Blog LIVE Game Blog - Class 4 State Semis: #2 Sherando (12-1) at #1 Phoebus (12-0)

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Greetings from chilly Darling Stadium in Hampton, the site today of the VHSL Class 4 State Semifinals as the unbeaten Phoebus Phantoms (12-0) put their 47-game winning streak on the line against the visiting Sherando Warriors (12-1) in the first ever meeting between these two programs.

Phoebus, under the direction of Head Coach Jeremy Blunt, is on the quest for a fourth consecutive state title as the Phantoms have captured ten crowns since 2001. They haven't lost since getting beaten by Oscar Smith in the 2021 regular sason finale.

Sherando, under second-year Head Coach T.J. Rohrbaugh, is aiming to win its first ever state title. The Warriors have finished runner-up on four different occasions - 2013, 2007, 1996 and 1995.

This is also the 83rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor. They will be honoring all the brave veterans who perished back on December 7, 1941 before we kick it off here shortly.

You can check out our Full Previews with Keys to Victory & Predictions right here.

We'll have updates here + via Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports

Also, you can watch the Game LIVE via Hampton Media Network on YouTube at the link below:

 

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Phoebus will receive to start the game. Davion Roberts and Tyree Diggs are back to receive for the Phantoms.

Roberts returns the opening kickoff 15 yards to their own 33, where the Phantoms begin on offense. Sophomore QB Maurikus Banks completes his first two passes, worth 5 and 9 yards each, to Tyree Diggs. The second grabs was a nice leaping grab by Diggs.

Banks then shows his mobility, scrambling to the left sideline for 12 yards to move the sticks and up the middle for a gain of 7 to the Sherando 34. The Bull as he is known, Roberts, runs up the middle for 17 yards before the third layer of the Sherando defense finally stops him in the red zone. Shortest gain of the day is a 3-yard run by Roberts, who is stopped by big lineman Hunter Ratchford of the Warriors.

on the very next play though, it's an inside slant that Romeir Smith hauls in for a pickup off 1 yards to the 3 of Sherando.

 

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All nine plays were positive gainers for Jeremy Blunt's crew, including sophomore QB Maurikus Banks completing all three of his passes for 25 yards. No penalties, drops or negative plays is just how the Phantoms and their faithful would like to draw the start of this game up in putting the visitors in an early deficit.

 

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Donovan Blackwell returns the ensuing kickoff 23 yards to the 42, where Sherando's first offensive series will begin with 7:58 to go in the first quarter. With QB Micah Carlson closing in on 1000 yards rushing on the season, the Warriors begin with him keeping it two straight plays via the ground game.

Carlson gains 3 on first down, but then it's Jonathan Rogers - coming off a 3.5 sack effort vs. Hampton in the Region 4A Finals - stopping him in his tracks for no gain on second down,

Sherando tries to go to the air on 3rd & 7 with Carlson looking to thread the needle to tight end Zachary Pendzich, but it's broken up by linebacker Kaleb Tillery, making a terrific play in coverage.

Great punt by the Warriors, muffed by Davion Roberts, who alertly gets on it and the Phantoms will start their second possession at their own 9 with 6:23 to go in the opening stanza.

 

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After Davion Roberts gets haled for a short gain of about two, the Phantoms lob it up in single coverage to Romeir Smith, who makes a dazzling catch of 26 yards along the sideline. That gets them out from their own 10 and up to the 37.

A few plays later on 3rd & 1 after a gain of 7 on the ground by Roberts, the Phantoms don't block the edge well and sophomore LB Pete Carter flies through for a tackle for loss. Carter drops QB Maurikus Banks for a loss of 5, meaning Phoebus will punt it away on 4th & 6 from their own 41.

Sherando's second offensive series will begin at their own 23 with 3:12 to go in the opening frame.

 

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Good stop by Phoebus senior defender Javyon Overbey on first down to drop QB Micah Carlson for a loss of 1. Carlson didn't help himself by slipping on his rush attempt to the left. The Warriors then try to run to the other side and Mason McKee is met quickly, only gaining a yard. That puts Shernado in 3rd & long.

They try to go deep to senior WR Aiden Leatch on 3rd & 10, but the pass is overthrown with Isaac Lipkins in coverage of the Phantoms.

