LIVE Updates - Oscar Smith (6-1) at Indian River (5-2)

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Greetings on this warm and sunny Saturday in Chesapeake as the Indian River Braves (5-2) play host to the Oscar Smith Tigers (6-1) at James L. Frye Stadium in a pivotal Southeastern District matchup. It's a seasonably warm 76 degrees.

Oscar Smith hasn't lost to Indian River since 1998 and the Tigers have yet to give up more than seven points this season to any district foe. Their Southeastern District winning streak is currently at 97 games, although two years ago the Braves nearly snapped it, losing on a punt return from current Tigers senior Deangelo White with under a minute to play.

Follow updates here and via the Twitter feed @ hatfieldsports all game long...

 

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Photo by Greg Bishop



Special teams haunts Indian River yet again in this series Acevado gives the Tigers a great start and Wilson provides the early lead.

 

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Couple of completions underneath by Indian River QB Rasheen Brooks to RB Nashun Overton and WR Dylan Hammond moves the chains. They also put the fullback in the game, #13 Charles Dixon, and that helps Brooks gain 7 on a run. But on 3rd & 2 from their own 42, Brooks slips when it looked like a first down was there.

Braves punt away on a long 4th & 1. Tigers begin their second series at their own 22 with 8:27 to go in the opening period.

 

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With junior standout Cam'Ron Kelly getting more work in on defense, Oscar Smith decided to go with Dominique Brooks as the starter at quarterback today and he's off to a nice start - 3 of 3 for 51 yards. The Tigers marched down the field with ease on that series, needing to convert only one third down.

That third down conversion came on a crossing route where WR Kenny Etheridge caught a Brooks pass along the sideline, tippy-toed and turned it up for a gain of 15.

So far a nice steady diet of run and pass from the Tigers with 9 carries from five different players, amassing 31 yards.

Photo by Greg Bishop

 

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Braves begin the march with a 12-yard completion to Isaiah Hyman on a screen, find him later for a gain of 14 and a run of 17 yards from Ricardo Ray put them in Oscar Smith territory.

Indian River going for it on 4th & 7 from the Smith 32...

 

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Brooks escaped the pressure and he's having a nice start, despite his team trailing 14-0, as he's 7 of 7 for 49 yards passing. Using a lot of short stuff in the passing game, but it's effective. Now how long that continues to work and how patien they remain, only time will tell.

Photo by Greg Bishop

 

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Indian River drive ends on 4th & 4 from the 19-yard line of Oscar Smith when Rasheen Brooks has his connection to Gerrien Christopher come up a yard short.

Key play came on a pass breakup in the end zone by the tiny, yet feisty Aaron Acevado. Brooks had started 7 of 7.

Oscar Smith takes over with 10:30 to go in the second period, leading 14-0 on the Braves, at their own 16-yard line.

 

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Glenwood Ferebee and his Braves must be thinking FINALLY - a special teams play in this series that goes their way. Austin Good blocks the punt and runs it in for a TD. That cuts the Oscar Smith lead in half.

Photo by Greg Bishop

Credit the Indian River defensive line - featuring Ben Smiley, Kani Crite, Damari Owens and company - for buckling down and stopping the run after Dominique Brooks' first incomplete pass (he began 3 of 3 for 51 yards), forcing a punt from near the Tigers' end zone.

 

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What a momentum shift for Indian River, making special teams special this afternoon, as the Braves take over at the Smith 40. Now let's see if this Braves offense can capitalize on the short field position and tie this game up.

The kickoff was fielded by Horace Sawyer on what essentially was a squib. Indian River came out of the pile with the pigskin.

 

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What a hit by Oscar Smith's T.J. Tucker as the junior linebacker absolutely unload on an Indian River intended receiver on a pass in the flat. Clean hit and that is the type of physical tone - and message - the Tigers want to set and send in this one.

An INT by Jaylen Todd is wiped away on a holding penalty on the Tigers. That puts the Braves at the 30 of Smith.

 

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A well-designed and executed play by Indian River. They knew Oscar Smith was playing up and biting on the flats, especially after that hit by Tucker. They send one receiver on a hitch on the outside, the inside guy on a slant and then the other outside receiver - Gerrien Christopher - is wide open on the fade to the end zone.

