Warhill and Bruton entered Saturday’s game with must-win mentalities – the winner would earn a spot in their respective playoffs, while the loser’s season would come to a close.
Of the two teams, Warhill played like it was fighting to continue its season as the Lions crushed Bruton 43-7.
Bruton was hampered by turnovers all game, committing six – two interceptions and four fumbles lost –which led to 34 Warhill points and all 20 first-half points.
With 1:01 left in the first quarter, Warhill’s Jack Wright pounced on the football after a poor snap by Bruton. The fumble recovery set up Warhill at the Bruton 2-yard line. Two plays later, Warhill running back Bryce Koob plunged 1 yard into the end zone for the game’s opening touchdown.
Koob finished with a game-high 245 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
Poor snapping by Bruton resulted in more Warhill points in the second quarter. With just under three minutes to play in the first half, an errant snap once again was recovered by the Lions, this time at the Bruton 11-yard line.
The Lions once again capitalized, this time coming on a Tre’Von Loftin 9-yard touchdown run that put Warhill up 14-0.
Costly turnovers continued on Bruton’s ensuing drive. On the first play from scrimmage, Bruton quarterback Greg Dockery attempted to float the ball to a running back on a slip screen.
Instead of his running back, the ball landed in the hands of Koob, who returned the pass 35 yards for a touchdown. A botched snap on the extra point made the score 20-0 in favor of Warhill at the half.
Warhill kept the momentum going in the second half as the Lions added a 25-yard field goal by Fletcher Whalen on their opening drive to extend their lead to 23-0 over the Panthers.
With the momentum heavily in Warhill’s favor, Bruton turned a Warhill turnover into points, returning the favor from the first half. Koob sprinted toward the end zone from nearly seven yards out, but lost the ball just before crossing the goal line. Bruton jumped on the ball in the end zone for a touchback and prevented another score.
On Bruton’s ensuing possession, Dockery faked a handoff and burst through the line untouched. Dockery outran the entire Warhill defense for a 74-yard touchdown to bring make the score 23-7 in favor of Warhill.
Not to be outdone, Warhill responded on its next drive with a touchdown. Starting on its own 35-yard line, the Lions strung together an eight-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown run by Loftin, his second of the game.
Bruton committed another turnover just before the end of the third quarter as Isaiah Crim-Daughtry fumbled a pitch that was recovered by Warhill at the Bruton 35-yard line. For the first time in the game, Warhill was unable to convert the turnover into points.
Warhill caused a sack-fumble on Bruton’s first drive in the fourth quarter, recovering the ball at the Bruton 9-yard line. Koob scored on Warhill’s first play on the next drive, bouncing outside for a 9-yard touchdown run.
“I had great blocking,” said Koob of his successful performance Saturday. “The team was working very well together. And when you work together, that’s what you get. You get a win.”
With the game well out of reach, Warhill capped its scoring as Eric Brown picked off Dockery around midfield and took it all the way for a touchdown, the second pick-six of the game for Warhill.
A running clock through the second half of the fourth quarter allowed the Lions to close out the game with a commanding 43-7 victory.
The win vaults Warhill (4-6) into the Group 3A East playoffs with a road game against top-seed Phoebus looming next week. Conversely, Bruton (1-9) just misses the playoffs with Saturday’s loss. The Panthers were unable to find a win in the Bay Rivers District this season.
“It feels good,” said Warhill Coach Thad Wheeler about earning a spot in the playoffs. “There’s no better feeling than earning another week of football.”
Bruton: 0 0 7 0 — 7
Warhill: 7 13 10 13 — 43
First Quarter
W: Koob 1 run (Whalen kick), 7-0
Second Quarter
W: Loftin 9 run (Whalen kick), 14-0
W: Koob 35 interception return (kick failed), 20-0
Third Quarter
W: Whalen FG 25, 23-0
B: Dockery 74 run (Malik kick), 23-7
W: Loftin 6 run (Whalen kick), 30-7
Fourth Quarter
W: Koob 9 run (Whalen kick), 37-7
W: Brown 50 interception return (kick blocked), 43-7
Bruton; Warhill
First downs: 9; 10
Rushes-yards: 36-154; 39-286
Comp-att-int: 8-13-2; 0-3-0
Passing yards: 45; 0
Fumbles-lost: 4-4; 1-1
Penalties-yards: 4-25; 7-69
Bruton: Greg Dockery (8 car, 91 yards, TD, 8-13, 45 yards, 2 INTs), Isaiah Crim-Daughtry (11 car, 37 yards)
Warhill: Bryce Koob (17 car, 245 yards, 2 TDs, INT, TD), Tre’Von Loftin (14 car, 50 yards, 2 TDs)
York Routs Jamestown to End Season
York quarterback Ramsey Hayyat accounted for four touchdowns as the Falcons routed Jamestown at home 55-7 on Saturday to end the regular season.
Hayyat opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run to put the Falcons up 7-0.
The second quarter was dominated by York, which put up 35 points to blow the game open.
York wide receiver Luke Gilbert started the second-quarter scoring by hauling in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Hayyat. Jamestown responded with a 2-yard touchdown run by Zach Pennycuff to make the score 14-7.
The Falcons responded with four consecutive touchdowns before the end of the first half. Running back Devin Campbell rushed for a 2-yard touchdown and caught touchdown passes of 25 and 41 yards in the second quarter. Also in the second quarter, Deondre Lightfoot returned a fumble 11 yards for a score.
By halftime, York held a commanding 42-7 advantage. The Falcons only grew their lead in the second quarter as Jamestown has held scoreless over the final 24 minutes of play.
After a scoreless third quarter, Matt Wakelyn scored a 2-yard touchdown for York before Lightfoot finished the game with a 52-yard touchdown run.
York (6-4) will prepare for its opening game in the Group 3A East playoffs next week. The Falcons will host Colonial Heights at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Jamestown (1-9) ends its season outside of playoff position and will now turn its focus to next season.
Individual statistics were not reported for this game.
Jamestown: 0 7 0 0 — 7
York: 7 35 0 13 — 55
First Quarter
Y: Hayyat 10 run (Weis kick), 7-0
Second Quarter
Y: Gilbert 35 pass from Hayyat (Weis kick), 14-0
J: Pennycuff 2 run (Weissenfluh), 14-7
Y: Campbell 1 run (Weis kick), 21-7
Y: Campbell 25 pass from Hayyat (Weis kick), 28-7
Y: Lightfoot 11 fumble return (Weis kick), 35-7
Y: Campbell 41 pass from Hayyat (Weis kick), 42-7
Fourth Quarter
Y: Wakelyn 2 run (Weis kick), 49-7
Y: Lightfoot 52 run (kick missed), 55-7