Another quality punt by the Warriors means Phoebus begins at their own 40 with 1:24 to go in the first quarter for their third possession, still leading this one 7-0.

 

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Romeir Smith continues to use his frame - 6-foot-3, 208 pounds - and athleticism to his advantage. Smith boxes out the defensive back like someone would do on the basketball court for a rebound. His latest grab of 34 yards puts the Phantoms down at the Sherando 26.

Moments later, it's Davion Roberts moving the chains for a 6-yard run on 2nd & 6 to put PHS in the red zone at the Warriors 16.

 

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To begin the second quarter, it's Noah Jefferson, the Delaware pledge, for a slip screen that gains 7 yards. Davion Roberts runs for 2 yards, but it's jjust short of a firsr down. With Phoebus coming out of a 2 by 2 personnel package, the Sherando defense alertly calls a time-out to make sure their defense is organized with 10:32 to go in the first half.

If Sherando is able to come up with a stop here, it really gives them a chance to catch their breath, otherwise, the Phantoms may be smelling blood with a double-digit lead.

 

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How about the start for sophomore QB Maurikus Banks of Phoebus? He's 8 for 8 through the air with 102 yards. Hard to be better than that, right?

 

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Sherando is watching their third drive start to generate some success in terms of moving the ball on this stingy Phoebus defense. A pass in the flat to Donovan Blackwell, with good blocking on the edge, gaining 21 yards to the 47. Gains of +3 and +4 with Blackwell, one on a run an one a catch, bring up 3rd & 3 just on the other side of the 50.

Jonathan Rogers and Brenden Thompson keep Blackwell from moving the chains on 3rd & 3... but T.J. Rohrbaugh is leaving the offense on the field for 4th & 3, not looking to punt.

Pass is batted down by Phoebus two-way lineman standout Markus Hopson, who's bound for Howard University.

So Phoebus takes over at their own 46 with 7:53 to go in the first half.

 

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Maurikus Banks continues to impress as not one of his first 13 pass attempts has hit the ground. His 15-yard connection with Romeir Smith on 3rd & 8 extended the drive, and one play after finding Noah Jefferson for a tunnel screen that was called back on a hold, he went right back to him on an easy pitch and catch over the middle for a score.

This is as crisp as I've seen the Phoebus offense look this entire season, which does not bode well for whoever they might see next week, in either Varina or Tuscarora, at Liberty University. Can't imagine the Phantoms fail to protect this 20-point lead either, even though there is still a lot of football to be played.

 

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Sherando's offense cannot get anything going and it results in another 3 & out, punting it back to the Phantoms. All three level sof the Phoebus defense are in sync entirely.

Neat little nugget - - we didn't get our first penalty of this game until around the 4:25 mark of the second period. That is so refreshing after watching a ton of games that were penalty-filled during the regular season.

The Phantoms have it at their own 47 with 2:30 to go in the first half.

 

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Phoebus QB Maurikus Banks shows he is human after all. Senior defensive lineman Kaleb Nowlin gets a sack, and then on 3rd & 14, he throws his first incomplete pass of the day.

Prior to that though, Banks was a perfect 14 of 14 for 173 yards, spraying the ball to five different receivers in Tyree Diggs, Romeir Smith, Jayden Javier, Noah Jefferson and Xavier Misse.

However, the Phoebus defense gets it back for Banks and company. Sherando goes to the air on 2nd & 9 from their own 31 and a pass by QB Micah Carlson is deflected and intercepted by Phoebus senior linebacker Brenden Thompson.

Thompson gives the Phantoms the ball at the SHS 42 with 36 seconds left in the first half.

 

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A sack from Breiden 'BB' Lowery along with an interception by the Sherando defense - courtesy of sophomore DB Reth Puller - keeps Phoebus from getting in field goal range before the half.

Brenden Thompson makes the final hit of the half for the Phantoms, who'll take a 20-point lead into the locker room for intermission.

 

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More to come, including Stats... stay tuned!

