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4A State Championship Game LIVE Blog - Lake Taylor (14-0) vs. Salem (13-0)

Somehow, some way, J.T. Wahee beats four defenders to the edge after catching a 4th & 10 pass from Tyrek Hughey and gets to the pylon for a touchdown. A tremendous boost for Lake Taylor, which has been out-played much of this first half to get a chance to slice into the Salem lead and go to the locker room only trailing 14-7.

The extra point is good by Hughey.

HALF - Salem 14, Lake Taylor 7

Strap in folks, we've got a doozy of a ballgame here in Lynchburg between two unbeaten for the State Championship. This one may go down to the wire!

Stats coming in a bit...
 
This late TD may be what will settle LT down. Who is receiving kickoff?
 
hmmmmm... wonder where the officials are from? Sounds like a questionable PI call and a INT taken away. :)
 
Will LT adjust to qb scramble is the question? That seems to be Salem best play.
 
Salem with a lead at half with that coaching and desire and dedication of the players...I think Salem is going to pull this game out. I would love to see the west win!
 
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Curious about the 2nd half... What's it gonna take? Big play on O? Turnovers? Or big special teams play? Weather must be nice! Here's hoping the next half goes down to the wire...
 
Some half-time stats as Salem leads Lake Taylor by a count of 14-7 in the 4A State Championship here at Arthur L. Williams Stadium on the campus of Liberty University...

Stats at the Half:

Salem 14:
Noah Beckley - 2-6 for 15Yds; 4Car. 44Yds.
Donte Clayborne - 10Car. 61Yds. TD
Nick Wade - 1Rec. 11Yds.
De'Angelo Ramsey - 6 Tackles (4 Solo), Sack
Daniel Ponton - 4 Tackles (4 Solo)
Spartans - 123 total yards on 25 plays (19Car. 108Yds.), 2-5 on 3rd down, 0-0 on 4th down

Lake Taylor 7:
Tyrek Hughey - 8-16 for 59Yds. 1-1TD/Int. ratio
Deon Smith - 1Car. 38Yds.
Dazmine Palmer - 8Car. 27Yds.
Wanyne Davis - 3Rec. 19Yds.
J.T. Wahee - 2Rec. 21Yds. TD
Titans - 126 total yards on 27 plays (11Car. 67Yds.), 2-6 on 3rd down, 1-1 on 4th down

Salem has been reliant more on the running game than the pass, whereas Lake Taylor has needed to throw with just 29 yards on 10 carries if you wipe out Smith's key run.

Can't recall a first possession to start a half in State Championship game being any bigger than this one.

I think if Lake Taylor scores, they will make it 30 in a row. However, if they don't, I like Salem's chances greatly to end the streak and capture title #7.
 
Reason is Lost said:
Curious about the 2nd half... What's it gonna take? Big play on O? Turnovers? Or big special teams play? Weather must be nice! Here's hoping the next half goes down to the wire...
Click to expand...

I think it boils down to 3rd down conversions for Salem, whereas Lake Taylor has to get their offensive line - which is big up front led by junior guard Darnell Ewell - to take over this game so that Daz Palmer can be more of a factor running the ball. Noah Beckley has done a nice job of taking care of the ball and will have to continue for the Spartans to stay in front.
 
3rd Quarter:

A reception along the sideline on 3rd & 3 for Lake Taylor by Keyvone Bruton, the Temple commit, gets the Titans near midfield as he picked up eight yards. Shortly thereafter, Wayne Davis (Ohio State bound) gets 17 yards on a catch.

