With temps in the 40's on a sunny Saturday afternoon it felt more like a playoff game coming to Chester Fritz Stadium. While the intensity in the stadium felt like a playoff game, it was just the regular season finale between two longstanding rivals in Varina & Highland Springs.

The Springers, the defending 4-time Class 5 champion... a winner of 38 straight games. Varina... a team who could be 9-0 if not for a double overtime loss to Manchester to start the season.

Two bitter neighborhood rivals were ready for a fight and it showed throughout the game. Both defenses played exceptional albeit Highland Springs came up with more of the big plays on defense.

The Blue Devils struck first but costly turnovers had Varina trailing at the end of the first quarter. The defenses battled it out in the second quarter making for a 14-7 Highland Springs lead at the half.

Varina rallied in the second half to not only tie the game but to take a lead 20-14 but on the ensuing kick the Springers scored on the return. The Springers had the trifecta going, a special teams score, defensive and offensive score.

The Springers defense as I said made the big plays when it mattered the most. Varina had the ball with less than two minutes to go in the game and a pass from Bobby Dunn was tipped and in the vicinity to make the play was junior Jabari Parker. Parker intercepted the tipped ball and end the Varina threat.

Varina would get the ball back with mere seconds left on the clock but not enough to make anymore than one play. Highland Springs had win #39 in hand heading into the playoffs... still on truck for an unprecedented 5th straight state title.

Varina made a lot of noise early and then struggled on offense through the first quarter. The Blue Devils ran 3 plays covering 56 yards capped by a 19-yard Isiah Paige touchdown. Just like that Varina was on top early. Varina could not sustain that early success against the Springers defense.

The Blue Devils punted 3 times and had two passes picked off. One of those interceptions was taken to the house by Daytione Smith. The second interception came from Damond Harmon, Jr. which ultimately setup the Springers next score.

The Springers offense did not fare so well against Varina's defense in the first quarter themselves. 1 of 2 touchdowns in the first quarter came off an interception. The second touchdown came on a short field after the Damond Harmon, Jr. interception. It took the Springers just two plays to hit the end zone and take their first lead of the game.

The Blue Devils Justin DePriest punched the ball the loose from Jordan Jackson. The turnover did not workout to the Blue Devils advantage as they threw their first interception on the ensuing play.

Jamareeh Jones fumbled the ball, the Blue Devils were unable to recover the loose ball but did force a 3 & out.

All about the defense in that first quarter.

The defensive battle between Varina & Highland Springs carried over into the second quarter.

The Springers had one possession sandwiched between two Blue Devil possessions.

The Springers thought they had a touchdown on a kick return but it was brought back due to a penalty. Jamareeh Jones and LeQuan Bassett moved the ball out to the 50 despite the pressure brought by the Blue Devil defense led by Alonzo Ford. That defensive pressure also came through with a broken pass. Varina's Jalin Walker came up with a stop of Jordan Jackson, 2 yards short of a first down. The Blue Devils held their own on 4th down giving the Blue Devils the ball back.

The first Varina possession ended in a punt. Their second possession was much more productive with Brysen Ross running for a first... the only man who could stop him was Jabari Parker. With time just about up in the second quarter the Blue Devils aired it out only to see it intercepted in the end zone by the Springers Jabari Parker.

At the half the Springers continued to lead 14-7.

The third quarter belonged to Varina even if the score at the end did not show this.

Varina scored twice in the third quarter. The Blue Devils found much of their success on the ground with over 30 yards rushing between the trio of James Reid, Brysen Ross and Isiah Paige. The pass was not forgotten however as the Blue Devils Bobby Dunn hit his mark with a 22-yard pass to Barry Hill on a first down play and Linard Scott for a gain of 13 yards on 3rd & 6. The Blue Devils shoved that ball all the way to the Highland Springs 5 before Isiah Paige punched it in to tie it up with 1:46 to go.

Paige also scored on a 73-yard bomb from Bobby Dunn following a 13-yard pass to James Reid on the Blue Devils second possession. The ensuing PAT was blocked however.

Highland Springs on the other hand was plagued with penalties stunting their opening possession of the second half. LeQuan Bassett racked up 43 yards on the first two plays of the second half. After a facemask call against Varina it was all about the yellow being waved on the Springers. The Springers were called for holding 3 times and when that was not occurring the Blue Devils Quenton Baylor and Linard Scott were breaking up the pass.

After that first Blue Devil touchdown of the quarter the Springers LaQuan Veney broke off a 77-yard run to put the Springers back on top.

Wild stat of the quarter is that in the span of a minute and a half three touchdowns were scored. The third quarter was won by Varina 13-7.

The 4th quarter belonged to the Springers.

Highland Springs put together a 58-yard drive that took up nearly half the quarter and ended with Jamareeh Jones second touchdown of the game. LeQuan Bassett had 20 yards on the ground, Jamareeh Jones outside of his 5-yard touchdown had 17 yards and Jones had 13 yards airing it out to Michael Hodge.

Varina's Isiah Paige returned the ball out to midfield but the Blue Devils could not overcome a defense that was showing no wear in the late stages of the game.

The Varina defense showed no signs of wear either as they Alonzo Ford came up with a tackle, and Kalii Bradford was wrapped on by Lorenz Terry on one run and James Reid on another. The Springers punted giving Varina life with a little more than 2 minutes to go in the game.

70 yards in front of Varina the Blue Devils fed the ball to James Reid for a gain of 2 yards. On the very next play Jamel Johnson & Evan Robinson closed in on Bobby Dunn for the sack. The Blue Devils backed up facing 3rd & 15 with Dorian Fleming in at quarterback went with the pass only to see it fall incomplete.

Bobby Dunn returns to the field facing 4th & 15 and hits Isiah Reid for a big first down at the Highland Springs 40!

1st & 10, ball at the 40... Dunn targets his man, makes the throw... the pass is tipped and there to sort of have it land in his arms is Dejrick Goodwyn! The Springers fourth interception of the day on the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils were not giving up. The Blue Devils held Highland Springs to a 3 & out and got the ball back with seconds left on the clock. The Blue Devils got one play off but could not get it past that stiff defense as the Springers hold on to the win.

On the Springer sideline I got to give it up to senior linebacker Dejrick Goodwyn who I have at 3+ tackles along with a host of others. That said, it was Dejrick being in the right place at the right time nearing the end of this game when he was there to intercept a tipped Blue Devil pass to essentially seal the game. 1 of 4 Springers to intercept the pass, Dejricks came at the right time with the Blue Devils threatening.

On the Varina side although the defense played well, I am going to give it up to Isiah Paige of Varina. The athletic senior put together 135 yards of offense against a tough Springer defense. The senior had 2 touchdowns on the ground and a touchdown with that 73-yard bomb from Bobby Dunn.

This one decided by 7 points was the slimmest margin of victory in the series since 2011 when the Springers won by 5.

Highland Springs 7 wins is the longest win streak for either team since the Springers won 11 in a row from 1940 to 1951.

The Springers have given up a total of 40 points in their last two games.

Highland Springs will be the #1 seed in Region 5B and host #8 Henrico next week.

Varina will be the #4 seed in Region 5B and host #5 Clover Hill next week.