 

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Stats at the Half:

Phoebus 20:
Maurikus Banks - 15-18 for 180Yds. 1-1 TD/Int. ratio; 6Car. 8Yds.
Davion Roberts - 10Car. 40Yds. 2 TD's
Romeir Smith - 4Rec. 86Yds.
Noah Jefferson - 5Rec. 50Yds. TD
Tyree Diggs - 4Rec. 27Yds.
Jonathan Rogers - 4 Tackles, TFL
Brenden Thompson - INT

Phantoms - 34 plays for 228 total yards (15-18 for 180 yards passing, 1 intercept; 16 rushes for 48 yards); 2 penalties for 15 yards; 1 turnover


Sherando 0:
Micah Carlson - 2-6 for 25Yds. 0-1 TD/Int. ratio; 6Car. 9Yds.
Donovan Blackwell - 2Rec. 25Yds; 2Car. 3Yds.
Peter Carter - 6 Tackles, TFL
Breiden Lowery - 6 Tackles, Sack
Hayden LeFever - 6 Tackles (4 Solo)
James Walters - 4 Tackles, 1.5 TFL

Warriors - 16 plays for 38 total yards (2-6 for 25 yards passing, 1 intercept; 10 rushes for 13 yards); 0 penalties; 1 turnover

 

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Sherando begins the second half with the ball at their own 22 following the kickoff. A short gain of a yard turns into a pass on 2nd & 9 that is almost intercepted by Phoebus DB Trenton Mitchell. The run on 3rd & 9 with Sam Ridings gains just two yards. So the Warriors begin the half with a 3 & out.

This Sherando offense entered averaging 35.2 points and 364.4 total yards per game. The Warriors have looked extremely ordinary and vanilla, largely because of how cohesive this Phoebus defense is at every layer.

Phoebus starts its first possession at their own 20 and they move the chains in no time, thanks to a run of +8 to the left with RB Davion Roberts, followed by a completion over the middle from QB Maurikus Banks to WR Tyree Diggs for another gain of 8.

 

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Senior backup tailback Demante Williams breaks off an 11-yard run for Phoebus. From there, the Sherando run defense hangs tough, dropping Davion Roberts for a loss of 2 and then holding him to a minimal gain of 2. However, the Phoebus passing game has been on point the entire day and it's Maurikus Banks finding Noah Jefferson over the middle for exactly a gain of 10 on 3rd & 10.

Roberts then shows why he is one of the best running backs in the '757' area code because on an option pitch that should've been a loss of three or four yards, the senior tailback dodges the defenders, reverses his field and runs the other direction for a gain of 16 to the Sherando 20.

Shortly thereafter, it's Maurikus Banks finding Williams in the flat for a gain of 8 to set up 3rd & 2 from the Sherando 12. Looks like the Warriors are a tad bit winded on defense.

 

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This tandem has been mighty impressive today here at Darling... all Phantoms in this one.

 

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Sherando has yet to threaten and reach the Phoebus red zone. They get a short gain of 3 with the running game and QB Micah Carlson. Can they generate anything through the air to loosen up this gritty Phoebus defense?

The tight end James Walters came streaking free open, but as he turned to make the catch, he is unable to hault it in and that brings up 3rd & 7 from their 25. There they connect with Donovan Blackwell on a quick screen, but he coughs it up as Kaleb Tillery recovers. Appears that Brenden Thompson made the big hit to force the fumble.

That gives the Phantoms the ball at the 29 of the Warriors... but not for long. On the very next play, coming off the edge, Breiden 'BB' Lowery shows why he is a devastating force on this Sherando defense. He absolutely unloads on QB Maurikus Banks, dropping him with a strip-sack and recovering the fumble. That is Lowery's 7th forced fumble and 5th recovery on the season.

Sherando is now on the move with runs of +3 and +2 by Carlson before a 15-yard penalty on Phoebus puts the Warriors at the PHS 40.

 

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Third takeaway of the day by the Phoebus defense with the latest coming on an INT by Isaac Lipkins. The Phantoms have gotten quality runs of +7 and +11 by Davion Roberts. However, the drive is stalling as the third quarter comes to a close with the Phantoms facing 3rd & long.



To begin the fourth quarter, it's Breiden 'BB' Lowery with his 3rd sack of the afternoon. That means the Phantoms will be punting it away.

 

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Consecutive stops behind the line of scrimamge from Jonathan Rogers, including a sack, means the Phoebus defense forces another 3 & out by the Sherando offense. Just 52 total yards of offense for the Warriors with five different players touching the pigskin. Only one, junior Donovan Blackwell, has caught a pass for them.

