At the start of the second half of the season, with the game being played on a Saturday as opposed to Friday night, it felt more like a playoff game than a regular season game. Regular season game yes but meaningful nonetheless, a district battle for two schools that have combined to win 6 of the last 7 Central District titles. Meaningful in the fact that the Knights have just one loss to perhaps the best team in the state and they currently possess the second seed in the 6A South playoff picture. Meaningful in the fact that Dinwiddie was looking to rebound from last weeks loss and get back to winning so that they aren’t on the road when the playoffs begin in a few weeks. Both teams had a lot to play for but from the start, it appeared early that it would be the Knights day.
For starters Dinwiddie was unable to get a first down on their first two possessions’ of the game and to make matters worse, on a punt, the Generals punter went down on his knee giving the Knights the ball on the 1-yard line! You can imagine what happened next, the Knights Matt Lawton punched it in and put the Knights up early 7-0 after the PAT.
Penalties hurt both teams early but particularly so for the Knights on their second possession of the game that began with promise but stalled. The Knights loss was the Generals gain as the Knights would take advantage of good field position and score on their third possession of the game, still without a first down mind you in the game.
I was busy catching up with Hopewell Coach Irby in the stands when Matt Lawton hit Brian Bullock, Jr. with a 38-yard touchdown pass to give the Knights the lead back in the first quarter. In the second quarter the defense made it tough on the Generals, Shajuan Phillips broke up a Witt pass with a little over six minutes to go in the first half and on the very next play he intercepted Witt on a pass that looked as if it was meant for him as wild as that is.
The Knights possession after the interception was a possession of what-ifs… The Knights Mariel Jennings caught a pass that seemed as though he would be able to run along the sideline for a touchdown but he just did step out at the 41 of Dinwiddie. A pass from Lawton to Trent Williams was dropped as it appeared Williams would score for the Knights and Reggie Williams of Dinwiddie would recover the loose ball ending the scoring threat.
As the first half was nearing an end the Generals had the ball back and moving it down field with passes to Pope of 18 and 19 yards whereas a pass to Tye Freeland was dropped on this possession. A promising drive however stalled thanks to back-to-back penalties that set the Generals back. Witt tried to overcome the deficit on the ground with a run but Shundarius Carter tripped up the quarterback keeping him from getting any closer to a first down. Two incomplete passes from Witt on the Knights 36 ended a promising drive before the half but the Generals went into the half on a high note down just a touchdown and Tyler Evans having intercepted Lawton.
Neither team was able to do much with their first possessions’ of the second half but the Knights built on their lead with a 65-yard scoring drive that saw a balanced offensive drive highlighted by Lawton hitting Elijah Smith with a huge 37-yard pass to the Generals 6 where Traquan Booker would punch it in from giving the Knights a 21-7 lead after the PAT.
A questionable pass interference call against Thomas Dale set the Generals up nicely at the 36-yard line of Thomas Dale but the Generals nearly coughed it up when Witt trying to make a play fumbled the ball going down but fortunately for the Generals Treyvon Johnson caught the ball before any Knights had a chance to get it. Things began to get chippy at this point, not on the field mind you, in the stands where Dale and Dinwiddie fans began yelling across the field to one another after penalties were called on both teams and both fan bases feeling the other was let off the hook when the penalties offset one another. This wild possession came to a halt however with the Generals needing just a yard for a first down and unable to get it thanks to Sam Stark coming up with the stop. On the ensuing possession the Knights drove 54 yards overcoming two plays that saw them go backwards as opposed to forwards when McCollin hit Brian Bullock, Jr. with a huge touchdown of 57 yards shortly after the start of the fourth quarter.
Dinwiddie’s next possession was more of the same, promising and then nothing to show for. Witt hooked up with Pope on two passes for a total of 23 yards and continued to air it out moving the Generals to the Knights 25 yard line. Witt took a shot at the endzone but the pass fell incomplete but they kept the moving the ball closer and closer and soon were at the 10 yard line. Kyle Alexander of Dale nearly had an interception on third down but couldn’t make it stick and thus the Generals would go for it with nothing to lose, 4th & 8 but the pass would fall incomplete and the Knights would decline a holding call and the Knights
It appeared the day would end with the score just as it was, 28-7, especially after the Generals had turned the ball over but the Knights were unable to overcome a penalty so the Generals got the ball back with very little time left and the Generals would finally get another score albeit too little too late with 15.2 seconds left in the game when Witt hit Pope for a short touchdown pass.
For the Knights, it’s a big win, their fourth straight over a team that despite three losses is still a formidable opponent and will make some noise come playoff time. The Knights still have games against Matoaca and Hopewell but the Knights are looking to be in great position for one of the top seeds in 6A. As for Dinwiddie, their second straight loss this season and third overall is cause for concern but the Generals have faced Matoaca, Thomas Dale and Hopewell now, they should win out the rest of the way and at 7-3 be in good position and battle tested come playoff time.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter-
10:40- Matt Lawton, 1 yard touchdown run, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 7-0.
4:16- Tye Freeland, 6 yard touchdown run, Staton PAT good; 7-7 tie.
