Blog Game Blog - Dinwiddie 27, Salem 20

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Greetings as the 30-minute weather / lightning delay appears to be over as we have a barn-burner tonight on this first Friday of September for 2018 with the Dinwiddie Generals (2-0) playing host to the Salem Spartans (2-0), reigning three-time State Champs at the Class 4 level.

Salem won the 2016 State Championship game encounter at William & Mary in a classic, with both teams exchanging scores late, the Spartans getting the last one to take the victory. Meanwhile, Dinwiddie hit the road last year and won it on a fourth down touchdown pass late from K'ymon 'Peety' Pope to Jasiah Williams.

We'll keep you updated throughout the evening here and via my Twitter feed @ hatfieldsports ... stay tuned!

 

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It'll be Salem kicking off to Dinwiddie....

 

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Oh my - Stephen Magenbauer tries to catch Dinwiddie off guard and his Spartans do. It's an onside kick, recovered by the Spartans.

Salem begins at about the Dinwiddie 46-yard line.

One thing to note is that Dinwiddie will be without one of its top receivers - Cla'Trey Reese - due to injury. Right now though, the Generals need their defense to come up big at home and not allow the Spartans to capitalize on the short field.

 

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Salem goes to Isaiah Persinger on the first play and he is met right away, losing about four. But he gets close to 7 on the next play on a toss.

A big 3rd & 7 from the 43-yard line of Dinwiddie for Salem at the 11:10 mark of the opening period.

 

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Salem decides to go for it on 4th & 2 from the 38-yard line following a gain of 5 from Persinger. Coach Mags and company go for a pass play in the flat that's incomplete.

So Dinwiddie takes over, dodging the early bullet, for K'ymon Pope and crew to operate now and try to strike first.

 

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Dinwiddie's first possession results in a 3 & out. A great job by the Salem defense. Chauncey Logan was in the right spot in coverage on the first attempted pass by K'ymon 'Peety' Pope. The Generals then gained just three yards rushing on the next two plays with LB Bobby Pinello sniffing out one of them.

On 4th & 7 from their own 37, Dinwiddie tries a fake punt and it ends up being a loss of a yard.

So Salem takes over, at the Generals 38 yard line. A couple of daring maneuvers by both coaches on special teams.

 

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A critical 3rd & 9 coming up for Salem at the Dinwiddie 25-yard line and we have a time-out on the field.

It hasn't taken long for this game to take on a defensive feel, much more than the 25-20 result from last year or even the 31-27 classic in the state title game in December of 2016.

 

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Salem gets just one yard with Persinger on 3rd & 9. On 4th & 8 from the Dinwiddie 24, Coach Mags goes for it again and QB Jack Gladden has a wide open Chandler Sutphin, #31, breaking open from his fullback spot.

That was beautifully executed as Gladden put it on the money.

PAT is good.

So Salem takes a 7-0 lead on Dinwiddie midway through the opening period.

 

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Cirdale Luccess returns the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown for the Generals. Justin Davis hits the extra point.

5:42 left 1stQ - Dinwiddie 7, Salem 7.

Quite an answer on special teams by Billy Mills' bunch.

 

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The third possession of the night for Salem went nowhere. On 3rd & long, Salem QB Jack Gladden fumbles the snap, but is able to get back on it. The Spartans punt it away.

Dinwiddie takes over at their own 45, where Peety Pope and company will look to continue the momentum they've established.

 

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Dinwiddie's first play from scrimmage is a swing pass from K'ymon 'Peety' Pope to Cedric Drumgoole, who scoots away from a defender and puts on the burners for a gain of 49 yards before finally being tackled by #6 for Salem (sorry, don't have an accurate roster at my disposal, so we'll do our best).

Tyre' Dalton gets the next two carries, but the Salem defensive front holds tough. Kudos to #5, Tyler Williams, for being in one of those stops. On 3rd & Goal from about the 2 though, it's Pope carrying it in for a touchdown.

Dinwiddie now leads Salem 14-7 with 2:48 left in the opening stanza.

Sophomore Zavione Wood with a nice return to put Salem in decent field position, at their own 47-yard line, as this game has quickly gone from a defensive struggle to an exciting, edge of your seat big play fest that we've seen the past two years.

 

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On 2nd & 9 from the 48-yard line - Jack Gladden hits WR Chase Ferris underneath for a completion into Dinwiddie territory. Robert Barlow made a key tackle, otherwise that play could've gone for more than 25 yards rather than the 8 to 10 yards it netted.

 

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Sticking in the I-Formation, Salem hands it off to Isaiah Persinger and he gains 6 yards. A pass to the outside is incomplete. So another key 3rd down - from 4 yards out - coming up for the visiting Spartans.

