish offensive effort last week. Bethel completed only three of 16 passes, and trailed the winless Monarchs 6-3 early in the fourth quarter before two interceptions, by T.C. Chisley and Jordan Hill, were returned for touchdowns, which gave the Bruins some breathing room.

The Bruins quarterback situation has been a rotating wheel all week, and it is uncertain who will start on Friday. Coach William Beverley split time between Navarro Price and Lekendrell Lowther earlier this year, but last week saw a new starter – Chisley, who completed three of seven passes for seven yards, before giving way to Lowther. Bethel converted seven of 14 throws against Menchville, but for a paltry 55 yards. The ground game was adequate, with 144 yards on 37 carries. Still, the Bruins scoring average is a tad below 16 ppg, ranking eighth in the Peninsula District.

Fortunately, the Bethel defense has held tight, allowing 106.9 yards per outing.

Denbigh’s close loss to Woodside was tough for Coach Marcellus Harris’ team, but shows that the Patriots, who entered the game with a 4-2 mark, are truly a playoff contender.

The Denbigh defense gave Wolverine quarterback Tyhier Tyler fits last week, holding the fleet footed QB to two yards rushing. As a whole, the Patriots outgained Woodside 181-164, which is a credit to the defensive unit.

Quarterback L.J. Taylor remains the linchpin to the Patriot offense. Taylor was busy against Woodside, throwing 28 passes, and completing 15 for 144 yards.

Bethel, currently fifth in the 5A South (East) rankings, needs a win to retain any hopes of a home playoff game, while Denbigh, fourth in the 4A East (Tidewater) section, will probably not catch third seed Kings Fork, but needs the victory to hold off challenges from Smithfield and Grafton in order to secure a home playoff contest.

Prediction -- Denbigh 20, Bethel 14 (OT) 

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #3 - Woodside Holds Off Scrappy Denbigh 14-9

NEWPORT NEWS  -- For the second straight week, a D’Angelo Chesson defensive play was the key to a Woodside victory.

Woodside's Tamir Walker rushed for 97 yards, but
the Denbigh defense allowed only 164 to the
usually powerful Wolverine offense.

Chesson, who returned both an interception and fumble for touchdowns last week against Bethel, recovered a crucial fumble in the game’s final two minutes to help Woodside to a 14-9 win over Denbigh.

Woodside (5-2, 5-1 Peninsula) took a 14-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.  After running eight straight plays, Tyhier Tyler threw a high dart, which Chesson leaped and caught in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown.

However, the Patriots responded. After a fumble recovery, L.J. Taylor found freshman Kevin Anderson for a 28-yard gain. Then, from the Wolverine 13, Taylor connected with Keyshawn Chisholm, whose touchdown cut the lead to five points.

The two-point conversion failed, negating the option of a field goal being able to tie the game in regulation.

But Woodside failed to move the ball on their next possession, forcing a punt, which Denbigh returned to its own 45 with 1:40 to play.

However, lined up in the shotgun, the first snap from center sailed over Taylor’s head, and Chesson rushed in to dive on the loose ball and make sure that Taylor could not grab it back.  From there, the Wolverines were able to run out the clock.

The game lived up to its billing as a defensive slugfest between rival schools. The Denbigh defense set the tone on Woodside’s first possession. They held the Wolverines to zero yards on their first three plays, but were then penalized for roughing the punter, giving Woodside a fresh set of downs. But Woodside lost eight yards on their next three plays and was forced to punt.

The Patriots were able to neutralize the high octane Woodside offense, which totaled only 84 yards in the first half, with a mere 31 rushing yards on 21 carries. For the game, the Wolverines offense, which entered the game leading the Peninsula District in yardage, was held to 164 yards.

The game got chippy at times. Woodside was whistled for a late hit out of bounds on Denbigh quarterback Taylor, who played for the Wolverines last year, while the officials called several facemask and illegal tackle calls.

With the loss, Denbigh fell to 4-3, 4-2 in the district. However, with Grafton’s loss to Warhill last night, they make take sole possession of the fourth seed in 4A East (Tidewater) when the new VHSL rankings are released early next week.

WOODSIDE – 0, 6, 0, 8 --14

DENBIGH  -    0, 0, 3, 6 – 9

Second quarter

W - Lee 4 pass from T. Tyler (kick failed)

Third quarter

D – Aguilar 28 FG

Fourth quarter

W – Chesson 13 pass from T. Tyler (Walker run)

D – Chisholm 13 pass from Taylor (run failed)

                    Wood  Denb

First downs;    13, 12

Rushes-yards;  47-97, 28-37

Passing yards;   67, 144

Comp-att-int;   7-12-0, 15-28-0

Penalties-yards; 5-30, 10-100

Punts-avg;     3-29, 3-28

Fumbles-lost;   2-1, 1-1

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #2 - Bethel Holds Off Scrappy Menchville 24-6

NEWPORT NEWS – In the opening game, the Bethel Bruins overcame a scare by winless Menchville, before scoring twice in the fourth quarter on successive interception returns, to pull out a 24-6 win.

