LIVE Game Blog - Cox (8-1) at Kempsville (7-2)

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It's Senior Night at Kempsville High in Virginia Beach, where the Chiefs with a record of 7-2 overall play host to the visiting Frank W. Cox Falcons (8-1).

Win and you're the No. 2 seed in Region 5A = tht's the deal for Cox.

Win and you forge a 3-way tie with Cox and Salem for the No. 2 seed in Region 5A for Kempsville. However, the Chiefs end up in the preseason lot draw tie-breaker, we understand, behind each of those in that pecking order, so they would likely be the No. 4 seed in that scenario, hosting No. 5 seed Indian River in the opening round.

Updates forthcoming here on the Blog and on Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports ...

 

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Here's our Preview before Cox kicks it off to Kempsville to start things...


Cox (8-1) at Kempsville (7-2) . . . One of the crazier endings of a football game in 2023 came in the Region 5A quarterfinals, where the Kempsville Chiefs as a No. 7 seed stunned No. 2 seed Cox by a count of 26-20 on a 78-yard return for a touchdown of a blocked field goal by Darryl Veal Jr. Cox had erased a 13-0 deficit and knotted the score at 20-apiece before the wild drama, which included a turnover by each team in the game’s final 30 seconds before the jaw-dropping special teams play. Cox won the regular season encounter, 22-21, and enter this matchup with a chance to lock down the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, otherwise a three-way tie with these two teams and Salem could occur.

Coach Tyler Noe of Cox has to like what his offense has done this year out of their triple-option system in putting up 36 points per game, which includes 39.4 PPG during a five-game winning streak. Five times they have hit for 40+ points. Amazingly, they’ve only attempted 79 passes with 37 completions and just two interceptions, whereas their opponents have thrown it 193 times, yet the Falcons have nabbed 13 INT’s. The running game is their bread and butter with Max Palmerton (836 yards, 17 TD’s rushing) and sophomore Tyre Jefferies (821 yards, 10 TD’s rushing).

Kempsville comes in on a five-game winning streak themselves, surrendering just 11.4 PPG during this hot streak and 14.1 PPG on the year. They have given up 20+ points on just two occasions, both being losses to Salem and Green Run, which was their closest battle of the year in a 24-7 tussle in the rain. Linebackers Elijah McDaniel and the aforementioned Veal have collected 122 total tackles, 61 apiece. Jaylen Hatton is having one of the best seasons by a Kempsville DB in program history with eight interceptions, two of which he’s returned for scores. Jahlen Batty (4 INT’s) is another takeaway threat on the defense.

Believe it or not though, this one might come down to how the Kempsville offense does against a stingy Cox defense that gives up just 15.1 PPG. The Chiefs are putting up 26.7 PPG and need efficiency from the QB spot, no matter who operates there as it has been a few different players taking snaps, so that it takes pressure off the run game, keyed by Robert Hughes Jr. (695Yds. 8 TD’s rushing). The Cox defense has 13 different players with tackles for loss, not leaning on just one guy to halt the opposition.

Matt Hatfield Says – Cox 20-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Cox 28-16

 

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Well, not the start the host Chiefs wanted on Senior Night. They end up getting back-to-back penalties, including a false start, which sets up Kempsville at their own 4. They take a deep shot with C.J. Spence at QB that is incomplete, off the fingertips of his intended receiver. Then a bad snap becomes a disaster, where Nasir McCarter gets to Spence right away.

Cox returns the ensuing kickoff to the 50 with 11:29 to go in the first period.

 

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Operating out of the triple-option, Tyler Noe's Falcons get a trio of small gains with QB Max Palmerton and RB Tyre Jefferies on the ground. Props to LB Darryl Veal Jr. for two of those solid tackles. Before 4th & 3 from the Kempsville 43 though, it's the Chiefs jumping offsides. Fresh set of downs to the 38

Consecutive runs with Jefferies gain hust a couple yards to set up 3rd & 8, and then once again with that hard count, Kempsville gets called for encroachment. That's a big deal to make it 3rd & 3 from the 31. Jefferies breaks off a 6-yard run.

A few plays later, it's another 3rd & short, where the Kempsville defense halts them. But on 4th & 1, Max Palmerton keeps it, going to his left for 3 yards before Jaylen Hatton stops him at the 16.

 

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As methodical as you can get on a drive, which Cox loves and Kempsville is now down 9 with 5:20 to go in the opening period at their own 31. Oddly enough, Daryl Cherry's group goes empty - with five receivers - for the next play. Wild.