Phoebus now takes over at their own 8 with 8:39 to go in regulation. A penalty, a short gain and 9-yard catch by Noah Jefferson brings up 3rd & 2 from their own 16.

Romeir Smith uses an awesome stiff-arm on a catch to get 32 yards with plenty of YAC - that being yards after the catch. Smith has become a very reliable target on 3rd and 4th down plays in the second half of the season. He's now up to 5 grabs for 118 yards.

One thing Banks has not done great in a game where hes' completed 24 of 29 passes for 266 yards and multiple scores is he's held on to the ball a bit too long at times. He just got sacked for a 5th time on the day, the 4th by Breiden 'BB' Lowery.

Phoebus will use a time-out before 3rd & 22 from their own 36 with 5:00 to go and leading comfortably 27-0.

 

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The Phantoms did a nice job of sprinklign in the short underneath pass with the run on that series. Maurikus Banks is now 26 of 31 for 287 yards passing with a couple of aerial scoring strikes to Noah Jefferson.

Sherandon has had a very fine year, but the Phantoms showed today they are just in a class of their own.

 

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Ben Taylor brings in a 38-yard pass reception from QB Micah Carlson. The Warriors get all the way to the Phoebus 22, but run out of time and the Phantoms make some history with their third straight playoff shutout for the first time in program history in this their 99th playoff game.

 

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More to come later... stay tuned!

 

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Final Stats:

Phoebus 34: (Phantoms 13-0 Overall)
Maurikus Banks - 26-31 for 287Yds. 2-1 TD/Int. ratio
Davion Roberts - 21Car. 115Yds. 3 TD's; 1Rec. 9Yds.
Demante Williams - 1Car. 11Yds; 2Rec. 6Yds.
Noah Jefferson - 8Rec. 81Yds. 2 TD's
Tyree Diggs - 6Rec. 45Yds; 1Car. 4Yds.
Romeir Smith - 5Rec. 118Yds.
Xavier Misse - 1Rec. 14Yds.
Mhakyi Hill - 1Rec. 12Yds.
Jonathan Rogers - 7 Tackles (4 Solo), 3 TFL, Sack
Brenden Thompson - 5 Tackles, INT
Troy Solomona - 5 Tackles

Phantoms - 64 plays for 401 total yards (26-31 for 287 yards passing, 1 intercept; 33 rushes for 114 yards, 1 lost fumble); 7 penalties for 55 yards; 2 turnovers


Sherando 0: (Warriors 12-2 Overall)
Micah Carlson - 5-13 for 69Yds. 0-2 TD/Int. ratio; 13Car. 19Yds.
Ben Taylor - 1Rec. 38Yds; 3 Tackles
Donovan Blackwell - 4Rec. 31Yds; 3 Car. 4Yds; 6 Tackles (3 Solo)
Sam Ridings - 1Car. 2Yds.
Breiden 'BB' Lowery - 16 Tackles (11 Solo), 4 Sacks
James Walters - 12 Tackles (4 Solo), 3 TFL
Peter Carter - 12 Tackles
Hayden LeFever - 9 Tackles (5 Solo)

Warriors - 32 plays for 95 total yards (5-13 for 69 yards passing, 2 intercepts; 19 rushes for 26 yards, 1 lost fumble); 2 penalties for 25 yards; 3 turnovers

 

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Postgame Video Interview with Phoebus Coach Jeremy Blunt:



Phoebus Head Football Coach Jeremy Blunt chats after his team's 34-0 shutout of Sherando in the VHSL Class 4 State Semifinals at Darling Stadium in Hampton on Saturday, December 7, 2024.

It's the first time in the history of Phoebus football, which features 99 postseason games, that the Phantoms have pitched three straight shoutouts in the playoffs.

Now 13-0 overall on the season and one win away from a fourth consecutive state title, Phoebus has won 48 consecutive games.

 

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Postgame Video Interview with Phoebus Lineman Troy Solomna:





Phoebus lineman Troy Solomona chats after his team's 34-0 shutout of Sherando in the VHSL Class 4 State Semifinals on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at Darling Stadium in Hampton.

Solomona starts on both the defensive line and offensive line, where he plays right tackle.

The Phantoms (13-0) take on Varina, a 28-0 winner over Tuscarora, in the VHSL Class 4 State Championship at Liberty University on Saturday, December 14, 2024.