Blog LIVE Game Blog - Churchland (3-3) at Granby (6-0)

[matthew328826]

Greetings from Powhatan Field in Norfolk, two weeks before Halloween. We've got some Thursday Night Football and we're not talking about the Denver Broncos visiting the New Orleans Saints, which fans of the NFL can check out on Amazon Prime Video. Or even the Virginia Tech Hokies hosting Boston College.

It's the unbeaten Granby Comets at 6-0 overall, enjoying their best start in 12 years, hosting the Churchland Truckers (3-3) in an Eastern District matchup.

The weather is beginning to get colder with the temperature at 58 degrees, meaning the long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are coming out of the closet in full force.

We'll have updates here tonight on the Blog + on Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports ... but before that and kick-off at approx. 7 PM EST, let's get to the Predictions that were posted earlier on the V.I.P. Board...


Churchland (3-3) at Granby (6-0) . . . Each of the past six meetings in this series have been won by Churchland, including 21-20 a year ago when the Truckers erased a 14-0 deficit. In that contest, tailback Dontavius Booker (90Car. 771Yds. 7 TD’s) ran the rock 31 times for 176 yards. Also in that game, WR/DB Kingston Hall (21Rec. 252Yds. 3 TD’s) had a 70-yard scoring reception and a key interception.

This is the first foe with a record of .500 or better that will face the Comets, who have outscored opponents 363-13 with an incredible five shutouts so far this year. Granby QB J’Shaun Reddin has been an incredible groove slinging the football with a 27-1 TD/Int. ratio, passing for 619 yards and 13 scores over the past eight quarters against the likes of Lakeland Lake Taylor. If the Churchland defense is unable to get a pass rush on him and disrupt the timing with his dynamic cast of receivers that feature Eamon Cuffee (14Rec. 300Yds. 6 TD’s), Shaineek Wright and Gensis Rhodes (16Rec. 410Yds. 5 TD’s), it’ll be a long night for the visitors from Portsmouth.

Matt Hatfield Says – Granby 30-10
Coach Ed Young Says – Granby 40-8

 

[matthew328826]

It's Churchland ball to start at their own 37 following a 22-yard kickoff return to open the contest with 11:53 to go in the opening period.

Tailback Dontavius Booker gains a couple, running to his left side. On 2nd & 8, it's freshman QB Logan Wynne putting a pass on the money along the near sideline to WR Davonte Brown, who transferred in from Manor in the off-season for 9 yards to move the chains.

Three straight runs by Booker going for +1, +4 and +3 brings up 4th & 2 from the Granby 44. Coach Dontrell Leonard is leaving his offense on the field and it's very understandable.

 

[matthew328826]

Ball was actually fumbled by Dontavius Booker as he went to the ground, and whether or not you give Drevyon Tharrington a recovery, the bottom line is it's Granby football after coming up with the clutch stop.

 

[matthew328826]

This 56-yard TD pass on basically what amounted to a bubble screen from QB J'Shaun Reddin to RB/WR Damari Palmer came on 3rd & 10, one play after DE Jekai Lee had dropped Drevyon Tharrington for a loss of 3 on a run.

Churchland's offense goes back to work at their own 22 with 6:43 to go in the first period, needing a time-consuming, methodical drive.

 

[matthew328826]

Churchland's second series is seeing them move the ball a bit, beginning with completions to WR Kingston Hall for 2 and 10 yards, with a run of +7 by Dontavius Booker mixed in there. Credit Floyd Logan for a 7-yard catch on 2nd & 3, and the Truckers have moved the chains twice, almost at midfield.

But after four straight positive gain plays, the Truckers go backwards on two in a row with a holding, followed by a false start.

Freshman QB Logan Wynne has completed his first four pass attempts tonight for 28 yards. He's then unable to connect on a screen pass to get some of that yardage back, and on 2nd & 25 with the defense flushing him out of the pocket, Wynne makes a fairly solid pass that gets broken up as DB Eamon Cuffee prevented Davonte Brown from hauling it in for a good chunk of yardage.

