You will hear 'statement game' mentioned quite a bit by that those that cover the sport when referring to this game but there is no other way to define this game than just that. Glen Allen has been a good program taking steps year after year. Perry Jones was on his way to elevating the program, just last season they got off to a 3-0 start. HC Malik Sexton was the defensive coordinator of that squad and took it personal when the Jags defense let them down a year ago. That was fresh in his mind, fresh in his players mind when they took the field on Friday night... they were determined not to let it happen again and they played like it. That is why the Jags are 4-0 for the first time ever and perhaps a sleeper in Region 6A.

It was not the best start for the Jags, fumble on their first possession, punt on their second but in the last minute of the first half, it all changed. Within that minute, the Jags went from being down 3-0 to up 14-3 and riding a wave of momentum that would carry over to the second half.

2024 is my 12th season covering the region and in all that time, I have never seen firsthand a team manhandle Thomas Dale like the Jags did. The Knights struggled to find any offense to sustain drives and give their defense a rest. The Knights had three 3 & outs, three turnovers and a field goal. The offense notably absent running back NK Hines and the athletic Georgia commit Shamari Earls. Tough to say if the outcome would have been any different with those but you got to believe it couldn't have hurt. The defense, gassed the longer the game went on was pounded.

Glen Allen pounded the rock on offense wearing down the defense and on defense the Jags were relentless and punishing. Viewed as heavyweight fight with two undefeated teams, there was never a knockout blow... it was just a series of punches that took down the Knights.

Glen Allen's first quarter was one possession sandwiched between two Dale possessions. We got a sneak preview of what the defense of Glen Allen would be from the start with Jaylon Brown getting to the Knights three straight times to force the first of three 3 & outs for the Jags defense.

When the Jags did have the ball, they moved it out 18 yards even converting a fourth down but on the Jags second fourth down did not fare as well when QB Nana Utsey fumbled and Thomas Dale recovered.

The Knights made good of their second chance of the first quarter as opposed to their first when they lost 16 yards to that vaunted Jaguars defense. The Knights were able to put together a 31-yard drive that was stunted by two incidents. The first was a false start that took them from the 24 to the 29. On the very next play Jaiden Hite had the ball and slipped. Facing a 4th & 15 with the drive stalled, Jonathan Gates got the Knights on the board with a 46-yard field goal.

The second quarter the game took a drastic change and it really took place in the final two minutes.

The Knights did not have much to hang their hat on in this quarter except for the fact that Vicinte Chavarria saved a potential Dallas Chavis TD when he was able to get to the speedster that had Chavis gotten past, he would have been off to the races. Cole Lienberger and the defense clobbered Nana Utsey on a 3rd & 25 situation as well as the Knights defense was giving it back on defense as much as the Jags were... for now.

That was it for Dale... it was all Jags from that point through the rest of the first half. After the Jags forced a 3 & out the Jags put together a 92-yard scoring drive that at times felt like it were not meant to be.

First there was a fumble... they recovered. Then there was the punt in which a Knight ran into the punter and with the penalty, the drive was extended. The Jags ended the Knights shutout when Nana Utsey hit Jake Perini with a 16-yard shot.

The ensuing punt was puffed, Aaron Diggs Berry got to the ball first and just like that the Jags were back in business with a short field to work with at the Knights 25. It took the Jags four plays and overcoming two false start calls for Dallas Chavis to punch it in and make it a 14-3 Glen Allen lead at the half.

After a long halftime due to Homecoming there was some thought that the Knights might adjust and come out swinging after falling behind in the final minute of the first half but it never came to fruition.

The Jags 31-yard drive stalled in part to a false start call and two heads up tackles by the Knights. Of course the Jags had an answer for that forcing a 3 & out allowing the Knights just 1 yard and what made it worse for the Knights was the fact that they were pinned back deep to start at their own 4 yard line.

Punting from the end zone, the Knights gave Glen Allen the ball on the Knights 29 and in 4 plays the Jags had their third score of the night when Dallas Chavis scored his second rushing TD. It appeared it might Nana Utsey who would take it in but he was hit by a couple of defenders along the home sideline with a full body windmill. Out at the three, that was all Chavis needed.

Bad went to worse for the Knights... Dale ball, Ethan Medley airs it out on first down and Tyson Granderson comes down with it. Jags ball going into the fourth quarter.

DaShawn Green carried the ball three straight plays to get the Jags to the 22 but multiple holding calls stalled any thoughts of another Jag score early on in the fourth quarter.

The Knights second to last possession of the game was emblematic of the night in its entirety for Thomas Dale. Backed up to their own 12 the Knights attempted to finish strong but it wasn't meant to be. A frustrating night for the Knights and a confident group of Jaguars saw things begin to get a little chippy and it spilled over in penalties with Dale and the Jags both hit with personal fouls but Dale also had an extra penalty. The Knights attempted to overcome a 2nd & 30 but Ethan Medley went airborne on 4th & 15 and Kamden Tiller made him pay intercepting the pass.

The Jags were setup with a good spot at the Dale 35 and Dallas Chavis made the Knights pay for it accounting for 32 yards on 4 carries including a 3-yard touchdown with less than tow minutes to go.

As the Knights had the ball on offense one last time, you could hear many on the Jags sideline saying, "take it back to Chester". 'It' would be a loss, redemption for the Jaguars who took one on the chin last season and returned the favor on this night.

Dallas Chavis was relentless in this contest charging at the Knights defense and taking little by little. Sometimes it is the little cuts that string the worst and Dallas kept cutting the Knights defense with 198 total yards rushing on 35 carries! 3 TD's tell the tale of how he just kept coming and coming.

Usually I give a nod to individual players but Aaron Diggs Berry, Tyson Granderson and Kamden Tiller all came up big with turnovers... Granderson and Tiller intercepting Ethan Medley and Diggs Berry coming up with a fumble recovery.

As for relentless play on defense, look no further than Jaylon Brown and Gavin Gallivan who had a half dozen tackles each as they were quick to the ball, quick to the Knights and punishing when contact was made.

Glen Allen is 4-0 for the first time in program history and along with that comes Malik Sexton, the first Jags coach to start 4-0.

The Jags defense has allowed just 17 points this season, an average of 4.25 per game.

Last time Thomas Dale was held to 3 or fewer points was Spring 2021 Region 6A Title game versus Oscar Smith, 3-49.