Blog LIVE Game Blog - Indian River (3-2) at Oscar Smith (3-2)

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Greetings from Tiger Stadium and Beard-DeLong-Easley Field, site of one of the fiercest rivalries in Hampton Roads and all of Virginia as the Oscar Smith Tigers (3-2) play host to the Indian River Braves (3-2) in a Southeastern District matchup.

We'll have updates here tonight and on Twitter or 'X' as it is more commonly known now. Below is our Preview with Predictions...


Indian River (3-2) at Oscar Smith (3-2) . . . From 1999-2017, the Tigers of Oscar Smith won every time in these Chesapeake rivalry matchup. Finally in 2018, Indian River snapped the 19-game winning streak by the Tigers in the series with a 28-16 victory at Beard-DeLong-Easley Field. Oscar Smith has now won the past four meetings, including rallying for a 19-17 win last year when OLB/DE Gerrod Wilson Jr. put them ahead with a scoop-and-score. That means the Braves are 1-23 in the past 24 meetings.

Even in defeat, Braves pass rusher extraordinaire Jordan Harris (12 sacks) was a menace with seven total tackles for loss, six being of the solo variety. Kamil Mason (48 tackles) and Jonathan Shaw (5 sacks) have been integral on defense for Indian River, which comes in allowing just 6.6 points per game with three shutouts to their credit. They even held Varina to 13 in the opener.

The Oscar Smith defense is giving up 19.2 PPG, more than they’d like, but there are playmakers at every level with Jahmari DeLoatch on the back end a threat to intercept the ball, Jarrell Johnson a key linebacker that can disrupt things, and Jordan McDowell hard to block from his defensive line spot at 6-5, 240 pounds.

Taking care of the ball will be critical for Indian River in this one because a main reason they lost the game a year ago was the turnover differential, where their four giveaways to the Tigers’ two loomed large. Senior QB Tyler Allison (69 of 105 for 706 yards and a 2-4 TD/Int. ratio) just needs to manage the game and not be a big risk-taker. His running game started to come alive late in the double-overtime loss to King’s Fork a week ago behind Salem transfer Ravon Moore.

Oscar Smith has a talented freshman QB in Lonnie Andrews III, who threw for over 300 yards in a win over Grassfield earlier in the season. How well the offensive line sustains its blocks and can give room for the running game, headed up by Deep Creek transfer Brandon Nesbit, to make their attack balanced will tell a lot in this ballgame that could go down to the wire like some memorable ones have in recent years.

Matt Hatfield Says – Indian River 16-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 24-20

 

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Oscar Smith begins with the football at their own 26 and after an incomplete pass by freshman QB Lonnie Andrews III, it's junior tailback Brandon Nesbit breaking off a 38-yard run into Indian River territory. Jordan Harris bats down a pass on 1st & 10, then following a 3-yard run from Nesbit, the Tigers convert 3rd & 7 with Isaac Huffman rushing for nine.

Two plays later, the Braves are called for encroachment on 2nd & 8. A 3rd & 3 play sees the Braves get called again for encroachment. So a fresh set of downs has the Tigers knocking on the door at the Indian River 12-yard line.

 

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A couple of Indian River penalties did not help matters for the Braves. Great start for the Tigers groun game with 64 yards coming on six attempts, three each by Isaac Huffman and Brandon Nesbit.

Indian River will start its first possession at their own 28 with 8:02 to go in the first quarter.

 

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A quick three & out for the Indian River offense, which features a sack of QB Tyler Allison on 2nd & 15 by Tigers senior edge rusher Jerrod Wilson Jr. He's the one that made the game-changing strip-sack with a scoop and score a season ago.

Allison starts 0 for 2 through the air, and the Braves punt it away with not much of a bounce to their favor, meaning Oscar Smith has excellent starting field position for their second possession. The Tigers will have it at the Indian River 48 with 7:04 to go in the opening stanza.

 

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Amazed at how easily Nesbit got to the edge on that rushing attempt. Indian River has to respond in a hurry, otheriwse this can become a rout in the favor of the Tigers, looking to move to 24-1 in the past 25 meetings in this series.