 

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William Simmons and Robert Barlow keep Isaiah Persinger from pushing forward to move the chains on 3rd & 4. Salem decides to go for it on 4th & 1 and the Spartans hand it off to fullback Chandler Sutphin this time and it's going to be close to see if he got enough to move the sticks.

Officials indicate that the Generals stopped them short of moving the chains.

End 1stQ - Dinwiddie 14, Salem 7. The Generals take over at their own 33.

 

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Dinwiddie goes right to work to begin the 2nd quarter. Tyre' Dalton picks up 6 yards on a power run, then on 2nd & 4, Peety Pope does a great job of selling the draw, and it's a fake where he hits Cedric Drumgoole for 16 yards over the middle into Salem territory.

Pope then finds Robert Barlow - who has stood out on defense as well - for a completion of 5, then it's Dalton with a really tough run.

Up front, the Dinwiddie offensive line is more than holding its own against a fierce Salem defensive front.

 

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A near INT by Salem defensive back Jorden McDonald almost got a Spartans defense desperately looking for a way to stop the Pope & co. show.

However, on 2nd down with Dinwiddie threatening in the red zone, DE Avery Close makes a stop behind the line of scrimmage.

On 4th down - Dinwiddie goes to their power run game and they move the chains and on the very next play it's an easy walk in touchdown for Cirdale Luccess - his 2nd trip to the end zone of the night. The interior o-line opened a wide running lane.

PAT forthcoming...

 

[OCBoy]

Did Salem travel well?

 

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Did Salem travel well?

Solid turnout. Not bad at all. But wouldn't call it spectacular either.

 

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Salem begins at their own 42-yard line, trailing 21-7, and Dinwiddie's linebackers - Jordan Bracey and Dylan Moore - continue to clamp down on the running game with Isaiah Persinger and company.

On third down, Jack Gladden is able to avoid disaster and keep the loss to a minimal. But on 4th down with Salem punting, Dinwiddie commits a costly encroachment penalty. So that gives Salem new life and puts the offense back on the field. If the Spartans are able to turn this into points, we may look back at that moment as the critical turning point.

 

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Wouldn't you know on the very next play - it's Isaiah Persinger busting a 48-yard TD run for Salem. That gives the visiting Spartans fans something to cheer about.

However, the PAT is blocked.

6:17 left 2nd quarter - Dinwiddie 21, Salem 13.

The Spartans are back in this one and just need to make some adjustments defensively, particularly in bottling up the QB Pope and making sure they cover Drumgoole out of the backfield.

 

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Salem knows they have to put their secondary in better situations, which means holding their ground on first down. They do that with Zavione Wood making a tackle for loss. On 2nd & 11 - Pope throws off his back foot and it's incomplete.

With an empty backfield, nothing is there for Pope, trying to connect with RB Tyre' Dalton on a dump-off.

So a 3 & out - a very important one - will have Dinwiddie punting it back to Salem.

If the Spartans are able to score again and get closer before the break, that's a very disheartening blow to Dinwiddie, which was in full command up 21-7 just moments ago.

 

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Uh-oh, not a good sign for Salem as #17 - DE/TE standout Avery Close - is being looked at by the trainers after an incomplete pass that was intended for him. Couldn't tell if it was a shoulder or collarbone... nonetheless, let's hope nothing too serious and he can return.

On 2nd down - it's #56 D'Anta Johnson knifing through and sending Gladden backwards.

Now a 3rd & long passing situation - the fade route to Chase Ferris is incomplete with Cirdale Luccess providing the sticky pass coverage. Luccess is making his presence felt in all three phases - offense, defense and special teams - this evening.

 

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With Salem punting, Dinwiddie's Robert Barlow fields it and at about the 47-yard line of the Spartans, he coughs it up, recovered by ... the reigning three-time State Champs.

That's one Barlow would like to have back as he probably should've just let that one get downed by the Spartans.

So Salem now has the ball with 4:17 left in the 2nd period at midfield.

 

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Mostly, Salem has kept it on the ground with Isaiah Persinger, but they've also sprinkled in Zavione Wood and Bobby Pinello.

Facing a 3rd & 3 from the Dinwiddie 43-yard line, Chandler Sutphin their fullback is stopped at the line of scrimmage with about four or five Navy hats in there to keep him short of moving the sticks.

So once again, Salem will go for it on 4th down - this one 4th & 2 - as we tick under 3 minutes before intermission.

 

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Zavione Wood gets the pitch and he moves the chains with a great effort. Also kudos to the big fella - 6-3, 315 DT Jacob Edwards - for moving out there and being involved on that stop.

Salem has now gone to a methodical approach on offense, partially in an effort to slow Dinwiddie's speed down and try to wear the Generals down.

 

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Salem goes to the air and they aim it for Avery Close, but the pass is intercepted on a wonderful play by K'ymon 'Peety' Pope.