A screen to Booker gains just 1, bringing out the punting unit.

It's Cufee of Granby returning the punt 19 yards almost to midfield at the Comets 49 with 2:41 left in the opening period.

 

[matthew328826]

Churchland is not helping itself with penalties. After a fine open field tackle on 1st & 10 to limit Drevyon Tharrington to just a couple of yards, the Comets watch 2nd & 8 turn into 2nd & 3 because of an encroachment penalty.

A Churchland lineman is now being looked at with 1:31 left in the first quarter after a 4-yard run by Tharrington moved the sticks. The Truckers have some good size in the trenches, but any lineman, whether it's a two-way starter or not, going down can sting.

Kam Marshall is the injured Truckers player we can tell you and he's able to walk off with assistance from one of the coaches.

Granby will be looking at 3rd & 5 from the Churchland 25 when the second quarter begins after a gain of five by Tharrington, who has been the engine to the offense this possession.

 

[matthew328826]

The 3rd & 5 run goes for no gain and there actually was a holding penalty on Granby, which Churchland Coach Dontrell Leonard declined. J'Shaun Reddin completes his second pass of the night on 4th & 5 from the 25 of the Truckers, but much like the play earlier where Churchland fumbled, Damari Palmer hauls it in and puts it on the ground as he's stopped...

You can give Jayden Barnes the force fumble and the recovery to his teammate Jakaree Cannon. Offensively, Churchland watches Dontavius Booker break off a 17-yard run, followed by a nifty 7-yard catch from WR Kingston Hall. However, the defense of Granby with Travis Wiggins from his linebacker spot is able to halt Booker on his outside zone run.

The 3rd & 3 call is a Wildcat QB with backup triggerman Daniel Mitchell, who is dropped for a loss of a couple. Churchland will not go for this one 4th & 5 from their own 46, trailing 7-0.

A 36-yard punt with no return gives Granby the ball back at their own 22 with 8:46 till half-time.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby's third possession is moving along, thanks to RB Drevyon Tharrington diving - and I mean extending the football out - for a 5-yard gain on 3rd & 3 from his own 29. The very next play, Granby pops its second longest play from scrimmage on the night on a sweep with WR Genesis Rhodes, gaining 21 into Churchland territory.

From there, the offensive line for Granby is gaining confidence and Tharrington breaks off a 33-yard run inside the 15 of Churchland. That 33-yard run equaled his amount of yardage on the previous 11 attempts he had. It was quite an impressive run, too, as he put on some moves on the second level of defenders with some shake and bake.

 

[matthew328826]

Drevyon Tharrington has been the workhorse for Granby's offense tonight and even doubles a vital factor on defense from his linebacker spot as we've seen throughout the evening.

One thing Granby will have to work on - especially for the Maury game at the end of the regular season - is kick coverage. Davonte Brown of Churchland returns the ensuing kickoff 33 yards. That gives the ball to the Truckers at their own 43 with 5:42 till half-time, believing they can cut into this 13-0 deficit.

 

[matthew328826]

A holding penalty pushes Churchland back to face 3rd & 25 from their own 28 when it was going to be a catch of about 5 yards for WR Kingston Hall. The Truckers end up punting it away after an incomplete pass.

Granby will have its fourth series begin at their own 43 with 4:04 till intermission.

 

[matthew328826]

Drevyon Tharrington continues to run hard and he trucks a defender on an 8-yard run on 3rd & 5 to move it into Churchland territory But the Truckers hold up strong defensively from there, helped with a penalty on the Comets, to push them back into their own territory. Tyrone Sesson had a tackle for loss on that series.

Churchland has it at their own 15 with 22 seconds to go in the second quarter, and unless they get a sizable chunk on first down, they'll probably head to the break down 13 points. After an incomplete pass, freshman QB Logan Wynne drops back and is sacked by Trievon Hooker.

That brings us to the half...

