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Phoebus scores on 1st play from scrimmage for them

60 yard TD pass Phoebus 7 Hampton 0 8:15 1st quarter

8:15 1st
60 yard rec Noah Jefferson

Greetings from sunny Darling Stadium on this 76-degree day as we have a good one with a nice crowd as the Hampton Crabbers (4-1) take on their archrival, the reigning three-time State Champion Phoebus Phantoms (4-0).

Updates will be posted here + on Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports

Before we get started with Hampton beginning with possession, let's get to our breakdown and Picks...


Hampton (4-1) at Phoebus (4-0) . . . Just think what a monumental matchup this game used to be inside the Peninsula District, around the Hampton Roads area and across the entire state of Virginia? We’re talking about arguably the two most storied programs in the Commonwealth. Hampton has won 17 state titles with 12 of them under the legendary Mike Smith among his 506 wins. The Crabbers fell off a bit towards the end of Smith’s tenure, which started in 1971 and ended in 2021. One of his assistants, Woodrow Wilson, took over and they went from 3-8 in 2022 to 7-5 last year and now sitting in a position to potentially match or exceed that total.

While Hampton was the team of the 1990’s, the Phantoms have been the program of the 2000’s with ten state titles since 2001 and well on their way to making 24 straight seasons in which they’ve advanced in the playoff, should they do so as expected here this year. The Phantoms are in pursuit of a four-peat, something they did back in 2008-11 and now can accomplish with two of those crowns coming in Class 3 and a pair at the Class 4 level. Coach Jeremy Blunt has carried on the tradition established by the late great Bill Dee, then Stan Sexton and now aiming to bring his alma mater their ninth straight win the rivalry series.

Phoebus didn’t play its best brand of football in last week’s 56-21 romp of Bethel, trailing by a count of 21-14 until they tied the score with 1:07 to go until half-time. One can expect that their defense – featuring hard-nosed vets like Markus Hopson (Howard commit) on the line, LB’s Kaleb Tillery and Brenden Thompson, and DB’s Nijay Gay and Noah Jefferson (Delaware pledge) – to raise their intensity level for this one. That will make it a tall order for one of the better sophomore QB’s in the area in Marcus Chapman, directing a Crabbers attack that is putting up a more than respectable 39 points per game.

Offensively, Phoebus is no slouch themselves in averaging 41.5 PPG, highlighted by their ultra-impressive 23-7 road win at Highland Springs to start the season. Their tenth grader at QB, Maurikus Banks, is quite a talent and he’s got a terrific supporting cast, which includes a running back in Davion Roberts that remains somewhat underrated, in spite of the fact he had 29 TD’s as a junior. The Hampton defense, which gave up 41 points in a loss to King George, will have to hold up and outside of the takeaways from Casey Lassiter at DB (5 INT’s in the first three games), they need some more playmakers at each level to solidify this unit as the playoffs approach.

Phoebus hasn’t lost a game to a Peninsula District foe since 2016 when they were blanked by Woodside, 15-0, on October 21. That means they’ve won 62 straight Peninsula District games, 61 of which have been in the regular season. Hampton will have to put forth a near flawless performance, and get some help with the Phantoms under-performing like they did for a half vs. Bethel, to put that streak in jeopardy.

Matt Hatfield Says – Phoebus 42-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Phoebus 40-6

Thanks to my buddy Gunz41 for doing this for me and us Region A guys.


1. Poquoson: 23.60
2. Bruton: 22.00
3. Southampton: 20.80/21.20
4. Amelia: 18.60
5. Lunenburg: 18.20
6. Greensville: 17.00
7. Nottoway: 16.50
8. Prince Edward: 12.80
9. John Marshall: 12.50
10. King William: 11.17
11. Windsor: 10.67
12. Nandua: 10.00/10.20
13. Arcadia: 9.67
14. Randolph Henry: 8.80

Still have a couple games to be played so will update once they are complete.

1. Strasburg (5-0): 23.60
2. Clarke County (5-0): 23.20
3. Riverheads (5-1): 21.33
4. Buckingham (5-0): 20.80
5. Fort Defiance (4-2): 20.67
6. Stuarts Draft (4-2): 18.17
7. Madison Co. (2-3): 16.40
8. Page County (2-3): 14.80
9. Luray (1-4): 13.40
10. Central Woodstock (1-4): 13.00
11. Stonewall (1-4/2-4): 12.80

Stonewall game from last night was a win, but it is not eligible for points so that is why the 2 records.