Photo by Greg Bishop

Brooks is now 10 of 12 through the air for 88 yards and a score. As long as he continues to take care of the ball and his o-line gives him enough time to operate, the Braves are fully capable of being in this one to the finish.

My oh my, how quickly this game has turned.

 

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Indian River's defensive line is starting to have an impact on this game with Ben Smiley at one d-end, Lincorey Lucas at the other (teaming with Austin Good for a tackle for loss on QB Dom Brooks on first down) and Kani Crite down on the inside.

When they go to 4 down linemen, they'll also use Damari Owens inside.

But a costly pass interference penalty on third down gives Oscar Smith a fresh set of downs at midfield with under 6 minutes till the half.

 

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A great run by Khalid Wilson on 2nd & 24, breaking a tackle and picking up 22 to give Oscar Smith 3rd and short. But Wilson loses a yard on the next play, a pitch that LB Charles Dixon - once a d-linemen - diagnosed immediately.

On 4th & 3 at the Indian River 43 - Oscar Smith decides to go for it and it makes sense because of how the last punt went. Brooks finds Jarius Howard for a gain of 12.

 

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Dominique Brooks scrambles for 5, Deangelo White gains 4 on a run play and then it's Keyon Watson picking up 6 on 3rd & 1.

Ben Smiley and Damari Owens combine for a tackle for loss, then Khalid Wilson gains 7 to bring up 3rd & 4 from the Braves 10. Coach Scott Johnson of Oscar Smith and his OC Tim Smith elect to use a time-out here with 33 seconds before the break.

 

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Indian River Head Coach Glenwood Ferebee and his DC Jeff McGowan (former Head Coach at Green Run and Kempsville) have to be pleased with the pursuit of their d-line. Dominique Brooks scrambles, avoids a couple of pass rushers, but Ben Smiley brings him down for a loss of 5 on third down.

Photo by Greg Bishop

Oscar Smith uses a time-out with 14 seconds to trot on the kicker for a FG try.

 

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Austin Good has been really good today on special teams - his second blocked kick. A wild second quarter here in Chesapeake as this game is starting to take on a look of the one from two years at Hickory High that was an instant classic in front of a packed house.

On the run back by Demetri Payne of Good's block for Indian River - I thought from up here in the pressbox there was a second on the clock when he got knocked out of bounds around the 30 or 40 yard line. Refs huddle and say half-time. It was very close. Coach Ferebee pleased his case to no avail.

God crowd today. Oscar Smith showed composure to put together a nice drive after the 14 unanswered points by the Braves, but they didn't finish the drive for a mixture of reasons.

Another thing worth noting - Indian River is missing one of its fastest receivers - DeSean Cromwell (#19) - sidelined today due to a hamstring injury.

We'll have some stats in a bit...

 

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Stats at the Half...

Oscar Smith 14:
Dominique Brooks - 4-5 for 63 pass yards; 5Car. 4Yds.
Khalid Wilson - 7Car. 43Yds. TD
Deangelo White - 6Car. 18Yds.
Jarius Howard - 2Rec. 41Yds.
Horace Sawyer - 5 Tackles (2 Solo)

Tigers - 26 plays for 136 yards (21 carries for 73 yards; 4-5 for 63 pass yards); 1 turnover; 2 penalties for 25 yards

Indian River 14:
Rasheen Brooks - 10-12 for 88 pass yards, TD; 2Car. 8Yds.
Ricardo Ray - 2Car. 18Yds.
Gerrien Christopher - 4Rec. 43Yds. TD
Isaiah Hyman - 3Rec. 25Yds.
Tyrion Smith - 5 Tackles (4 Solo)

Braves - 20 plays for 117 yards (8 carries for 29 yards; 10-12 for 88 pass yards); 0 turnovers; 4 penalties for 30 yards

 

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It'll be Indian River football to begin the second half. It was Smith domination in the opening quarter and the Braves controlled things for the most part during the second period.

 

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After a huge hit from Smith LB Horace Sawyer (boy, that guy brings the wood on his tackles), the Braves moves into Smith territory as the passing game continues to stay in a rhythm.

