After both teams had phenomenal seasons, Clarke County and Appomattox County met at Salem Stadium to clash heads for the 2A State Championship on Saturday. Both teams were making their first ever state championship appearance and were eager to show their worthiness in hopes of taking home the title. The Raiders entered the contest 14-0 while Clarke came into the contest with just one loss, that came in the second week of the season, at 13-1.
The Raiders controlled this contest for most of the game but a pesky Eagles defense kept the score close until late in the game. When all was said and done, however, Appomattox walked away with a 42-6 victory over Clarke to complete an undefeated season while earning their first state title in convincing fashion.
Appomattox controlled most of the first half of the game with a menacing defense and a balanced offensive attack. The Raiders scored on their first possession of the game. Clarke managed to contain the offensive attack of Appomattox for most of the first half despite the supurb passing of senior quarterback Matt Page. Page completed all ten of his first halp pass attempts for 151 yards. The Eagles managed to thwart a pair of Raiders drives with sacks on fourth down attempts.
Defensively, the Raiders controlled the tempo from the opening snap. Appomattox held the Eagles to three-and-out on their first two drives of the contest and never allowed the Eagles into the red zone in the first half. Clarked ended the first half with 56 rushing yards on 16 attempts (less than 4 yards per carry) and completed just two pass attempts while having a fourth down attempt intercepted by Buster Henderson.
In the second half, the Eagles Hunter Rogers intercepted the first pass of the second half but Clarke failed to move the ball on the ensuing drive. Later in the third quarter, the Eagles defense came up with a fumble recovery which resulted in Clarke's lone score of the game. Despite a pair of false start penalties, the Eagles offense scored when Mackie Martin caught a pass that was tipped in the endzone on a fourth down conversion attempt.
With the score tied 14-6 and Clarke continuing to hang around, the Raiders needed to find a way to seal the victory. It didn't take long for the Raiders to respond. Matt Page guided his offense quickly down the field and less than three minutes after the Eagles score, Appomattox extended their lead back to two scores when Page pushed into the endzone with a one yard scoring run. The two squads traded possession following the Appomattox score. Fortunately, Clarke's defense came up big again when the Raiders appeared ready to cash in again when Rogers recovered a fumble inside the redzone.
The Eagles couldn't manage to move the ball again when they took possession and after and interception by senior Devin Dews, the Raiders found paydirt. Phillip Fleshman scored on a 22 yard dash to the endzone and the Appomattox defense blew the game wide open with a pair of interception returns for touchdowns within a minute of the running backs' score. Buster Henderson and Dews each pulled down passes intended for Eagles receivers and returned them to the house to secure the 2A trophy.
SCORING SUMMARY
TEAM TIME SCORING PLAY GAME SCORE
Appomattox County 7:14 (1) Javon Scruggs 31 yard run (Carter Jamerson kick) 7-0
Appomattox County 1:03 (2) Tre Walker 4 yard run (Carter Jamerson kick) 14-0
Clarke County 0:48 (3) Mackie Martin 6 yard pass from Jordon Turner (kick failed) 14-6
Appomattox County 10:30 (4) Matt Page 1 yard run (Carter Jamerson kick) 21-6
Appomattox County 4:18 (4) Phillip Fleshman 22 yard run (Carter Jamerson kick) 28-6
Appomattox County 4:05 (4) Devin Dews 27 yard interception return (Carter Jamerson kick) 35-6
Appomattox County 3:37 (4) Buster Henderson 47 yard interception return (Carter Jamerson kick) 42-6
KEYS TO VICTORY
Menacing defense
The Raiders had a game plan and they executed perfectly holding the single wing offense of Clarke County to 3.41 yards per carry in the contest. The Eagles trio that rushed for over 1,000 yards each this season was limited to just 102 rushing yards in the entire contest. From the start, Appomattox controlled the line of scrimmage and was constantly in the Clarke County backfield. The Eagles were forced to punt on their two opening series and when the team appeared to find a bit of room on offense, they saw their third possession end abruptly. A botched snap by the Eagles eventually forced fourth down and when Clarke opted to try to convert the attempt, Buster Henderson pulled down an interception to end the drive.
