HAMPTON — To borrow loosely from Mark Twain, reports of Phoebus High’s football death are greatly exaggerated.
The Phantoms have, more accurately, been injured and struggling. After 51 consecutive wins, the eighth-ranked squad in the 757Teamz Top 15 entered a difficult Peninsula District test Thursday against upstart Bethel on the heels of two losses. After struggling again offensively in the first half, the Phantoms showed plenty of life in a terrific second half that carried them to a 34-21 victory at Darling Stadium.
The key returners from injury were quarterback Maurikus Banks, hurt late in the loss to Warwick and out for the loss to Highland Springs, and receiver/defensive back Mhakyi Hill — missing for the past three games. Banks completed 9 of 11 passes for 155 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown to Hill, who had six receptions for 129 yards.
Tyree Diggs gave the rushing attack a badly needed boost, carrying 22 times for 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The defense benefited from Isaiah Blackwell’s 58-yard interception return for a touchdown, and after a so-so first half, was at its best other than allowing one long touchdown.
Phoebus held Amari Pryear — who entered the game with almost 1,200 yards rushing and 22 TDs — to 68 yards on 20 carries, and no scores.
“Coming back strong, even better, and getting this with my teammates is amazing,” Hill said.
Banks said, “I kept the team motivated even when I was out. I let them know, ‘We might have lost (two games), but we’re coming back even stronger, even faster, even smarter.’”
Blackwell’s interception less than two minutes after kickoff gave the Phantoms (3-2 overall, 2-1 district) a 7-0 lead. Pryear’s 24-yard burst — one of just two carries of more than 9 yards — set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Bruins quarterback Alex Lewis that tied the score at 7 in the first quarter.
Phoebus had two long touchdowns nullified by holding, while an apparent Pryear TD run for Bethel (4-3, 3-2) was called back for a hold, so the score remained 7-7 at intermission.
The second half was electric.
The Phantoms took a 21-7 lead by starting the third quarter with touchdown drives capped by Diggs’ 1-yard run and a 2-yard run by Mikhail Georges. Then, in a 1-minute, 39-second stretch, Lewis passed 61 yards to Kasyn Campbell for a Bethel touchdown, Banks threw 73 yards to Hill for a Phoebus touchdown, and Campbell returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a Bethel TD.
Phoebus led 28-21 at that point, with 10:08 left in the game. The Phantoms put a headlock on the outcome by running the ball 11 times on a 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive of more than 7 minutes, capped by Diggs’ 1-yard TD run.
“Once we get healthy, we’re a good football team,” Phoebus coach Jeremy Blunt said. “We went into Week 1 not healthy, but for us that’s no excuse.
“We’ve been playing a lot of young guys and we’re going to be special and better because of it.”