Quarterback Tyrek Hughey seems to have settled in now as that drive before the first half had to help him considerably from a confidence standpoint. Lake Taylor is now at the Salem 32-yard line, sensing a great opportunity to tie the Spartans in this third quarter as long as they finish the drive.
 
matthew328826 said:
I think it boils down to 3rd down conversions for Salem, whereas Lake Taylor has to get their offensive line - which is big up front led by junior guard Darnell Ewell - to take over this game so that Daz Palmer can be more of a factor running the ball. Noah Beckley has done a nice job of taking care of the ball and will have to continue for the Spartans to stay in front.
Click to expand...
Was thinking the same thing... 3rd down is huge! You have to stay on schedule and move the chains. Sustain drives turns your offense into the best defense. This is for both teams! Keeping LT's O on the sideline is huge for Salem!
 
On 3rd & 3 from the Salem 25-yard line, Tyrek Hughey lofts it towards the back of the end zone and Keyvone Bruton was unable to get to it, so 4th & 3 coming now for Lake Taylor.

Hughey waits for Wayne Davis to come open on a crossing pattern, he actually waited a bit too long as he ended up getting double covered, but Davis makes a superb catch for 10 yards. The Titans are in the red zone, knocking on the door.
 
It's Wayne's World and we're all just living in it...

Wayne Davis with another timely catch, this time on 3rd down to move the chains as Lake Taylor is knocking on the door, at the Salem 2-yard line. A time-consuming drive to begin the second half by the Titans as we are about to tick down under 5 minutes left in the third quarter.
 
A 14-play, 68-yard drive that lasted 7:14 as Lake Taylor knots the game up at 14-apiece on Tyrek Hughey's touchdown run from five yards out. Hughey did a masterful job on that option keeper.

4:32 left 3rdQ - Lake Taylor 14, Salem 14.

That had to wear down Salem's just a bit you would think. Very interested to see how the Spartans react.
 
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Coach Stephen Magenbauer and his Salem Spartans aren't backing down, even after losing a 14-point lead.

They go right at Lake Taylor best player - Wayne Davis - through the air, but Viante Tucker and Noah Beckley can't connect on the pass. now facing 2nd & 10 from their own 301-yard line, it's linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey coming through with a stop, no gain by the Spartans.

Tucker-Dorsey is without a doubt one of the more under appreciated defensive players in VA and the junior has come up big time and time again.
 
On 3rd & 10 - it's Noah Beckley finding Joseph Quinn, the Medicine Man, making J.T. Wahee miss and scooting 22 yards into Lake Taylor territory.

A mini scrum on the field after Salem run and fumble, but the Spartans emerge with the ball still in their possession. They've moved it down to the 32-yard line of Lake Taylor. The Spartans' sideline and fans are charged up, excited to see their team respond with this drive.
 
One of the best junior linemen in the country - Darnell Ewell (who has the hand shake of death people, trust me, I've shook it before) - comes up with a sack for Lake Taylor. Salem is now looking at 2nd & 19 at the Lake Taylor 40-yard line.

Ewell is an absolute animal and destined for great things at the next level. Coach Hank Sawyer also believes that #53 could possibly play on Sundays if he continues to develop, too.
 
On 2nd & 15 - Salem goes right back at Lake Taylor and the officials call a pass interference on Wayne Davis, who in my opinion, had great positioning on that one...

Salem fans might have the right to feel they got burned on one in the first half, but Lake Taylor got hosed on that one if you ask me.

Nonetheless, it's a wash at the end of the day, and Salem is looking at 4th & 3 from about the 26-yard line of Lake Taylor as the third quarter will conclude.

What a ballgame.

End 3rdQ - Lake Taylor 14, Salem 14

 
On the 4th & 3 to start the fourth quarter - Salem's pass goes incomplete. However, there's a flag and Hank Sawyer - who is battling a cold - is out near the numbers.

Sawyer can breathe a sigh of relief as it's on Salem. His Titans decline and take over at their own 26-yard line.

Salem controlled most of the action in the first half, while Lake Taylor has had a firm grip on things in the second half to this point.
 
Lake Taylor has been much more methodical and effective in doing so this half with their offensive game-plan. They've gotten just enough on the ground to keep the defense honest, while QB Tyrek Hughey is consistently finding Wayne Davis and Keyvone Bruton in the short passing game.

