Saints claim playoff spot
Published 1:05 am Saturday, November 1, 2014
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s football team entered its regular season finale on Friday night with a clear understanding of where it stood in terms of the postseason. A win would get it into the playoffs.
By the end of the game, host Hampton Roads Academy and anybody who learned about the final score knew where the Saints stand now. NSA is playoff-bound after a 76-20 rout.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy junior running back Noah Giles ran all over host Hampton Roads Academy on Friday night, and then he did it again. Giles rushed for 244 yards and five touchdowns in the Saints’ 76-20 victory. (Janine DeMello photo)
“They couldn’t stop us at all,” Nansemond-Suffolk coach Lew Johnston said of the Navigators, but also gave their offense credit. “They were at least making it interesting to the point that I wasn’t ready to start any wholesale substitutions until the third quarter.”
The coach made a special point of highlighting an extraordinary performance from a certain junior running back on his roster.
“Noah Giles — six carries, five touchdowns, 244 yards,” Johnston said. “It was amazing.”
Saints senior fullback David Gough also had a good night running the football, gaining 119 yards on nine carries.
Junior linebacker Cole Christiansen led NSA’s defense with seven tackles.
Even after Johnston begin inserting backup players into the game, Nansemond-Suffolk still found the end zone.
Johnston said he was very happy for senior running back Eddie Marshall, who had a scoop and score.
Freshman wide receiver Jordan Houston also added to the Saints’ impressive tally with a wild contribution.
Johnston said, “He runs a sweep to the right, drops the ball, boots it, picks it up,” and then runs 30 to 40 yards for a touchdown.
The coach worked to give everyone an opportunity before the game was over.
“Everybody got to play, including our three eight-graders that we brought up from the (junior junior varsity), and everybody was happy,” Johnston said. “The starters were really encouraging the younger guys.”
Nansemond-Suffolk finished the regular season with a 5-5 record. This makes the third straight year the Saints have made the playoffs, two wins away from a state championship despite all the injuries that have plagued them this season.
“The kids are really excited,” Johnston said. “They were just bubbling after the game. There was just a different vibe. We had everybody back, everybody was playing. This is how we started the year, and we were playing really well.”
