by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com
Fourth-and-five from your opponent’s 12-yard line, down four points with plenty of time left.
What would you do?
There was no hesitation on Varina coach Stu Brown‘s part.
After whipping out a timeout, he called a play that found Donald Upshaw for a wide-open TD and eventually a Division 6, Central Region championship, as the Blue Devils beat Meadowbrook 17-14 Saturday afternoon.
It was the moment of truth for a Varina team that led 10-0 with one minute left in the first half, but trailed by four points only five game minutes later.
Varina quarterback Hermon Norrell (9 for 21, 191 yards, two TDs and interceptions) sliced the seam of Meadowbrook’s defense with a 24-yard TD to Jerel Harrison.
Then Cory *** converted a 31-yard field goal after Harrison recovered a Desmond Coble fumble, for the 10-point advantage.
Afterward, Coble got hot, hitting five straight passes. His last heave went 34 yards to Dequinnus Menefee as MBK trailed by only three at the half.
The deficit didn’t stand a chance as halftime didn’t cool Coble.
He bolted for 13 yards on the half’s first play. Then Domico Phillips bursted for 31 of his team-high 54 rushing yards putting the Monarchs in striking distance.
After two Coble runs, he calmly rolled left and found a leaping Jacaurey Thomas for a nine-yard TD that set up Brown’s decision.
“We just had to redirect the route,” said Brown, in his first year as head coach at Varina. “In the timeout we were able to talk to ’em. Fortunately, they lined up the way we thought they would.
“We’re regional champs, baby!”
Aside from the clutch pitch-and-catch play, it was Varina’s defensive effort that brought home a second region crown in three seasons.
The Blue Devils (12-0) did a masterful job of keeping the slick Coble in the pocket. The junior signal-caller is so dangerous when he makes defenders miss and gets out on the boundary.
In turn, it forced Coble (11 for 25, 124 yards, two TDs) to strike from the pocket. He did on occassion, but the usually reliable Chris Carter couldn’t hold on to Coble’s TD pass late in the third in Varina territory.
Then on fourth down from Varina’s 23-yard line, Coble just missed Carter streaking behind Varina’s defense. So close, yet so far.
The Blue Devils didn’t need to score anymore, just run out the clock behind a big offensive line, Norrell, Trey Johnson (17 carries, 75 yards) and surprisingly wide receiver Bobby Smith.
With Johnson nicked up, Smith got in the shotgun and carried for a first down once down the stretch.
But it was his six receptions for 143 yards that helped set up all three of Varina’s scores.
He ripped down a 33-yarder before Harrison’s TD catch.
Smith, at 6-5, hauled in a 46-yarder to set up ***’s field goal. And he also nabbed a 20- and a 34-yarder (with pass interference) to set up the fourth-down game-winner.
“We had to come out and play as one unit,” said Smith, as Varina’s faithful mobbed every player around in exuberance. “We had to be all on the same page. I feel like I had to make plays for my team.
“Coach always tells us that everybody has a role on the team. It feels great.”
Meadowbrook 0 7 7 0 – 14
Varina 0 10 7 0 – 17
V – Harrison 24 pass from Norrell (*** kick)
V – FG *** 31
M – Menefee 34 pass from Coble (Ornelas kick)
M – Thomas 9 pass from Coble (Ornelas kick)
V – Upshaw 12 pass from Norrell (*** kick)
Meadowbrook – Domico Phillips 7 carries, 54 yards, Coble 15-29, Jevonn Worsham 1-1, Denzel West 3-0; Varina – Trey Johnson 17-75, Norrell 9-25, Smith 2-15, Chapman 2-2, Finney 1-3, Upshaw 2-8, Dequan Pegues 1-(5)
Meadowbrook – Coble 11 completions, 25 attempts, 0 interceptions, 124 yards; Varina – Norrell 9-21-2-191
Meadowbrook – Jacaurey Thomas 3 receptions, 44 yards, Dequinnus Menefee 3-43, Chris Carter 2-12, Phillips 1-11, Worsham 1-1, Akil Dorsey 1-4; Varina – Smith 6-143, Harrison 2-36, Upshaw 1-12
Processing your request, Please wait....
