Princess Anne Upsets Ocean Lakes 29-28 in 2 OT Stunner

October 24, 2003, and September 20, 2019, now have at least one thing in common. Those are the most recent dates that Princess Anne - a program that has had its struggles since the turn of the century with five winless seasons - beat perennial powerhouse Ocean Lakes on the gridiron.

Coming into Friday’s Beach District matchup, it had been almost 16 years since the Cavs had knocked off the Dolphins, not counting their forfeit win in 2009 that came later due to the usage of an ineligible player. But that all changed in a thrilling shocker at PA on Friday night.

In double-overtime, the Cavaliers outlasted the reigning Beach District and Region 6A Champs, 29-28.

After being down 21-0 at the half, the Dolphins of Ocean Lakes clawed their way back into the game, tying it 21-21 with just 1:51 left on a Kai Hodge 1-yard run, set up by a 59-yard catch by Myles Alston. Hodge's touchdown run was followed by a catch from Anderson Burns on the 2-point conversion to tie the game.

At that point, the upset bid seemed to be slipping away. Yet, the Cavaliers dug deep and didn't fold.

"To me, there is only so much we can do,” Yeager said. “We hit a wall and a lot of our kids are playing both ways. They got a couple of stops, defense is on the field and you can tell the kids are getting winded,. It’s tough to watch that happen but I preach to my kids grit, it’s a word that we talk about,. It’s just that stubborn resolve, even when your back is against the wall to keep fighting.”

Princess Anne drove down the field, but missed the potential game-winning 33-yard field goal as time expired and the teams were sent to overtime.

In overtime, both teams scored before going to double overtime, where both teams would find the endzone again, the difference this time being a gutsy call by Cavs coach James Yeager to go for two with the game, upset, and history on the line.

“I let my offensive coordinator make a great call on that one,” Yeager described. “We got faith, I think we could have given that ball to three or four different kids and they all would have given everything they got to get in.”

The game-winning conversion was run in by Cavs RB Zaakir Brown, who had 83 yards rushing and 45 receiving on the game prior to the conversion.

“My coach got us in the huddle and told us if we beat Ocean Lakes, it would be the first time in some years,” Brown, who wasn’t born the last time Princess Anne defeated Ocean Lakes on the field, said grinning. “I told my boys I believe in them, the linemen went down and did what they are supposed to do and I told my boys I got their back.”

The term “grit” could also be used to describe the play of Cavs QB Michael Newell, who completed five passes for 102 yards and a score, including a key OT pass to Brown to get the Cavs on the one-yard line, while also rushing for 73 yards and two more scores.

“At the end of the game, I was like, I gotta get my team in here, we gotta win so I told coach, 'Just let me run the ball in, I've got you,” Newell relayed. "And he let me run the ball in."

After being decided underdogs, the Cavs showed this team is different.

“We learned a lesson from this,” Yeager noted. “These are the games that PA in the past would have lost just because of mental toughness and they would have folded because they got tired and winded. We put them through a Saturday that was brutal this summer and that’s what we told them, 'Nobody else has done this, let's take care of business,' and they rose to the occasion.”

Princess Anne stats:

QB Mike Newell: 5-11, 102yds, TD, 73yds rush, 2 TD

RB Zaakir Brown: 83yds rush, 2 rec, 45yds receiving

WR Tychaun Chapman: 2 rec, 5yds, 13yds rush

WR Kristofer Matthews: 1 rec, 19yds, TD, int

WR JaVawn Burden: 1 rec, 32yds

Ocean Lakes Stats:

QB Josh Brown: 19-33, 236yds, int, TD, 20yds rush, TD

RB Kai Hodge: 73yds rush, 2 TD

WR Myles Alston: 4 rec, 110yds, TD

WR Carlos Smith: 5 rec, 61yds

WR Anderson Burns: 3 rec, 18yds

WR David Roulley: 3 rec, 39yds

Yeager sees plenty of promise in his Cavaliers as they take a 3-1 record into Kellam (2-1), a 32-24 victor over Bayside its last time out, on September 27th. The Cavs will try to beat Kellam for the first time in 19 years.

“This team is extremely special," Yeager noted. "They went from winning two games last year for the whole season, nobody really having over 300 yards rushing, Mike (Newell) barely had over 500 yards and nobody had over 300 yards receiving. We have already eclipsed our win total from last year and if you look at the stats, there are a lot of our boys at the top."

Recently, the Cavaliers added a new weapon to their attack in senior Azaiyah Roberts, a multi-sport athlete that also stars on the basketball court. Roberts played the past few seasons, wasn't sure he'd come out for football this year, but gives them another talented body to use on either side of the ball. He has in-state offers from UVA and William & Mary.

"He's a natural leader and a competitor. He's 6-5, 250 and athletic," Yeager said of Roberts. "I thought he stripped the ball down on the goal-line the first time. Luckily, the next time they had a bad snap and we took care. He came in, works hard and plays tough. I love him."

Even with a roster of only about 33 players, the Cavaliers have high hopes for the remainder of this season and beyond. Many of the players with scholarship offers on the roster - such as highly rated 2021 corner Tony Grimes - are in the junior or sophomore class.

Princess Anne isn't done yet and this latest victory sends a message to the rest of the Beach District.

“We're very special and we are young," Yeager reminded. "So people are going to have to deal with us for a while.”

Princess Anne first-year Head Football Coach James Yeager chats with VirginiaPreps.com's Reese Becker following his team's thrilling 29-28 triumph over Ocean Lakes in double-overtime on Friday, September 20, 2019 in Virginia Beach.

PA's last victory over Ocean Lakes was one they received by forfeit in 2009. In terms of on-the-field wins, it was the first time the Cavaliers beat the Dolphins since 2003.

Now 3-1 overall, Princess Anne is off to its best start in 19 years. They'll next travel to Kellam (2-1) on September 27th.