 

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It looked like Tyler Allison might've underthrown his intended target in Davion Turns on 3rd & 13, potentially even getting intercepted. But somehow, Turns was able to come up with the catch down the Smith sideline and he raced to the end zone, although he would get flagged as he scored for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That 15-yard infraction will be assessed on the ensuing kickoff, meaning they must boot it away from their own 25 instead of the 40.

Nonetheless, that is a major answer for the Braves, who so badly needed it or else they would've been punting it away down by two touchdowns on the road here.

 

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Oscar Smith goes 3 & out for the first time this evening on their third possession. They went for a deep shot on first down to freakishly athletic sophomore wideout Travis Johnson - younger brother of former Tigers standout and current West Virginia receiver Tory Johnson Jr. - and it was incomplete. Then, the snap was low for QB Lonnie Andrews, resulting in a loss of three. That put them behind the sticks for 3rd & 13, which they failed to convert on another incomplete.

No completions for the Tigers, who punt it away from their own 38 with 3:21 left in the opening frame.

 

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The Indian River passing game is starting to get in a rhythm as QB Tyler Allison has connected on 5 of 7 passes for 90 yards with two completions to Davion Turns and two more to Anthony Morris, who had 88 yards receiving in the double-overtime loss to King's Fork a week ago.

New back in the game for Indian River as well in Kekoa Benavente, who is showing some pop on his runs.

 

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A bad snap, resulting in Indian River QB Tyler Allison having to just go back and dive on the football before Oscar Smith can pick it up, takes the Braves out of the red zone and out of field goal range altogether on their third series of the night.

Instead of going for it on 4th & 25 from the 35, the Braves punt it with Allison and he pins the Tiegers inside their own 5 with 9:18 to go in the first half.

 

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Oscar Smith was in the midst of a nice drive on their fourth possession of the night that started at their own 4. They've had reasonable success at converting third downs, including a 3rd & 9 from their own 16 with freshman Lonnie Andrews Jr. hitting sophomore Travis Johnson over the middle for 27 yards. That was actually their first ompletion of the night and came just a couple plays after the Braves got flagged for their fourth encroachment of the game.

Bad news for Oscar Smith comes at the 5:19 mark when RB Brandon Nesbit has to be helped off the field with an injury. He had 116 yards and 2 TD's on 8 rushes. That would've been his ninth, but it got wiped out on a holding penalty.

Oscar Smith has to punt it away, and following another Braves penalty (7th of the evening), they begin at their own 9 with 4:51 till intermission.

 

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Facing a 3rd & 5 from their own 25 with 3:58 to go in the fiest half, Indian River nearly sees disaster as a high snap takes QB Tyler Allison off his platform and he ends up getting sacked by Jordan Rayner. However, Rayner grabbed face-mask and the Tigers got hit with another penalty. That takes them up 20 yards to their own 45.

Malachi White shoots the gap for his third tackle for loss on the night for the Smith defense. Malachi Hinton gets it back with a 9-yard run, where he drags multiple Tigers defenders into Smith territory to the 48. But on 3rd & 3, Allison's pass is high and off the hands of intended target Jason Preston. Looks like the Braves may punt it away on 4th & 3, although they get the Tigers to jump offsides. Big break with 2:01 to go in the half.

 

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On 3rd & 9 from the Tigers 42, the Indian River offense takes a shot down the field that is broken up by Oscar Smith junior Jaden Dabbs. On 4th & 9, the snap gets away from Tyler Allison, who ends up getting crunched by Jordan McDowell and Jordan Rayner for a loss of about 12.

That gives Oscar Smith favorable field position, at the Braves 46, with 1:33 till half-time. A quick 7-yard completion from Lonnie Andrews III to Travis Johnson has them in position to take a deep shot here.

 

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Big connection there and a sign of what's to come in the future for Oscar Smith with these two talented underclassmen. Johnson can really stretch the field and few, if any, will out-jump him. He's really starting to come into his own after showing glimpses of serious potential in the preseason.

 

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Immediately after Oscar Smith's touchdown, the Braves return the ensuing kickoff with Malachi Hinton, one of the fastest players in all of Tidewater, to the house.



Oscar Smith has pretty good field position after the ensuing kickoff. A Tigers penalty pushes them back, but then it's Lonnie Andrews III hitting Isaiah Acres for a 16-yard pass. Acres comes off the field with an apparent injury with 36 seconds to go in the second quarter before a 3rd & 4 from the Braves 44-yard line.