 

[matthew328826]

Some numbers forthcoming soon... stay tuned!

 

[matthew328826]

Stats at the Half:

Granby 13:
J'Shaun Reddin - 3-5 for 55Yds. 1-0 TD/Int. ratio
Drevyon Tharrington - 18Car. 94Yds. TD; 4 Tackles, 0.5 TFL, PBU, FF, FR
Damari Palmer - 2Rec. 57Yds. TD
Genesis Rhodes - 1Car. 21Yds.
Marques Jenkins - 5 Tackles
Trievon Hooker - 3 Tackles, Sack

Comets - 24 plays for 170 total yards (3-5 for 55 yards passing; 19 rushes for 115 yards, 1 lost fumble); 2 penalties for 15 yards; 1 turnover


Churchland 0:
Logan Wynne - 6-11 for 36Yds.
Dontavius Booker - 9Car. 39Yds.
Kingston Hall - 3Rec. 19Yds.
Davonte Brown - 1Rec. 9Yds.
Jekai Lee - 5 Tackles, Sack

Truckers - 23 plays for 67 total yards (6-11 for 36 yards passing; 12 rushes for 31 yards, 1 lost fumble); 5 penalties for 45 yards; 1 turnover

 

[matthew328826]

Granby gets a big kickoff return to start the third period with Shaineek Wright. However, a holding penalty means Granby starts at their own 10 instead of in Churchland territory.

Off the edge, Jekai Lee is giving the Granby protection scheme fits. A run of +6 by Drevyon Tharrington is the first play from scrimmage, but on second down it's Lee reading and reacting perfectly to drop him for a loss of 4.

Dareon Ripley then sacks J'Shaun Reddin on 3rd & 8 for a loss of 8. Tharrington has to punt from his own end zone and the Truckers get excellent field position, at their own 48 with 9:17 showing on the third quarter clock.

 

[matthew328826]

Churchland is keeping it very basic with the running game and Dontavius Booker - along with the Truckers large o-line - are beginning to wear down the Granby defensive front. Booker gets run of +4, +8, +4 and +3 before a critical 5-yard gain on 3rd & 3, taking them from the Comets 33 to the 28-yard line.

If they drop that safety down in the box, that's the time to potentially test them over the middle / top and see if it pays off with a scoring strike through the air.

 

[matthew328826]

We've got ourselves a ballgame here in Norfolk, folks. Really smart play dialed up by Dontrell Leonard and his coaching staff, to have the trust in freshman QB Logan Wynne after 5 straight runs with Dontavius Booker. It pays off in a mighty big way.

Even better, the Truckers try the surprise onside / squib kick and it pays off with Tramarr Abdullah recovering at the Granby 43 with 5:43 to go in the third quarter.

Wow!!

What a turn of events at Powhatan Field.

 

[matthew328826]

Dontavius Booker gains 4 yards on first down, but on 2nd & 6 from the Granby 39, it's the Comets defense sending the Truckers backwardw with Zakhary Cole making the splendid tackle for loss. The pass over the middle on 3rd & 8 is incomplete, and Churchland will punt it away on 4th & 8 from the 41.

Could it be a fake? Wouldn't rule it out...

 

[matthew328826]

Churchland doesn't go with the fake punt and it's just a 20-yarder to the 21 of Granby with 4:09 left in the third quarter. I've got no problem playing the field position battle there from the Truckers perspective.

Coach Kendal Jefferson of Granby knows his offense has to show some life on this next series, particularly with some balance as they've become very reliant on the run. Also, the o-line from the tight end side is having big problems blocking Jekai Lee off the edge for Churchland.

A holding back Granby up 10 yards, but then they get 5 back on a flag on Churchland. Drevyon Tharrington takes his 21st carry of the night on a stretch plat for about 9 yards, giving him 105 rushing yards on the evening.

