For the second time this season Varina was hosting the Patrick Henry Patriots. The setting of this second meeting was different from the first.

Patrick Henry still had two losses but Varina had a loss whereas coming into their first meeting, they were undefeated. Patrick Henry was the team to deal the Blue Devils their only loss this season.

This meeting was not at night but rather on a crisp Autumn day in November, just two days after Thanksgiving. This was a regional title game, the Region 4B title game to be exact.

The fan turnout certainly backed up just how meaningful this game was. The visiting stands were packed and had many along the fence. The home side was packed as well, many along the fence as well. The end zone nearest the Blue Devil locker room lined with former Blue Devils who had come home to support the young men who sport the Blue & Gold just as they did.

Media stalked the sidelines all day long, taking pictures, videos, notes... the atmosphere was everything you would expect in a heavyweight fight for a trip to the state semifinals.

This game had it all too... touchdowns, blocked punts, interceptions, fumbles, field goals, hard hits, momentum shifts, lead changes... there was not much missing from this one.

In the end, as is the case with any game, there is joy and there is heartbreak. The Patriots had their second region title in three years with 10 seconds to go in the game. With 7 seconds to go they saw it slip away as the Blue Devils home side erupted in cheer.

Varina would be the team to win their second region title in three seasons.

Patrick Henry wasted no time getting on the board with a six and a half minute drive that began at the 50 and took 11 plays to complete. On this drive Patrick Henry was aided by an offsides call against Varina that extended the drive when Patrick Henry faced a 4th & 4. Patrick Henry had to overcome their own penalty and faced a 1st & 20 when QB Jordan Allen powered his way 20 yards to pay dirt for a touchdown and early Patriot lead.

That lead only last 12 seconds for Varina with the ball at their own 40 answered the score with one of their own. Myles Derricott hit Kaveion Keys along the Patrick Henry sideline and Keys was off to the races turning on the jets and cashing in the touchdown. Just like that, with a Gerard Cousins PAT, the game was tied.

The rest of the first quarter was all about lack of ball control.

Patrick Henry's Camden Byrd fumbled but Jordan Allen was quick to recover. Facing a 2nd & 18 the Patriots were called for a false start and then Amari Baylor of Varina came up with a sack forcing a Patriot punt, their first of the day.

Varina had their own fumble issues. After getting a first down, the Blue Devils were on the 46 when they turned the ball over but they were unable to recover, Patrick Henry was.

As we transitioned into the second quarter, the Patriots were making up for lost ground after Jordan Allen fumbled on the first snap. Allen bounced back with a 25-yard pass to Christian Berry. The Patriots converted a third and fourth down but then things went south again as ball security continued to be a problem for both teams early on. On 1st & 10 at the 28 the Patriots lost the ball and defensive tackle Albert Roberts of Varina recovered the loose ball.

Special teams played a big role in the second quarter both for and against the Patriots.

The Blue Devils benefitted from an offsides call against Patrick Henry and Myles Derricott hit Kamaree Wells on back-to-back passes for another first down. The Blue Devils offense got no further and facing 4th & 10 they punted but the punt was blocked by Camden Byrd and nearly returned for a touchdown.

Instead Patrick Henry had the ball at the Varina 11. The first two plays Varina's defense stood tall but a pass to Christian Berry was negated by an illegal shift against the Patriots. Allen fired a pass to the corner of the end zone to JMU-bound Jayden Mines but the catch came out of bounds, no touchdown. The Patriots had to settle for a field goal and that too failed. A huge missed opportunity early on for the Patriots.

The Patriots got the ball back after holding Varina to a 3 & out thanks to a false start against the Blue Devils and Jayden Mines and James Valentine Jr. getting to Derricott with the sack.

As time expired in the half, Allen let a pass rip down field and Kamaree Wells swooped in for the interception in the end zone and returned it to midfield to closeout the first half.

The first two possessions of the second half were nothing to write home about for either the Blue Devils or Patriots.