Abingdon 45, Central – Wise 23

Alexandria City 24, West Springfield 21

Altavista 29, Appomattox 8

Amelia County 25, Nandua 14

Amherst County 69, Harrisonburg 0

Armstrong 14, Henrico 8

Bassett 30, Mecklenburg County 13

Battlefield 56, Unity Reed 7

Blue Ridge School 42, St. Annes-Belfield 8

Brentsville 50, Liberty-Bealeton 35

Briar Woods 28, Fort Hill, Md. 7

Broadway 17, Spotswood 10

Brookville 24, Franklin County 13

Brunswick 19, Windsor 6

Brunswick Academy 55, Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot 14

Buckingham County 52, Randolph-Henry 6

Caroline 26, Culpeper 21

Carroll County 32, James River 25

Central of Lunenburg 57, Prince Edward County 0

Chancellor 21, James Monroe 12

Chantilly 30, South Lakes 28

Clarke County 21, Catoctin, Md. 13

Col. Richardson, Md. 56, Lancaster 0

Colonial Forge 49, Massaponax 16

Cosby 32, RHSA 6

Craig County 49, Phelps, Ky. 0

Deep Creek 14, Hickory 13

Dematha, Md. 35, Life Christian 0

Dinwiddie 21, Thomas Dale 14

East Rockingham 42, Rockbridge County 7

Eastside 34, J.I. Burton 0

Edison 49, John R. Lewis 0

Essex 70, Charles City County High School 0

Fairfax 36, West Potomac 13

First Colonial 20, Princess Anne 13

Floyd County 36, Patrick County 0

Fluvanna 15, Albemarle 7

Forest Park 63, Freedom – Woodbridge 0

Fort Defiance 36, Waynesboro 0

Frank Cox 32, Ocean Lakes 24

Franklin 38, Arcadia 0

Fredericksburg Christian 48, Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy 0

GW-Danville 42, Magna Vista 36

Gar-Field 48, Colgan 21

George Marshall 28, Langley 21

Giles 55, Auburn 6

Glen Allen 34, Douglas Freeman 13

Glenvar 37, Radford 12

Gonzaga College, D.C. 23, Benedictine 16

Goochland 41, Charlottesville 18

Graham 58, Marion 14

Granby 57, Lakeland (VA) 0

Grassfield 29, Great Bridge 15

Green Run 40, Salem-Va. Beach 18

Greensville County 30, Surry County 6

Gretna 41, Dan River 14

Hanover 31, Patrick Henry 6

Hayfield 64, Falls Church 0

Heritage (Lynchburg) 31, Northside 13

Honaker 26, Chilhowie 14

Hopewell 49, Colonial Heights 13

Independence 17, Woodgrove 0

James Madison 42, South County 0

James Wood 22, Meridian High School 19

Kellam 11, Tallwood 7

Kempsville 16, Landstown 12

Kettle Run 31, Millbrook 14

King George 41, Courtland 20

King’s Fork High School 33, Indian River 7

Lake Braddock 55, C. G. Woodson 14

Lake Taylor 53, Booker T. Washington 13

Lebanon 42, John Battle 7

Lloyd Bird 41, Powhatan 20

Loudoun County 21, Riverside 14

Loudoun Valley 52, Rock Ridge 21

Louisa 45, Monticello 6

Manchester 33, Monacan 16

Martinsville 25, Tunstall 0

Maury 49, I. C. Norcom High School 12

Midlothian 45, Clover Hill 0

Mills Godwin 42, J.R. Tucker 9

Mount Vernon 40, Justice High School 6

Nansemond River 21, Western Branch 0

Nelson County 50, William Campbell 44

New Kent 29, Tabb 21

Norfolk Academy 21, Atlantic Shores Christian 7

North Cross 45, Hargrave Military 0

North Stafford 38, Eastern View 21

Northwood 38, Castlewood 12

Norview 35, Manor High School 12

Osbourn 18, Freedom – South Riding 13

Parry McCluer High School 35, Fort Chiswell 14

Patrick Henry 24, Pulaski County 7

Patriot 63, Osbourn Park 6

Paul Charter 34, Manassas Park 0

Paul VI Catholic High School 21, St. Albans, D.C. 14

Poquoson 31, Jamestown 0

Potomac 37, C.D. Hylton 2

Prince George 21, Petersburg 14

Ridgeview 55, Richlands 0

Riverbend 13, Mountain View 12

Riverheads 10, Christiansburg 7

Roanoke Catholic 21, Montcalm, W.Va. 14

Rocktown 52, Page County 30

Rye Cove 14, Lee High 6

Sherando 51, Warren County 0

Smithfield 20, York 0

Southampton 56, Sussex Central 8

St. Christopher’s 44, Fork Union Prep 8

Stafford 63, Brooke Point 56

Staunton 21, Wilson Memorial 0

Stuarts Draft 39, Buffalo Gap 24

TJHS 77, John Marshall 6

Tazewell 33, Grundy 32

Turner Ashby 44, William Monroe 0

Union 48, Twin Springs 8

Warwick 48, Heritage 0

Washington-Liberty 28, Herndon 18

West Point 21, Colonial Beach 0

Westfield 63, Wakefield 0

William Byrd 47, Cave Spring 3

William Fleming 49, Halifax County 0

Woodstock Central 19, King William 10

Yorktown 34, Centreville 7

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

Meadowbrook vs. Matoaca, ccd.

Nottoway vs. Cumberland, ccd.

Thomas Walker vs. Unaka, Tenn., ccd.