 

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Kempsville's offense is able to move teh chains on a 14-yard pass from QB C.J. Spence to Tyron Kelamn. That came on 3rd & 10 after running for a yard and losing a yard on the ground.

On the next 3rd & 10, it's a pitch out to Kellam for a gain of 8 into Cox territory. That convinces Coach Daryl Cherry to go for it, but Robert Hughes Jr. is stopped by a couple of Falcons, appearing to be Nasir McCarter and Izaque Tomaz.

Cox takes over at their own 46 with 2:19 to go in the opening period, comfortably in front 9-0 in this one.

 

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Nice toss to the far side, near their sideline, by Cox to Gerald Simmons III gains eight yards to start the latest drive. Tyre Jefferies breaks off chunks of +2 and +3 before Max Palmerton runs for five more on 2nd & 7. A penalty, their first of the night, pushes them back 5 yards.

Elijah McDaniel stops QB Max Palmerton for a gain of just 1 on 3rd & 7, so Cox will trot out the punting unit.

 

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After the Cox punt, Kempsville goes 3 & out quickly to kick it right back to the Falcons. It'll be a solid punt that rolls all the way down to the Cox 46 with 9:14 to go in the first half.

The Cox defenders are really staying home on QB C.J. Spence's scrambles as he gains 6 and 4 yards on a couple of them with a holding penalty sandwiched in between before trying them deep on a pass that was incomplete on 3rd & 12 from their own 15.

Cox has its first negative play of the night offensively with their new QB in, M.J. Lemke, getting sacked for a loss of 5. Not bad, considering the first 16 plays from scrimmage - all runs - were positive gains or no yardage accumulated. On 3rd & 12 from their own 44, the Falcons watch Lemke throw one down the seam area and it gets intercepted by a diving Jaylen Hatton. That's his 9th INT of the year, giving the Chiefs the ball at their own 35 with 7:47 to go in the first half.

 

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Kempsville watches C.J. Spence throw an incomplete and then he's intercepted by junior DB Elias Field. It's the 3rd INT of the year for Field, and that's a great sight to see for HC Tyler Noe and d-coordinator Brian Graham, considering they are without a couple of key members of the starting defense tonight in junior LB Jiwan Mack and senior lineman Hudson Bartley.

Cox takes over at the Kempsville 49 with 7:36 to go in the first half, certainly thinking about piecing together another long, time-consuming drive before the break.

 

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Cox was on the move, thanks to a big 21-yard run from Tyre Jefferies that came immediately following a 3-yard conversion on 3rd & 3 by the sophomore tailback. However, the Kempsville defense behind its terrific linebacker trio of Jason Galloway, Darryl Veal Jr. and Elijah McDaniel.

So after the missed field goal, Kempsville takes over at its own 20 with 3:16 to go in the first half. A deep shot, trying to test corner Barrett Glaser, falls incomplete. The Kempsville passing game is just 1 of 7 this evening, making them very one-dimensional. A 3-yard run by QB C.J. Spence brings up 3rd & 7, where the pocket collapses. Doing an excellent job of squeezing the pocket and registering the sack was Nasir McCarter (23 total tackles, 6 solo sacks coming in ).

Kempsville punts it away and after a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Chiefs during the punt return, Cox has the ball at the 38-yard line of the Chiefs with 2:03 till intermission.

 

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After just their second penalty of the night and an incomplete pass, Cox QB Max Palmerton runs for 16 yards to put them in position to move the chains on third down. The run on 3rd & 4 from the Chiefs 32 is kept to just a gain of 2. Tyler Noe elects to leave the offense on the field from the 30 of the Chiefs.

Lahai Massaquoi makes the tackle for loss as Kempsville makes another big stand defensively. That gives the Chiefs the ball with 27 seconds till the break.

A sack is registered on defense by Hudson Lyon for Cox. It's their third sack of the night. Following an incomplete pass, the Chiefs go to Robert Hughes Jr. for a gain of 23 yards into Cox territory and burn their final time-out with 7 seconds to go in the half.

Ironically enough, that run of 23 by Hughes matches what the offense produced exactly before that play. A Hail Mary heave into the end zone is incomplete, almost picked off in the end zone by Kai Reighard of Cox. Had Spence gotten rid of it just a pinch sooner, it would've potentially been a 48-yard TD pass.

That brings us to half-time...

 

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Stats forthcoming after my bathroom break... stay tuned!