Appomattox managed to sack the Eagles quarterback just once but their defense played their assignment well to keep Clarke from operating their offense as they are accustomed. Clarke had glimpes of success but was never able to establish a rhythm and when their backs were against the wall in the second half, the Raiders took advantage. The defense kept the opponent out of the endzone for all but one drive and when Clarke had the opportunity to get back to within one score, they slammed the door shut. The two defensive touchdowns late in the contest capped off the game and ensured that the Eagles would not find a way to make the game interesting with time winding down.
Balanced offense
Appomattox scored on its' first possession of the game, a drive that was highlighted by a pair of passes intertwined by five rushing attempts. Quarterback Matt Page was perfect through the air in the first half and finished the game 12 of 14 for 194 yards. The Raiders didn't have a 100 yard rusher but Page rushed for 45 yards and Fleshman totaled 61. Scruggs 31 yard rushing score in the opening quarter gave the Eagles defense another back to focus on and Page completed passes to four different receivers in the contest.
When it appeared that the Eagles had the Raiders dead to rights on offense, Appomattox drew up a play that caught the Clarke defense off guard and moved the chains. It wasn't all sweet for the Raiders, however, as they saw several drives come to an end due to opportunistic plays by the Eagles defense. Still, the grew never wavered from their plan and the senior leader at the helm of the offense appeared poised and throughout the contest. The ability to move the ball through the air and on the ground allowed the Raiders to score four times on offense while having possession for less than 20 minutes in the contest.
The quick response
As stellar as the team was on defense and capable on offense, Clarke managed to close to within eight points with less than a minute to play in the third quarter of the contest. The Raiders could have allowed the momentum to shift and could have started believing they had not converted on enough opportunities and were about to see their dream season come to a close. Instead, Appomattox did what they have done all season. They responded. the Raiders quickly moved the ball guided by a pair of passes from Matt Page. A 32 yard connection to Buster Henderson set up the team with goal-to-go on the Eagles two yard line.
Page rushed twice, gaining a yard on each, and scored to help his team go ahead 21-6. That drive ended up being pivotal for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it showed that the Raiders believed in themselves and were determined to complete what they felt was their destiny. Secondly, it took the wind out of the sails of the Clarke team that was gaining hope after finding the endzone for the first time all night, even after a pair of costly penalties. Additionally, it was the first of 28 fourth quarter points scored by Appomattox which made a close game into a one-sided affair in a hurry.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Matt Page, Appomattox County
The Raiders senior showed that he was indeed the offensive general by leading his team and keeping his group composed throughout the game. Page racked up 194 passing hards and finished the night with another 45 rushing yards and a touchdown but the stats were not the biggest impact he had on this contest. With his group moving the ball but failing to reach the endzone as often as they likely should have, the quarterback kept the offense believing and led them to the endzone at the most pivotal time in the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Appomattox Defense
It's hard to single out a player from the group that shutdown the Clarke offensive attack. The Eagles scored just six points after averaging 42 per game in their first 14 contests. The Raiders did so by living in the backfield, controlling the line of scrimmage and swarming to the ball. On nearly every play, a cluster of Raiders defenders were seen holing up the Clarke rushing attack. The secondary didn't allow the Eagles to pass, just forty yards through the air for Clarke, and intercepted the Eagles four times on the night. The unit did its job as they have all season and showed why they are the top ranked team in 2A now that the season is over.
Clarke County Defense
Looking at the statline, one may wonder how a team that allowed 42 points would have their defensive group as top performers. Had it not been for the opportunistic Eagles defense, this contest could have been decided much earlier. Chris Davis and Bryan Wallace ended a pair of Raiders drives in the first half with sacks on fourth down and the unit also forced three turnovers by the Appomattox offense. An interception by Hunter Rogers at the start of the second half prevented the Raiders from going up three scores to start the half. Rogers fumble recover later in the half again prevented Appomattox from extending their lead, at least at that moment. The Eagles defense kept their team in the contest for the majority of the night but it simply ended up not being enough.
Robert Edmonds is in his third year as part of the Virginia Preps staff. He provides insight on player profiles and recruiting news for players from around the state as well as in-season game and team reports. He has been contributing sports coverage in the newspaper industry since 2006 and also currently does correspondence work with the Daily Progress in Charlottesville and other publications on a limited basis. Follow him on twitter @bigrob2523 and send feedback and suggestions to him directly at bigrob2523@gmail.com.
