Blog LIVE Game Blog: Poquoson 21, Lake Taylor 6 - FINAL

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Greetings from a very comfortable Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, where the Titans play host the visiting Poquoson Bull Islanders.

I say comfortable because the temperature is not nearly as hot as yesterday. It's presently 79 degrees.

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

Before we kick it off with Poquoson getting the ball first, let's re-visit our Tidewater Predictions column and the mini capsule...


Poquoson at Lake Taylor . . . Never before have the Titans of Lake Taylor and Poquoson Bull Islanders square off on the gridiron, so there is some curiosity about this matchup with two very accomplished coaches; three-time State Champ Hank Sawyer for the home crew in Norfolk and reigning two-time Region 2A Champ Elliott Duty for the Bay Rivers District visitors. Speaking of the BRD, Lake Taylor’s last time out was a humbling 41-7 loss to Lafayette in the second round of the playoffs. Gone are some standouts like Elijah ‘Moss’ Washington, who’s now at Syracuse, but Sawyer’s group could be flying under the radar, led by All-State LB Jerome Brown. How well Poquoson can run it, beginning life without All-State RB Baker Green, could determine the tone of this game. That may even mean with QB Eli Tyndall, a three-year starter who was the Class 2 State Player of the Year in baseball.

Matt Hatfield Says – Lake Taylor 27-17
Coach Ed Young Says – Lake Taylor 21-20

 

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What a start for the running game of the Bull Islanders. Coach Elliott Duty has to be thrilled with the way his offensive line, anchored by sophomore Carter Jones at right tackle, is pushing forward and giving the ball carriers room to operate to start things.

 

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Nathan Quiroz levels a Lake Taylor return man on the ensuing kickoff and he recovers it, too, giving Poquoson golden field position at the Titans 19 with 11:23 to go in the opening stanza.

You couldn't have drawn up a better start for Poquoson.

 

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Poquoson is not intimidated, whatsoever, by the usually mighty Titans in their own backyard.

 

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Lake Taylor, on its first offensive possession of the night, finally has something brewing after the rough start.

Keon Johnson runs for eight yards on his first two attempts, then an offsides penalty on Poquoson moves the sticks for the host Titans. A couple plays later, it's senior Jerome Brown - an All-STate performer at linebacker - making a 27-yard catch from QB Promus Royal to move Lake Taylor into Poquoson territory.

Now, the Islanders have to be careful with this twin-veer offense that Coach Hank Sawyer and his offensive coordinator Mike James can dial up.

 

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Big confidence boost for the Titans. Now can Poquoson answer a score with one of their own here?

We might be in store for a high-scoring affair. Of course, I thought that for a moment last night with Kempsville and Salem... and it didn't quite materialize that way.

 

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Lake Taylor's defense forces a 3 & out as they do a much better job against the Poquoson run game, flowing sideline to sideline. Jerome Brown at his linebacker spot leads that effort.

Poquoson with Josh Mitchell punt it away.

So Lake Taylor gets it at their own 41, following the return, with 5:00 even showing on the clock. Promus Royal from the QB spot keeps it and breaks off a 12-yard run. The Titans can make it tough for defenses that haven't seen their style before with the ability to use the pitch, dive and trap or counter run plays.

Darian McKenzie comes in and gets consecutive five-yard runs before the Titans go to the air and it's intercepted on a beautiful play by Poquoson DB Jayson Kell. So the Bull Islanders keep the Titans from drawing close and will have it at their own 5 with 3:19 left in the opening frame.

 

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That Poquoson offensive line - with Brayden Agnese, Christian Leonard, Carter Jones, Gavin Coffman and Taylor Hollingsworth - is going back to work here and opening up big lanes for Dylan Bullard, Khaleo Smith and Cody Little to run right at this Titans defense that is searching for answers when they get to the second level of the defense in a hurry.

Bullard breaks off a run of 39 yards to the Titans 20-yard line with 12 seconds to go in the first period. Not a good sight for the Titans here as they use a time-out with LB Jerome Brown being checked out by the trainers. WIthout him, the defense is in even more trouble potentially.

 

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The Lake Taylor defense does not usually giive up that much in most games, let alone a first quarter.

 

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Big props to Lake Taylor defender LaTavion Hill for making back-to-back tackles on the Poquoson ground game on 2nd & 9, then 3rd & 8 in the red zone.

That brings out the Poquoson special teams unit and their 35-yard field goal is no good with 10:24 to go in the first half, leaving Lake Taylor trailing 14-6.

 

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Lake Taylor has another solid drive working here as Darian McKenzie pops a 20-yard run on 2nd & 7 near midfield. On 3rd & 6 from their own 47, it's QB Promus Royal hitting Jerome Brown for a screen that gets them just over midfield.