 

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Stats at the Half:

Cox 9:
Tyre Jefferies - 14Car. 60Yds. TD
Max Palmerton - 11Car. 37Yds; 3 Assisted Tackles
Gerald Simmons III - 1Car. 8Yds; 2 Solo Tackles
Nasir McCarter - 3 Tackles, 1.5 TFL
Elias Field - 2 Tackles, INT
Brayden Lyons - Sack

Falcons - 30 plays for 104 total yards (0-2 passing, 1 intercept; 28 rushes for 104 yards); 2 penalties for 15 yards; 1 turnover


Kempsville 0:
C.J. Spence - 1-9 for 14Yds. 0-1 TD/Int. ratio; 8Car. 1Yd.
Robert Hughes Jr. - 2Car. 23Yds.
Tyron Kellam - 1Rec. 14Yds.
Jason Galloway - 6 Tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 Sack
Elijah McDaniel - 6 Tackles, 0.5 TFL
Darryl Veal Jr. - 5 Tackles

Chiefs - 20 plasys for 46 total yards (1-9 for 14 yards passing, 1 intercept; 11 rushes for 32 yards); 7 penalties for 54 yards; 1 turnover

 

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Cox goes 3 & out to begin the 3rd quarter as they started at their own 30, gained a couple with Tyre Jefferies, then a high snap resulted in Max Palmerton being dumped for a loss of 8 by LB Darryl Veal Jr. On 3rd & 16, Jefferies tried to get outside and LB Eli McDaniel was nothing having any of it whatsoever.

So the Falcons punt it away and Kempsville will have it at their own 43 with 9:32 left in the third quarter.

 

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Kempsville is on the move now as Robert Hughes Jr. takes off on runs of +6 and +12 into Cox territory. That 23-yard burst he had late in the first half seems to have gotten him on track against a very sound, disciplined defense.

Additionally, Coach Daryl Cherry told me before the game that he was without three linemen, each of which are contributors on the o-line. So it's taking some time for a couple of the new blockers to adapt.

A completion to Sawyer Whitmore, who has played some QB before, from C.J. Spence, gains 5. They get to a 3rd & 2 from the Cox 31, where Hughes Jr. lowers the shoulder and gains enough to move the sticks.

Anotehr big 3rd & 7 now for the Chiefs moments after an incomplete pass that was almost intercepted by Jacob Palmerton. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Cox after they appeared to get a stop will bring them in the red zone, to the 13-yard line of the Falcons.

 

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Superb running - and push up front by the big fellas - to finish that drive off and give Cox a little taste of its own medicine if you will.

Robert Hughes Jr. had 7 rushes for 28 yarsd on that possession alone.

Brand new ballgame in a sense and Cox needs to respond offensively to re-claim momentum.

 

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Cox gets a great drive starter with Max Palmerton, operating from the QB position and running the read option beautifully, gaining 24 yards up the gut before Antonio Moore makes the TD saving tackle.

Kempsville's defense clamps down and makes it very difficult to move the sticks in short-yardage situations because Tyre Jefferies gets halted for no gain on 2nd & 6 from the Chiefs 40, where Drew Ashbury was in helping make the stop. A pass on 3rd & 6 falls incomplete, bringing out the punting unit again for Cox.

Kempsville takes over at its own 25 with 2:08 to go in the third period after the punt goes out of bounds.

How suddenly the momentum shifted...

 

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On a simple stop underneath route that acts like a curl, Sawyer Whitmore hauls in the pass for nine yards from QB C.J. Spence. That sets up 2nd & 1, where another pass is thrown, but this time it's incomplete in the flat area.

Izaque Tomaz and Max Palmerton combine to stop Robert Hughes Jr. for no gain. Kempsville Coach Daryl Cherry boldly leaves the offense out there for 4th & 1 from their own 34 and Spence somehow slips out of a tackle to gain 2. Might've been a face-mask the officials missed, too.

Nasir McCarter, who had a defensive score against Salem for the Cox Falcons, bats down the Spence pass on 1st & 10 to end the third period.

 

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Another incomplete pass with the coverage supplied by Kai Reighard of Cox brings up 3rd & 10 for the Kempsville offense. The Chiefs thought they got a huge completion into Cox territory on 3rd & 10, but the officials bring it back on a holding penalty. That's the first flag on Kempsville this half after seven infractions for 54 yards before intermission.

Robert Hughes Jr. rushes for 4 yards to create 4th & 3 from their own 43 with 11 mintues to go and Kempsville is going for it again.