Varina was held to a 3 & out on the opening possession of the second half. That was followed by two penalties on their next possession that set them back 17 yards and forced another 3 & out.

Patrick Henry fared no better, the Patriots fumbled the punt return and on their next possession the Blue Devil defense held them to a 3 & out.

Varina with a short field to work with made the most of the opportunity although they did get a little help. The Blue Devils faced a 3rd & 5 when Patrick Henry was called offsides and the Blue Devils got a first down. From that point Anthony Fisher picked up 15 yards running the rock and the Blue Devils got another first down. Their drive was stalled by a penalty of their own and moments later the Blue Devils were facing a 3rd & 8. That is when Derricott hit Kamaree Wells and just like that the Blue Devils had a fresh set of downs at the 2. Two plays later Kyree Surita was sprinting into the end zone for the Blue Devils first lead of the day despite the PAT miss. With 2:21 to go in the quarter, the Blue Devils led 13-7.

The Patriots responded quickly with a Jayden Mines 20 yards run out to the Varina 43. Things trended south from there for Patrick Henry as the Patriots were called for a delay of game. On 2nd & 14 Kaveion Keys got to Jordan Allen with a sack and now the Patriots faced a 3rd & 17. On the next play the Patriots shot themselves in the foot against with a false start and now they faced 3rd & 25 and with an incomplete pass, they punted on fourth.

After Varina was held to a 3 & out the two teams put together long drives as each team would have only one more possession in the game.

Patrick Henry faced a fourth down when Jordan Allen hit Gracyn Ross for a much needed first down. Between a pass to Jayden Mines and two Allen runs, the Patriots were getting first down after first down as they kept marching down the field. After a holding call the Patriots faced a 1st & 20 and Allen let it go deep towards the end zone along the Patriot sideline in front of a ref who called pass interference on the Varina defender and the call was the correct one. Just like that the Patriots had a fresh set of downs and were at the Varina 14 but the Patriots had been in this position earlier in the game and came away with nothing.

History would not repeat, Allen with the keeper ran the ball each time and little by little got closer and closer despite a valiant effort by the Blue Devil defense. Allen punched it in from one yard out on fourth down with 4:31 to go. With the Richard Crabbe PAT, the Patriots had a 14-13 lead as the Patriot crowd roared to life.

Varina put together a long time consuming drive that stretched 65 yards and over 4 minutes. Curtis Green had his share of carries with a first down carry followed by a carry on 3rd & 1 to get the first. Myles Derricott hit Keys with another pass for a first down and the Blue Devils were moving right down the field. The Blue Devils did benefit from a Patrick Henry penalty that gave the Blue Devils the ball on the Patriot 8 with a fresh set of downs! Anthony Fisher carried the ball three times for 7 yards but the Blue Devils were down to their last down with mere seconds on the clock.

No timeouts left the Blue Devils had to scramble to get Gerard Cousins out there and set for a 18-yard field goal attempt. The pressure turned up, the senior was money nailing the field goal as the Blue Devil crowd, sideline and end zone erupted in cheer.

With 7 seconds to go in the game the Patriots could muster just one play and it was not enough to pull off any game winning heroics.

The Blue Devils were region champions for the second time in three years and the Patriots were stunned and heartbroken having led with just seconds to go in the game.

K Gerard Cousins with game winning field goal and was 1 of 2 on PAT's.

RB Curtis Green of Varina with 60 yards on 10 carries.

QB Myles Derricott of Varina with 95 yards and a touchdown on 12 of 17 passes.

WR Kaveion Keys of Varian with 67 yards receiving on 3 catches which included a 60-yard TD for the Blue Devils first score of the game.

QB Jordan Allen of Patrick Henry scored both Patriot TD's while carrying the ball 25 times for 110 yards which included TD runs of 27 and 1 yard.

Varina improved to 10-3 in region title games with this their second in three seasons.

Varina will host a state semifinal game for the first time since 1999!

Patrick Henry is now 7-6 in region finals.

Despite the loss, the Patriots have reached the region finals in 2 of their first 3 seasons with Coach Ken Wakefield.