Photo by Greg Bishop

Christopher picks up 10 more yards on a simple out pattern, down to the Smith 22-yard line. Elijah Alston and Jalen Moore team for a sack and a key 3rd down is coming up.

 

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That could be big as Smith takes over at its own 25 with 8:54 in the third quarter because Artis is an All-State linebacker and arguably the best player on the Tigers defense.

 

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Oscar Smith goes 3 and out as they can't get the running game working with Kani Crite and Ben Smiley blowing up a 3rd and short run. Then the Tigers get penalized for delay of game, so that could hurt their field position situation even more.

 

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On 3rd & 4 nonetheless. It came after a 10-yard Braves penalty and 15-yard Tigers penalty.

 

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The Oscar Smith defensive line makes its presence felt with a sack by Jalen Moore to bring up 2nd & 27. After a 16-yard completion to the sideline by Rasheen Brooks to Laquan Bryant, it is Kyle Thomas' turn to bring down the QB.

Thomas brings down Moore and his helmet comes flying off as well... the Braves sideline is screaming for a penalty. All they get is a sideline warning against Oscar Smith. So it's punt time for the Braves.

This game can very well be decided on special teams with a big return. We've already seen a big Smith return and 2 blocked kicks by the Braves.

 

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Right on cue -- it's special teams being special, again...

Photo by Greg Bishop

 

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Indian River's inability to generate a consistent ground game is starting to hurt them. It kept them from breaking the 14-all tie when they had the ball in Smith territory and now Smith's offense can put some distance between themselves and the Braves with a score here. Now at the 24 after an 11-yard run by Deangelo White.

 

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Pocket breaks down on Tigers QB Dominique Brooks - again, no Cam Kelly today at QB... for the time being - and it's 3rd & 22 for Oscar Smith after Kani Crite and Ben Smiley bring him down.

Shy'keem Hussey had a chance for a TD deep, but the pass is off the mark. It's 4th & long and a likely punt coming for Smith. Curious to see if Indian River sells out to try and block it - they have two blocked kicks today.

 

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Indian River goes 3 and out with the key play coming from Oscar Smith DE Jalen Moore on second down. He got the sack and he has 2.5 of those today. That Oscar Smith pressure is increasing and Indian River is having a harder time getting them blocked.

The Braves might want to go to max protect their next series, should they get the ball back.

Indian River's punt goes straight up in the air for literally 0 yards. Special teams was great for the Braves in the first half, but has cost them dearly in this second half, similar to this matchup two years ago.

 

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Oscar Smith fans can probably breathe a sigh of relief as they now have a two-score advantage. Special teams leading directly to a pair of scores for the Tigers in this one.

The streak of consecutive wins in the Southeastern District looks safe and on its way to 98 games, barring a barrage from Indian River here in the final 7 minutes and change.

Photo by Greg Bishop

 

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Indian River QB Rasheen Brooks sells the fake handoff extremely well on 2nd & 11, finding Isaiah Hyman for 13 yards. The Braves then move into Tigers territory on Brooks' run of 7 yards. He's done a really solid job today of operating in the pocket.

The Braves just haven't found a consistent ground attack to complement him or taken advantage of some pretty good field position.

With Oscar Smith sending a lot of guys at Brooks, the Braves can't handle it and now are going for it on 4th & 19 from their own 47 after a false start penalty.

 

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Oscar Smith goes to the ground game with Keyon Watson and Deangelo White, combining for 10 yards. White adds 11 and Khalid Wilson picks up 10.

Just over two minutes remaining and Oscar Smith leads it 28-14 on the Braves, looking to add one more score.

 

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Another sound output from the 1-2 punch of Khalid Wilson (13Car. 80Yds. 2TD's) and Deangelo White (11Car. 62Yds. TD) this afternoon. The Tigers looked much sharper in the second half and have been in command with the exception of a second quarter they'd like to forget.

Photo by Greg Bishop

 

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Couple nice runs from Carmello Sweat, a junior RB for Indian River, gets the Braves into Tigers territory with under a minute to go. But time is running out on the Braves and it's over.

Final - Oscar Smith 35, Indian River 14.

 

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Photo by Greg Bishop

More to come later...