Jahlen Batty makes a clutch grab for 6 yards to move the sticks. They get into Cox territory with a gain of 3 by Warren Powell, who is then halted to no gain and QB C.J. Spence's pass on 3rd & 7 is incomplete. Another decision time for Coach Cherry of Kempsville with 9:05 remaining in regulation.

 

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Kempsville decided to go for it on fourth down again and this time it's incomplete with the intended receiver slipping during the route.

Cox takes over at their own 48 with 9:00 exactly to play. Tyler Noe's Falcons are known for being conservative, but they need some type of explosive play and it's going to be hard to generate that through the air without a single pass completion tonight - 0 for 3 with an INT.

 

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That Tyre Jefferies TD run will be on the end of season highlight reel for sure. He was able to out-run the defenders trying to catch him with maybe his most impressive scamper of the year. Almost as big was the PAT by kicker Brycen Widhelm.

Lincoln Nicosia then recovers the onside kick that bounces off a Kempsville player, so the Falcons have it back, with the 9-point lead, with 8:27 to go from their own 49.

What a quick turn of events!

 

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M.J. Lemke drops back to pass and he's hit as he throws by LB Darryl Veal Jr. The 'ol tuck rule (think Brady's Pats against the Raiders in the snow in January of 2022) has the Kempsville fans upset because it's ruled incomplete, not a fumble.

Cox is trying to get methodical and milk the clock some, but the Kempsville defense is not cooperating with them as a 3rd & 2 run is limited to just a gain of 1. Fourth down time and another decision, this time for Coach Tyler Noe of Cox...

Electing to go for it, Cox sees QB Max Palmerton get stopped behind the line of scrimmage on 4th & 1 from the Kempsville 42 for a loss of 3.

That gives Kempsville the ball at their own 45 with 6:41 to go, trailing by 9. An incomplete pass by C.J. Spence, then a short completion for just a yard to Tyron Kellam, immediately tackled by Jacob Palmerton.

On 3rd & 9, the Chiefs go with trips left and it's another pass attempt. Spence scrambles around and hes intercepted by Max Palmerton, who returns it 18 yards to the KHS 42 with 5:25 to go.

 

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Kempsville needs a stop now as Cox faces 3rd & 7 from the Chiefs 39 with 4:32 to go. The Falcons are trying to run this one out behind Tyre Jefferies and Max Palmerton, who have combined for 181 yards on 36 attempts.

Max drops back to throw and then darts ahead for 10 yards on another gritty run. The Chiefs have just 2 time-outs left, but they're not looking to use one of them just yet. It's Palmerton again, this time for a gain of +3 and Kempsville will now burn one of those time-outs with 2:55 to go.

The Chiefs at this point would need some type of miraculous takeaway to keep hope alive.

 

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Thinking about exorcising the demons with a field goal try, the Cox Falcons out of the time-out don't try a field goal up 16-7. No. They instead draw yet another encroachment on Kempsville - about the 4th or 5th of the night - with the hard count. Unreal.

That 4th & 2 conversion now gives Cox the ball at the KHS 11. After a loss of 1, a bad snap results in a loose fumble and it's Kempsville recovering at their own 39 with Ilan Rivera with 1:56 to play.

So Kempsville is not totally out of this one just yet.

 

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C.J. Spence is trying to produce some magic from the QB spot for Kempsville. He breaks off runs of 14 and 17, using what he's picked up from scramble drills and his God-given athleticism as well. Now on 2nd & 10 from the Cox 24 with 1:21 to go, the Chiefs need a quick score.
A pass in the end zone almost got caught with Jaylen Hatton the intended target. Cox was fortunate they didn't get hit with a pass interference also. Looking at 2nd & 9 from the Cox 13, the pressure breaks down and C.J. Spence just runs back and forth, left and right, and gets rid of it, but it's an intentional grounding penalty. It's a spot foul.

Kempsville is now looking at 3rd & 43 from the Cox 47 with 41 seconds to go. This is where Spence has to become Jayden Daniels and one of his receivers play the role of Noah Brown. Sorry, Chicago Bears fans. I had to go there.

 

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That scramble by C.J. Spence was one of the best I've ever seen in a High School Football game. Anywhere. He juked out one defender and shook two others on his way to the end zone.

That one brilliant play makes up for just about all the negative ones tonight. Now the onside try...

 

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Cox was thinking Deja Vu from last year, but they hold on...

 

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More to come later... stay tuned!