1:07- Matt Lawton 38-yd touchdown pass to Brian Bullock, Jr, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 14-7.
2nd Quarter-
No Scoring
3rd Quarter-
5:50- Traquan Booker 6-yard touchdown run, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 21-7.
4th Quarter-
11:49- Brian Bullock, Jr. 57-yard touchdown pass from Gabe McCollin, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 28-7.
:15.2- K’Vaughan Pope 4-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Witt, Staton PAT no good; Thomas Dale 28-13.
KEYS TO VICTORY
When I think of this game today, two things come to mind, defense and the pass. I don’t think anyone can deny that Dinwiddie is a pretty offensive oriented team and they are quite good at it to say the least but not on this day. The Knights defense continued to do what they have done all season to opponents, minus LC Bird of course and that is stymie opposing offenses. There were several broken passes in this one along with some almost interceptions. The first two possessions of the game for Dinwiddie they were unable to get a first down against the Knights and there were a few turnovers as well. The Knights kept the pressure up for much of the game, including a moment in the second quarter when the Generals were unable to get a first down on the Knights 36, turning the ball over on downs.
When the defense wasn’t on the field it was the offense doing their thing and over recent weeks, that thing has included a run game that saw Maxwell Oxendine featured but today, that run game while effective took a backseat to the passing game. Matt Lawton was 9 of 14 for 178 yards and a touchdown in the air, nevermind the touchdown he had on the ground to score the first points of the day. The passing game which also saw Gabe McCollin get some time in the second half saw four different receivers catching the ball, 3 for over 50 yards and Brian Bullock Jr. scoring twice leading all receivers with 95 yards.
Between the defense and the passing game, it proved to be a long day for the Generals.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Dale’s defense has been the strength of the team this season and one such player on defense for the Knights who should be no stranger to the region is that of Sam Stark. Stark, a senior this season has been a playmaker on defense the past three seasons and you know he’s the real deal when other coaches within the region talk about how good he is. You know he’s the real deal when you hear his name called over and over again as I lost count the number of times Starks name was called today but officially he had 13 tackles as he continues to deliver for the Knights and wreaked havoc on the Generals on this day.
The Generals offense didn’t equate to the scoreboard or the numbers it normally puts out but quarterback Bryce Witt still had a solid game. Many times he was send running around looking to make something happen down field and the defense of Dale didn’t make it easy but in the end, Witt still managed 199 yards passing, completing 20 of his 34 passes. The lone touchdown he threw was in the late stages of the game but nonetheless, without his play at the quarterback position, the Generals would have been in far worse shape.
EXTRA POINTS
Shout outs to DinwiddieProud and BleedingNavy, pleasure to meet you guys.
First time the Knights have won back-to-back games against the Generals since the 2005-2006 seasons.
Dinwiddie has lost two straight games for the first time since the 2012 season.
For starters Dinwiddie was unable to get a first down on their first two possessions’ of the game and to make matters worse, on a punt, the Generals punter went down on his knee giving the Knights the ball on the 1-yard line! You can imagine what happened next, the Knights Matt Lawton punched it in and put the Knights up early 7-0 after the PAT.
Penalties hurt both teams early but particularly so for the Knights on their second possession of the game that began with promise but stalled. The Knights loss was the Generals gain as the Knights would take advantage of good field position and score on their third possession of the game, still without a first down mind you in the game.
I was busy catching up with Hopewell Coach Irby in the stands when Matt Lawton hit Brian Bullock, Jr. with a 38-yard touchdown pass to give the Knights the lead back in the first quarter. In the second quarter the defense made it tough on the Generals, Shajuan Phillips broke up a Witt pass with a little over six minutes to go in the first half and on the very next play he intercepted Witt on a pass that looked as if it was meant for him as wild as that is.
The Knights possession after the interception was a possession of what-ifs… The Knights Mariel Jennings caught a pass that seemed as though he would be able to run along the sideline for a touchdown but he just did step out at the 41 of Dinwiddie. A pass from Lawton to Trent Williams was dropped as it appeared Williams would score for the Knights and Reggie Williams of Dinwiddie would recover the loose ball ending the scoring threat.
As the first half was nearing an end the Generals had the ball back and moving it down field with passes to Pope of 18 and 19 yards whereas a pass to Tye Freeland was dropped on this possession. A promising drive however stalled thanks to back-to-back penalties that set the Generals back. Witt tried to overcome the deficit on the ground with a run but Shundarius Carter tripped up the quarterback keeping him from getting any closer to a first down. Two incomplete passes from Witt on the Knights 36 ended a promising drive before the half but the Generals went into the half on a high note down just a touchdown and Tyler Evans having intercepted Lawton.
Neither team was able to do much with their first possessions’ of the second half but the Knights built on their lead with a 65-yard scoring drive that saw a balanced offensive drive highlighted by Lawton hitting Elijah Smith with a huge 37-yard pass to the Generals 6 where Traquan Booker would punch it in from giving the Knights a 21-7 lead after the PAT.
