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by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@sbgnet.com
(804) 240-2191
All of the high-school football experts in Richmond would have bet their jobs on a low-scoring affair between Meadowbrook and Highland Springs Sept. 11.
All would be unemployed Sept. 12.
An explosion of offense led to a very entertaining 36-32 victory to Meadowbrook over the Springers in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl Friday night, the first regular-season football matchup between the two schools ever.
Quarterbacks Andre Coble (Meadowbrook) and JaQuan Burchette (Highland Springs) put on an aerial and ground show as the top-five teams were only separated by extra points once the horn blew.
“Crazy game. Highland Springs is a very good team,” said Coble (123 yards passing, TD; 75 rushing, 3 2-point conversions). “We went back and forth all night.”
It was a 14-14 halftime score, a score thought to be tough for either team to get by the end of regulation.
Wyatt Johnson (four catches, 74 yards) already had two TD catches from Burchette (161 yards, 4 TDs passing, 80 rushing) for the Springers, ranked second in the Fox/DigitalSports Top 10.
That’s when things got bananas.
Akil Dorsey took Thomas Moore‘s second-half kickoff 87 yards for a score, then Domico Phillips scored from four yards out after No. 5 Meadowbrook recovered a Springer fumble.
It was barely three minutes into the third quarter, and the Springers looked lethargic, until Marcellus Carter caught an 11-yard pass and got blasted out of bounds for a personal foul on Meadowbrook.
It woke Highland Springs.
Two plays later, Burchette found Gevonn Young for a 9-yard score. The Springer defense made an appearance, as Virginia Tech-bound Derrick Hopkins forced a Coble fumble, scooped up by Deontra Morris.
On the very next play, Burchette lofted a beautiful pass to Carter, who leaped over Monarchs cornerback LaDarius Link to haul in the score as the Springers pulled within two points, 28-26 with 1:20 left in the third period.
Meadowbrook and first-year head man Troy Taylor responded with a punishing 12-play, 69-yard drive as Phillips hit paydirt again, a 3-yard score this time, his third on a night where he juked and jived for 108 yards on 20 carries.
The two-point conversion was good to make it a 10-point game.
“The run game was right there all night,” said Coble, who teamed with Phillips to account for all of Meadowbrook’s offensive yards. “My offensive line stepped up. When we were running the ball up the middle it was like Mico getting open all the time.”
A surprising development on a super talented Springer defense, even though linebacker/safety Deshawn Holmes and safety J.J. Saunders (second half) were out with injuries.
Undaunted, Highland Springs took eight plays, the last a James Turner dive for six points. The drive was keyed by a 31-yard bolt from freshman running back John Thompson.
The Springer defense got a three-and-out and got it back to Burchette.
The senior worked his magic down to Meadowbrook’s 42-yard line, but Jacaurey Thomas picked off his pass to Wayne Pugh with a little over a minute left, the first time Thomas saw a pass come his way all night.
“I just saw the ball in the air. I had to go get it and make a play for my team and help us win,” said Thomas, who saw defensive mates Tevin Hanley and Dominique Roane have standout games. “I was trying to get one all day.”
At least the experts got one right. Defense did win the ballgame.
Meadowbrook 6 8 14 8 – 36
High. Springs 0 14 12 6 – 32
M – Phillips 13 run (kick failed)
HS – Johnson 26 pass from Burchette (kick failed)
M – Lloyd 9 pass from Coble (Coble run)
HS – Johnson 29 pass from Burchette (Young from Burchette)
M – Dorsey 87 kickoff return (Thomas from Coble)
M – Phillips 4 run (kick failed)
HS – Young 9 pass from Burchette (kick failed)
HS – Carter 35 pass from Burchette (pass failed)
M – Phillips 3 run (Thomas from Coble)
HS – Turner 1 run (run failed)
RUSHING
Meadowbrook – Phillips 20 carries, 108 yards, Coble 11-75; Highland Springs – Burchette 19-80, Thompson 7-47, Garrison 7-29, Turner 1-1, Saunders 1-(minus 1)
PASSING
Meadowbrook – Coble 13 completions, 23 attempts, 123 yards, 0 interceptions; Highland Springs – Burchette 9-16-161-2
RECEIVING
Meadowbrook – Lloyd 6-67, Dorsey 3-23, Thomas 2-14, Wingate 1-12, Wright 1-8; Highland Springs – Carter 4-78, Johnson 4-74, Young 1-9
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