Separated by less than five miles, the rivalry between Turner Ashby and Harrisonburg is thick. The two Valley District schools met on the gridiron Friday night in a rivalry showdown which had plenty of implications. The Knights have surprised many this year already exceeding their combined win total for the previous two seasons entering the game.
Harrisonburg came into the contest winning four of their last five outings following a 0-2 start to the season. Both are battling for seeding position in the postseason as well as a shot at the district championship. With the victory, the Blue Streaks found themselves in control of their own destiny as they are now 3-0 in Valley competition and if they win next week, it will potentially setup the final regular season finale as a winner takes all bout before entering the postseason.
Here we’ll take a closer look the action from yesterday and later we will take a look at analysis and top performers from the area slate on VirginiaPreps.com. STAY TUNED…
Harrisonburg 28, Turner Ashby 21
How it Played Out
Harrisonburg wasted little time lighting up the scoreboard on the opening possession of the contest. Sophomore quarterback Keenan Glago recorded his 15th passing touchdown with a shovel pass to speedster Kwentin Smiley that went 26 yards just two minutes into the action.
After each team traded possessions, it was the Turner Ashby defense that made the next move. Junior Wyatt Campbell scooped up a botched exchange in the Blue Streaks backfield and sprinted 45 yards for a touchdown. Following a failed two point conversion, Harrisonburg still held onto a one point lead, 7-6.
Despite the score, defense set the tone early as each team slowed their opponent for most of the first half. Harrisonburg, particularly, came into the contest allowing just 10 points per game to the opposition. The Blue Streaks defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and disrupted Turner Ashby’s offensive attack the entire game.
The Knights have utilized senior Grant Swinehart to lead their rushing attack most of the season but the 6-foot, 190 pound back was only able to muster 63 yards on the ground. Jaylin Smith and Kane Wilson led the defensive front for Harrisonburg which constantly found itself in the Turner Ashby backfield. Smith recorded one of the teams three sacks and had a fumble recovery.
The constant pressure also led to two interceptions thrown by quarterback C.J. Haskins who had to release the ball early and found himself often dancing in the backfield to avoid Blue Streaks defenders.
On offense, Harrisonburg’s skill players utilized their speed to race past the Turner Ashby secondary but had a hard time hanging onto well placed passes from Glago.
It wasn’t until the end of the second quarter that Harrisonburg was able to find the endzone again. Starting with a shortfield following the Smith fumble recovery, the Blue Streaks methodically moved the ball and Jazen Walker caught a four yard pass from Glago that he stretched across the goal line to extend his teams’ lead.
The Knights offense responded quickly on what was their best drive of the evening. With just 0:40 left on the game clock before halftime, Swinehart reached paydirt on a 5 yard touchdown run. Haskins converted the two point attempt and the the two teams were knotted at 14.
Instead of running out the rest of the clock before the half, the Blue Streaks offense went into action and Glago quickly converted on one of their downfield pass attempts. Senior Malachi Davis hauled in a 65 yard pass and the the visitors regained the lead and momentum heading into the break.
Smiley and Glago hooked up again early in the third quarter when the running back took a swing pass and outran the Knights defensive unit 74 yards to the endzone giving the Blue Streaks their largest advantage in the game.
The Knights continued to battle until the end but weren’t able to score until there was just four minutes remaining. Jalin Quintanilla rushed for a four yard touchdown but the Harrisonburg offense did just enough to keep the ball away from the Turner Ashby offense. An unsportmanlike conduct penalty on the Knights defense sealed the game giving the Blue Streaks the ability to milk the final seconds off the clock with no timeouts remaining.
Audio from Harrisonburg Coach Chris Thurman
Audio from Turner Ashby Coach Chris Fraser
Scoring Summary
Harrisonburg—7 14 7 0—28
Turner Ashby—6 8 0 7—21
First Quarter
H-Kwentin Smiley 26 yard pass from Keenan Glago (Mateo Peric kick), 9:59
TA-Wyatt Campbell 45 yard fumble return (conversion failed), 2:21
Second Quarter
H-Jazen Walker 4 yard pass from Keenan Glago (Mateo Peric kick), 2:02
TA-Grant Swinehart 5 yard run (C.J. Haskins run), 0:40
H-Malachi Davis 65 yard pass from Keenan Glago (Mateo Peric kick), 0:21
Third Quarter
H-Kwentin Smiley 74 yard pass from Keenan Glago (Mateo Peric kick), 8:31
Fourth Quarter
Jalin Quintanilla 4 yard run (Marini Spirollari kick), 4:16
***Kwentin Smiley scored two touchdowns on six receptions for 115 yards. The back also had 46 yards rushing in the game***
***Keenan Glago now has 18 touchdown passes on the year with four against the Knights defense on Friday. The sophomore also had 283 yards passing in the game***
What’s Next?
Following the win, Harrisonburg will play its’ last two regular season games at home before postseason action starts. Both of the contests should be quality preparation for the Blue Streaks as they hope to make noise in the playoffs. Next week, Rockbridge County comes to town sporting a 6-2 record after a shutout victory over Broadway this week. The Wildcats only losses were a two point loss to William Fleming in the season opener and to Spotswood who is currently undefeated three weeks ago.
Meanwhile the Knights will look to rebound from a two game losing skid as they travel for the last two weeks of regular season action. Turner Ashby starts by going on the road against Waynesboro who had to forfeit their contest this week due to lack of players. The Little Giants will be seeking their first win of the season when the Knights come knocking. Turner Ashby rounds out the regular season at Rockbridge County.
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