Skip Rowland
Varina’s Tre Johnson (gold helmet, center) gets pulled down by Lee-Davis defenders Kenneth Jones (51), Brandon Robinson (53), and Will Connerley (3). Below: Varina’s Bobby Smith, right, leaps to pull in a 49-yard touchdown reception over Lee-Davis’ Brandon Angus, left. 

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Confederates give Blue Devils a fight

  In a game closer than many would have predicted, the Varina Blue Devils, ranked No. 1 in the region and seventh in the state, faced off against a 2-1 Lee-Davis team that gave them all they could handle before claiming a 21-13 win.
  “This was a huge game for us coming off of a short week,” said Varina head coach Stu Brown. “We won a football game when we had to; and that says a lot about us.  I am proud of us for it.  And I will say this.  That is one of the best coached football teams that we have played.  It was a dogfight out there tonight, and that team has made some great improvements the last seven months.”

  Through the first quarter, both defenses played strong and held the offenses scoreless; but just as the second quarter was beginning, Confederates’ wide receiver, T.J. Harvey hauled in a 38-yarder from quarterback Will Burton to put Lee-Davis on the board first, 6-0 after the conversion attempt failed.

  The Blue Devils responded promptly, surging back with a Bradley Chapman kick-off return to their own 34.  Tre Johnson, with a huge night (209 yards in 28 carries), moved the chains next with a 17-yard run.  From third-and-11, Varina quarterback Hermon Norrell unleashed a 49-yard pass to Bobby Smith, who took it in and Cory Gay’s extra point kick put the Blue Devils up 7-6.

  With the momentum of taking the lead the Varina defenders ramped it up even more and the Confederates went only backwards, starting from their own 31 and having to punt from their 18 after back to back sacks. 

  However, when Varina took over possession at their own 43, the Lee-Davis D made things happen, immediately recouping the ball with an interception. 

  Back at the helm, Burton found Will Connerlley downfield from third-and-long, who, finding room, took it inside Varina’s 20.  Then disaster struck.  Two demoralizing moments for the Confederates came suddenly when Burton rolled left on an option play and missed his man on a lateral and Varina recovered the ball on their own 10.  The very next play, due to a key block from Donald Upshaw, Blue Devils’ Tre Johnson broke out left and rifled up the sideline untouched for a 90-yard touchdown.  Gay’s PAT made it 14-6, Blue Devils to close out the half.

  At the start of the second, Varina’s defense shut down Lee-Davis’s opening drive and returned a Burton punt to their own 36.  The Blue Devils’ final scoring drive began with two first downs gained from a T.K. Hester run, then a Jerel Harrison pass reception and run, initiating the momentum.  Four plays later, Johnson, on a sweep, kept the drive alive with another first down, and repeated it again with a 15-yard gain the next play.  He went on to score his second TD of the night, a 10-yard run up the left side.  With Jamal Townes holding, Gay dropped in the extra point to make it, 21-6.

  Though trailing by more than two touchdowns, the Confederates had plenty of fight left in them. Varina’s Ishamael Banks intercepted a pass intended for Harvey but on the very next play, the Lee-Davis defense forced a fumble and recovered the ball on the Blue Devils’ 6-yard line.  Two plays later, Tucker Walton bulldozed into the end zone, and Brandon Angus’s extra point kick closed the gap to 21-13, Varina.

  In a final attempt to tie the game with a minute to play, Burton’s end zone pass came up empty against Varina’s stiff defense. 

  “We had opportunities to put points on the board, but couldn’t make the plays,” said Confederates’ head coach Jason Meade.  “We also missed some important tackles out there, so you know we’ll be working on improving our tackling skills this coming week.”
 
Lee-Davis 0 6 0 7—13
Varina 0 14 7 0—21

LD—Harvey 38 pass from Burton (kick failed)
V—Smith 49 pass from Norrell (Gay kick)
V—Johnson 90 run (Gay kick)
V—Johnson 10 run (Gay kick)
LD—Walton 5 run (Angus kick)
RUSHING
Lee-Davis: Walton 10 carries 20 yards; Morris 1-33, Burton 4-minus 3; Connerley 1-minus 1; team-1-minus 16 Varina: Johnson 28-209, Chapman 6-20, Upshaw 3-14, Norrell 5-4.
PASSING
Lee-Davis: Burton 8 completions 24 attempts 169 yards, 1 interception; Harvey 0-1. Varina: Norrell 9-16-139-1
RECEIVING
Lee-Davis: Harvey 4 catches 88 yards; Worley 2-27; Walton 1-minus 2; Connerley 1-56. Varina: Smith 5-103, Upshaw 1-28, Harrison 3-30, Pegeas 2-4.