Greetings from a PACKED - and I do mean PACKED - John B. Todd Stadium in Newport News as the Warwick Raiders (9-0) play host to the Phoebus (8-0) in a highly anticipated Peninsula District showdown.
This takes me back to some of those great Hampton / Phoebus rivalry games over the years in the 1990's and early 2000's.
We'll have updates throughout the game here on the Blog and via Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports
See our Full Preview below...
Phoebus (8-0) at Warwick (9-0) . . . The reigning two-time State Champions from Phoebus come in riding a 28-game winning streak, the longest at the moment in all of Virginia. In their head-to-head series with Warwick, the Phantoms have simply dominated with 24 straight wins. Warwick's last breakthrough in this series came in 2001 by a count of 10-7 during the regular season - with Michael Vick's younger brother Marcus at quarterback - before the Phantoms got revenge to the tune of 49-14 in the postseason. That was on the way to the first of their now nine state titles they've achieved. Meanwhile, Warwick is trying to sit atop the Peninsula District for the first time in its history as they come into this matchup having not allowed a single touchdown with its defense as the lone score on them came via a kickoff by Grassfield in the season opener.
So while the Raiders are giving up less than a point per game, Phoebus has allowed just eight points on the year, which include a touchdown pass by archival Hampton and an intentional safety in their double-digit win at Oscar Smith to begin the season. Both defenses are littered with standouts; for Warwick it is a junior DB by the name of Messiah Delhomme with 15 FBS offers and counting. Delhomme, who was the Region 4A Defensive Player of the Year a season ago, has five interceptions with two returned for touchdowns. Phoebus has a pair of big-time standouts rushing the passer off the edge in Maryland commit Anthony Reddick and ODU pledge Taysean Stevenson, each of whom was active causing pressure in last week's shutout of Bethel where they limited the Bruins to a mere three total yards of offense.
Offensively, Warwick is a bit more potent in terms of the raw numbers in averaging 46.6 per game compared to 37.1 PPG for Phoebus. While the Phantoms tend to go with more of a grind-it-out approach with RB's Davion Roberts and Paul Stephen Davis, the Raiders want to test teams through the air behind QB Eduardo Rios Jr. (64 of 93 for 1627 yards, 17-4 TD/Int. ratio) and a deep cast of receivers that include Mike Alleyne, Keon Batts, Dakota Brodus and former Phoebus receiver Julio Carrecter (12Rec. 477Yds. 5 TD's). Key components for each offense will be two-way playmaker Keyontae Gray of Phoebus as he has assumed that go-to role that Jordan Bass, now at Pittsburgh, flourished in for them a season ago, and Woodside transfer Ri'jon Hammond is vital for the Warwick run game as he comes in just 214 rushing yards shy of 1000 on the season.
It would not surprise me one bit to see this game go to overtime scoreless because these two defenses have been that fierce and consistent at all three levels from the line to the linebackers and secondary members. When push comes to shove, a spark play in the form of a strip-sack or takeaway can set one of the offenses up with great field position and swing momentum in a major way. The big-game experience that Phoebus possesses is hard to ignore and overlook, giving them maybe the slightest of edges in a game that Warwick certainly can win, particularly if their offense comes out and clicking and gains a multi-score advantage in the first half that forces Phoebus to take chances with the passing game.
Matt Hatfield Says - Phoebus 13-7
Coach Ed Young Says - Phoebus 21-8
This takes me back to some of those great Hampton / Phoebus rivalry games over the years in the 1990's and early 2000's.
We'll have updates throughout the game here on the Blog and via Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports
See our Full Preview below...
Phoebus (8-0) at Warwick (9-0) . . . The reigning two-time State Champions from Phoebus come in riding a 28-game winning streak, the longest at the moment in all of Virginia. In their head-to-head series with Warwick, the Phantoms have simply dominated with 24 straight wins. Warwick's last breakthrough in this series came in 2001 by a count of 10-7 during the regular season - with Michael Vick's younger brother Marcus at quarterback - before the Phantoms got revenge to the tune of 49-14 in the postseason. That was on the way to the first of their now nine state titles they've achieved. Meanwhile, Warwick is trying to sit atop the Peninsula District for the first time in its history as they come into this matchup having not allowed a single touchdown with its defense as the lone score on them came via a kickoff by Grassfield in the season opener.
So while the Raiders are giving up less than a point per game, Phoebus has allowed just eight points on the year, which include a touchdown pass by archival Hampton and an intentional safety in their double-digit win at Oscar Smith to begin the season. Both defenses are littered with standouts; for Warwick it is a junior DB by the name of Messiah Delhomme with 15 FBS offers and counting. Delhomme, who was the Region 4A Defensive Player of the Year a season ago, has five interceptions with two returned for touchdowns. Phoebus has a pair of big-time standouts rushing the passer off the edge in Maryland commit Anthony Reddick and ODU pledge Taysean Stevenson, each of whom was active causing pressure in last week's shutout of Bethel where they limited the Bruins to a mere three total yards of offense.
Offensively, Warwick is a bit more potent in terms of the raw numbers in averaging 46.6 per game compared to 37.1 PPG for Phoebus. While the Phantoms tend to go with more of a grind-it-out approach with RB's Davion Roberts and Paul Stephen Davis, the Raiders want to test teams through the air behind QB Eduardo Rios Jr. (64 of 93 for 1627 yards, 17-4 TD/Int. ratio) and a deep cast of receivers that include Mike Alleyne, Keon Batts, Dakota Brodus and former Phoebus receiver Julio Carrecter (12Rec. 477Yds. 5 TD's). Key components for each offense will be two-way playmaker Keyontae Gray of Phoebus as he has assumed that go-to role that Jordan Bass, now at Pittsburgh, flourished in for them a season ago, and Woodside transfer Ri'jon Hammond is vital for the Warwick run game as he comes in just 214 rushing yards shy of 1000 on the season.
It would not surprise me one bit to see this game go to overtime scoreless because these two defenses have been that fierce and consistent at all three levels from the line to the linebackers and secondary members. When push comes to shove, a spark play in the form of a strip-sack or takeaway can set one of the offenses up with great field position and swing momentum in a major way. The big-game experience that Phoebus possesses is hard to ignore and overlook, giving them maybe the slightest of edges in a game that Warwick certainly can win, particularly if their offense comes out and clicking and gains a multi-score advantage in the first half that forces Phoebus to take chances with the passing game.
Matt Hatfield Says - Phoebus 13-7
Coach Ed Young Says - Phoebus 21-8