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Blog LIVE Game Blog: Salem-VB 28, Kempsville 14 - FINAL

Starting their second series from their own 28-yard line with 4:58 to go in the first period, Salem goes back to the running game and Willie Moore breaks off a 65-yard run to the 7. He would've scored if not for the TD saving tackle by C.J. Spence.

A personal foul penalty on Kempsville moves them closer, half the distance to the goal, down to the 3.

Three straight runs by Salem - with Moore twice and one by Landstown transfer Isaiah Lovgren - end up getting stuffed. Really fine job by that Kempsville defensive front.

Coach Mark Hall III of Salem decides to leave the offense on the field for 4th & Goal from the 1.

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Salem-VB 28, Kempsville 14 - FINAL

Out of the time-out, the play looks dead on 2nd & 10 for Kempsville, but QB Christopher 'C.J.' Spence turns nothing into something. It's a a gain of 8 to bring up a very manageable 3rd & 2. That's where Robert Hughes Jr. moves the stick on a run for +5.

Then comes the boom as Spence rolls to his left and launches to a wide open James Releford, V in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. What a start for the Kempsville offense.

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Blog LIVE Game Blog: Salem-VB 28, Kempsville 14 - FINAL

Robert Hughes Jr. returns the ensuing kickoff 18 yards for Kempsville to its own 35, where they start their second offensive possession with 8:07 left in the opening stanza and ahead by one. Hughes then rushes to the outside on a toss for +4. C.J. Spence gains 4 on a QB keeper to bring up 3rd & 1 from their own 44.

Hughes busts free the middle of the defense for 11 yards to the Salem 45. Right now, both defenses are leaving plenty of daylight to work with, and the d-coordinators cannot be pleased with what they're seeing. After an incomplete pass, the Chiefs will use a time-out with 5:56 left in the first quarter.

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Salem-VB 28, Kempsville 14 - FINAL

Salem begins its first possession at their own 32 with 9:11 to go in the first quarter and its initial play from the line of scrimmage is not a good one. Tailback Willie Moore - a newcomer from Grassfield - is dropped for a loss of 2 by Darryl Veal Jr. of Kempsville. Veal is one of the better linebackers in the Beach District to follow this year.

Then it's QB Jason 'Scooter' Williams, the Navy commit, taking matters into his own hands as he dashes right up the middle, virtually untouched, 70 yards to paydirt. Definitely showed the scooting ability there.

The extra point, however is blocked.

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Blog LIVE Game Blog: Salem-VB 28, Kempsville 14 - FINAL

Kempsville receives the ball to start and will begin at their own 35 after Salem kicks it out of bounds.

The pocket collapses on the first play as QB Chris Spence - known more for his talent as a defensive back (presently a UVA commit) - is sacked. On 2nd & 15 though, Spence makes an accurate throw down the near sideline to fellow senior Sawyer Whitemore, enough to move the sticks on a 16-yard gain.

Sophomore Robert Hughes Jr. rushes for 6 after Spence gains 8 and it's another first down, quickly into Salem territory. Not a bad start for Coach Daryl Cherry's Chiefs as they look a lot better and more in sync offensively than they did in their preseason scrimmage vs. Hampton a week ago.

VHSL hypocrisy?…

Following the recruiting/transfer “scandal” at Hayfield High (Fairfax Co) and their football team over on the 6A Fall forum…

The VHSL is apparently taking action over recruiting/transfers at Hayfield!?!

How can this be so when they care not about recruiting/transfers by/at John Marshall basketball? Is it okay for 2A basketball but not 6A football? Is it because Adidas or some other company hasn’t signed on yet? Hayfield need to hire a Pop Warner coach or something similar to a Team Loaded coach?

To paraphrase Val Kilmer in Tombstone, their hypocrisy knows no bounds.
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Blog LIVE Game Blog: Salem-VB 28, Kempsville 14 - FINAL

Greetings from steamy Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach as we kick off the 2024 Virginia High School Football season on this final Thursday night of August.

It's the Salem Sun Devils taking on the host Chiefs of Kempsville with our 6:30 PM EST kick-off showing 87 degrees, but a heat index of 97 (and in this pressbox minus AC, it feels like 107).
We'll have updates for you all here tonight on the LIVE Game Blog as well as through Twitter or 'X' as it is now known.

But before we get started, here's our mini preview with picks from earlier in the Tidewater Predictions article...

Salem-VB at Kempsville . . . Season openers have not been too kind to the Chiefs of Kempsville, who have dropped 13 of their last 14 with the lone breakthrough coming when they beat Cox 20-12 to start off the 2021 campaign. Salem had lost three in a row to the Chiefs until last year’s 13-7 victory. When these two get together, it’s generally a lower scoring matchup as the last time either put up more than 20 on the other was when the Sun Devils blanked Kempsville 42-0 in 2019. The key to this game could be what type of pass rush the Chiefs defense, headed up by LB Darryl Veal, can apply on Salem QB Jason ‘Scooter’ Williams, a Navy commit.

Matt Hatfield Says – Salem-VB 26-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Salem-VB 18-16
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Pick'em: Week 1

1 point per pick, GOTW worth 2. Picks are due by Friday @ 7pm. If games are Thursday, it is your responsibility to pick game b4 game time. If games are earlier than Thursday the game will not count. No score predictions needed.


Arcadia @ Windsor
Nandua @ Rappahannock
Stuarts Draft @ King William
Central-Woodstock @ Riverheads
Luray @ E. Rockingham
Buckingham Co. @ Appomattox Co.
Martinsville @ Patrick Co.
Glenvar @ Galax
Radford @ George Wythe
Richlands @ Gate City
Bluefield, WV @ Graham
Virginia @ Patrick Henry

GOTW

Central-Lunenburg @ Altavista
Arcadia
Nandua
Stuarts Draft
Riverheads
E. Rockingham
Appomattox Co.
Martinsville
Glenvar
Radford
Gate City
Bluefield, WV
Virginia

GOTW

Altavista

Predictions Hatfield's VHSL Thursday Night Football Picks for 8/29/24 (Week 1)

It's the first full weekend of Virginiia High School Football action here in 2024.

We've got a bunch of games on this final Thursday of August and many more to follow on Friday.

There are some Tidewater Predictions already up on the site here for free this week. That includes some highlight games involving teams in the '757' area code.

In the next post, we give you Picks for eight games that catch our attention for this evening statewide... we'll dub it Excellent Eight...
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