Last year Thomas Dale absorbed a 40-point loss to the Generals. Not only was it the worst loss in the series ever for the Knights but it was the worst loss for the Knights since losing to Oscar Smith by 46 to Oscar Smith in the Spring 2021 playoffs. Last year left a sour taste in the Knights mouth and they had this game circled.

Vengence was motivation as was the simple fact of remaining perfect. Thomas Dale just as they did last year came in undefeated... Dinwiddie on the other hand was not. Dinwiddie has had one of the toughest schedules this season and in 2023 they are not the unstoppable force they were last year, they are a bit more vulnerable.

There is not a better place with all due respect to Airport Drive (Highland Springs) to see a football game. With practically the entire town out, you get that small town feel and the atmosphere is indescribable and unmeasurable.

Navy Nation came out in full force and rode a roller coaster of emotions all night long in this tug of war, a battle of momentum swings with Thomas Dale.

On the very first possession of this contest the turnover bug struck although no one could have foreseen just how much of a story turnovers would be in this one.

What was not surprising were the penalties. Last week against Hopewell penalties were a problem for Dinwiddie and this week, they continued to be a source of frustration. Dinwiddie had three penalties over their first three possessions of the game but it's not the number that was bothersome but rather the timing.

Dinwiddie's first penalty stalled their opening driver but the turnover doomed it. On 3rd & 12 Harry Dalton fumbled and the Knights recovered the loose ball, Ryan Leinberger the hero of this play.

3 plays and 20 yards later Nkanta Hines was in the end zone for the first Knights touchdown of the game.

Dinwiddie's second penalty of the night, a hold, while it hurt they overcame it in large part to the Knights being penalized for pass interference on 4th & 9. Instead of a turnover of downs the Generals were set up on the Thomas Dale 24 and Raphael Tucker was the first General to score with a 19-yard run. The Generals tied but not for long.

Thomas Dale came right back and Ethan Medley making just his second varsity start hit Shamari Earls with a 56-yard pass to the house. The Knights were back in the lead and not backing down.

Meanwhile the Generals were humming along on offense again, 4 first downs on this drive but on 2nd & 6 the Knights brought the house on defense for a loss of 17 yards for the Generals. On the very next play the Generals were called for a false start and just like that it was 3rd & 27. Dinwiddie would be forced to punt after a Dalton incompletion.

The Generals defense finished the first quarter strong holding Dale to a 3 & out and keeping them off the board for the first time in the night.

To open the second quarter Dinwiddie received a Dale punt and two plays later Harry Dalton aired it out to Caleb Bowles who flew to the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown but most importantly to tie the game.

On defense, Robert Pettaway got to Ethan Medley with a big time sack that those on the Dinwiddie sideline could hear from across the field. That sack was a loss of 16 yards on third down setting up a Knights punt.

Dinwiddie was not able to put together another scoring drive despite 25 yards in 8 plays.

The beginning of a wild two minutes was staged....

Ethan Medley hit Ethan Graves for a big 53-yard shot down field that put the Knights on the 22 of Dinwiddie. A personal foul against the Generals put them closer, to the 11. Medley was called for intentional grounding to back the Knights up to the Generals 32, now facing a 2nd & 30. Medley with a 9-yard pass and Nkanta Hines with a 20 yard rush quickly made it a bit more manageable even if the Knights were facing a 4th & 1. Unfortunately in the pile pushing to get into the end zone, the Knights lost the ball and Zion Boisseau was there for the recovery. They would not be on defense long.

On the next play Raphael Tucker had the ball knocked loose by Aiden Jones and Marquis Purvis was there for the recovery. With 1:40 to go in the half the Knights had the ball at the 1 with a fresh set of downs.

1st down... Nkanta Hines loses 3 yards...

2nd down... Nick Tyree recovers those lost 3 yards and on third down Nick finishes the job punching it in to put the Knights back on top with 12 seconds to go in the half, 21-14.

