Andre Thweatt is a 5-5, 160-pound senior running back and linebacker for the Dinwiddie Generals.

Small of stature, Thweatt was a giant on the football field last night in the Central Region Division 5 championship game at Hanover.

Thweatt rushed 14 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns, caught a 10-yard TD pass from Chris Hall and was in on numerous tackles (Dinwiddie doesn’t count tackles until the coaches view game film) in the Generals’ 28-21 victory over Hanover.

“[Andre] is 160 pounds of heart,” Dinwiddie coach Billy Mills said. “He wills things to happen. He is so strong and so explosive. He keeps his legs moving. I’m kicking myself for not doing this [two] years ago.”

Two years ago, Dinwiddie, with its pass-first, run a little bit offense, won the region championship, defeating Hanover in the final. The Hawks beat the Generals in last year’s semifinals then won the region title.

The Generals (12-0) will entertain Eastern Region Division 5 champion Phoebus, a 12-7 winner over Hampton last night, in a state semifinal Saturday. The location and game time haven’t been set.

Phoebus is the two-time defending state champion. The Phantoms defeated Dinwiddie in the 2008 state ti tle game and eliminated Hanover in last year’s rain-soaked semifinal.

Offensive fireworks were expected last night. Hanover (11-1) led the Central Region in scoring (42.1 points per game) this season. Dinwiddie averaged 35.7. Hanover squib kicked the opening kick off, the ball bounced off a Dinwiddie player who had turned to block, and Hanover recovered. Nine plays later, Deane Cheatham scored on an 8-yard run. Matt Palmen kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead that lasted 17 seconds.

Thweatt took a handoff on Dinwiddie’s first scrimmage play and bolted 75 yards for a TD. Scott Thompson kicked the extra point.

“[The hole] was there, I just had to find it. As soon as I got the ball, I saw nothing but the end zone,” Thweatt said.

Hall, who is 6-5, 230 pounds and dwarfs his backfield mate, carried the ball 18 times for 77 yards and completed 6 of 15 passes for 133 yards. He connected on a 43-yard toss to Drakar Harvell on the next series after Hanover drove 85 yards in 13 plays to take a 14-7 lead. Hanover QB Sam Rogers scored from 4 yards out after a great fake had most of the Generals tackling Cheatham.

Harvell’s reception set up Hall’s 10-yard pass to Thweatt. Thompson’s second extra point tied the game at 14, the score at halftime.

Hanover got the ball to start the second half but had to punt. A high snap led to a fumble that Darius Johnson picked up and ran 30 yards for a TD. Hanover responded with a 78-yard drive capped by an 8-yard TD run by Rogers.

Dinwiddie took two minutes to cover 64 yards for the go-ahead score. Thweatt carried the ball three times for 52 of the yards, including the last 33.

“The kids were resilient and played four great quarters of football,” Mills said. “The kids have character, and I’m blessed to coach them. Our offensive line (Corey Marshall, Denny Vaughan, Taquan Kates, Ronald Cunningham and Deonte Monroe) and our defense got us here.”

The Generals made defensive adjustments at halftime.

“We had to throw out our game plan and start all over,” Mills said.

The change slowed down the Hawks’ running game and forced Rogers to pass. He had thrown just two interceptions all season, but Tavares Johnson and Joseph Taylor picked him off in the second half. Taylor’s interception came with 2:54 left in the game on a fourth-down play from the Dinwiddie 23.

Rogers rushed for 152 yards but was sacked seven times. Cheatham logged 108 yards.

“We’re a little undersized defensively, and we gave up a couple of big plays,” Hanover coach Josh Just said. “We took some chances that didn’t come out in our favor. They made plays when they had to. We didn’t lose, they took it.”

Arthur Utley is a staff writer for the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Dinwiddie 7 7 14 0—28
Hanover 7 7 7 0—21

H—Cheatham 7 run (Palmen kick)
D—Thweatt 75 run (Thompson kick)
H—Rogers 4 run (Palmen kick)
D—Thweatt 10 pass from Hall (Thompson kick)
D—Johnson 30 fumble return (Thompson kick
H—Rogers 8 run (Palmen kick)
D—Thweatt 33 run (Thompson kick)

RUSHING
Dinwiddie—Thweatt 14 carries 193 yards, Hall 18-77, Harvell 1-5, Hawkins 1-4. Hanover—Cheatham 25-108, Rogers 26-152.

PASSING
Dinwiddie—Hall 6 completions 15 attempts 133 yards. Hanover—Rogers 9-15-92-2 interceptions.

RECEIVING
Dinwiddie—Hawkins 3 receptions 38 yards, Harvell 1-43, Gardner 1-42, Thweatt 1-10. Hanover—Underdown 4-34, Brooks 2-28, Mahmood 1-8, Crocker 1-17, Cheatham 1-5.