Photo by Charlie Leffler
Despite being swarmed by the Lee-Davis defense, Patrick Henry’s Adrian Cavanaugh, center, barely gets the nose of the ball across the goal line in what turned out to be the winning score for the Patriots.
The 50th anniversary Tomato Bowl between Lee-Davis and Patrick Henry offered a lot for the 4200-plus in attendance to enjoy; crisp autumn weather, marching bands, a flag-draped skydiver, a Lee-Davis alum, Jason Mraz rendition of the National Anthem recorded just for the occasion and excellent gridiron competition. For the Confederates, all it lacked was one or two more points.
One of the best battles in recent years between the county rivals featured several memorable plays for Lee-Davis, but their most lasting memory will not likely be their sweetest.
The Confederates got off to a fast start with a nine-play drive that culminated in the game’s first score when quarterback Will Burton hit T. J. Harvey in full stride with a pinpoint 25-yard touchdown pass.
“If the ball’s perfectly thrown it’s pretty tough to defend,” Patriots’ head coach Ray Long said.
C. J. Stevens added the extra point for a 7-0 Lee-Davis lead less than eight minutes into the game.
The Patriots, operating out of their new spread offense, answered with a five-play drive set up by QB Brandon Cash’s 43-yard scamper and driven home by running back Adrian Cavanaugh. Hayden Dyer kicked the extra point to even the score 7-7.
Two minutes into the second quarter, then Cavanaugh converted Cash’s short shovel pass into a 39-yard gain. Cavanaugh sealed the nine-play drive with a 1-yard plow that just broke the end zone line. Dyer’s kick put Patrick Henry up 14-7, and the score remained unchanged through halftime.
With Lee-Davis driving on their first third-quarter possession, a fumble and recovery of a low snap pushed the Confederates back from PH’s seven to the 17-yard line. Two plays later, Stevens’ 34-yard field goal attempt came up just short, perhaps later influencing a crucial call by Lee-Davis head coach Jason Meade.
With less than five minutes remaining in the game, Burton hit Harvey with a short pass that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown, paring the Patriot’s lead down to 14-13. Rather than kick the extra point, Meade opted for a two-point conversion in an attempt to take the lead.
From the swinging gate formation, also known as the muddle-huddle, the down linemen all set to up the left of center. The snap went directly to David Fetter, who drove ahead into the end zone for an apparent score. The roar of the crowd gave way to referees’ whistles, as Patriots’ coach Ray Long had called time-out prior to the play.
“I wanted to make sure that the center was covered, which eliminated him from a pass route,” Long said.
Meade went back to the same play again, but referees ruled Fetter down an inch or two shy of the line on the second try.
“We guessed right,” Long said. “Thankfully the referee gave me the time out.”
Lee-Davis’ defense, as they did the whole second half, contained the Patriots’ next possession and forced a punt, giving the Confederates the ball on their own 48 with 2:36 remaining.
An illegal motion penalty set the offense back five yards, and they managed only ten of the 15 needed for a crucial first down. On fourth-and-five, Patriots DB Raquis Morris knocked down a long pass attempt to Harvey, sealing Lee-Davis’ fate with just over a minute left.
Cash downed the ball twice in succession to claim the revered trophy for Patrick Henry.
After the game, Meade never second-guessed his two-point strategy, nor ruled out a return to a similar tactic looking forward. “We scored on the first one and they called time-out,” Meade said.
“We scored on it last week,” he added. “At that point of the game we wanted those two points on the board… the muddle-huddle is something we’re going to run and we’re going to be successful at it.”
Despite the loss, the Confederates’ first-year coach remains upbeat about his fine squad, as he should be. “We’re getting there,” Meade said. “We’re vastly improved from where we were two weeks ago when we lost to Hermitage, we’re better than when we beat James River last week, and we were better at the end of this game than we were in the first half.”
The classic contest never lacked for intensity between the diverse but well-matched teams. Despite the incredible effort by both sides, only one team wins.
“It’s the biggest game in Hanover County,” Meade said. “Our rivals are Patrick Henry, have been for 49 years, and will continue to be.”
“This was a close-fought game and it hurts,” he added. “But the bottom line is next week begins our district play, we start with Armstrong and we need to be 1-0 in the district.”
