Tahraun Hammond runs away from the Raider defense as Essex sends a message.
WARSAW- Throughout the preseason this was a game marked as the game where the power shift would be certified. It would be where Rappahannock football was to become the new contender from the Northern Neck and compete for more accolades. Those were the expectations. Someone forgot to inform the Trojans.
Essex has performed much better in 2019 than they did last season. The Trojans came in as the top seed and needed a victory to secure that spot. Rappahannock had the chance to make up for their losses and take the spot with a victory. Essex would leave doubt.
The Trojans came out big moving the ball well as Ashton Ashlock executed the screen pass well hitting Tahraun Hammond in the flat and he would take it into Raider territory. Essex looked to surely score but fumbled at the 1 yard line giving Rappahannock an opportunity to steal the momentum. They would not.
Big players step up in big games and that is exactly what offensive player of the year nominee Avante Banks did for Essex. Banks would outrace the Raiders down the visitor's sideline for a 14 yard touchdown to give the Trojans a 6-0 lead with 1:45 to play in the 1st quarter.
Avante Banks was money throughout the first half in Warsaw.
The defense of Essex would dominate Rappahannock and they would have the ball again. Ashlock would through a quick hitch to Banks who would explode down the home sideline 70 yards for his second touchdown. Ah-kaliq Martin would catch the 2-point conversion to make it 14-0 Trojans at the beginning of the 2nd quarter.
Essex would get another opportunity to score right before halftime when Ashlock hit Banks coming across the stride and he would go in untouched for a 51 yard touchdown. Hammond with catch the conversion and the Trojans led at the half 22-0.
Avante Banks races away for a 70 yard touchdown!
The second half Ashlock would throw two touchdown passes in the 3rd. As he would hit Hammond for a 4 yard pass and Martin on a 20 yard pass to make it 34-0. Martin would add a 1 yard run and kick the extra point to make it 41-0. Hammond would get his 2nd score of the half on a 21 yard pick six to conclude the big night for Essex.
Hammond robs Rappahannock of a completion and takes in for the pick six.
Essex (9-1) clinched the top seed and won the Northern Neck district outright and will likely host Mathews next Friday. Coach Todd Jones has his group playing their best football at the right time.
The Raiders will have to regroup and get back to the solid play that garnered all the attention to show they were ready for the challenge.
ESSEX 6 16 12 14 - 48
RAPPAHANNOCK 0 0 0 0 - 0
E- Banks 14 yard run (run failed)
E- Banks 70 yard pass from Ashlock (Martin pass from Ashlock)
E- Banks 51 yard pass from Ashlock (Hammond pass from Ashlock)
E- Hammond 4 yard pass from Ashlock (run failed)
E- Martin 20 yard pass from Ashlock (run failed)
E- Martin 1 yard run (Martin kick)
E- Hammond 21 yard interception return (Martin kick)
All smiles in the cold for Essex Friday night.
COLONIAL BEACH 35 WASHINGTON & LEE 32
Westmoreland County schools did battle tonight and the game definitely produced a competitive clash as the Drifters had just enough offensive might to hold on for a 3 point win. Corvion Davis got Colonial Beach to a 21-6 lead in the 2nd quarter. LJ Kelly would get a 6 yard touchdown run to make it 21-12 at the half Beach. Kelly would give the Eagle faithful reason to cheer with a 44 yard run to trim the lead to 21-19.
Zahkye Gresham would answer scoring from 23 yards out to make it 27-19 Drifters. Shane McNeil would haul in a pass from Christian Mountjoy to make it 27-25. Each team would add another score as previous missed conversions came back to haunt the Eagles.
COLONIAL BEACH 7 14 14 0 - 35
WASHINGTON & LEE 0 12 13 7 - 32
CB- Davis 1 yard run (Garrett Mothershead kick)
CB- Davis 5 yard run (Mothershead kick)
WL- Tolson 4 yard run (run failed)
CB- Davis 4 yard run (Mothershead kick)
WL- Kelly 6 yard run (kick failed)
WL- Kelly 44 yard run (Dwayne Reynolds kick)
CB- Gresham 23 yard run (kick failed)
WL- McNeil 28 yard pass from Mountjoy (pass failed)
CB- Allison 5 yard run (Mothershead run)
WL- Kelly 4 yard run (Reynolds kick)
KING WILLIAM 49 KING & QUEEN CENTRAL 7
Demond Claiborne quickly got the Cavaliers out to an 18-0 lead when the Royal Tigers showed some life as Charles Mills broke loose for a 95 yard touchdown run that cut the deficit to 18-7 in the 2nd quarter. From there it would be all Cavs. Lance Alfonso would toss 3 scores including 2 to Kyle Lynch while the defense shutdown the Tigers offense. Lance Alfonso finished 16 of 27 for 236 yards 3 touchdowns and 1 int. King & Queen will be making their playoff appearance without their prolific wide receiver DeAndre Hill who was injured and is out for the season. His absence was big as Malik Holmes went 12 of 24 for 52 yards only.
KING WILLIAM 12 30 7 0 - 49
KING & QUEEN 0 7 0 0 - 7
KW- Claiborne 5 yard run (pass failed)
KW- Claiborne 36 yard run (run failed)
KW- Claiborne 4 yard run (run failed)
KQ- Mills 95 yard run (Carcamo kick)
KW- Lynch 5 yard pass from Alfonso (Claiborne run)
KW- Claiborne 1 yard run (Claiborne run)
KW- Lynch 23 yard pass from Alfonso (Young run)
KW- Roane 6 yard pass from Alfonso (Lynch kick)
COASTAL PLAIN PLUS
Brunswick 34 Greensville Co. 28 (Thurs)
Clarke Co. 84 Rappahannock Co. 0
Deep Run 33 Thomas Jefferson 0
John Marshall 28 Mills Godwin 0
Middlesex 38 Mathews 7
Prince Edward 50 Cumberland 0
Riverheads 49 Stuarts Draft 14
Southampton 16 Franklin 14
Sussex Central 46 Surry Co. 19
WIlliam Campbell 46 Altavista 35
OFFICIAL VHSL PLAYOFF MATCH UPS
3A
8 Southampton vs. 1 Hopewell
5 I.C. Norcom vs. 4 Lafayette
7 Petersburg vs. 2 York
6 Tabb vs. 3 Phoebus
2A
8 Brunswick vs. 1 Thomas Jefferson
5 Nottoway vs. 4 Greensville County
7 Amelia County vs. 2 King William
6 John Marshall vs. 3 Poquoson
1A
8 Mathews vs. 1 Essex
5 Colonial Beach vs. 4 Washington & Lee
7 Northumberland vs. 2 Rappahannock
6 West Point vs. 3 King & Queen Central
1B
8 Rappahannock County vs. 1 Riverheads
5 Franklin vs. 4 Central Lunenburg
7 Surry County vs. 2 Sussex Central
6 Altavista vs. 3 William Campbell