Menchville (0-7, 0-6 Peninsula) carried a 6-3 lead into the fourth quarter. But a tipped Monarch pass was caught in midair by Terry Chisley, who rambled 63 yards for the game changing score.

After a 15-yard run from Torey Guilford started the next Monarch drive, yet another pass was caught in the flat by Bethel’s Jordan Hill, who returned it 38 yards for a touchdown.

DeAndre Gillis plowed through the middle for a two-yard score to seal the game for the Bruins.

Bethel (4-4, 4-3 Peninsula) opened the scoring. A Menchville fumble, deep in their territory, was recovered by Hill at the Monarch 13. The drive stalled, but a 25-yard FG by John Vassilakopoulos but the first three points on the board for the Bruins.

The Menchville offense struggled mightily in the game, netting minus 62 rushing yards. But midway through the second quarter, and facing 2^nd-and-14, Shamar Butts, who replaced Anthony Wyatt at quarterback, threw a 10-yard dart over the middle to Denahri Hairston. Hairston, using a nifty inside spin, opened a lane in the middle of the field, which he sprinted through for a 65-yard score, which gave Menchville a lead that they would hold for almost two more quarters.

Hairston finished with three catches for 102 yards.

BETHEL          –  3, 0, 0, 21 -- 24

MENCHVILLE  - 0, 6, 0, 0 -- 6

First quarter

B – Vassilakopoulos 25 FG

Second quarter

M – Hairston 65 pass from Butts (kick failed)

Fourth quarter

B – Chisley 63 int return (Vassilakopoulos kick)

B – J. Hill 38 int return (Vassilakopoulos kick)

B – Gillis 2 run (Vassilakopoulos kick)

                    Beth   Mench

First downs;    12, 5

Rushes-yards;  37-144, 24- (-62)

Passing yards;   55, 130

Comp-att-int;   7-14-1, 6-23-3

Penalties-yards; 8-76, 9-65

Punts-avg;      5-22, 6-39

Fumbles-lost;   2-2, 1-1

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week #1 - Warhill Upsets Grafton 17-0 For First Win of Season

JAMES CITY - – The Warhill Lions ran to the left, right and through the center of a stunned Grafton defense to win their first game of the season, with an impressive 17-0 shutout of the favored Clippers.

With the win, Warhill moves to 1-5, while Grafton dropped to 4-3 and at least temporarily lost their fourth seed in the 4A East (Tidewater) rankings, dropping to sixth in the VHSL rankings released on Monday.

It was obvious from the early going that the Lions were going to focus on their two featured backs – Collin Bright and Bryce Koob. On Warhill’s first drive, an 11-play, 75 yard effort, Koob and Bright split eight carries, and Bright finished the drive with a six-yard sweep to the right for a touchdown.

After a pitch by Grafton was dropped and recovered by Warhill, Bright struck again. On the first play, from the Clipper 29, the senior back went right with the jet sweep, and Bright outran the Clipper defenders to the end zone for his second score.

Fletcher Whalen added a 23-yard field goal in the middle of the second quarter, and Warhill took a 17-0 lead into intermission. At the half, the Lions had carried 33 times for 218 yards with Bright (16-121, 2 TD’s) and Koob (14-80) shouldering the load. On defense, Warhill held Grafton to just 12 yards rushing on 12 carries in the first half.

The Lions defensive onslaught continued into the second half. For the game, Grafton rushed for only 35 yards on 21 carries, with a final total of 104 yards. Even the Clippers’ ace kicker, Reed King, had one field goal attempt blocked. For the game, Grafton also only completed three of 16 passes.

On the other side, Warhill ran the ball at will, totaling 362 yards on 66 carries. Bright finished with 176 yards on 29 carries, while Koob tallied 148 on 28.

GRAFTON –  0, 0, 0, 0 -- 0

WARHILL  - 14, 3, 0, 0 -- 17

First quarter

W – Bright 6 run (Whalen kick) 6:28

W – Bright 29 run (Whalen kick) 5:39

Second quarter

W – Whalen 23 FG

                    Gr   War

First downs;    6, 21

Rushes-yards;  21-35, 66-357

Passing yards;   69, 0

Comp-att-int;   3-16-2, 0-3-1

Penalties-yards; 5-58, 7-55

Punts-avg;      3-40, 0-0

Fumbles-lost;   1-1, 0-0

The "Wall's" Peninsula Games of the Week # 2-3: SATURDAY Dog Day Doubleheader at Todd

Bethel (3-4) @ Menchville (0-6), 1 p.m.

Denbigh (4-2) @ Woodside (4-2), 4 p.m.