On 4th & 2, the Titans leave the offense out there and it makes sense, given their kicking game hasn't shown to be that great at this point of playing the field position game. Carter Jones steps up with a big-time tackle on McKenzie, holding him to just a yard and short of the first down marker. Ball goes back to the Bull Islanders.

Given that Lake Taylor gets the ball to begin the 2nd half, it's important Poquoson moves the ball and tries to score before intermission here. They've got it with 7:48 left in the period.

 

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Poquoson ends up going 3 & out as Cody Little runs for a gain of four yards, but then it's two negative plays. Keon Johnson makes a tackle for loss on second down, followed by LaTavion Hill sacking QB Eli Tyndall.

So Lake Taylor gets the ball back at their own 20 with 5:34 to go in the first half. A 15-yard catch by Jayden Yancey moves the sticks for the Titans. After that though, the Titans don't get much working as a 3-yard loss on a run play, with Nathaniel Quiroz making the stop, followed by a couple of incomplete passes.

The Titans punt it away and it's just a net of 7 yards. That gives Poquoson generous field position at the LT 39 with 3:50 till half-time.

 

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Dannuel Maye, Jeremiah Ferebee and Tyreek Turner all keep Dylan Bullard - who was averaging nearly 30 yards per carry to start this game through his first three attempt - from gaining anything positive on 3rd & 13 for the Poquoson offense.

Lake Taylor Coach Hank Sawyer burns a time-out with 1:26 to go as his Titans will be getting the football back after a punt from Josh Mitchell. Tell you what, that Mitchell kid has a heck of a leg and is easily one of the best punters in Tidewater, perhaps all of Virginia.

Mitchell pins Lake Taylor at their own 5 with 1:15 to go in the half. This is where the Titans have to be extra careful not to turn it over or get hit with a safety on a bad snap.

 

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What Lake Taylor absolutely could not afford to do, they did here towards the end of the first half. Two plays after Carter Jones nearly dropped a Titans ball carrier in the end zone for a safety, Lake Taylor ends up putting the ball on the ground on a pitch out play. It's the third turnoer of the half, second on a lost fumble, and Poquoson is in business at the Titans 11-yard line with 15 seconds to go in the half.

After a 3-yard run with Dylan Bullard, the Islanders trot out the kicking unit for a 25-yard field goal. However, the kick is wide right.

So Lake Taylor dodges a bullet there and will go to the break only trailing by eight at 14-6.

 

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Some half-time numbers forthcoming... stay tuned!

 

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Stats at the Half:

Poquoson 14:
Dylan Bullard - 6Car. 91Yds.
Khaleo Smith - 10Car. 54Yds. TD
Cody Little - 6Car. 19Yds.
Austin Conley - 4 Tackles (3 Solo)
Carter Jones - 3 Tackles, TFL

Islanders - 24 plays for 163 total yards (0-0 passing; 24 rushes for 163 yards); 2 penalties for 15 yards; 0 turnovers


Lake Taylor 6:
Promus Royal - 3-7 for 46Yds; 2Car. 27Yds.
Keon Johnson - 6Car. 40Yds. TD; 7 Tackles (4 Solo), TFL
Darian McKenize - 5Car. 36Yds.
Jerome Brown - 2Rec. 31Yds; 4 Tackles
Casaun Hesson - 4 Tackles

Titans - 23 plays for 153 total yards (3-7 for 46 yards passing; 16 rushes for 107 yards); 2 penalties for 20 yards; 3 turnovers

 

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Lake Taylor begins the second half with the football at their own 20 and Keon Johnson breaks off a 23-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Runs of four and seven by Johnson move the sticks again when the Poquoson defense bites down and makes something happen. Cody Little makes a tackle for loss and on 3rd & 15 the Titans pass attempt falls incomplete.

On the punt return, the Islanders muff it and recovers the loose pigskin is LaTavion Hill of the Titans. They get a fresh set of downs now at the Poquoson 12 with 8:37 showing on the third quarter clock.

 

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Faced with 3rd & 14 from the Poquoson 16-yard line after a trio of Bull Islanders dropped the Titans for a loss of 5, it's a pass to the back of the end zone. From his corner spot, Dom Galacgag does a fine job of breaking it up to prevent a TD.

The Titans keep the offense on the field for 4th & 14 and Payton Maddox makes the catch. However, he is short of the first down marker at the PHS 6. That gives it back to the Islanders at their own 6 with 6:37 to go in the third period.

Dylan Bullard gains 20 yards and making matters worse for the Titans is that they get hit with a 15-yard penalty. Khaleo Smith breaks off a run of 11 into Lake Taylor territory. Cody Little gets 4 yards and Dylan Bullard adds 1 to bring up 3rd & 5 from the LT 43.

Right now, the Islanders are in full grind-it-out mode. We'll see if they can force them to have to go to the air, which they've not done once tonight in terms of an actual pass attempt.

