Falcons triumph 32-12 in Metro football ‘Super Bowl’

New Kent’s Falcon peewees faced a formidable task — defeat Chamberlayne’s unbeaten Packers, a team that had shut out five of its 10 opponents and given up a mere six points apiece to the other five.

No problem.

The Falcons quickly surpassed the other Packer foes on their first possession, taking an early 7-0 advantage. And it would be a lead they would never relinquish.

New Kent scored more points than Chamberlayne’s previous opponents combined in capturing last Saturday’s “Super Bowl” championship in the Metropolitan Youth Football League’s varsity peewee division with a 32-12 victory at the SportsQuest complex in Chesterfield County.

New Kent’s running back tandem of Evan Branch and C.J. Reeders accounted for 276 of the team’s 278 yards on the ground. Branch ran for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries while Reeders added 85 yards and two TDS on 15 totes.

The Falcon running game controlled the clock. Chamberlayne managed only eight plays from scrimmage in the first half and gained just 68 yards while turning the ball over on three occasions. Most of the Packer yards came on a 45-yard touchdown run, but the score did little to offset New Kent’s 20 first half points.

Branch kept New Kent’s opening drive alive with a nine-yard run on a fourth down and six situation from the Packer 47 yard line. Two plays later, Reeders bounced to the outside on a sweep right and won the footrace to the end zone 31 yards away. Branch ran for the conversion a 7-0 lead.

Chamberlayne fumbled the ball away on its first two series, and the Falcons took advantage after Zach Morris covered the second bobble at the Packer 21 yard line. On third down, the Falcon offensive line paved the way for Branch to scoot for an 18-yard TD gallop, upping the count to 13-0.

Chamberlayne scored on its next play from scrimmage, but New Kent responded with Branch sprinting 73 yards on a fourth and seven play for his second touchdown. Edward Davis’ conversion run handed the Falcons a 20-6 halftime lead.

Chamberlayne rallied on the second play of the third quarter. Xavier Johnson burst through tackling attempts on a 45-yard TD run, trimming the Falcon lead to 20-12. But that was as close as the Packers would get.

The Falcons engineered an eight-play drive that covered 64 yards and ended on Branch’s 26-yard, tackle-busting TD run. New Kent took a 26-12 lead into the fourth quarter, and put the game away on a Reeder nine-yard burst in the final minutes.

New Kent held Chamberlayne to 125 yards. In addition to Morris, John Richart and Dominique Williams covered Packer fumbles. Williams also had an interception, picking off a Packer pass on the game’s final play.

The Falcons finished the season with an 11-1 record.