The Knights began the second half with a bang and it won't from the Dinwiddie cannon... On the opening kick-off Nick Tyree who was the hero before the half was the hero coming out of the half with a 96-yard run with the jets in turbo mode he sped down the field to stun a Dinwiddie crowd and give the Knights a 2-touchdown lead.

After a 3 & out from both teams the Generals began to claw back. In 8 plays the Generals moved the ball 65 yards behind 6 runs from the duo of Harry Dalton & Raphael Tucker and the arm of Dalton who hit Zalen Wiggins for 5 and Mickiel Johnson for 32 yards on a 3rd & 1. No penalties, a clean drive for the Generals.

The defense was just as clean holding the Knights to a 3 & out, forcing the punt. On the return Zalen Wiggins returned the ball 14 yards but then fumbled but the Generals were able to avert disaster when Mickiel Johnson recovered.

Dinwiddie was called for a hold on the very first play and never recovered, the Knights defense forcing a Dinwiddie punt.

The Knights drive that began in at the end of the third quarter stalled at midfield forcing a punt.

Dinwiddie was backed up at their own 22 but when the Generals offense gets clicking... watch out. Raphael Tucker and Harry Dalton combined for 43 yards on the first 3 plays on the ground., The Generals were aided by a personal foul call against the Knights following Dalton's 21 yard run. The Generals now at the 20 of Thomas Dale went right back to work with Dalton & Tucker splitting the carries with Dalton scoring his first TD of the night on the ground from 15 yards out. With 9:41 to go, the Generals had tied it!

The pendulum appeared to be swinging in favor of the Generals despite an unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Generals. Three plays after that penalty Daiveon Wilson intercepted Ethan Medley ending the Knights drive and scoring threat at their own 10.

Two plays later Harry Dalton put the ball in the air and Lorenz Bacon intercepted. The momentum swung that quick back to Thomas Dale.

Thomas Dale would take 4 minutes off the clock with a 9-play, 22 yard drive. Nknanta Hines, Nick Tyree, Ethan Medley and Shamari Earls all made plays on this drive with Medley hitting Earls on 3rd & 10 for 14 yards to extend the drive and put the Knights on the doorstep of the end zone. The Knights were called for a hold on a Nick Tyree 2-yard run but the Knight came right back to Nick with two more carries but just 5 yards. With the ball at the 12, the Knights went for the points and Jon Gates delivered a 29-yard field goal with 3:57 to go in the game.

Dinwiddie came right back and attacked with 6 Harry Dalton rushes for a total 42 yards! The Knights defense knew what was coming but couldn't stop him. Tucker added two yards and then it was right back to Dalton but this time disaster struck... Dalton would fumble and after the pile was pulled off, the Knights had the ball.

1:18 remained... all Thomas Dale had to do was get a first down and run out the clock. Instead the Knights were called for a false start and the Knights went backwards with Tyree being hit for a loss of 3. The Knights would punt and the Generals would get one last shot.

That shot was not meant to be. Harry Dalton at the Thomas Dale 36 put it in the air and Lorenz Bacon who had intercepted Dalton roughly 8 minutes earlier did so again. The Knights erupted on the sidelines knowing with less than 30 seconds to go the game was over... they remained undefeated and they avenged last years loss.

Ethan Medley in his second started showed no fear facing the defending Class 4 champions throwing for 202 yards completing 14 of 22 for a touchdown and an interception.

Shamari Earls had 78 yards receiving plus a touchdown in the first quarter on just 3 catches.

Defensive tackle Aiden Jones had 5 tackles against the Generals and stripped Dinwiddie forcing a fumble.

Lorenz Bacon, the senior defensive back had 2 interceptions versus Dinwiddie including the big one that sealed it with seconds left in the game.

This was the closest game in the series since the Spring season of 2021 in which Thomas Dale won 19-14.

Coach Kevin Tucker is now 8-5 versus Dinwiddie whereas Coach Mills is now 10-9 versus the Knights.

This was the Generals 16th loss at home in the series.

Dinwiddie has 3 losses in the regular season for the first time since 2019.