A questionable pass interference call against Thomas Dale set the Generals up nicely at the 36-yard line of Thomas Dale but the Generals nearly coughed it up when Witt trying to make a play fumbled the ball going down but fortunately for the Generals Treyvon Johnson caught the ball before any Knights had a chance to get it. Things began to get chippy at this point, not on the field mind you, in the stands where Dale and Dinwiddie fans began yelling across the field to one another after penalties were called on both teams and both fan bases feeling the other was let off the hook when the penalties offset one another. This wild possession came to a halt however with the Generals needing just a yard for a first down and unable to get it thanks to Sam Stark coming up with the stop. On the ensuing possession the Knights drove 54 yards overcoming two plays that saw them go backwards as opposed to forwards when McCollin hit Brian Bullock, Jr. with a huge touchdown of 57 yards shortly after the start of the fourth quarter.
Dinwiddie’s next possession was more of the same, promising and then nothing to show for. Witt hooked up with Pope on two passes for a total of 23 yards and continued to air it out moving the Generals to the Knights 25 yard line. Witt took a shot at the endzone but the pass fell incomplete but they kept the moving the ball closer and closer and soon were at the 10 yard line. Kyle Alexander of Dale nearly had an interception on third down but couldn’t make it stick and thus the Generals would go for it with nothing to lose, 4th & 8 but the pass would fall incomplete and the Knights would decline a holding call and the Knights
It appeared the day would end with the score just as it was, 28-7, especially after the Generals had turned the ball over but the Knights were unable to overcome a penalty so the Generals got the ball back with very little time left and the Generals would finally get another score albeit too little too late with 15.2 seconds left in the game when Witt hit Pope for a short touchdown pass.
For the Knights, it’s a big win, their fourth straight over a team that despite three losses is still a formidable opponent and will make some noise come playoff time. The Knights still have games against Matoaca and Hopewell but the Knights are looking to be in great position for one of the top seeds in 6A. As for Dinwiddie, their second straight loss this season and third overall is cause for concern but the Generals have faced Matoaca, Thomas Dale and Hopewell now, they should win out the rest of the way and at 7-3 be in good position and battle tested come playoff time.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter-
10:40- Matt Lawton, 1 yard touchdown run, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 7-0.
4:16- Tye Freeland, 6 yard touchdown run, Staton PAT good; 7-7 tie.
1:07- Matt Lawton 38-yd touchdown pass to Brian Bullock, Jr, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 14-7.
2nd Quarter-
No Scoring
3rd Quarter-
5:50- Traquan Booker 6-yard touchdown run, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 21-7.
4th Quarter-
11:49- Brian Bullock, Jr. 57-yard touchdown pass from Gabe McCollin, Eliades PAT good; Thomas Dale 28-7.
:15.2- K’Vaughan Pope 4-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Witt, Staton PAT no good; Thomas Dale 28-13.
KEYS TO VICTORY
When I think of this game today, two things come to mind, defense and the pass. I don’t think anyone can deny that Dinwiddie is a pretty offensive oriented team and they are quite good at it to say the least but not on this day. The Knights defense continued to do what they have done all season to opponents, minus LC Bird of course and that is stymie opposing offenses. There were several broken passes in this one along with some almost interceptions. The first two possessions of the game for Dinwiddie they were unable to get a first down against the Knights and there were a few turnovers as well. The Knights kept the pressure up for much of the game, including a moment in the second quarter when the Generals were unable to get a first down on the Knights 36, turning the ball over on downs.
When the defense wasn’t on the field it was the offense doing their thing and over recent weeks, that thing has included a run game that saw Maxwell Oxendine featured but today, that run game while effective took a backseat to the passing game. Matt Lawton was 9 of 14 for 178 yards and a touchdown in the air, nevermind the touchdown he had on the ground to score the first points of the day. The passing game which also saw Gabe McCollin get some time in the second half saw four different receivers catching the ball, 3 for over 50 yards and Brian Bullock Jr. scoring twice leading all receivers with 95 yards.
Between the defense and the passing game, it proved to be a long day for the Generals.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Dale’s defense has been the strength of the team this season and one such player on defense for the Knights who should be no stranger to the region is that of Sam Stark. Stark, a senior this season has been a playmaker on defense the past three seasons and you know he’s the real deal when other coaches within the region talk about how good he is. You know he’s the real deal when you hear his name called over and over again as I lost count the number of times Starks name was called today but officially he had 13 tackles as he continues to deliver for the Knights and wreaked havoc on the Generals on this day.
The Generals offense didn’t equate to the scoreboard or the numbers it normally puts out but quarterback Bryce Witt still had a solid game. Many times he was send running around looking to make something happen down field and the defense of Dale didn’t make it easy but in the end, Witt still managed 199 yards passing, completing 20 of his 34 passes. The lone touchdown he threw was in the late stages of the game but nonetheless, without his play at the quarterback position, the Generals would have been in far worse shape.
EXTRA POINTS
Shout outs to DinwiddieProud and BleedingNavy, pleasure to meet you guys.
First time the Knights have won back-to-back games against the Generals since the 2005-2006 seasons.
Dinwiddie has lost two straight games for the first time since the 2012 season.
