Greetings from Tiger Stadium and Beard-DeLong-Easley Field, site of one of the fiercest rivalries in Hampton Roads and all of Virginia as the Oscar Smith Tigers (3-2) play host to the Indian River Braves (3-2) in a Southeastern District matchup.
We'll have updates here tonight and on Twitter or 'X' as it is more commonly known now. Below is our Preview with Predictions...
Indian River (3-2) at Oscar Smith (3-2) . . . From 1999-2017, the Tigers of Oscar Smith won every time in these Chesapeake rivalry matchup. Finally in 2018, Indian River snapped the 19-game winning streak by the Tigers in the series with a 28-16 victory at Beard-DeLong-Easley Field. Oscar Smith has now won the past four meetings, including rallying for a 19-17 win last year when OLB/DE Gerrod Wilson Jr. put them ahead with a scoop-and-score. That means the Braves are 1-23 in the past 24 meetings.
Even in defeat, Braves pass rusher extraordinaire Jordan Harris (12 sacks) was a menace with seven total tackles for loss, six being of the solo variety. Kamil Mason (48 tackles) and Jonathan Shaw (5 sacks) have been integral on defense for Indian River, which comes in allowing just 6.6 points per game with three shutouts to their credit. They even held Varina to 13 in the opener.
The Oscar Smith defense is giving up 19.2 PPG, more than they’d like, but there are playmakers at every level with Jahmari DeLoatch on the back end a threat to intercept the ball, Jarrell Johnson a key linebacker that can disrupt things, and Jordan McDowell hard to block from his defensive line spot at 6-5, 240 pounds.
Taking care of the ball will be critical for Indian River in this one because a main reason they lost the game a year ago was the turnover differential, where their four giveaways to the Tigers’ two loomed large. Senior QB Tyler Allison (69 of 105 for 706 yards and a 2-4 TD/Int. ratio) just needs to manage the game and not be a big risk-taker. His running game started to come alive late in the double-overtime loss to King’s Fork a week ago behind Salem transfer Ravon Moore.
Oscar Smith has a talented freshman QB in Lonnie Andrews III, who threw for over 300 yards in a win over Grassfield earlier in the season. How well the offensive line sustains its blocks and can give room for the running game, headed up by Deep Creek transfer Brandon Nesbit, to make their attack balanced will tell a lot in this ballgame that could go down to the wire like some memorable ones have in recent years.
Matt Hatfield Says – Indian River 16-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 24-20
We'll have updates here tonight and on Twitter or 'X' as it is more commonly known now. Below is our Preview with Predictions...
Indian River (3-2) at Oscar Smith (3-2) . . . From 1999-2017, the Tigers of Oscar Smith won every time in these Chesapeake rivalry matchup. Finally in 2018, Indian River snapped the 19-game winning streak by the Tigers in the series with a 28-16 victory at Beard-DeLong-Easley Field. Oscar Smith has now won the past four meetings, including rallying for a 19-17 win last year when OLB/DE Gerrod Wilson Jr. put them ahead with a scoop-and-score. That means the Braves are 1-23 in the past 24 meetings.
Even in defeat, Braves pass rusher extraordinaire Jordan Harris (12 sacks) was a menace with seven total tackles for loss, six being of the solo variety. Kamil Mason (48 tackles) and Jonathan Shaw (5 sacks) have been integral on defense for Indian River, which comes in allowing just 6.6 points per game with three shutouts to their credit. They even held Varina to 13 in the opener.
The Oscar Smith defense is giving up 19.2 PPG, more than they’d like, but there are playmakers at every level with Jahmari DeLoatch on the back end a threat to intercept the ball, Jarrell Johnson a key linebacker that can disrupt things, and Jordan McDowell hard to block from his defensive line spot at 6-5, 240 pounds.
Taking care of the ball will be critical for Indian River in this one because a main reason they lost the game a year ago was the turnover differential, where their four giveaways to the Tigers’ two loomed large. Senior QB Tyler Allison (69 of 105 for 706 yards and a 2-4 TD/Int. ratio) just needs to manage the game and not be a big risk-taker. His running game started to come alive late in the double-overtime loss to King’s Fork a week ago behind Salem transfer Ravon Moore.
Oscar Smith has a talented freshman QB in Lonnie Andrews III, who threw for over 300 yards in a win over Grassfield earlier in the season. How well the offensive line sustains its blocks and can give room for the running game, headed up by Deep Creek transfer Brandon Nesbit, to make their attack balanced will tell a lot in this ballgame that could go down to the wire like some memorable ones have in recent years.
Matt Hatfield Says – Indian River 16-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 24-20