Hermitage outraces Colonial Forge 56-41
src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/914/1590008.jpg">
Advertisement
[rl]Last season, in one of the more entertaining, emotional, and some
would say controversial, games of the season, the Colonial Forge Eagles
topped the Hermitage Panthers 34-28 in Stafford which added a level of
intrigue to a game this season that already featured two of the top
programs in the state.
Though there were no controversies in the 2014 meeting, the second
round of the series was just as entertaining and as emotionally taxing
as the 2013 contest as the Panthers collected a 56-41 victory over the
Eagles Friday night in Richmond.
style="font-weight: bold;">KEYS TO VICTORY
style="font-weight: bold;">
GET AN EARLY LEAD
src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/914/1590010.jpg" hspace="5"
vspace="5">The contest opened extremely well for Hermitage
as they threatened to blow the big game wide open in the first quarter
outscoring Colonial Forge 28-7 in the game's first twelve minutes.
Taking the opening kickoff, the Panthers methodically drove the field
using a mix of inside runs and quick passes to keep the Eagles defense
at bay capping the drive with a short slant pass from Rashad Robinson
to senior wideout Christian Harden to take an early lead.
Following a blocked punt by Calvin Whitehead, the Panthers were primed
to score again but Eagles' standout Gary Jennings stepped in front of a
hitch route picking the ball off in stride leading to a 75-yard pick
six return to knot the game at seven. It was the last mistake that
Hermitage would make in the first quarter.
On their ensuing drive, the Panthers again moved
into Colonial Forge territory where Johntae Wilson (pictured right)
finished off their scoring efforts with a 25-yard touchdown run giving
Hermitage a lead that they would never relinquish.
src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/914/1590014.jpg" hspace="5"
vspace="5">
A misplayed kickoff return by the Eagles forced them to start their
next drive on their own one-yard line where they made a fatal mistake
on the first play as a fumbled snap was recovered by junior linebacker
Chris DeBerry in the end zone for the Panthers second touchdown in five
seconds.
An interception by Dallas Carter-Taylor (pictured left), a Hermitage
senior cornerback, led to the Panthers next touchdown as he made the
pick near midfield but returned it all the way to the Forge one-yard
line where Wilson got his second score of the night on a shot run.
As the whistle sounded to end the first quarter, Hermitage led 28-7 and
appeared to be on their way to an easy revenge win.
ANSWER EVERY CHALLENGE
After the team's traded possessions, the Eagles
started to fight their way back into the game when Jennings (pictured
right), working from behind center, took a speed option left, kept the
ball, and worked his way into the end zone from nine yards out to cut
the Panthers lead to 28-14.
style="width: 200px; height: 267px; float: right;"
src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/914/1590017.jpg" hspace="5"
vspace="5">
However, two possessions later, Hermitage converted a fourth-and-five
from the Colonial Forge 22 when Robinson broke free on a scramble
racing 14 yards to the Eagles 8-yard line. A couple of plays later, he
punched it in from the one-yard line and the Panthers were back on top
by three scores at 35-14, seemingly restoring their dominance with just
over two minutes left in the half.
With the clock working against them, the Eagles quickly moved the ball
down the field behind quarterback Jamal Brown who entered the game
behind center as Jennings was tending to a leg issue on the sidelines.
With just 20 seconds left in a half, a scrambling Brown found Justin
Brown in the middle of the Panthers end zone for a touchdown sending
the team's into halftime with the Eagles once again within two scores
at 35-21.
Hermitage once again answered the challenge as they forced a
three-and-out punt from the Eagles to open the second half and
lightning struck for the Panthers as junior Kaelin Snead took a risk
fielding a bouncing ball with tacklers bearing down on him. A quick
sidestep got him to the sidelines where a wall of blockers and a lot of
green was waiting for him leading to a 77-yard score and a 42-21 lead.
Back comes Colonial Forge with a scoring drive of their own as Brown
found Jennings in the corner of the end zone where he out-wrestled a
Hermitage defender for a 23-yard touchdown reception. 42-28 Hermitage,
Colonial Forge back within two scores.
style="font-weight: bold;">CAPITALIZE WHEN YOU CAN
src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/914/1590019.jpg" hspace="5"
vspace="5">Following a Panthers punt, the Eagles had a
chance to close the gap some more but senior Deonta Robinson (pictured
left) picked off a Colonial Forge pass ending their drive and starting
yet another scoring drive for his team. The Panthers offense moved the
ball into Colonial Forge territory where they faced 4th-and-22 from the
Eagles 36-yard line. A pass into the end zone fell incomplete, but a
personal foul against Forge back at the line of scrimmage gave
Hermitage new life which they quickly capitalized upon when Robinson
scampered 21 yards for a score and a 49-28 margin.
Colonial Forge scored back-to-back touchdowns on an 9-yard run by Joel
Miller and a blocked punt scooped up and returned 45 yards by Jarrion
Rodgers making the score 49-41 Hermitage with three-and-a-half minutes
to play.
Things were getting dicey for the Panthers as Colonial Forge had
finally closed within one score.
The ensuing Hermitage drive was stalled leading to a punt with 2:18
left in the contest. It appeared as though the Eagles offense would get
their shot to tie or win the contest.
However, the Colonial Forge punt return team picked up a penalty for
too many men on the field to move the ball up five yards then ran into
the punter on the next snap which cost them another five yards and gave
the Panthers a first down with just over two minutes remaining.
Robinson ran up the middle on first down as the Panthers looked to kill
off the clock. Then, on second down, he started up the middle but found
a running lane to his left which he raced through all the way to the
end zone for the game's final score, salting away the hard-fought
victory.
style="font-weight: bold;">PLAYERS OF THE GAME
style="font-weight: bold;">
SPECIAL TEAMS,
HERMITAGE
Though it was not a perfect night for the Panthers special teams unit
as they had a punt blocked and returned for a score, the group more
than did their share to help earn this win as they scored on a 77-yard
punt return by Snead, got a blocked extra point from Suliaman Kamara
and downed an Eagles attempted kickoff return at the one-yard line
which led to a defensive score on the next play.
RASHAD ROBINSON,
HERMITAGE
The Panthers senior made plays with his feet time and time again when
the Panthers most needed him converting several first downs, scoring on
a big fourth-down play in the third quarter and capping the game in the
final stanza. On the night, he threw for 50 yards and one touchdown
while totaling 149 yards rushing and three scores on the
ground.
JAMAL BROWN, COLONIAL
FORGE
Pressed into action as the quarterback when Gary Jennings hurt his leg
and moved to wide receiver, the senior led the Eagles on three scoring
drives accounting for 174 yards of offense rushing for 48, throwing for
114 and hauling in a pass for 12 yards.
Embed content not available
webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen=""
allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375"
Coach Patrick Kane discusses victory from
href="https://vimeo.com/user31334912">VirginiaPreps Rod
on Vimeo.
Football Editor Rod
Johnson is entering his second decade with
href="www.VirginiaPreps.com" target="_blank">www.VirginiaPreps.com
having started with the site in 2003. To keep up with all the high
school football news in Virginia, follow him on
href="https://twitter.com/vaprepsrod" target="_blank">Twitter
or find him on
href="https://www.facebook.com/virginiapreps.rodjohnson?fref=ts"
target="_blank">Facebook. He can also be contacted
via e-mail at
target="_blank">vaprepsrod@cox.net.