L.C. Bird 40, Midlothian 0
The Skyhawks rebounded after a loss to Thomas Dale in a big way blanking the Trojans.
Senior running back Corbin Donaldson rushed for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Marcus Banks threw for 153 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for an additional 81 yards.
Donaldson started the scoring for L.C. Bird in the first quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run, then added runs of 67 and 11 yards that found the end zone as well. Banks threw his first touchdown, a 77-yard bullet to
Jemouri La Pierre, then hit La Pierre a second time for 28 yards out. His third touchdown strike was to Jamon Battle, a transfer from Meadowbrook who’s been good at wide out, for 28 yards.
With the win, the Skyhawks improved to 2-1, while Midlothian fell to 1-2. James River, 2-1 with victories over Douglas Freeman and Huguenot, is next up for L.C. Bird. Kick-off is at James River at 7 p.m.
Hermitage 21, Thomas Dale 10
In what many billed the game of the week, Thomas Dale wasn’t able to generate enough offense to keep up. As a result, they fell to Hermitage. A new name on their schedule, at Chester Fritz stadium in Henrico.
Both teams brought perfect 2-0 records to the table. Thomas Dale, riding high off a 36-6 victory over L.C. Bird, was stymied from the start by a tough, experienced Panthers defense.
A field goal by kicker Garrett Graves ended a defensive deadlock late in the second quarter, and Thomas Dale held a 3-0 advantage at the half.
The Panthers would rattle off 21 straight points as senior QB James Carney connected with wide receiver Ali Jennings twice and Jalen Smith once to build a lead.
The Knights would answer with their lone touchdown of the game as Jamarcus Wilson returned a kick off 87 yards for the score.
Thomas Dale (2-1) will have a bye week this Friday before facing off with rival Matoaca on the Friday after.
Highland Springs 40, Meadowbrook 7
The Monarchs continued their routinely difficult schedule with a tilt against the defending 5A state champions, Highland Springs and fell 40-7.
A first-quarter touchdown by standout quarterback Greg Fong-Wilson cut the Springers’ lead to six, but Highland Springs would rack-up 27 straight points and close out the Monarchs for the victory.
The Monarchs have gotten strong performances from Fong-Wilson along with running back K.J. McNeil on offense, while Brett Hall and Dontez Braxton have stood out defensively for Meadowbrook despite an 0-3 start.
Meadowbrook has lost games to L.C. Bird, Varina, and Highland Springs in this year, and those teams have a combined record of 6-2 to start 2017.
After a week off, the Monarchs will battle with an upstart Colonial Heights, which is now under the guidance of former Dinwiddie assistant Buzz Edwards. The Colonials are currently 2-0 with wins over New Kent and Parkview (South Hill). That game is set for Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at Mack D. Moore Stadium.
Varina 45, Matoaca 7
The Blue Devils used a big performance from R.J. Coles to seal a victory over Matoaca, a team that had thumped Cosby 31-17 in its first bout of the season.
The Warriors were able to both run and throw against the Titans, but that wasn’t the case against Varina. Their lone touchdown came in the second quarter of the game.
Junior Dante Sanders has been a pleasant surprise for the Warriors. After playing as a freshman and taking his sophomore year off, he’s taken the reins at quarterback and been an important part of the Warriors’ attack. Defensively, Emmanuel Hickman and Jonathan Williams have been stout for Matoaca.
The Warriors (1-1) will host Massaponax (Spotsylvania, ) who knocked off Hanover last week in convincing fashion, 51-14. At 2-1, including a victory against Chancellor (Fredericksburg), and the Panthers have been a power in 5A over the past few seasons. Game time is 7 p.m.
