LIVE Updates - Lake Taylor (3-2) at Granby (3-2)

[matthew328826]

We are here at Powhatan Field in Norfolk as the Granby Comets, trying to qualify for the eight-team playoff field in Class 6, Region A take on a Lake Taylor Titans team that has won a pair of state titles since 2012. Lake Taylor is currently projected as the #3 seed for Class 4, Region A.

 

[matthew328826]

Lamb did a good job on that drive, converting a 4th & 1 on a sneak play and also finding Shavaiea Williams and Tyreik Smith for a couple of completions worth 27 yards. Lake Taylor's defense was called for a holding penalty on 3rd & 9 with the Comets at their 28-yard line that helped extend the drive.

Coming up is Lake Taylor's first possession.

 

[matthew328826]

James Madison University assistant coach Bryan Stinespring is in attendance here at Powhatan Field tonight. Of course, Stiney and the reigning FCS National Champion JMU Dukes got a good one from Lake Taylor in LB Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey in their most recent signing class.

I'd imagine they are keeping an eye on Lake Taylor freshman RB Malik Newton as well as a couple of Granby Class of 2018 prospects - WR Shavaiea Williams and lineman Neal Azar (who has an incredible 4.9 GPA!).

Granby Head Coach Sekou Wilson told me before the game that both Williams and Azar plan to take in Richmond's game this weekend.

 

[matthew328826]

Not a good start for Lake Taylor on its first possession with three plays netting them just two yards. The key 3rd & 3 lost five yards as new starting QB, freshman Jeff Foster, decides to pitch when he probably should've kept it.

Granby, up 7-0, will take over at its own 45 yard line with 3:59 left in the opening quarter. This is an important possession for Granby to try to get points and build the lead, but if nothing else move the ball and not let Lake Taylor get it back off a quick 3 and out.

 

[matthew328826]

Just what the doctor ordered for Lake Taylor. It's Harvey - who has moved from QB to WR with Foster starting under center tonight - making a play in the secondary. Early on, Granby's wide receivers were getting some cushion and taking advantage of it on underneath stop routes. Lake Taylor's defense made a subtle adjustment, starting to play them tighter at the line of scrimmage.

 

[matthew328826]

Couple nice runs from Lake Taylor after they got the ball back via the Harvey INT. But once the Titans move into Granby territory, they cough it up on a fumble - their 23rd of the season and 17th lost fumble in this game #6. Roger Williams had the recovery on Shavaiea Williams' force when he made contact with freshman RB Malik Newton.

Granby takes over late in the period at their own 37 yard line, ahead 7-0.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby QB Daniel Lamb was 4 of 9 with 40 pass yards, 1 INT. Comets had 9 rushes for 25 yards.

Lake Taylor QB Jeff Foster was 1 of 1 for 13 pass yards (the completion to Javon Harvey). Titans ran it 7 times for 22 yards, a lost fumble included.

 

[matthew328826]

Williams blasts up the middle and is off to the races. Seldom see a long run popped off like that against the Lake Taylor defense. Occasionally they get hit for a long pass play. Surprised to a degree no one from the secondary chased him down.

Granby couldn't have asked for a much better start, and if not for the turnover they had on the tipped INT, could be up three scores in this one.

Lake Taylor badly needs an answer here.

 

[matthew328826]

Lake Taylor starts to get its running game going with Deon Smith, going away from the pitch as the Granby d-ends play for it... but the Titans now facing a key 3rd & 15 from the Comets 49-yard line following a loss of 5 on a run (Frank Wilson and Savione Burton combine for the stop) and incomplete pass.

Comeback pass from Jeff Foster to Javon Harvey has the Titans facing a 4th & 1 from the Granby 35-yard line. Hank Sawyer and company will go for it coming up.

 

[matthew328826]

Jeff Foster converts the 4th & 1 for Lake Taylor on the QB sneak.

But the drive comes to an end on yet another Titans fumble.

 

[matthew328826]

For some reason, the Titans are playing off in coverage and not pressing at the line, giving Granby's receivers enough of a cushion to make something happen.

On 3rd & 8 from their own 44, QB Daniel Lamb hits WR Shavaiea Williams on a crossing route for 16 yards into Lake Taylor territory. The Titans defense will need another big play to give their offense a chance to cut into this lead before the break.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby's offense goes backwards once they cross into Lake Taylor territory and the big reason was a snap that flew past QB Daniel Lamb, who picked up the loose ball and threw it out of bounds. Intentional grounding was called. Loss of down and big yardage. Granby punts it away on 4th & 35.

