Published Sep 2, 2022
Patriots Soar Past Eagles 32-7
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Danny Lewis  •  VirginiaPreps
Staff Writer
Twitter
@CRF4Dan

It was there for the Eagles. At home against a team that had some key players to replace with one win in the left column.

The Patriots first drive a fumble.

The Patriots making a QB change.

The Eagles striking first with a 31-yard TD pass.

Things were setting up nicely and then it went south.

Jayden Brown in at QB sparked the Patriot offense. The Patriot defense clamped down, defending the pass with great authority much of the night and the script was in fact flipped.

In the final three minutes of the first quarter both teams managed to score. Within two minutes of the second quarter the Patriots had wrestled the lead away from Godwin.

By halftime the Patriots were up 19-7 and looking like a team that found a rhythm.

A defense led Greg Foster, Jackson Thurston, Montrell James and Grayson Johnson made it tough on the Eagles offense much of the night.. Combined this group had unofficially 13 tackles, a sack and a pick six.

The Patriot defense had three turnovers (one of which they scored on), forced two turnover on downs and three 3 & outs... 2 in the third quarter alone as the Eagle offense stalled under the pressure of the Patriot defense.

The defense had as much to do with the tide turning early in this one as the offense. An offense that once it got going seemed unstoppable. After an early fumble and field goal gone awry, the Patriots rolled off three straight touchdowns!

The Patriots started slowly but they finished fast.

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1st Quarter Highlights

Both teams turned the ball over on their first possessions of the game. The Patriots after changing QB's moved the ball as far as the Godwin 6 but had to settle for a field goal attempt which never which went awry.

Mills Godwin's lone scoring drive of the night came on their second possession of the game as the Eagles marched 80 yards in 6 plays with the last a 31-yard Daniel Viener pass to Nick Clark.


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The Patriots answered right back with a 59-yard drive that was aided by a face mask call against Godwin on third down. Jayden Brown in at QB hit Jeremiah Grant for a 30-yard TD but the 2-point try would prove unsuccessful and the Patriots still trailed, albeit not for long.

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2nd Quarter Highlights

Godwin was the benefactor of a flag against the Patriots for an illegal sub. The Eagles needed just 4 yards for the first but could not deliver. In the span of a couple of minutes the Patriots went right back down the field and took the lead when Shamar Williams who was the workhorse on this drive finished it off with a 35-yard run. Williams had 43 yards on on three carries.

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The Eagles offense didn't get much of a break as the defense held Godwin to a 3 & out and in three plays the Patriots were adding to their lead behind a 50-yard pass from Brown to Gracyn Ross. Brown who did not even start the game had thrown two touchdowns and were not even to halftime.

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Godwin put together their first sustainable drive since their scoring driver of the first quarter. The Eagles were going with a more balanced attack and it was paying off until on 3rd & 5 the Eagles were called for a delay of game. On the very next play Greg Foster came flying through and got to Daniel Viener with the sack ending the Eagles momentum.

The two teams would swap possessions, both ending in punts but the damage was done. The Eagles who scored first went into the half down by 12.

3rd Quarter Highlights

Godwin had the ball three times in the third quarter and the Patriot defense held them to a 3 & out twice. The Eagles came away with just 27 yards of offense in the third quarter!

The Patriots had favorable field possession after a high snap on a Godwin punt but could not capitalize going backwards rather than forward.

The Patriots next possession was much more productive, stretching 69 yards,. the Patriots monopolized the third quarter with Shamar Williams and Gracyn Ross splitting carries. The Patriots then went airborne and that is when Ross crashed the end zone for his second TD catch of the game.

4th Quarter Highlights

Godwin had the ball entering the fourth quarter having their most successful drive of the second half. As was the case for much of the night, however, the Eagles offense would stall. After an offsides call against Patrick Henry the Eagles were sitting pretty, 1st & 10 at the 26. A loss of 4 yards, an incomplete pass and a short pass held the Eagles back.

Turning the ball over on downs was the MO in the fourth quarter as the Patriots suffered the same fate as the Eagles. Speaking of turnovers... there was no bigger turnover the 51-yard pick six by Montrell James with 3:28 to go in the game. The Eagles faced a 1st & 10 at the 45, 55 yards in front of them and Daniel Viener went to the air but Montrell James had Eagle eyes as his eyes never left that ball and he intercepted and was off to the races... a crushing blow for the Eagles.

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Mills Godwin was not going to win but another score would have been a bright spot on a dismal night but it was not meant to be. The Eagles moved the ball 54 yards getting as close as the 6-yard line but the Patriot defense did not relent.

Patriots came to Pump Road and handed the Eagles their 1st loss of the season and jumpstarted their own season, 1-0.

Patrick Henry 32, Mills Godwin 7 - Scoring Summary
TimePlayScore

2:59 (Q1)

31-yard TD pass Daniel Viener to Nick Clark. Dominic Williams PAT.

7-0 Mills Godwin

:20 (Q1)

30-yard TD pass Jayden Brown to Jeremiah Grant. 2-point conversion fail.

6-7 Patrick Henry

10:20 (Q2)

35-yard run Shamar Williams. 2-point conversion fail.

12-7 Patrick Henry

8:01 (Q2)

50-yard TD pass Jayden Brown to Gracyn Ross. Bridge Crabbe PAT.

19-7 Patrick Henry

1:53 (Q3)

26-yard TD pass Jayden Brown to Gracyn Ross. PAT fail.

25-7 Patrick Henry

3:28 (Q4)

51-yard INT return for Montrell James. Bridge Crabbe PAT.

32-7 Patrick Henry

Players of the Game

For Mills Godwin it is easy... it's Daniel Viener. While some Eagles lost their cool as Godwin fell behind, Vierner did not. He did throw two picks but he was the constant on offense moving the ball up the field to the tune of 117 yards, a touchdown on 15 of 27.

On the Patriots side is much more difficult. Upon a change at QB, the Patriots caught fire. The defense neutralized the aerial attack of Godwin and was aggressive when it counted the most. So how about a contributor in all facets? Gracyn Ross.. Ross had 59 yards on the ground, 76 yards in the air via 2 touchdown receptions and he played a hand on defense with several tackles.