 

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Crazy how this first half ended with the scoreboard clock operator literally leaving the pressbox, thinking the half was over with triple zeroes. However, after the officials huddled together, they decided to play one untimed down as they said that the pass by Lonnie Andrews III on 2nd & 7 went out of bounds and incomplete with a second left.

So the Tigers cling to a 7-point lead at the break. We'll crunch some numbers in a bit...

 

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Stats at the Half:

Oscar Smith 21:
Lonnie Andrews III - 5-15 for 92Yds. 1-2 TD/Int. ratio
Brandon Nesbit - 8Car. 116Yds. 2 TD's
Travis Johnson - 3Rec. 73Yds. TD
Isaiah Acres - 1Rec. 16Yds.
Malachi White - 5 Tackles, 3 Solo TFL
Jarrell Johns - 4 Tackles, TFL
Jordan Rayner - 3 Tackles, 1.5 TFL

Tigers - 29 plays for 228 total yards (5-15 for 92 yards passing, 2 interceptions; 14 rushes for 136 yards); 2 turnovers; 9 penalties for 71 yards


Indian River 14:
Tyler Allison - 6-12 for 101Yds. 1-0 TD/Int. ratio
Davion Turns - 3Rec. 91Yds. TD
Anthony Morris - 2Rec. 10Yds.
Koa Benavente - 4Car. 19Yds.
Kamil Mason - 6 Tackles (4 Solo), 1.5 TFL
Jordan Harris - 1.5 TFL

Braves - 25 plays for 97 total yards (6-12 for 101 yards passing; 13 rushes for minus 4 yards); 0 turnovers; 9 penalties for 65 yards

 

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It'll be Indian River football to begin the 2nd half at their own 29.

The Braves move the chains once on their opening series of the half, thanks to a 10-yard completion by QB Tyler Allison to WR Anthony Morris. Interestingly enough, it is the third catch of the night for exactly 10 yards for Morris. Two runs with Ravon Moore turn out to be negative plays in terms of yardage as the Tigers defensive front with Jerrod Wilson Jr. alongside Malachi White and Jarrell Johns are ready for him.

The Braves will punt it away on 4th & 11 from their own 39 follwoing their tenth flag of the night. Oscar Smith fair catches the punt at their own 20, where they will start things with 8:18 to go in the third period and ahead by a count of 21-14.

 

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Oscar Smith goes 3 & out on its opening series of the third quarter. Brandon Nesbit, who suffered the injury with 5:19 to go in the first half, returns and is dropped for a loss of two by defensive lineman Jordan Harris. The pass on 2nd & 12 is incomplete, out of the reach of the bouncy Travis Johnson. Lonnie Andrews III scrambles for a couple yards before being tripped up by Lavonte Jones on third down.

The Tigers punt is downed at Indian River's 45-yard line, where the Braves begin their second possession of this third quarter at the 6:39 mark.

If Indian River can establish something with its ground attack to balance out their chunk strikes with the passing game, it can give them a great opportunity of having a scoring drive here that ties the game.

 

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After a run for no gain and an incomplete pass, Braves QB Tyler Allison drops back to throw on 3rd & 10 and it is intercepted by Oscar Smith senior Isaiah Acres, who dives to make the play.

That's the first turnover of the night by Indian River's offense. Oscar Smith takes over at its own 40, looking to protect or expand this 21-14 lead with 5:39 to go in the third period.

 

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What a job by the Indian River defensive front after Oscar Smith had gotten all the way to the 1 after a 37-yard run from Brandon Nesbit. Earlier on the series, it was a nice 11-yard scramble from Lonnie Andrews III, helped by a block on the outside by Jamauri 'Bam' Knox. Good to see Knox back after the tough injury he suffered late in the regular season a year ago at Western Branch that ended his junior season early.

Now the Braves have to be careful to dig out from their own 1 without a safety here with 1:27 to go in the third period.

 

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A coulle of runs by Ravon Moore for the Braves to give them some breathing room from their own 8. This one might be shaping up for another tight finish.