Godo field position for Lake Taylor thanks to Keyshawn Bagley's 29-yard punt return. Titans begin at the Granby 43-yard line with 3:37 left in the first half, trailing the Comets 14-0.

 

[matthew328826]

The inside slant/post with Jeff Foster finding Javon Harvey gained 28 for the Titans and got them in the red zone. But the Granby defense is hanging tough - kudos to senior Dontay Bell and Roger Williams along with a few others for stepping up and bringing up now 4th & Goal for LT from the 3 after Foster scrambled for a gain of 5.

 

[matthew328826]

Very gutsy play call by Titans OC Mike James to go with the load option play and QB Jeff Foster pitches it to RB Malik Newton, who is able to squeeze in on the right side for a 3-yard TD. A freshman to freshman combination there. Lake Taylor may take some lumps (such as the Phoebus loss by double-figures a week ago and Freedom a month ago on the road), but the future does look bright.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby takes a shot on first down and it went right through the hands of a receiver. Would've gained them a sizable chunk of yards. Troy Ricks pushes the pile forward for a gain of 9. Comets burn their second time-out. 3rd & 1 at their own 39 with 24 seconds left in the first half.

 

[matthew328826]

Chance for Lake Taylor to draw closer before the half, trailing Granby 14-6.

 

[matthew328826]

Half - Granby 14, Lake Taylor 6

Some key numbers...

Granby:
Daniel Lamb - 5 of 14 for 56 pass yards, INT; TD run
Roger Williams - 5Car. 70Yds. TD
Shaviaea Williams - 4Rec. 46Yds; 1.5TFL, Forced Fumble
Jaquelle Gillespie - 6 Tackles (5 Solo). 0.5TFL

Comets with 29 plays for 163 yards (15Car. 107 yards); 4 penalties for 40 yards; 2 turnovers (1 lost fumble)

Lake Taylor:
Deon Smith - 15Car. 50Yds.
Malik Newton - 3Car. 13Yds. TD
Jeff Foster - 3-7 for 50 pass yards
Javon Harvey - 3Rec. 50Yds.

Titans with 29 plays for 119 yards (22Car. 69Yds.); 3 penalties for 21 yards; 2 turnovers (2 lost fumbles)

 

[matthew328826]

Lake Taylor begins the second half at their own 35-yard line.

Jaquelle Gillespie, Roger Williams and Dontay Bell combine to limit Deon Smith to a 1 yard gain on 3rd & 2. On 4th & 1 with Lake Taylor lining up to go for it, Granby is called for offsides. A costly penalty that may bite the Comets before the night is done.

On 3rd & 7 at their own 48, Lake Taylor goes to the air and it's Tyreik Smith - the senior DB who had the game-clinching INT in the end zone against Norview a week ago - intercepting a jump-ball.

3rd Lake Taylor turnover of the evening. Remember, they entered minus 9 in the turnover department. A big reason why they are 3-2 instead of their customary 5-0 or 4-1 at this point in the season.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby goes 3 and out. Although it feels that the Comets should be up more than the 14-6 margin the lead by, they have to be a bit worried that the Titans are going to get the ball back and not turn it over. That means a score could be coming and if that happens then Lake Taylor is a two-point conversion away from typing, despite Granby outplaying them much of this game. The Granby offense has to take some pressure off a defense that has been strong most of the night.

Field position is starting to tilt in Lake Taylor's favor as well. A face-mask penalty on Granby on the punt will force the Comets to put it again, closer to their end zone. A special teams breakdown would be deadly here.

 

[matthew328826]

Lake Taylor begins at the Granby 40-yard line, the type of excellent field position. But as they've done all night, the Granby defense has been stout against the run, not surrendering a scamper of 20 yards or longer. On 4th & 4 from the Comets 34, they decide to go for it...

QB Jeff Foster nearly gets hit by the Granby rush, but fortunately LG Denzel Ewell (younger brother of ex-Titans lineman and current Notre Dame lineman Darnell Ewell) is able to keep him from being sacked. Pass isn't caught, but interference is called on Granby. That's another crucial penalty on the Comets. Eventually, one of these will sting them.