A Nickel DB for Churchland gets called for offsides and then it's Tharrington easily converting 2nd & 1 from the 30-yard line. See, those self-inflicted miscues are hurting the Truckers a ton and building confidence for Granby. Another run, this time for 9 by Tharrington, puts the Comets at midfield.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby is not that confident at all in their passing game tonight and a 2nd & 11 throw over the middle from the Churchland 45 falls incomplete. It was nearly intercepted if the safety for the Truckers was ready.

Before the third quarter comes to a close, Churchland gets hit with encroachment. That turns 3rd & 11 into 3rd & 6 from the 40. Drevyon Tharrington comes through with another tough run, getting exactly to move the chains for 6 yards as the 3rd period concludes.

 

[matthew328826]

How many times will Tharrington have to carry it in the 4th quarter for Granby to get to 7-0? A win matches that 7-0 start from 2012.

 

[matthew328826]

Jekai Lee makes his 4th tackle for loss, and moments after a false start penalty, Granby's pass on 3rd & 18 falls incomplete.

Granby is forced to punt it away and it goes all of 17 yards to the 25-yard line with 9:52 remaining.

This game is right here for Churchland to swipe and capture their 7th straight in this series.

 

[matthew328826]

Dontavius Booker runs out of bounds after a gain of 11. Oddly enough, Booker might've been able to get about 3 or 4 more yards before he scooted out.

Travis Wiggins comes up in the slot and levels Kingston Hall for a loss of 5 on the screen pass. Davonte Brown gets deep in the secondary and hauls in a 19-yard pass from Logan Wynne. Granby's DB's remain aggressive, though. It's Shaineek Wright with a tackle for loss on the quick screen to Brown, who gets sent back 3 yards.

On 2nd & 13 from their own 47, it's Eamon Cuffee making the HUGE INT for the Granby defense.



Granby has it at their own 31 with 7:34 left to play.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby goes 3 & out, taking just 51 seconds off the clock and gaining a single yard with two incomplete passes mixed in that equation.

Churchland senior DB Jordan Hayes made a big hit on the second down pass to break up a completion underneath.

The punt bounces out of bounds at the Truckers 43, where Churchland will have it with 6:16 left in regulation.

 

[matthew328826]

Kamari Cuffee, one of Granby's top tacklers, made a big stop on 2nd & 6 of Dontavius Booker to keep him from gaining any yards. A time-out is called by Churchland with 4:56 to go before 3rd & 6 from their own 47. If they go to the air, they better know where both Eamon Cuffee and Shaineek Wright are because each can get a takeaway.

Joshua Thomas, Kamari Cuffee and the Granby defensive front drop Logan Wynne for a loss on 3rd down.

On 4th & 7 from their own 46, the Truckers go to the air and Wynne's pass in the flat to Booker only gains 4 yards. Not enough to move the chains.

So Granby takes over at the 50, leading 13-7 with 3:41 to play.

Can the Churchland defense get one more stop to give themselves another chance?

 

[matthew328826]

Granby is trying to ride Drevyon Tharrington to the finish line. After a penalty on Churchland, he gains 10 yards to move the chains.

Tharrington move the chains again on 3rd & 2 from the Truckers 27 with 5 yards. The clock is at 2:29 and Granby is trying to put this one on ice with a score, or at the very least, a couple more first downs that put Churchland in a helpless situation.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Wow, what a game. I wouldn't have bet a plugged nickel that the Truckers could hold Granby to under 40 points.

 

[matthew328826]

Coach Kendal Jefferson of Granby is not kicking the field goal and leaving the offense out there.

 

[matthew328826]

A gutsy move to some instead of trying the field goal, which could be blocked and returned for a score. Damari Palmer - the Maury and Green Run transfer - gets it out of Wildcat formation and puts the victory in the bag.

This is redemption for the 21-20 loss from a year ago to the Truckers and arguably their most thrilling win since last year's comeback triumph here over Kecoughtan at Powhatan Field that moved them to 2-0.

 

[matthew328826]

Pretty entertaining game... more to come. Stay tuned!