Chargers hand RCS first defeat
Published 9:33 pm Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Isle of Wight Academy’s football team used a revamped defense to bottle up previously undefeated Richmond Christian School 41-8 Friday night at Hooper Field.
Installed by the IWA coaching staff the Tuesday before the game, a new defensive scheme limited the visiting Warriors to 101 yards from scrimmage and held them scoreless on offense. Richmond Christian passers — three of them — completed no passes in 12 attempts and tossed two interceptions to Charger defenders.
The Warriors scored their only points of the game in the second quarter on an interception return for a touchdown by sophomore Malik Shaw, accompanied by a two-point conversion.
The Chargers got a season-high 103 yards, as well as two touchdowns, from senior running back Alec Edwards and 73 passing yards from senior quarterback Bryce Casey as their team maintained its high-scoring ways. In the past four games, IWA has outscored opponents 179-30.
Undefeated as a junior varsity squad last year, the Warriors are in their first season as a varsity team and were 3-0 coming into Friday’s contest.
The Chargers and Richmond Christian exchanged first-quarter possessions twice, then IWA got the ball near midfield and launched into a seven-play drive keyed by a 25-yard pass play from Casey to senior wide receiver Curtis Waters on third down and nine yards to go. A play later, senior running back Will Morningstar ran it in from five yards out to open the scoring.
After the ensuing kickoff, Richmond Christian fumbled the ball on first down. IWA senior defensive lineman Zen Bristol scooped it up and ran it in from 10 yards away. Casey’s two-point-conversion pass attempt fell incomplete and the score remained 12-0.
Edwards’ two-yard run on IWA’s next possession capped a five-play drive. His conversion run made it 20-0, setting the stage for Shaw’s interception return and conversion pass to make it 20-8.
With momentum briefly in their favor and Casey seemingly rattled, the Warriors forced the Chargers into another obvious passing situation at third-and-9. Casey’s subsequent pass was also intercepted by a Warrior defender, giving Richmond Christian the ball near midfield.
On first down, though, Warriors junior quarterback Stephen Swiney dropped back to pass, and his attempt was intercepted by Isle of Wight junior defensive back James Ricks on a nifty, one-handed grab, giving the Chargers the ball.
Curtis Waters got in on the act in the fourth quarter, returning an intercepted Swiney pass 60 yards for a touchdown. Edwards added another touchdown run and backfield mate Donald King, a junior, completed the scoring with a 12-yard run with 4:13 to play.
The Chargers (4-1) return to action when they travel to Fuqua School (4-0) in Farmville Friday at 7 p.m.
The Falcons defeated Hampton Roads Academy 14-6 Friday and, against the only common opponent with IWA, mauled Kenston Forest School 66-28 on Sep. 18. IWA handily defeated the Kavaliers the week before.