Lake Taylor gets new life with that, but on 3rd & 15 from the 25, a pass is picked off by Comets DB Shaviaea Williams. That's the 4th turnover of the night - second by air - for the Titans. Granby takes over, up 14-6 with 4:05 in the 3rd quarter.

 

[matthew328826]

For the second possession in a row, Granby goes 3 and out. Lake Taylor's defense is bottling up the Comets offense in this half after some mild struggles in the first half.

Couple of penalties and a sack by Granby d-lineman Neal Azar brings up 3rd & 33 for the Titans from their own 45. Surprised at just how well the Granby defensive front has played against Lake Taylor's o-line - viewed as the strength of their team going into the season. The Comets have done a nice job rotating some different bodies in with Azar and Frank Wilson leading the effort on the line. Jaquelle Gillespie has been a factor at the LB level, constantly finding the ball carrier.

 

[matthew328826]

Granby moves the chains for the first time in this second half and it comes on the opening play of the 4th quarter with RB Roger Williams bursting through the middle again untouched for a gain of 25 before Donnovan Bishop brings him down at the third level of the defense. That is the type of play Coach Sekou Wilson and his Comets were looking for to tilt field position.

QB Daniel Lamb gains 6 and tack on 15 yards on a face-mask penalty on the Titans. Starting to become danger time for Lake Taylor, while Granby can smell its first win over the Titans since 2004.

 

[matthew328826]

Shaviaea Williams, one of the more underrated receivers in Tidewater, gains 13 yards on a curl on the pass from QB Daniel Lamb. Williams is up to 6 receptions for 65 yards, plus has one of the 4 takeaways on defense courtesy of his INT earlier in the half.

Facing 3rd & Goal at the Lake Taylor 11, the Comets try to go to Williams again. While unsuccessful, they draw a pass interference penalty on the Titans, trying to get him the ball on the slant. That'll be half the distance to the goal.

Even a field goal for the Comets will likely put this game away.

 

[matthew328826]

Another break for Lake Taylor. Can they capitalize?

 

[matthew328826]

Lake Taylor knocking on the door now. Ball security paramount here.

 

[matthew328826]

The Granby defense with a big-time stand here. Frank Wilson with the first tackle for loss. Lake Taylor fumbles on 3rd & Goal, but QB Jeff Foster alertly picks it up. Loses 3 nonetheless. Time-out Granby.

3:51 to play - Lake Taylor down 14-6 and they have it, the Titans facing 4th & Goal at the Granby 7.

 

[matthew328826]

Malik Newton gained 5, but the Granby defense didn't give him enough daylight or miss a tackle.

 

[matthew328826]

We see the game's 7th turnover - 3rd lost fumble - as Granby coughs it up at their own 2. Recovered by Ikeem Wright.

Very next play - it's Deon Smith with a toss play and running it in from 3 yards out for a TD.

2-point try coming up.

 

[matthew328826]

Surprised to a degree that Lake Taylor decided to go with a pass instead of a run on the 2-point play to try to tie the game, although in that condensed space they have had some trouble running on Granby's front.

Still plenty of time for a wild finish - similar to what we had happen on this field in 2012 when Ohio State's Jalyn Holmes caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Delmon Williams as time expired to lift the Titans to a dramatic win over a then unbeaten Granby team that was left in disbelief.

Comets begin at their own 6 with 2:46 to play. Nerves setting in just a bit.

 

[matthew328826]

After 0 yards on 1st & 10, Granby gives it to the up back - Roger Williams - and he has been gashing the Titans defense all night. Also had a crucial tackle on 4th & Goal earlier in the game. Williams blasts 34 yards to go for over 100 on the night. To the LT 40.

 

[matthew328826]

Lake Taylor needs some magic on the punt return, otherwise Granby will be headed to 4-2 and beat the Titans for the first time since 2004.

 

[matthew328826]

Wisely, Granby kicks the ball out of bounds. Titans start at own 28 with 11.5 seconds to go.

 

[matthew328826]

Final - Granby 14, Lake Taylor 12

More to come later...

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Thanks Matt, another great job.

 

[redzone4us]

Final - Granby 14, Lake Taylor 12

More to come later...

View embedded media

congrats to Granby!!!

 

[Lafayette]

Things are getting very tough for LT. Devils 99 who used post here for LT went to Churchland, the worst team in Div 4 in all of SE Virginia.