Biggest upsets in state championship game

[numb3rs]

What are some of the biggest upsets you can recall in the state championship game? Obviously, if a team makes it all the way there, it may not be the biggest upset for them to win. Still, there have been some unexpected results.

The most personally upsetting for me is Spotsylvania beating Salem in 1991 at Salem Stadium. The Knights were 12-1 but it just seemed impossible that 13-0 Salem team could lose a game, especially at home. The Spartans fell behind 17-0 early and battled back but couldn't complete the comeback, losing 31-27.

Spotsylvania pulled off a bigger upset in 1994 when the 10-3 Knights easily defeated a similarly invincible looking 13-0 Amherst by the score of 26-0.

 

[bceagle47]

Tim Coleman did some great things at Spotsy.

 

[edwinanderson2nd]

I was kind of young when it happened but apparently LC Bird beating Ocean Lakes was seen a big upset in 2012

 

[otnorot]

OAKTON HUMBLES LANDSTOWN

Oakton and star running back Keith Payne end Landstown’s 27-game win streak in the Division 6 championship game. For one of the few times in the stratospheric football career of Landstown Hig…

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[86CulpGrad]

Not for the title, but the semi-final where Culpeper beat Hampton in '99 was viewed as a huge upset. in reality I don't think it was. Culpeper was really good...especially on defense. Hampton was going for 5 titles in a row.

 

[1MoreHokie]

Blacksburg over Staunton River in 2016 is way up there. Blacksburg finished the regular season at a ridiculous 5-5 and somehow squeaked into the playoffs still. SR finished 9-1, their only loss coming at the hands of William Byrd who themselves only lost to a single team (albeit twice) in the future C4 champs Salem. SR was pounding their opponents, especially in the playoffs, thanks to the future state record holder in rushing named Grayson Overstreet while Blacksburg was squeaking by Heritage by 7 and Phoebus by 12 behind their own talented back in Cole Beck.

I mean, the state title winner went 10-5 and beat their 13-1 opponent, I'd without question call that an enormous upset. And no, they didn't play a murderer's row either. 3 of the 5 teams that beat them finished their season in 11 games, a 4th finish in 12 games and only Salem went deep, winning state.

The only other time a team has lost 5 games and won state to my knowledge is the 1989 Appalachia squad (also 5-5 during regular season) but the playoffs were a bit shorter so they finished 9-5 to claim state but their opponent in Madison County went 10-4 and weren't quite as invincible-looking as SR was in 2016.

 

[Virginia HS Football Fan]

Blacksburg over Courtland 19-6 in 1989. Courtland was steamrolling everyone coming in. Blacksburg made the trip up to Spotsylvania County that day and were the more physical team from the start and shocked Courtland for the title. Everyone supporting the home side left stunned.

Not only did the Indians (as I still call them) outplay the Cougars, they also shut down and shut up an overly arrogant and cocky Courtland Quarterback in Brek Hall who also did his part in costing the Cougars what would have been their fifth state title in eight seasons (which would have been pretty awesome for a school less than 10 years old at the time).

 

[BoKnowsSports]

I don’t think it was much of an upset but that Salem over Lake Taylor game in 2015. How many people gave LT the title that year? Probably the best state championship game I’ve seen along with James Monroe/Brookeville in 08, Salem/Louisa in 2017 and Christiansburg/Briar Woods in 2011.

 

[Phoebus Fan]

Not for the title, but the semi-final where Culpeper beat Hampton in '99 was viewed as a huge upset. in reality I don't think it was. Culpeper was really good...especially on defense. Hampton was going for 5 titles in a row.

This is the one right here. To this day I still I remember the shock after Hampton lost that game.

 

[General172011]

I was kind of young when it happened but apparently LC Bird beating Ocean Lakes was seen a big upset in 2012

Helped Bedwell finally break the wall down

 

[numb3rs]

Blacksburg over Courtland 19-6 in 1989. Courtland was steamrolling everyone coming in. Blacksburg made the trip up to Spotsylvania County that day and were the more physical team from the start and shocked Courtland for the title. Everyone supporting the home side left stunned.

Not only did the Indians (as I still call them) outplay the Cougars, they also shut down and shut up an overly arrogant and cocky Courtland Quarterback in Brek Hall who also did his part in costing the Cougars what would have been their fifth state title in eight seasons (which would have been pretty awesome for a school less than 10 years old at the time).

That Blacksburg team had defeated a 12-0 Salem team the previous week 26-14. I think that Blacksburg team had 3 or 4 losses in the regular season.

QB Stephen Magenbauer had led the Spartans to their first 10-0 regular season before his season and playing career came to a premature end in the first playoff game. Salem eked out a win over Brookville the following week but clearly won't the same team offensively.

Salem narrowly beat Blacksburg earlier in 1989 but the Indians were the more physical team this time around. Their star player Jerome Trussell dominated on offense and defense. I think that Salem's backup QB, leading RB, and leading WR were knocked out of the game either being tackled by him or trying to tackle him on defense.

Salem's third string QB and backup RB led a couple of drives in the fourth quarter which stalled when the coaches inexplicably switched to passing in the red zone.

 

[CRF4Dan]

I was kind of young when it happened but apparently LC Bird beating Ocean Lakes was seen a big upset in 2012

I think it was seen as a big upset as LC Bird had a history of not delivering on the big stage. Fell to Halifax in 1991 and state semifinal losses in 1994, 2003-2005. At the time too the Central Region did not have the level of success we have had over the last decade.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Great thread. I don’t have anything to add, but it’s really very interesting info.