Grafton’s football team rallied for 24 unanswered points to defeat host Jamestown 24-0 at Wanner Stadium Friday night in a matchup of Division 4 playoff hopefuls.
Afterwards, Clippers’ coach Jared Van Acker said he couldn’t really put his finger on what sparked his team out of halftime.
“I think the kids were just backed in a corner and knew they had two quarters left to pretty much keep our season alive and they came out and played ball.
“I’m proud of my kids.”
While the outcome didn’t definitively determine the playoff hopes of either team, it’s probable that both will need a victory in their regular-season finales – Jamestown takes on Warhill and Grafton plays York – next Friday.
After the two sides went into halftime tied 0-0, Grafton’s running game came to life over the final two quarters while turnovers prevented the Eagles from getting anything moving offensively.
Jamestown coughed up three turnovers in the second half – two fumbles and one interception – which kept all the momentum in Grafton’s favor.
Dylan Bartells (22 carries, 101 yards, TD) and Jesse Santiago (seven carries, 103 yards) ran for the bulk their 100-plus yards in the second half for Grafton (4-5, 4-4 Bay Rivers), which also got a dominant effort defensively from its front four of Caelen McCaffrey, Matthew Watts, Jacob Mazgajewski and Stevie Cook, who held Jamestown’s potent running game to under 150 yards of rushing.
While Grafton found its stride, the Eagles (4-5, 4-4 Bay Rivers) were limited to under 100 yards of total offense in the second half.
“The defense played lights out,” Van Acker added. “We always strive for that goose egg, and our front four are all scrappers. They clogged up the holes and allowed our linebackers to make plays.”
The second half opened in similar fashion as the entire first half as the two sides exchanged punts.
On the Clipper’s second possession of the half, however, quarterback Evan Spurling hooked up with Marcus Spearman 32 yards down the sideline which setup Spurling’s five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bryan Mitchell.
Jamestown’s first turnover of the half came on the Eagles’ ensuing possession, when running back Daivon Turner bobbled a pitch from quarterback Tyler Doane which was recovered by Spearman.
Brian Anderson would nail a 25-yard field goal to put Grafton ahead 10-0.
The play of the game came on Jamestown’s following possession, when Clippers’ linebacker Ryan Hiser snared in a one-handed interception while floating to his left as Doane rolled out.
Grafton again made Jamestown pay for the turnover, as Santiago’s 45-yard end-around set up Spearman’s one-yard plunge up the middle.
Trailing 17-0, Jamestown went back to work but saw their drive end after Mike Mason fumbled the ball after hauling in a 16-yard reception across the middle.
Santiago and Bartells worked the ball downfield exclusively with the run before Bartells put the game out of reach with 6:20 left in regulation with a five-yard touchdown scamper to the right side.
“It was a solid all-around win,” Van Acker added. “We looked like a strong football team that was fighting for their lives.
“Now we’re ready for our next challenge.”
Dedmond Does it Again as Warhill Outlasts Tabb 32-19
Friday was just another day at the office for Warhill’s Devonte Dedmond.
The junior star ran for 280 yards on the ground and four touchdowns before sealing things with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Seth Mallory with roughly two minutes left in the third quarter in leading the Lions (5-4, 4-4 Bay Rivers) to a key Bay Rivers District victory over host Tabb Friday.
It was the first time in Warhill’s school history to ever win a football game at Yorktown’s Bailey Field, home to York, Grafton and Tabb.
“Devonte carried us, but I thought a lot of guys stepped up and played well,” Warhill coach Billy Jarvis said. “Tabb had been playing really well lately so we knew it was going to be a fight.”
Dedmond put Warhill up 12-0 early with back-to-back touchdowns on his first two carries of the game.
Tabb got a touchdown run from Jake Brown late in the first quarter and another late in the second from Brent Hinson as the Tigers took a 13-12 lead into halftime.
To open the second half, Dedmond capped off a six-minute drive with a 12-yard touchdown run- his third of the game – to put Warhill back on top 20-13 after a successful two-point conversion.
Demond added a 55-yard touchdown run early in the fourth to make it a two-score game, 26-13, before Brown ran in his second touchdown of the game for Tabb to make it 26-19 after Warhill’s Parker Osterloh broke through the line to block the extra-point attempt.
With a little over two minutes left in regulation, Dedmond lined up at quarterback and connected with Seth Mallory 50 yards downfield for the touchdown that put Tabb away for good.
“He’s a luxury to have,” Jarvis added of Dedmond. “Not many guys in this district can hurt you in the number of ways he can.”
Another positive note for Warhill was the return of running back Reggie Lipscomb, who hasn’t played in a district game all season. Lipscomb carried the ball 12 times for 47 yards.