 

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Poquoson moves the chains on 3rd & 5 with a run of about 9/10 yards by Dylan Bullard with Lake Taylor getting flagged for a late hit penalty at the conclusion of the play. Khaleo Smith gains 5 down to the Lake Taylor 14-yard line and with 3:36 to go in the third period. The clock has stopped for an injury time-out as Keon Johnson is shaken up for the Titans. He's had a fine night on both sides of the ball.

Bullard moves the sticks to make it 1st & Goal at the LT 9 as we tick towards 3 minutes to go in the third period. Can the Lake Taylor defense make a big stand here?

 

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After a gain of 1 by Khaleo Smith and pick up of 7 from Cody Little, it's 3rd & Goal from the 1 for Poquoson. They keep it on the sneak with QB Eli Tyndall and nudges forward for the TD to give them a two-score advantage.

Poquoson's offensive line helped make that drive happen.

 

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The Poquoson defense bottles up Lake Taylor to force a 3 & out. It all started with a tackle for loss from Carter Jones - the 6-foot-6, 280-pound sophomore lineman who is a two-way force on the line.

Jones picked up an offer from ODU in the off-season. Safe to say if school watch his tape beginning with tonight, or even the preseason scrimmage at Ocean Lakes, he is bound to get more attention and perhaps offers. Even looks from those at the Power 5 level in my opinion.

 

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Kevin Adams booms a 54-yard punt for Lake Taylor to help them immensely from a field position standpoint.

Poquoson has it at their own 37 with 11:49 left in regulation, trying to nurse this 21-6 lead and milk some clock.

 

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Cody Little rumbles for 10 yards and a first down, then Khaleo Smith bounces off a tackle to gain 6 more into Lake Taylor territory for this punishing Poquoson ground attack.

The Lake Taylor defense - behind 11 total tackles from Jerome Brown on the night so far and 9 by Casaun Hesson - are able to get off the field as Poquoson will be punting it away on 4th & 2 from the Titans 45 with 8:47 remaining after a time-out.

 

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Lake Taylor nearly gets a big completion close to midfield to freshman Dannuel Maye. However, it's incomplete, bringing up 3rd & 11 from their own 19. However, on the very next play, it's Kevin Adams hauling in an 18-yard pass from QB Promus Royal.

Adams then goes up to make a splendid leaping catch to the Poquoson 40-yard line, but the officials catch him slamming / spiking the ball down. That's a 15-yard penalty that backs the Titans up to their own 45.

That's the third 15-yard penalty on the Titans and if I know Coach Hank Sawyer like I do, he won't tolerate those things and express his displeasure to his guys for not showing their composure in that spot.

 

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On the plus side for Lake Taylor, they're starting to get in a rhythm with their passing game as Promus Royal finds Jerome Brown for an 8-yard connection. It brings up 3rd & 2 from the Poquoson 47, but the next pass falls incomplete. If time was on their side, they probably would've run the ball there. It is two-down territory, though.

The Titans keep the offense on the field with 6:22 to go and trailing the visiting Islanders 21-6. The QB Royal keeps it for a run up the middle and 3 yards to move the chains. Royal hits Dannuel Maye for consecutive completions, netting 18 and 3 yards down to the 23 of Poquoson before it's an incomplete on a shot to the end zone.

Huge 3rd & 7 coming up from the PHS 23 with 5:26 to play.

 

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Promus Royal drops back to throw and against the rush he feels it and loses the ball. It's recovered by Poquoson's Cody Little.

Lake Taylor defender Tyreek Turner makes consecutive tackles when Poquoson gets the ball back. His second one is a tackle for loss as the Islanders go backwards 3 yards. Heath Reynolds runs for 5 yards on 3rd & 13, stopped by Turner and Jerome Brown.

Coach Elliott Duty of Poquoson wisely is letting that clock tick down to about 2 minutes before punting it away with a 21-6 lead. Poquoson uses a time-out with 2:26 to go to avoid a delay of game penalty.

 

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After a lengthy delay to figure out who used the time-out and what yard line the ball was on (or something like that... maybe where the refs are eating for dinner), we resume play. Promus Royal just misses a wide open Jayden Yancey, who would've gone the distance for an 87-yard TD pass.

Brayden Agnese drops Royal for a loss of 2 on a sack. Lake Taylor uses a time-out, which we believe leaves them with just one remaining and 1:51 showing on the clock.

Barring some late-game heroics, the Bull Islanders are closing in on a very nice road win.

Cam Stowers makes a pass breakup on 3rd & 12 so this is the game with 1:44 to go and the Titans facing 4th & 12 from their own 11.

 

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Dannuel Maye gains 12 yards to move the sticks on fourth down. However, just a couple plays later, it's the fifth Poquoson takeaway to seal the deal.

 

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