While Pope is talented enough to play QB at the next level, to me he could really flourish as a DB. That was a big-time interception.

Dinwiddie will take over at their own 40 roughly.

 

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After Pope's tremendous INT, he ends up giving one back as Salem's Shawn Collins make a superb play by intercepting his pass. Furthermore, a face-mask penalty gives Salem the ball at their own 44-yard line with 1:46 to go in the half.

 

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With 50 seconds left in the half and the clock continuing to tick, Salem appears content to let the time run as they face 3rd & 4 from the 50-yard line. I'm a bit puzzle since they have two time-outs remaining and could get in field goal range. Granted, they don't have as dependable a weapon kicking as they have the past few years in Nate Craft. But still, I'm a bit surprised.

Nevertheless, the Spartans have four wide receivers for QB Jack Gladden to try to test the Dinwiddie secondary down the field.

 

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HALF - Dinwiddie 21, Salem 13.

Note -- Salem lineman Gabe Fairchilds was helped off the field as the second quarter came to a close, limping off...

 

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Two of those turnovers by Dinwiddie and one from Salem. Remember, Salem onside kicked to start the game and came up empty without points there. However, the Spartans get the ball first to begin the 2nd half.

 

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Salem's Isaiah Persinger fields the opening kickoff of the 2nd half before he is dragged down around their own 32-yard line.

The Spartans have given Persinger the ball quite a bit and other than that one INT, QB Jack Gladden has done a fine job managing the offense. Really, the big key for Salem is defensively to stand tall. Dinwiddie has gotten some big plays from Cedric Drumgoole (2 catches for 65 yards) in the absence of WR Cla'Trey Reese, plus WR Robert Barlow and QB K'ymon 'Peety' Pope.

 

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Isaiah Persinger gains a couple of yards on the first play from scrimmage of the 2nd half for Salem. Dinwiddie knows they must continue to put the heat on Gladden and keep daring Salem to go for it on 4th downs.

 

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Teams work on tip drills all the time for a reason and on 3rd & 7, it results in the second giveaway of the night by the Salem offense.

Dinwiddie senior SS/LB Jordan Bracey makes the Spartans pay with the INT.

So Dinwiddie has it at the 22-yard line of Salem, in great business with a golden opportunity to extend their 21-13 lead here in the 3rd quarter.

 

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Tyre' Dalton gains 15 yards on the first play of the half for Dinwiddie's offense, putting the Generals inside the 10. A couple of minimal gains set up 3rd & Goal.

With the Generals stopped on 3rd & Goal, Salem's Anthony Haupt - who made a sound tackle earlier on the possession - comes in late and hits K'ymon Pope, drawing a flag.

That gives the Generals the ball at the 5, but it won't be a fresh set of downs and not an automatic first down.

 

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On 4th & Goal at the 5 - K'ymon Pope stretches out to the sideline and right there at the 1 it's Salem LB Bobby Pinello making a great tackle to keep the Generals from scoring a touchdown.

A great stand by the Salem defense, but the Spartans have to be careful, beginning at their own 1.

 

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Jack Gladden's night has gone from not so good to worse as he comes up hurt on an incomplete on 1st & Goal from Salem's own 1-yard line. So in comes #10 Hunter Chaney, a sophomore reserve, who the Spartans will certainly look to protect by running the ball and not putting too much on his plate being untested to these bright lights.

 

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Chaney does a good job by going to the hard count and drawing Dinwiddie offsides. With the positive comes some mistakes and then he can't get the snap from the center, so it's now a 3rd & long situation. Chaney airs it out and the pass is intercepted by Ciradle Luccess -- making another huge play.

It was a great play on the back end by Luccess, positioning himself well and playing the ball instead of the receiver to avoid an interference flag.

That's the third INT of the night for Dinwiddie's defense. They have it at the Salem 44-yard line approaching the middle of this 3rd period.

 

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Salem's defense is tackling better and playing the run with a lot more spirit than earlier in the game. A lot of that has to do with being disciplined against the specific run plays they are seeing from the Generals, but also they changed the tempo a few minutes before the half and this game is more methodical than at a racehorse type pace.

Dinwiddie goes 3 & out, and Salem avoids letting this get away.

The Spartans take over at their own 15.

 

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Dinwiddie is shooting itself in the foot with some unnecessary penalties. The latest moves the ball up to the 30. A quick screen to Chase Ferris gains about a yard before he's swallowed up by a couple of Dinwiddie defensive backs.

A fumbled snap by the Spartans is recovered by Dinwiddie. The Spartans are clearly having some difficulties on the center to QB exchanges and it results in the 4th turnover of the night.

So Dinwiddie begins at the Salem 30-yard line. The Spartans cannot continue to give Dinwiddie chances because they are good enough to make them pay.