 

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Indian River's drive is nearing midfield after a 7-yard run by Davion Turns on 3rd & 3, then aided by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Oscar Smith. The next play is a 10-yard completion over the middle from Tyler Allison to Davion Turns.

Ravon Moore scoots to the outside on a run, then turns back inside for 26 yards to the Tigers 34 before he's finally tracked down by Jaden Dabbs. This is the best the Braves have looked offensively on the night. Remember, one of their touchdowns came earlier via Malachi Hinton on special teams.

 

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Malachi Hinton moves the chains for Indian River on an important 3rd & 1 from the Oscar Smith 25, picking up two. However, Tyler Allison sees pressure coming in his face and he has his pass deflected, catches it, but loses 12. They get 10 back on a completion to Davion Turns, who has been electric with 6 grabs for 119 yards and a touchdown.

An incomplete pass brings up 4th & 12 from the Tigers 24 with 8:14 to go and host Oscar Smith clinging to a 21-14 lead. This might not be the last chance of the night for Indian River, but it's one of their best chances to get closer, that's for sure.

 

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The Tigers didn't panic and come up with the key defensive stand to end what was a promising Indian River drive. What Oscar Smith cannot do now is give it back with decent field position on a quick 3 & out.

 

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What Oscar Smith did not need was a quick 3 & out and that is what transpired. They lose a yard on a run with Brandon Nesbit on first down as Jordan Harris dropped him behind the line of scrimmage. He's so good and it amazes me he does not have more D-1 / FBS to FCS level offers. The next two plays are incomplete passes.

So the Tigers boot it away and Indian River has the ball back at their own 44 with 7:02 to go. Can they put together another quality drive and this time get it to pay off with points?

 

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Indian River goes 3 & out aon their fourth series of the second half that began at their own 44 and got to the 48. Malachi Hinton didn't gain a yard on his first down run. The second down play was an incomplete with QB Tyler Allison being flushed from the pocket. On 3rd & 10, it's Allison connecting with Marquise Claiborne for 4, but Jahmari DeLoatch - one of the top 2025 prospects in the state - coming up from the corner and drilling him.

Allison quick kick punts it and it's a net of 42 down to the Tigers 10. Oscar Smith will try to drain some clock with 5:20 to go, but the passing game - just 5 of 18 on the night - must be sharp to help that effort.

 

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Another 3 & out for Oscar Smith, which takes only 1:10 off the clock, as the Tigers decide not to run the ball and take some time off the scoreboard. Back-to-back incomplete passes, following the 1-yard run from Brandon Nesbit, means the Tigers are punting it away from their own 10.

So Indian River will get another crack at it, and Brandon Carr must be thrilled.

 

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Trey Voskanyan, who has two interceptions on defense tonight, returns the Oscar Smith punt 11 yards to the Tigers 40. Then it's QB Tyler Allison taking off and scrambling for eight yards on his daring run. Ravon Moore picks up a yard to bring up 3rd & 1. Moore gets to the outside for what looks to be a 10-yard run, but a holding penalty will bring it back.

An immense penalty, making it 3rd & 11 now from the Tigers 41 as the clock ticks near 2:00 to go.

 

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We are tied!

An unbelievable throw by Allison, who rolled to his left and just uncorked a bomb to Slaughter, who got way behind the secondary for the score.

Equally important was the PAT by Noah Martinez. Oh by the way, the Tigers were hit for a 5-yard running into the kicker penalty with 1:53 to go. That means they kick off closer to midfield.

The home crowd is stunned.

 

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Johnson is having a splendid night with 5 catches for 93 yards and a score. Indian River needs their pass rush to get home to Andrews.

 

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After those three straight completions, the Tigers have two incomplete tosses in a row and now the clock stops with 51 seconds to go and Oscar Smith looking at 3rd & 10 from the Braves 48. Remember, if they don't convert, Indian River has three time-outs left to try to get something on its side.

Over the middle, it's Lonnie Andrews III finding Isaiah Acres for a completion worth 8 yards. Chris Scott will use one of his two remaining time-outs left with 21 seconds to go before 4th & 2 from the Braves 40.

 

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Surprised Coach Chris Scott didn't use the time-out quicker.

 

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What a finish!!!

 

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Here's footage of the final play courtesy of Larry Rubama from the Pilot & Daily Press.