NEWPORT NEWS — For those who had doubts, the Phoebus football team is just fine.
In a highly anticipated season opener, the Phantoms raced to their 50th consecutive victory, 49-7 over a pesky Denbigh squad Friday night at Todd Stadium.
The victory also marked the 67th straight Peninsula District win for coach Jeremy Blunt and his team, which is seeking a fifth consecutive state title. The 50 wins are just two shy of a VHSL state record which the Phantoms initially earned with 52. It was equaled by Riverheads High of Staunton, whose streak ended in 2022.
Tyree Diggs led Phoebus with 130 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half. After losing 31 seniors to graduation last year, coupled with their late start (Friday was their first game), there was a veiled cloud of concern over how good the Phantoms would be against the Patriots, who were picked to finish in the top half of the district.
Diggs finished with 150 yards on 14 carries.
Maurikus Banks and Jayden Javier silenced the naysayers early. After Phoebus recovered a Patriots fumble on the opening kickoff, it failed to score. However, on the Phantoms’ next possession, Banks connected with Javier on a pass to the left, and the 5-foot-8, 160-pound sophomore receiver outran the defense to the end zone. Jayden Williams’ conversion kick put Phoebus ahead 7-0.
Banks threw and ran for touchdowns, while Rashaun Alston-Parrott and Mikhail Georges added second-half ground scores. Banks’ rushing TD was set up by back Isiah Blackwell, who carried the ball three times for 37 yards.
Diggs scored his three touchdowns on runs of 2 yards, 5 yards and 1 yard. On the second drive, Diggs carried six times for 58 yards, accounting for all but 26 yards of the drive.
Between the second and third Diggs score, Denbigh quarterback Kevin Parker hit Jyran Evans for a 63-yard scoring pass. Parker was on target for several long throws and totaled over 150 passing yards in the first half.
-— Reported by Jim McGrath
No. 12 Kempsville dominates first half, beats No. 15 Bayside
VIRGINIA BEACH — From the opening kickoff return Friday night, No. 12 Kempsville took control and went on to a 37-20 home victory over No. 15 Bayside.
“We are constantly working on winning each week,” Kempsville coach Daryl Cherry said. “It’s an expectation for us to try to win; it’s no accident.”
Bobby Hughes ran for 229 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries for the Chiefs (2-1). His 4-yard TD run followed Jahlen Batty’s 71-yard return of Bayside’s opening kickoff.
In the second quarter, a 22-yard run by Camir Croom and Josh Hawley’s 20-yard pass to James Releford gave Kempsville a 21-0 halftime lead. Kempsville held Bayside (2-1) to three first downs and 4 yards on 11 carries in the first half.
Hawley’s 55-yard TD pass to Batty made it 28-0, and only a penalty prevented Kempsville from making it 35-0. The Marlins stopped the Chiefs at the 1-yard line and began a comeback that featured two Kyron Brown touchdowns: a 90-yard run and a 20-yard pass from Kam Kirby.
After Kirby ran for a 30-yard score and Henry Stinson kicked a PAT, it was 34-20 early in the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs clinched the victory with a drive that took 7:54 and ended with Max Clatterbuck’s 39-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining.
— Reported by Charlie Baumgardner
No. 11 Hampton has big night against Menchville
Quarterback Marcus Chapman threw three touchdown passes as No. 11 Hampton rolled to a 60-7 victory over Menchville in a Peninsula District game at Darling Stadium.
Chapman had two touchdown passes in the first quarter as the Crabbers took a 13-0 lead.
Montrell Harrison had two rushing touchdowns for the Crabbers. Davion Perry caught two of Chapman’s touchdown passes, including a 70-yard strike. Namahri Boyd had a touchdown reception and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Hampton (2-0) will face Woodside next week.
No. 13 Poquoson rallies for victory
No. 13 Poquoson fell behind early and trailed at halftime, but came back to defeat upset-minded Tabb 21-10 in a Bay Rivers District game.
Tabb hit a 33-yard field goal on its first possession and led 10-7 at halftime. But Austin Conley set up a Poquoson score in the second half and scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run to put the game away.
Poquoson (3-0) will face Grafton next Friday.
Cox dominates First Colonial
Cox made a case to join the Top 15 Friday, defeating rival First Colonial 48-7 in a Beach District game.
The Falcons (2-1) controlled both sides of the ball. Their offense had 366 yards, while the defense limited First Colonial to 88 yards of offense and only 4 yards rushing.
The Falcons got started quickly as Elijah Burton caught a 26-yard pass from Brandon Herron for a 7-0 lead.
Cox got the ball back quickly and was set up with good field position as Rex Miller returned a punt 53 yards, putting the Falcons at the First Colonial 10. On third down, Tyre Jefferies scored on a 9-yard touchdown run for a 13-0 lead.
The Patriots had trouble getting their offense going and were forced to punt. The Falcons started moving quickly, aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty. Miller capped the four-play drive with a 17-yard run, and Cox led 20-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was just as rough for the Patriots. Herron, Grady Swango and Jiwan Mack all had scoring runs, pushing the Cox lead to 39-0 at halftime.
After back-to-back turnovers to open the second half, First Colonial finally struck. Rodney Smith got behind the Cox secondary and caught a pass from Micah Hathaway for a 49-yard touchdown.
Cox countered with an MJ Lemke 9-yard touchdown pass to Alex Neff.
First Colonial (1-2) was called for holding in the end zone for a safety to cap the scoring.
Cox will get a big test next week when it faces defending Beach District champion Green Run.
Lake Taylor controls Deep Run
Lake Taylor used a strong first half en route to a non-district 39-7 victory over Deep Run in Glen Allen.
Keon Johnson and Magerald Clark both scored first-quarter touchdowns to give the Titans a 13-0 lead.
Deep Run cut the lead to 13-7 and had a chance to make it 13-10, but the Titans blocked a field goal and returned it deep into Wildcats territory. DeVaughn Powell scored on the next play for a 19-7 lead.
Deep Run took a deep shot to cut the lead before halftime, but Lake Taylor intercepted the pass.
Kevin Adams scored on a quarterback sneak in the third quarter, and the Titans scored two more touchdowns to put the game out of reach.
The Titans (2-1) will face Booker T. Washington next Friday.
________
Scoreboard
757Teamz Top 15
#1 Maury 38, Bishop McNamara (Maryland) 35
#3 Phoebus 49, Denbigh 7
#4 Green Run 74, Princess Anne 0
#5 King’s Fork 34, Deep Creek 0
#6 Nansemond River 61, Grassfield 0
#7 Indian River 28, Great Bridge 7
#8 Lafayette 35, New Kent 8.
#10 Salem 28, Landstown 14
#11 Hampton 60, Menchville 7
#12 Kempsville 37, #15 Bayside 20
#13 Poquoson 21, Tabb 10
#14 Western Branch 30, Hickory 13
Bay Rivers District
Smithfield 42, Bruton 0
Warhill 56, Jamestown 16
Beach District
Cox 48, First Colonial 7
Tallwood 19, Ocean Lakes 7
Eastern District
Churchland 47, Granby 18
Nondistrict
Lake Taylor 39, Deep Run 7
Manor 56, Lakeland 6
Norview 20, Woodside 6
Varina 58, Norcom 0
Private schools
Blessed Sacrament Huguenot 40, Greenbrier Christian 22
First Flight (N.C.) 30, Norfolk Christian 12
Collegiate 33, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 0
Norfolk Academy 41, Atlantic Shores Christian 12
Catholic 14, Roanoke Catholic 8