Davis makes another catch and uses a mean stiff-arm to boot as the Titans are on the move down to the Salem 40-yard line. The Spartans need a takeaway, and unless they get it, I'm not sure they're stopping this offense with how it is operating right now.
 
Slowly but surely, Lake Taylor continues to chew up clock and gain yardage. The Titans are facing a 3rd & 7 from the Salem 27-yard line. We're still tied at 14 and the clock has ticked under 7 minutes to play.

Alas, the Salem gets a key stop as Hughey's pass is nearly picked off, but one would suspect that Lake Taylor will go for it here on 4th & 7 from the Salem 27.
 
Looking at Wayne Davis on the fade pattern, Tyrek Hughey's pass is incomplete on fourth down. Salem's defense proves me wrong and gets the stop without a takeaway.

The Spartans take over at their own 27-yard line with 6:12 to play. We're deadlocked at 14 as the Spartans have a chance to end the 29-game winning streak of Lake Taylor.

A 14-play, 48-yard drive that took 5:45 off the clock for the Titans comes up empty.
 
On 3rd & 2 from their own 35-yard line, Salem gets a wonderful block from Riley Fox on the edge to help Noah Beckley get to the sideline and move the chains with a three-yard gain.

Salem might be looking to use their own form of ball-control here and not let Lake Taylor get the ball back in an effort to win this thing at the end of regulation or in overtime.

An 8-yard gain for the Spartans brings up 2nd & 2 at their own 46 as the clock ticks down to the 4 minute mark.
 
Usually at this point the best clutch player will make a play. It doesn't necessarily have to be the best athlete.
 
After two incomplete passes by the Spartans - one deep down the field with Keyvone Bruton covering and the other underneath with Wayne Davis on the coverage - it's 3rd & 10 from the 50 for Salem. Donte Clayborne (12Car. 65Yds. thru 3 quarters) gains eight before Quadennis Perkins makes the stop.

Decision time for Coach Mags and it appears he will keep his offense on the field. Why not? This team beat you handily last year and you have a chance to win the state title.
 
Trying maybe to get Lake Taylor to jump offsides, Salem takes a delay of game penalty and will instead punt it away with 2:29 remaining on 4th & 7 from the Titans' 47-yard line. This 14-all classic could be headed to overtime.
 
It's raining flags in Lynchburg as the officials must've thrown about three or four them during Wayne Davis' 98-yard punt return for a TD (or thereabouts)... would certainly think it's coming back on a clipping / block in the back penalty. Right call. Titans fans don't like it very much.

Lake Taylor will start at their own 5-yard line with 2:03 remaining. The Titans want to be very careful here and not turn it over or get a safety.
 
Was it a good call? Wow just what I was talking about clutch player. To bad a flag.
 
A quick screen by Tyrek Hughey on 2nd & 10 to Wayne Davis nets five yards. We tick under a minute to play and it's 3rd & 5 from the 10. Neither team is using a time-out and may be fine with going to overtime.

Hughey and Keyvone Bruton forget that - a connection against triple-coverage by Salem to the 21-yard line. The Titans burn their first time-out with 25 seconds left in regulation.
 
A screen pass to Daz Palmer makes it 3rd & 2 for the Lake Taylor Titans at their own 29-yard line. An injury time-out has been called with one of the Salem players (Kenneth McCauley), who is being helped off by trainers/coaches. 8 seconds left in regulation and if nobody scores we'll go to OT.

Lake Taylor has used its third and final time-out.
 
Instead of just playing for overtime, Lake Taylor now has to punt or run one more play with 4 seconds left on 4th & 2 from their own 29-yard line. They throw a heave towards Wayne Davis in triple-overtime that's no where near the end zone. Incomplete.

We've got extra fun coming in Lynchburg.

OVERTIME - Lake Taylor 14, Salem 14.

A fitting conclusion to the 4A State Championship between two undefeated teams.
 
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