Darryl Brickhouse launched a pair of touchdown passes to Kwame Jordan as Nansemond River’s junior varsity squad opened its season with a 29-12 defeat of host Lakeland Thursday evening.

Brickhouse capped off his team’s first drive with a 20-yard score to Jordan, then ran for the two-point conversion. But the Cavaliers came right back, as Cedric Johnson charged to the River 10 to end the first quarter. It took him four downs, but Johnson put his team on the board, racing around the left end for a touchdown. The extra points failed, leaving the Warriors up, 8-6.

Travis Knight snatched a fumble for Lakeland on the next drive, but Peter Wagner got River the ball back two plays later at the Cavalier 42, and Eric Scott bolted up the middle to the 12. Christopher Thomas then ran untouched around the right end, and Brad Watahovich kicked the extra point for a 15-6 halftime lead.

Justin Howell gave Lakeland a huge break by returning the second half kickoff 69 yards to the River 22, but Kyle Hahn, Randy Morning and Brett Balsor charged into the Lakeland backfield to sack Johnson for a nine-yard loss, and Balsor got him again on fourth down at the 40.

It took the River offense seven plays to move 27 yards, but Brickhouse faked a handoff and plowed to the right sideline and the Cavaliers 10, and Scott rumbled into the endzone for a 21-6 lead.

Aided by runs of 12 and 15 yards from Johnson and a 10-yarder by Christopher Whitfield, the Cavaliers moved to the River 29. But William Riddick got in front of a Lakeland defender and snared an interception, and Brickhouse hit Jordan from 40 yards out for another touchdown.

He passed to Tyrell Green for the two-point conversion, and Howell scored Lakeland’s final touchdown on a five-yard plunge.

Over at Hickory, King’s Fork got its second-straight win with an 8-6 victory over the Hawks.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com