Bethel is ready for the challenge (Photo: Sam Mizelle/recruit757)

The Peninsula District has passed its midway point and teams are now jockeying for district and post-season positions. A key doubleheader in Newport News at Todd Stadium on Saturday afternoon will feature three teams whose playoff seeds for three different classifications (4A, 5A, and 6A) will be affected by a win or loss.

In the opening game, Menchville will play host to the Bethel Bruins.

Menchville has endured a long and trying season, one that began with a 53-7 loss to Nansemond River, and has been followed by five more double-digit losses. For the season, the Monarchs have been outscored 265-50, and with Hampton on the docket for next week, begin a tough two week stretch against teams that give up less than 17 points per game. In last week’s game, Menchville did tally a season-high for points, but lost to Gloucester 35-18.

The Monarchs woes have occurred on both sides of the ball. Prior to the Gloucester game, the offense averaged a mere 100.4 yards per game. In order to gain momentum on Saturday, running backs Malik Dixon and Torrey Guilford will need to have breakout games, which is no small feat against a Bruin defense that gives up a mere 112 yards per contest.

On defense, Menchville does feature Ray Savage at linebacker, but he will need more help from his supporting cast to shore up a unit that has allowed just over 44 points per game.

Bethel looks to rebound after a tough 28-13 loss to Woodside last Saturday. In that contest, the Bruins led 13-7 at halftime, but fell victim to three third quarter turnovers, two of which were returned for touchdowns by Wolverine cornerback D’Angelo Chesson (fumble recovery and interception).

Nevertheless, the Bruins face their own problems on offense. Their starting quarterback situation has not been cemented, and last week, Lekendrell Lowther opened the game behind center, before being relieved by Navarro Price, recreating the “changing of the guard” from previous weeks. The imbalance shows on the stat sheet, as Bethel QB’s have completed less than 35 percent of their 104 passes. DeAndre Gillis leads Bethel with 315 rushing yards. In all, Bethel averages less than 15 points per outing, and only 167 yards a game.

T.C. Chisley has stood out on special teams, setting up one Bethel touchdown with a 67-yard punt return last week.

In short, the team that reaches 21 points should win this game.

And at 4 p.m….

In the late afternoon game, Woodside (4-2) will face Denbigh (4-2), a team that has emerged as a quiet contender in the 4A East (Tidewater) section.

This matchup has an intriguing back-story. Denbigh quarterback L.J. Taylor will square off for the first time against his former Wolverine teammates. Last year, Taylor shared time at QB with Tyhier Tyler, who eventually settled into the starting role.

However, Taylor has been highly effective at QB with his new Patriot teammates. In last week’s 24-0 shutout of Warwick, the senior ran for 105 yards on 11 carries while scoring three times. Passing wise, Taylor was pinpoint accurate, completing 10 of 13 for 122 yards. For the season, Taylor is second in the Peninsula District with 724 passing yards, to go along with six touchdowns against only two interceptions.

Casey Vick is the featured back for Denbigh, with 350 yards and six touchdowns for the year. Defensively, Neil Anderson was the standout against Warwick, compiling 11 tackles (four for losses), as well as a sack. Overall, the Patriots defense is third in the Peninsula District with 178.3 yards allowed per game.

Woodside is a formidable opponent, and Denbigh will have to fire on all cylinders to win on Saturday. The Wolverine offense leads the PD with 333.0 yards per game, while the defense maintains a bend,  but not break attitude. While Hampton’s Jovonn Quillen has captured more of the headlines this fall, it is Tyler who is compiling similar numbers in several key categories. The junior has completed just over 60 percent of his passes, compared to 57 for Quillen, as well as nine touchdowns, which ties him for the district lead with the Crabber QB. Quillen has more than double (592-215) Tyler’s rushing yards, but only two more rushing touchdowns (eight to six).

While Tyler leads the Wing-T offense, it is Tamir Walker who provides the spark. Walker, who scored five touchdowns in the first half against Warwick two weeks ago, is the leading scorer in the Peninsula District with 76 points. He is almost equally dangerous with seven rushing scores to go with five receiving. Walker also leads the PD in receiving yards (375 on 13 catches), while placing third on the rushing list with 537 yards through six games.

Demetri Banks has added 388 yards on the ground for the Wolverines, while Jacari Lee has 11 catches for 180 yards and four TD’s.

Denbigh is currently fourth in the 4A East (Tidewater) ratings, and will need a win to hold off Grafton, who played Warhill on Friday. Beating a 6A team such as Woodside could earn them critical points, which will be needed as the Patriots finish their regular season schedule with Bethel, Phoebus and Heritage.

Woodside, currently sixth in the 6A South (East) ratings, will not be an easy team to beat, and their high powered offense could be back on display Saturday after being held to a pair of touchdowns against Bethel. Denbigh will need to execute well on both sides of the ball to win this game.

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.